NSX 2.0 as a halo car
- Thread starter jwmelvin
- Start date
Maybe they are right, no new Prelude and no new CRX in sight. Even back then, the Accord Coupe was exciting.
I think we can only hope that the new NSX is the first in a line of new Acura's helping to reposition the marque.
Honda is notoriously tight lipped about new products but I'm hoping a derivative of the new NSX engine will find it's way into a front engine rear drive coupe/sedan.
With a front engine rear drive, Acura could compete with Lexus/BMW/Mercedes etc.
I think it would be a winner.
Let's hope Honda has a long term game plan and the return to F1 and the new NSX is just the beginning
Honda is notoriously tight lipped about new products but I'm hoping a derivative of the new NSX engine will find it's way into a front engine rear drive coupe/sedan.
With a front engine rear drive, Acura could compete with Lexus/BMW/Mercedes etc.
I think it would be a winner.
Let's hope Honda has a long term game plan and the return to F1 and the new NSX is just the beginning
cant say I fully disagree :-/
Actually with the S2000, Honda had a unique product with few real direct competitors. Arguably the Porsche Boxster was one, but the S2K was more fun overall (and a lot more affordable). My point is, instead of trying to compete and end up with a "me too" product, they'd rather follow their own inspiration, given they still have one... Back then the CRX was a unique car, the Prelude always was a bit different from everything else, hell one generation of the Accord Coupe had the NSX-like rear lights and looked real good and unique.
Can they do something exciting again ? I believe like someone else said on this forum that the excitement seems to have shifted towards Toyota lately..
ONLY issue I have with the Acura line up is that they need to get rid of the Wrong Wheel Drive cars that drag themselves around like a paraplegic dog.
My brother has a Tl SH-AWD and I love the way it handles. It's VERY deceptive on how well it handles given it's size.
Power is good, for the V6, but it doesn't hurt to have LSx HP and TQ.
Get rid of the 4 bangers and send them to the Honda dealership.
My brother has a Tl SH-AWD and I love the way it handles. It's VERY deceptive on how well it handles given it's size.
Power is good, for the V6, but it doesn't hurt to have LSx HP and TQ.
Get rid of the 4 bangers and send them to the Honda dealership.
Honestly, I don't think the NSX makes any sense as a Halo car - as pointed out in the article, they don't have any cars to point consumers to. It only makes any sort of sense if they make Acura a global brand and distance themselves from Honda which I don't see happening. Then they would need to hit the following items before they could even begin to take a benefit from a car like the NSX as a halo:
- Get rid of the budget ILX
- build a V8 model to compete with cars like the A8
- build a performance line to run against AMG, the "M" and "S" line of Audi
- add convertibles to their line up
- step up their luxury game to make the cars more opulent
- generate some sort of "oooh" factor such as making all Acura vehicles have a hybrid engine
That list is so long and so deep though, that quite simply I don't see Acura being able to move in that direction.
- Get rid of the budget ILX
- build a V8 model to compete with cars like the A8
- build a performance line to run against AMG, the "M" and "S" line of Audi
- add convertibles to their line up
- step up their luxury game to make the cars more opulent
- generate some sort of "oooh" factor such as making all Acura vehicles have a hybrid engine
That list is so long and so deep though, that quite simply I don't see Acura being able to move in that direction.
It's branded as a Honda around here. The brand had some exposure through F&F movies and Gran Turismo games, otherwise it was mostly in obscurity especially in France where it was under import quotas. These games and movies gave a lot of exposure to cars that were otherwise limited to enthusiasts, like the Nissan GTR, the Supra, and even the Prelude and NSX (i got people who told me they saw my Lude in Gran Turismo !). Here for a "serious" car people will consider Audi, Porsche or Ferrari.
Also to mention the first NSX got a lot of exposure in the media back then due to being a world first in many things (starting with first japanese supercar), and basically showing Ferrari the new rules of the game.
