Originally posted by Tom Larkins:
Tell me, other than a phone survey that was done with recent 2002 owners, does Acura really listen to what is said here. If they don't maybe the should, or are we as owners in this forum in the minority when it comes to the market they think they need to reach. Just wondering, do they know (Acura) this site exists and/or does it make a difference in their market research?
Do they know this site exists? Yes. Do they read every word that is said here? Probably not. Do they read letters that owners write to them? Yes. Do they conduct market research surveys of owners beyond just the ones who just bought the car new? Yes.
For example, Acura surveyed NSX owners who attended NSXPO '99 in California. The three areas that owners liked least about the NSX at that time were:
1. Lack of power vs the competition
2. Needs more powerful brakes
3. The price/value relationship
I can assure you that the folks at Acura HQ are well aware of the desires and priorities of the NSX owners. Whether those desires and priorities are met by the next generation NSX is another story, since there are many practical considerations involved in doing so. If it were easy (and cheap), they would already have done it.
I'll give you an example of those practical considerations. Everyone wants a high-quality 500-hp supercar that costs $40,000. Obviously that's not possible. Suppose you had two choices on what to introduce as the next-generation NSX:
a. a $50,000 3500-lb steel-bodied 350-hp sports car that does 0-60 in 4.9 seconds, with projected U.S. sales of 3,000 cars per year
b. a $120,000 2900-lb aluminum-bodied 450-hp sports car that does 0-60 in 4.1 seconds, with projected U.S. sales of 300 cars per year
Which would you produce? There's no easy answer, and your preference might depend on your background. A wealthy enthusiast might prefer option (b). Someone of lesser means might prefer option (a). Furthermore, suppose the development costs alone for either option are $500 million, a modest budget for a new model; what decision would you make if you were the management and stockholders of Honda Motor Co. Ltd.?
[This message has been edited by nsxtasy (edited 18 June 2002).]