Media Bias Against Nsx Design

[kgb_agent]

I have had it with the bias against the "aging" NSX styling and those people and magazines who complain about the NSX's [OK, let's say it together] "12-year old design."

I'm not trying to start a NSX-vs-911 thread here. But as a comparison, if 12 years is an old design, what's Porsche's 40 year old design?? Over the past few months I have read the following adjectives describing the 911's styling:

* timeless
* traditional
* classic
* easily recognizable (my personal favorite; not very exotic then, huh)

OTOH, the NSX is usually referred to as:
* aging
* dated
* old
* unchanged
* "long in the tooth" (my vote for most overused)

When is the 12-year old NSX going to start being referred to as classic? IMO it is as cutting-edge today as in 1991. No one ever talks about how dated a Ferrari Testarossa looks. I love 'em, but one glimse screams '80's. (I can see Crockett getting out now with his pastel T-shirt...)

Why the bias?

 

[Autophile]

Harrumph, harrumph!

I agree with everything you said, kgb_agent.

I think, the NSX body is so beautiful that it hurts the eyes, and the press wants something to change in order to avoid the sweet pain of awesome visual perfection! Hehe. That's what it does for me...

 

[POWERED by HONDA]

I'm with you there.

They obviously are showing some bias towards Porsche and all the other marques...

remember... "The NSX is just a Honda." phffft.

 

[ss_md]

Porch (porsche) doesn't even compare to the styling of the NSX. I think these writers are being paid-off. What the heck do they know!

 

[GQ NSX]

well

I don't agree with the magazines at all, and I'm with you guys on this. However, think of it this way:


I don't know about you guys, but when I'm driving around, I point and scream at cars that are on the road like "omg its a 360 modena! omg its a NSX!" AGAIN you will NEVER EVER hear me scream "omg its a boxster! omg its a carrera!"

I NEVER EVER point out porsches, because to me everyone and their mom has one. Rare? NO F'ing way. I must admit if I see the occasional turbo or gt2, I go wild.

The NSX is a genuine classic. Anyone of the friends I ask would concur.

Can't win them all I guess.

ravi

 

[NSXROX]

People obviously love the way the car looks judged by the stares and head turns that I get when I'm out on the road. Its a hot looking car, no question about it.

 

[Vytas]

A while ago, one of the car mags reviewing the NSX mentioned it had dated looks and "80's" style pop-up headlights. Well, the '02 update changed that. When they reviewed the Corvette again, they didn't mention a word about its "dated" pop-up lights when talking about its aging bodystyle.

 

[Dr.Honda]

My friend calls my NSX "rolling eye candy"

 

[Autophile]

I had another thought. How can the design of the NSX be called "old" when the average person may see only one or two of them on the road per year?

For those lucky few who will see one on the street today for the first time, they will feel the same wonder and emotion that the car brought to those aware of the car back in 91.

 

[Taj]

The NSX makes people’s heads turn whereas a 911 is just another 911.

 

[Eric5273]

as a comparison, if 12 years is an old design, what's Porsche's 40 year old design??

Porsche has updated the design (both interior and exterior) many times over that 40 years. The new car looks very different from the original.

No one ever talks about how dated a Ferrari Testarossa looks.

They don't sell the Testarossa anymore. If they still were making new ones, I'm sure you would hear complaints.

I have a new '03 NSX, but I will be the first to tell you it's a dated design and overpriced. I got it under the special lease plan -- $799/month, $0 down. With that lease plan, it cost me less than I would pay to lease a $50k corvette. While I love the car, if I was going to spend even over $75k on a car, there are quite a few cars I would get instead.

Here's a list of features missing from a $70k+ car which indicates the design is dated:

1. heated seats (my friend has these on his $23k ford focus)
2. pwr seat memory (available on $30k BMW 3 series)
3. in dash CD (or even an in-dash CD changer)
4. one-touch down & up windows on both sides
5. navagation system

Not to mention 17" wheels and 290 hp -- the new Nissan 350Z has that for $27k.

The NSX is still an exotic and still gets far more attention than most cars, but that is because people know how much it costs and it's so rare, but part of the reason it's rare is because it is overpriced and they don't sell that many.

In today's market, a $90k car should have all those options listed above, over 350hp, and have at least 18 or 19" wheels.

When I was shopping, I priced a BMW M3 Convertible with everthing listed above, 19" wheels, 333 hp and the cost was $64k. But the lease was over $950/month, so the NSX was less to lease.

I don't think the body design is what they complain is dated.....I think it's the features offered on the car. Maybe that is where your confusion is.