Not sure it will gather that much attention now...
Also to mention the first NSX got a lot of exposure in the media back then due to being a world first in many things (starting with first japanese supercar), and basically showing Ferrari the new rules of the game.
Not sure it will gather that much attention now...
One thing to consider here is, reliability. I think the reason why Honda has been spanked for the past decade is due to the lack of turbocharging Their vehicles. I think they have been holding back to ensure reliable and care free driving. Honda replaced my transmission at 100k miles for free in my bb6 prelude. After that, I was Honda for life....
I feel Honda is a sleeping giant here who is about to awaken. The turbocharged nsx in "my" opinion, should bring forth reliable turbocharged performance from the brand. Sure there was the turbo rdx yes. But they never really took off with it.
I think, and certainly hope that this will be the turning point in the road where turbocharging cars is now way more reliable and efficient from a brand who prides itself in reliability rather then horsepower numbers.
A key factor to remember in the performance world, "if the shit breaks down who cares how fast it is"?
I feel Honda is a sleeping giant here who is about to awaken. The turbocharged nsx in "my" opinion, should bring forth reliable turbocharged performance from the brand. Sure there was the turbo rdx yes. But they never really took off with it.
I think, and certainly hope that this will be the turning point in the road where turbocharging cars is now way more reliable and efficient from a brand who prides itself in reliability rather then horsepower numbers.
A key factor to remember in the performance world, "if the shit breaks down who cares how fast it is"?
Based on Ferrari's dominance in that market - I would say that no one seems to care if shit breaks down.
Without question the Acura brand needs to be globalized!
The Acura line of cars needs to be positioned distinctly separate from the Honda line.
Front engine rear drive would go a long way to achieving that.
I hope we will witness the repositioning of the Acura brand into a separate line of cars running nose to nose with the more established European marques.
The new NSX and the return to F1 is a great start.
True, but the nsx is not geared towards the Ferrari market. That is like comparing an R8 or a 911 turbo to a Ferrari.
When the first nsx came out it generally costed around 100k. Ferrari's costed about twice that. The nsx beat the low dollar Ferrari and nothing more.
Fast forward 20 years, ferrari's are now 400k to 1.5 million. I sometimes find it kind of strange we compare a Honda to a La Ferrari. The difference is so vast it is incomprehensible. You can buy a scuderia used for about double the cost of a new nsx. So where does the nsx come into comparison with Ferrari? Two different brands, two different buyers, two different demographics. If the nsx is indeed faster, so be it. If not, I would not be surprised. It's only 150k and looks spectacular in my mind.
I like where Acura/Honda is at in the market segment and share. They are not too big and not too small. This means they have resources at their disposal to make cars like the NSX, but won't be plagued by mass controversies like the Toyota/Lexus/GM recalls, even though Toyota makes some rather reliable cars. The difference between Toyota and Honda is that Honda makes better looking interior choices/designs and they usually make better engines.
As for a halo car making the Acura lineup look exciting? I think Acura is more exciting now than it was back in the 80s/90s. They are getting ready to make many turbocharged cars. The CTR is the start following the other turbo I-4 and soon V6s I'm sure. As many have mentioned, even though their lineup is all virtually transverse V6s or I4s, they handle and perform well for what they are. Perhaps it's just the direction of the car era as a whole, but I don't really care for V8s in a full size sedan, but then again I don't really represent the mass market that buys that stuff.
As for a halo car making the Acura lineup look exciting? I think Acura is more exciting now than it was back in the 80s/90s. They are getting ready to make many turbocharged cars. The CTR is the start following the other turbo I-4 and soon V6s I'm sure. As many have mentioned, even though their lineup is all virtually transverse V6s or I4s, they handle and perform well for what they are. Perhaps it's just the direction of the car era as a whole, but I don't really care for V8s in a full size sedan, but then again I don't really represent the mass market that buys that stuff.
