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Were those hand-controls factory items?
No new NSX? Hope fades after Uehara comments.
- Thread starter MAKO
- Start date
Were those hand-controls factory items?
Are cars like the 911 Turbo and 360 Modena not sold in Japan?
Just curious...
It's just a simple matter of economics. There is no company in the world willing to spend millions and millions of dollars to produce a car that will not sell, so unless Honda is fairly certain that a new NSX would sell in the required numbers to be profitable they will not make another one from scratch like they did in 1990.
The main reason it will not sell at the price point necessary to compete with Porsche Turbos and Ferrari 360s, is because of its Japanese origin - at that level "Image is Everything". My guess is that they could sell thousands at $60,000 if the new NSX had more power and other atributes over Ferrari and Porsche, like it did in 1991. Who knows, Nissan was able to make a very nice new Z for under $30K, and perhaps Honda can make another NSX at the $60K level.
If Acura decides to replace the NSX with another sports car, I bet this car will be a Porsche Boxster/ BMW Z4 competitor at the $40 to $50K level -no NSX. If they go for the big guns at the $120K level - like the Porsche Turbo and the like, the car will be a total failure in the marketplace because most people who can spend that kind of money on a car will go for the Porsche or the Ferrari every time.
As always, this is just my opinion and everyone is welcome to disagree
The main reason it will not sell at the price point necessary to compete with Porsche Turbos and Ferrari 360s, is because of its Japanese origin - at that level "Image is Everything". My guess is that they could sell thousands at $60,000 if the new NSX had more power and other atributes over Ferrari and Porsche, like it did in 1991. Who knows, Nissan was able to make a very nice new Z for under $30K, and perhaps Honda can make another NSX at the $60K level.
If Acura decides to replace the NSX with another sports car, I bet this car will be a Porsche Boxster/ BMW Z4 competitor at the $40 to $50K level -no NSX. If they go for the big guns at the $120K level - like the Porsche Turbo and the like, the car will be a total failure in the marketplace because most people who can spend that kind of money on a car will go for the Porsche or the Ferrari every time.
As always, this is just my opinion and everyone is welcome to disagree
Yes its from Honda -- I know of at least 3 made.
One is in the Honda Collection Hall (big museum) at Twin-Ring Motegi. Another is with our friend in Japan. A third (I believe) is with Alex Zanardi.
* EDIT *
The museum copy is at the "FAN FUN LAB" at TRM, not the Collection Hall.
[This message has been edited by nsx1164 (edited 24 November 2002).]
Well said... I am convinced that the dream is very much alive.
Yes, according to the above post.
My grandfather had hand controls installed on his old Chrysler. If I remember correctly it was installed to the left of the wheel. By pushing the lever down, the car would accelerate. By pushing the lever in, the car would brake. It mechanically attached to the pedals. Perhaps Honda's controls mirrored this setup?
Originally posted by Ponyboy:
FWIW, I would buy a new NSX if it were a viable competitor to the 911TT and 360. Matter of fact, I'm saving for a huge down payment right now.
At what price? At the 120K-150K the competition is selling for? If so, my hat off to you. I would pay up to $85K for a new one but it would have to be not only as good as but better than the Porsche and the Ferrari - just like in 1991.
One major reason Nissan was able to sell the new Z at these prices is that the 3.5L engine is used throughout its product line, and not just in the Z. In this manner Nissan was able to achieve economies of scale thus maximizing return.
For Honda to lower the price of the NSX significantly, it will also need to achieve compelling economies of scale. Otherwise, there is no business case.
Here is some food for thought. Think about living in a country the size of Cal.with 127 million people 18% of them over 65 years old and the speed limit 60k 38mph 280hp is a hand full dodging everything from people to benjo trucks. Been there done that in a Toyota 800cc sports car that maxed out at 120k (lived in Tokyo 2 years)There is never enough HP it's the american way.
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http://quicksitebuilder.cnet.com/rixnsx/
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http://quicksitebuilder.cnet.com/rixnsx/
When the 4-door has 400-HP, mid-engined, and has lower drag than the current NSX, I can definitely see it as a possibility.
Moreover, Honda has not been shy stating that the DN-X was designed as a true sports car with 4-doors.
If Honda is going to produce another NSX, it had better blow the doors off the DN-X or be priced at the same levels.
the one we saw, and the one we got to test-drive, were both automatic / sportshift cars.
Interestingly enough, the standard brake and gas pedals are still there, and are fully functional.
Yep, Zanardi has one of these.
As you might have guessed, JDM NSXs come from the factory with a 180 km/h speed limit. This applies to ALL models, including the NSX-R.
Several owners have removed the limiter
I can definitely agree with this. I own one of those "boring" RLs, mine is a 2000. I would love to trade my RL for a new DN-X if the promises materialize. My RL, however, is not as boring as described in this forum. The early ones I must admit were terribly boring - tuna boat like, if I may use the term. The new ones have gotten better suspensions and steering geometry that makes them more fun to drive. My own, with 18 inch wheels and nicer tires - Bridgestones SO-3s - is almost fun to drive, really!