 

[AndyH]

the only porsche that will make me turn my head is the carrera GT someday

 

[POWERED by HONDA]

Re: Re: Media Bias Against Nsx Design

4. one-touch down & up windows on both sides

Honda's 2003 Accord only has one-touch up and down on the drivers side. I don't know about the Acura TSX, but I think it's the same...

 

[j14nsx]

Well if Honda never get round to making a new NSX and continue with the current model, then in 40 years time, maybe they will be saying how wonderful the 'timeless' NSX is.

Yes, we do say the NSX is rare, but I agree it's only because not many sold.

I really don't care how many NSXs are on the road. It makes my decision to buy one my own, and shows I don't need to follow the crowd. I don't say bad things about other cars, and the people I meet don't say anything bad about mine. What I like best is when I take a Porker owner for a ride and they are truly amazed at the NSX.

However they still wouldn't buy one.........

 

[hondaholic]

A while ago, one of the car mags reviewing the NSX mentioned it had dated looks and "80's" style pop-up headlights. Well, the '02 update changed that. When they reviewed the Corvette again, they didn't mention a word about its "dated" pop-up lights when talking about its aging bodystyle.

I love the way the NSX headlamp door looks in the open postion, parallel to the ground and all.
The vette lights look comical at best when they are open. The actual headlamp assembly looks light it was lifted from a '93 Roadmaster. To me the open position of the lights looks like an afterthought.

 

[kgb_agent]

Re: Re: Media Bias Against Nsx Design

Here's a list of features missing from a $70k+ car which indicates the design is dated:

1. heated seats (my friend has these on his $23k ford focus)
2. pwr seat memory (available on $30k BMW 3 series)
3. in dash CD (or even an in-dash CD changer)
4. one-touch down & up windows on both sides
5. navagation system

I see your list and raise you one:
6. KEYLESS ENTRY WITH TRUNK RELEASE

I don't think the body design is what they complain is dated.....I think it's the features offered on the car. Maybe that is where your confusion is.

Nope, my take on it is that they're complaining about the exterior styling (i.e. body) although I could be wrong. You make some valid points about the modern NSX's (lack of) features but I stand by my Porsche comparison. IMO the 911 has the same *basic* size and shape as it did when introduced. I don't think this can be said of the Corvette, Mustang, or any other car that has reamined in production for several decades (excluding the VW Bug). But what do I know...?

 

[RyRy210]

Re: Re: Media Bias Against Nsx Design

Porsche has updated the design (both interior and exterior) many times over that 40 years. The new car looks very different from the original.



They don't sell the Testarossa anymore. If they still were making new ones, I'm sure you would hear complaints.

I have a new '03 NSX, but I will be the first to tell you it's a dated design and overpriced. I got it under the special lease plan -- $799/month, $0 down. With that lease plan, it cost me less than I would pay to lease a $50k corvette. While I love the car, if I was going to spend even over $75k on a car, there are quite a few cars I would get instead.

Here's a list of features missing from a $70k+ car which indicates the design is dated:

1. heated seats (my friend has these on his $23k ford focus)
2. pwr seat memory (available on $30k BMW 3 series)
3. in dash CD (or even an in-dash CD changer)
4. one-touch down & up windows on both sides
5. navagation system

Not to mention 17" wheels and 290 hp -- the new Nissan 350Z has that for $27k.

The NSX is still an exotic and still gets far more attention than most cars, but that is because people know how much it costs and it's so rare, but part of the reason it's rare is because it is overpriced and they don't sell that many.

In today's market, a $90k car should have all those options listed above, over 350hp, and have at least 18 or 19" wheels.

When I was shopping, I priced a BMW M3 Convertible with everthing listed above, 19" wheels, 333 hp and the cost was $64k. But the lease was over $950/month, so the NSX was less to lease.

I don't think the body design is what they complain is dated.....I think it's the features offered on the car. Maybe that is where your confusion is.

In contrast, there are cars out there that has less options than an NSX and cost alot more, but then again, people who buy these cars are usually buying it just for the sake of owning an expensive car.

The NSX in japan has a Navi.

This all reminds me of the Lotus Esprit. Haven't had much cosmetic changes either, not to mention lack of options.

 

[Eric5273]

Re: Re: Re: Media Bias Against Nsx Design

This all reminds me of the Lotus Esprit. Haven't had much cosmetic changes either, not to mention lack of options.