Remember what happened to VW when they built a halo car. The Phaeton died a rapid death because it didn't fit in with their consumer base. What has heppened with Hyundai? I don't see many Equus' on the street. Acura tried to make the RLX a halo car, but they didn't put the correct engine in it with RWD. The RLX is a fantastic car but it is too bland compared to the segment it is placed in. A BMW 5 series and MB E Class offer what most people want in the $50k-$70k price range.
Maybe the NSX will help the Acura brand, but it is targeted to a very select group of buyers.
Maybe the NSX will help the Acura brand, but it is targeted to a very select group of buyers.
The NSX is geared towards the Ferrari market. How many times has Acura marketing said "as fast as a 458"? In the industry of super cars, Ferrari IS the standard that all others follow. They are the McDonald's of fast food, the Wal-Mart of stores, the Amazon of online retailers. No one cares if the car breaks down all the time - they just care that it is the fastest, coolest car around. Reliability doesn't' sell exotics or supercars, the NSX ver 1.0 demonstrated that loud and clear.
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exactly..when I used to go to exotic car gatherings more often I always had the broken record discussion that the nsx was reliable but had no soul....people bond more with things that give them trouble unpredictably....in love and cars....
But the 911 Turbo is the benchmark for most comparisons.
All Ferraris are "Halo" cars....they make money making and selling Halo cars.
All Hondas are public transport....they make money making and selling public transport...they need the NSX as their Halo car, just like Toyota/Lexus made the LFA as their Halo car.
The NSX no matter how good or reliable or fast etc. etc. will never be as desirable as a Ferrari 488GTB for instance.
The NSX will be a one off. The 488 is from a stable of Halo cars.
All Hondas are public transport....they make money making and selling public transport...they need the NSX as their Halo car, just like Toyota/Lexus made the LFA as their Halo car.
The NSX no matter how good or reliable or fast etc. etc. will never be as desirable as a Ferrari 488GTB for instance.
The NSX will be a one off. The 488 is from a stable of Halo cars.
Well it's more of a benchmark because it's been exactly the same for 40 years
Some more data:
- the RLX is sold here under the name "Honda Accord" and is successful in Switzerland (a lot of them around)
- Lexus exists here, but not Acura
- in the 90's Honda had many desirable cars, from the Civic Si to Integra Type R.. that were affordable enthusiast choices after the expensive NSX
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People most certainly do care. It's just that in the past it was accepted part of the supercar experience. The NSX proved that you can have a supercar that is reliable and easy to deal with. Ferrari significantly improved on reliability with the 360, and every subsequent car. If current Ferraris were as much of a pain as they were back in the 348/355 days, they certainly wouldn't be selling as briskly as they do today. Any manufacturer that enters the deep pool of supercar competition today has to be somewhat reliable as a matter of course.
This is true too, reliability is not really what sells a supercar. It's performance, styling, and brand perception. Reliability can be a disqualifier or differentiator but it's not usually what sells the car. What sells is the sizzle.
We have different views and that's cool. I just do not think someone with brand new Ferrari money has any interest at all in a new Acura Nsx. Maybe a used Ferrari yes. The only reason anyone would buy a new Nsx who is in the market for Ferrari is to have a stable mate.
Lastly, the original Nsx was built for the sole purpose to prove a performance exotic automobile could be reliable and perform. This is the reason why we are all here no?
Maybe this Ferrari will be cross shopped:
http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/ferrari-dino-mule-caught-testing-first-pics
http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/ferrari-dino-mule-caught-testing-first-pics
Fit and finish alone, Ferrari will mop the floor with Honda.
Sad but true. Even if it is faster. A gtr can kick a ferrari's ass all day with an idiot driver. But noone seems to compare it with a Ferrari? Because you really cannot.
Sad but true. Even if it is faster. A gtr can kick a ferrari's ass all day with an idiot driver. But noone seems to compare it with a Ferrari? Because you really cannot.
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