Apparently, there wasn't much of a market. The NSX was clearly priced way too high for what the public must've thought that it offered. It offered Corvette performance at twice the price.
If you want to debate the NSX being designed to compete with Ferraris, and that's its reason for being exotic, it could just as easily be debated that the ZR1 is also being designed to compete with Ferraris. We're right back to square one. The definition of "exotic" is sure to be a debate that's not ever going to be solved, and a matter of continuing to run round and round in circles.
You spoke of the materials being used as being "exotic." In essence, then "exotic" is nothing more than a definition of rarity.
No I don't classify the NSX an exotic because it was designed to compete with Ferrari. It just so happens that the only exotics that are better known and sell decently are Ferrari, Porsche and Lamborghini. Therefore it has to compete with them. If you read my post again, the NSX is an exotic because of form(shape, material and style), performance(engineering), rarity(how hard it is to get which leads to the ultimate factor->), price. An exotic is the synthesis of engineering and design. A normal car is usually over engineered for efficiency but not enough design put into it, i.e. a Toyota Camry.
People say form follows function, well for an exotic, the whole package is form=function. Form(design) is just as important as function(engineering) for an exotic. There is no base model that is priced low so that many of the public can own it, and then the higher end model is listed as exotic. It does not work that way, otherwise any fool can mod his civic to world class performance and call it an exotic. It is about prestige, priced to be own by people with enough sophistication and passion (or rich bastards who think they have taste). This is why Nissan is trying to elevate and seperate the GTR from the Skylines. Did they suceed? Perhaps, but the form of the GTR is still not quite on par with it's engineering.
People always make the excuse of the corvette, Cobra, SVT, GT500, insert name in the _______ factory supped up car with a decent price tag an exotic. They argue, "well, I only payed half or 1/4 of the price you payed for your exotic, but I perform nearly the same" Well, that's great and all, but we are buying automobiles people, not a cheap thrill. Are you going to choose the pretty hooker who many men have experienced and your night will be short-lived or the high class beautiful woman in the elegant black dress? Yea, the sophisticated woman, may be harder to get, but she's may very well be worth it. I mean it all about personal preference and lifestyle, but which one would you choose if you could get both? Well, with that said, the corvette is the auto industry's whore, along with the mustang and 350Z. The 335i, G35 or G37 would be a whore in a nice dress. Don't get me wrong, sometimes you need to solicate the services of a hooker if you have the extra dough laying around to BURN. And sometimes you invested too much into the damn ho, that you gotta keep her.
Back to my point, the auto industry has new models every month, but how often is it revolutionary(fresh, unique)? We have been going fast since the 60s, the only thing that is changing is the efficiency and styling. You get what you payed for. For the performance of an Enzo at 1/8 the price, you get a poorly(cheap) designed car, with state of the art engineering. Don't get it twisted here either, I still believe that for the money you are paying for the Enzo or other high end exotics, they could still step up their design.
The NSX revolutionized the exotic market, whether you want to believe it or not. It wasn't the NSX that did it alone either. It was the whole fleet of the 90s Japanese super sport cars (300ZX, RX7, and Supra) that introduced a new design era. This pushed other companies to try and catch up at the end of the 90s. Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini and American cars like the corvette and mustang were butt ugly coming into the 90s and they were unreliable as shit compared to their counterparts.
Chevy could make a higher model than the corvette. Then they could call an exotic. Perhaps that is what they plan on doing with the rumored MR corvette; just don't call it a vette. Otherwise, let's stick to calling it a modern day muscle car.
I left out the favorite Mid engine rule since it seems that the FR platforms may be the true vision of performance. With a midplanted front engine layout, you get the better weight distribution and ease of maintainence. Of course, most people prefer Mid-engines more for there aesthethically pleasing long tail rather than the long nose look. The LFA seems to defy this though with it's front engine design?