Well, if you think the car mags complain about the NSX design being dated, then you need to read their take on the Esprit. Interesting that the price is similar to an NSX. The NSX is way more modern than an Esprit, although I'm sure the Esprit will give better performance. Does it even have airbags & anti-lock brakes??

 

[Taj]

Re: Re: Media Bias Against Nsx Design

1. heated seats (my friend has these on his $23k ford focus)
2. pwr seat memory (available on $30k BMW 3 series)
3. in dash CD (or even an in-dash CD changer)
4. one-touch down & up windows on both sides
5. navagation system

One of the design criteria for the NSX engineers is to maintain a certain power-to-weight ratio or sometime weight per horse power (lb/hp). With the power being a constant, the only way to maintain the power-to-weight ratio is to keep the weight down.

In the automobile manufacturing world, weight is always referred to as a penalty. Extra 2 kg of fuel in a Formula 1 car means couples positions in the qualifying round. If you look at the M3 convertible, it weighs in at 3800 lb. An engineer would die for a 200 lb saving. Just look at the M3 CSL it costs BMW a lot of money to remove features and replace parts with lighter materials for 100 kg.

I wonder how the magazines would rate the NSX style if the NSX were introduced in 2001 instead of 1991, certainly not aged, how about out-dated?

 

[Eric5273]

I agree that some features, such as heated seats & navagation have weight penalties, but others do not. Having one-touch up & down windows require a microchip which weighs less than a dime. Same with seat memories -- once you have power seats, adding memories require very an extra microchip and a couple extra plastic buttons. And a trunk release on the keyless entry remote.

As far as an in-dash CD, I think a CD player actually weighs less than a casette player because it has fewer moving parts.

 

[CRX B16B VTEC]

Yeah, but the Esprit is British (well it used to be), therefore it is a sports car. Every Lotus produced get entered into the table of Classic Cars the day it is released. Lotus makes the best hadling cars in the world, anything lotus tunes (suspension tuning on other manufacturers) handles like no other.

Thats the way it is in British magazines. Every country which has their own car manufacturing industry is biased to their own cars in the magazines. Its just that most of you can't read what is written in Japanese car magazines...

Staying with the lotus theme, when they made the M100 lotus Elan, they said it was the best handling and quickest front wheel drive car ever. When Kia (a Korean motor company) took over the design, and started to manufacture them, they lost interest and never said a word.

 

[Taj]

I certainly agree with you about the in-dash CD and one touch window. Cost saving is also a factor for Honda. Change means more money and minor tooling reconfiguration. In fact, I don't even know why the prehistoric cassette player doing in my car.

 

[Edwardo]

Here are the cars I consider to be the closest competition for the NSX. They all cost around 70-90k. All of them are sports cars.

1. Porsche 996 (styling dates back to 1966 I think)
2. Lotus Esprit (styling dates back to mid 1970's)
3. Dodge Viper (It is unfortunate the styling changed for the new SRT 10. Most Viper owners would have preferred slight styling changes to the gen 1/2 viper than for the bland Viper they got. In this case, Dodge made a mistake changing. Perhaps another evolution in styling was in order rather than a revolution.


If I am not mistaken, most Porsche fans are excited because the new version of the 911 will have the raised headlights more reminiscent of the 993.

Exterior styling on the NSX is beautiful in my opinion. I like the 02-03 even better than my 91. I really cannot fathom why these magazine writers tend to speak of the NSX as "dated". It makes no sense.

I am sure most of you remember the article from last year where they matched the 996 vs. NSX vs. Z06. I remember one of the editors speaking very highly of the NSX exterior design.

edit: Just went down to my garage to check out my beloved. Those lines are simply classic guys. (as if you guys don't know this already )

 

[RyRy210]

I certainly agree with you about the in-dash CD and one touch window. Cost saving is also a factor for Honda. Change means more money and minor tooling reconfiguration. In fact, I don't even know why the prehistoric cassette player doing in my car.

I ordered my BMW with an in-dash cassette player instead of the CD! Well, my in-dash cassette is actually behind the Navi screen, so it is a bit modern. I just thought that having an in-dash CD and a rear mounted CD changer is too much. Having a front cassette and rear CD changer just gives me more flexibility.

IMHO ofcourse!

 

[Eric5273]

I ordered my BMW with an in-dash cassette player instead of the CD! Well, my in-dash cassette is actually behind the Navi screen, so it is a bit modern. I just thought that having an in-dash CD and a rear mounted CD changer is too much. Having a front cassette and rear CD changer just gives me more flexibility.

IMHO ofcourse!

It would be nice if I had this choice when I got my NSX (in-dash CD, navagation, etc.)