WARNING: RANT!
I remember reading an article a while back, questioning the buying tastes of the American consumer. In short, it went on to say that the "need" for a big SUV is the same as the "need" for an automatic assult rifle. It is some sort of survivalist mentality driving these purchases, with some sort of comfort that buying one will offer protection for some sort of percieved possiblity of danger that doesn't actually exist. To some degree that is true, you don't need 550 hp to do anything, whether picking up the dry cleaning or merging in traffic. How much power does anyone need before they feel safe? Safe from what, ever losing a speed contest under any conditions?
Honda has engineered quality into every car they make, and has built a following because of it. In my opinion, I was very dissapointed when they rebadged a Trooper and called it a Honda. Was a SUV built by another company actually as good as a car designed by Honda? Why did Honda want to associate itself with a car company that used Joe Schmoe to sell product? Worse is now, Honda is going to supply engines to Saturn! Saturn! That stupid company that makes cars for people that people that don't like cars and would get in line to buy a car from Maytag?!!!
Back at SEMA, all the Honda and Acura execs were pushing the 'platform' idea. Honda makes products that are aimed at the middle weight division, and not heavyweights. Honda makes quality products that make a great platform for the aftermarket due to the fact that the cars are not that peaky, and there is always room for more performance improvement built in. Honda doesn't want to make cars that will be less reliable for performance gain. Tell them that the NSX is underpowered and they will point you to the Comptech booth. They even have the show cars on their hondanews.com site with the Comptech superchargers.
Hondas cars are bland when it comes to style. Bland cars are great for modding. Honda is offering some new FP (factory performance) kits to enhance the interior, exterior, and suspensions. Want more power? Go to the aftermarket. That seems to be the direction Honda wants you to go, for now.
I don't know if the "go the aftermarket route" is the way to go, now. (Older) People want turn-key cars, with all the bells and whistles from the factory. They don't want hi reving engines, they want to be lazy and have torque on demand down low in the rev range. They don't want small light cars, they want full sized cars that are loaded with everything. This is very different to the "theory" behind the NSX.
When the NSX was designed, the chassis was the focal point. These days it is all about the engine. Nobody likes the D-NX concept. Too bland, hybrid engine, blah, blah, blah...but the car does have some merits. Wheels at the far corners, mid-engine AND four seats, front spoiler that hides any intakes and makes downforce over the steering wheels, blah, blah, blah...Sure, I like having the firewall behind me, but I could get much more stuff into my Porsche, even if the back seat was worthless.
So what should Honda do with the NSX? Too late to breath new sales life into the old machine. Some high tech interior materials would have gone a long way to getting rid of the eighties look. Seems like the NSX engine can't be improved upon, even though any and every other car company can get some marginal performance gain every year from their flagship cars. I can buy a BMW M3 made out of carbon fiber body panels, while the NSX body is from an improved (over the original grade) aluminum still made under contract by a company other than Honda. (Anyone know the name of the company?)
If the NSX went on as is for a few years, that wouldn't be such a bad thing. However, I don't like the fact that Honda won't release any info on a possible new model. Should I upgrade to a 2003, if it is the last year of the NSX, or do I wait and see if there is a new model. If not, do I buy a used '03, keep my NSX for the near future and wait and see, or are things going to be dull at Honda after they retire the NSX? Every other car maker leaks new model info to judge demand, maybe Honda should follow suit. Maybe the entire idea of building a performance car that lasts 15 years and 150K miles is silly, considering how quickly things change these days.
Well, when I find a better car I'll buy it. Hope it is another NSX. I like Honda, and after the first few models of cars in the seventies, they made some cute cars that appealled to young buyers. These days, the cars seem to be made for a more mature buyer, and that seems to be who is buying them. The new Element SUV was designed for 22 year olds, but the average buyer is 41 years old. Funny, I don't think that I'll ever see a forty something year old in an Element advertisement. Maybe they should build an NSX that appeals to a younger crowd, then the forty+ crowd can buy into the youth-culture aspect of the machine.
Seems like the older buyer will spend money on an entry level BMW, or MB, before a top of the line Acura, so a $150K exotic is not in the pipeline. If the direction of Honda's superbike development is any indication, the next Honda sports car will be half the price with marginally better performance. Less exotic and more real world, will sell more units, not Corvette inspired color choices.
I've said it before and here it is again: Honda went in the wrong diection with the NSX. They created the perfect car, and then changed the definition of perfect to lure upscale auto buyers. Instead of the high tech fighter jet, we now have a luxo-grand tourer ala Porsche 928. "The gentlemen's sports car." Instead of the T model, they should have gone in the other direction. Make the cheaper to produce, the climate control/radio/cd/leather dash and doors/wheels could all be replaced with something better and lighter. Replacing the seats with Recaros would save $8K off the price. Throw in some Zanardi/Type S style weight reduction while keeping the power steering, and the car would only weigh a few more pounds if it were made of steel.
Maybe the question is: What does the NSX represent at the $90K price level? Too much the overpriced toy for the performance crowd, and not enough bells and whistles for the poser lot. I'd like to see the NSX continue as is, if there won't be a new model. I'll just have to add the aluminum pedals, myself. Of course that allows me to choose the one's I like, and that won't be popular with the stock crowd, but I can always look forward to adding a supercharger. Intake/exhaust/headers is good for 10% more power, I guess that is the best place to start, but for now I'm still okay with things, performance wise.
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