I should know, I own an NSX.
Hyuan,
In my book, 4 doors does not a sports car make. Honda can say anything they like, but if it has 4 doors and 4 seats then it ain't no sports car. The M5 is real nifty too, but it's not a sports car either.
A true sports car should be able to perform on the track as well. And unless Honda is planning some amazing Star Trek battery/hybrid technology that no one has ever heard about, you can forget about it being competitive on the track like the NSX.
-Jim
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1992 NSX Red/Blk 5 spd #0330
1991 NSX Blk/Blk Auto #3070 (Sold)
1974 Vette 454 4 spd Wht/Blk
1976 Honda Accord 5 spd, 3 door Blue/Blue
1977 Honda Accord - Custom - Under Construction
1986 Chevy Suburban
http://homepage.mac.com/jimanders/PhotoAlbum1.html
There's a difference between (a) being a sports car and (b) performing on the track. They are not necessarily the same thing.
A sports car is a category of car. Most folks would agree that it is a car that is designed for high performance. Many would argue that the term should only apply to cars with two doors and two seats. Some would also argue that the term should only apply to convertibles (open top cars). Depending on how you define a sports car, a '91-94 NSX coupe (not a convertible) might or might not be a sports car; a '97-01 NSX-T (not exactly a convertible) might or might not be a sports car; a new 911 Turbo (with its tiny rear seat) might or might not be a sports car; a new M5 (four doors, four seats) might or might not be a sports car; etc. This is all a matter of semantics; state your favorite definition of the term and you can see whether a given car fits.
However, there are cars that might not fit a given definition for a sports car but still perform on the track. At the track, a four-door, four-passenger M5 can perform quite well, but it is not exactly nimble, due to its 4000 pound curb weight. A new two-door four-passenger E46 M3 can perform even better on the track; some might claim it is a sports car, but others might not, due to its rear seat. The previous generation E36 M3 had a four door version for a while, and again, it might or might not be considered a sports car, but most folks would say that it could perform on the track just fine.
I don't know whether there will be a next generation NSX. If there is, I don't know if it will have hybrid technology or not. I don't know if folks will consider it a sports car or not. I don't know if it will perform on the track or not. When it's introduced, we will know all the answers. Until then, it's all conjecture. Guessing is fun, but that's all it is.
A sports car is a category of car. Most folks would agree that it is a car that is designed for high performance. Many would argue that the term should only apply to cars with two doors and two seats. Some would also argue that the term should only apply to convertibles (open top cars). Depending on how you define a sports car, a '91-94 NSX coupe (not a convertible) might or might not be a sports car; a '97-01 NSX-T (not exactly a convertible) might or might not be a sports car; a new 911 Turbo (with its tiny rear seat) might or might not be a sports car; a new M5 (four doors, four seats) might or might not be a sports car; etc. This is all a matter of semantics; state your favorite definition of the term and you can see whether a given car fits.
However, there are cars that might not fit a given definition for a sports car but still perform on the track. At the track, a four-door, four-passenger M5 can perform quite well, but it is not exactly nimble, due to its 4000 pound curb weight. A new two-door four-passenger E46 M3 can perform even better on the track; some might claim it is a sports car, but others might not, due to its rear seat. The previous generation E36 M3 had a four door version for a while, and again, it might or might not be considered a sports car, but most folks would say that it could perform on the track just fine.
I don't know whether there will be a next generation NSX. If there is, I don't know if it will have hybrid technology or not. I don't know if folks will consider it a sports car or not. I don't know if it will perform on the track or not. When it's introduced, we will know all the answers. Until then, it's all conjecture. Guessing is fun, but that's all it is.
Here's a picture of the hand-control-equipped NSX at the Fan Fun Lab at Twin-Ring Motegi. The gas/brake hand lever is inboard of the shifter.
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So they converted his signature edition 1999 coupe w/ 6-speed to a 4-speed automatic?
Did they leave the 3.2 engine in it?
If they converted it, technically it is no longer a "Zanardi" coupe by specification.. though it is odd to say that Zanardi's Zanardi NSX is not a Zanardi NSX.... (say that 3 times fast)
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A company in Europe has hand controls designed for manual transmissions. The gas is controlled by a lever/ring on the wheel, the brake is through a mechanical link to the pedal and the clutch is controlled by a micro-switch on the shifter. No need for an automatic if you have no legs.
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Sad to see NSX RIP. I was gonna trade-in my 996TT when the new NSX come out.
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Super Xenon
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Super Xenon
You mean, it's sad to see that one person is guessing that the NSX is being discontinued.
There have been false reports of its demise for years. It's still all guesswork.
