Why so many new NSXs for sale?

kendallj said:
Hard for me to know because I'm a total rookie with exotic performance cars. I seem to recall the original NSX was not a big seller despite for it's time having a groundbreaking design philosophy. Honda of 25 years ago was of course in a different world, doing very well in Formula 1 etc, so there was a performance pedigree that would have given the NSX some credo in the market of it's competitors. But I have a hunch the sales numbers were never great but I could be wrong.
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according to a quick Google search, the sales numbers for the first generation NSX were as follows:

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4,213 cars in the first three years. which was almost half of the 8,999 for the full run.

so the sales were very good in the beginning, a bit shit after that, and especially weak towards the end. below are the sales for the new NSX:

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201 for the first 6 months. i dunno how correct those numbers are, but i'm sure someone on here does? and i'm not sure how the 100+ new NSX's listed for sale factor
out of that number either? if Acura made 200 so far, and 100 are still sitting on showrooms, that's not so good.

JD Cross said:
Where I find it shines is in day to day driving doing what cars do 95% of the time. It's plenty fast, silent puttering about looking for a parking spot, 21 mpg so far in city driving, rock solid at 80 mph in 9th gear on the freeway, very comfortable and so on.
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i think you'd find that almost every one of the offerings from Porsche, Ferrari, McLaren, Merc, Audi, and even now Lamborghini will do all of these things (relatively speaking obviously) just the same. some may even do them better than the NSX? easy to drive and live with were the original NSX's ace card, that doesn't apply anymore. all of these cars in granny mode, could easily be driven by my granny...

chrisn said:
Horses for courses.

If everyone liked the same things as me, everyone who want to buy what I bought for me. But that's now how the world works.

I have no regrets about the NSX.
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no reason you should. no reason hundreds or thousands of others should either. it's a very nice car.

Acura made a car that is exactly what many people want. but did they make a car that enough people in the Supercar segment want? hence the question, why are there so many sitting around when it was supposed to be a white hot seller?

p.s. you're already thinking about your next car?!
 
fastaussie said:

****

201 for the first 6 months. i dunno how correct those numbers are, but i'm sure someone on here does? .... if Acura made 200 so far, and 100 are still sitting on showrooms, that's not so good.

*****

p.s. you're already thinking about your next car?!
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Not sure where you got the "201 in first 6 months" stat, but it does not reflect reality. Perhaps for the six months starting with "VIN #1 ," but production has been ramping. Looking at the running thread here from this week versus a month ago, it seems that about 120/month (for all markets) are being produced-- not bad. As the "channel" (cars inbound to dealers plus those sitting on showroom) fills, it will be natural for the "cars available for sale" to rise a bit. The interesting statistic is "sell through" or cars delivered to end-customers per month. Also, as I've said before, cars with huge mark-ups are "on display" and not "for sale" for purposes of measuring unsold inventory. Not really fair to say "the car's not selling" if virtually all cars that sit for more than a couple of weeks are not available for MSRP.


In terms of looking for next car already, the NSX is part of a car sharing arrangement where three guys own and share three cars for 5 years each and then replace on a staggered basis. The math says we need to buy a new car about every 1.5 years (but only sell cars after 5 years). So you always have to be on the lookout for the new new thing......
 
I don't think it's fair (or accurate) to point to rising inventory levels as a sign that the car is not getting traction if much of the inventory is (likely unrealistically) being offered at big premiums. I think that logic is unassailable. If you disagree, why do you disagree?

Also, your attachment didn't work, but I found the report with 201 YTD. It also shows 51 sales in November, a 306 run-rate for 6 months (612/year), which i still don't think is full run-rate of deliveries. I think sell-though will pick up when people can actually buy this "$156K" car for a price approximating that figure (no carbon brakes, specific ordering lead-times, no premiums).
 
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i'm not following your maths? adding up all the numbers over the last 6 months (omitting December) on the YTD chart tallied 201? where's your 306 number coming from?

i wouldn't imagine many Supercars are sold exactly at MSRP. people like options, and Supercars aren't a necessity. buyers of Supercars usually aren't short on disposable income either.

as we all know any mid-engined Ferrari will sell for $100,000 over MSRP, and people will still have to wait years for it. if the NSX was as sought after as it was hoped, there would not be 100+ highly desirable new NSX's lying around.

i would have to argue that rising inventory levels are absolutely a definite sign that a car isn't getting traction. there is no debating that point, there simply isn't a better indicator than cars sitting on showrooms with no one buying them...
 
fastaussie said:
i'm not following your maths? adding up all the numbers over the last 6 months (omitting December) on the YTD chart tallied 201? where's your 306 number coming from?

i wouldn't imagine many Supercars are sold exactly at MSRP. people like options, and Supercars aren't a necessity. buyers of Supercars usually aren't short on disposable income either.

as we all know any mid-engined Ferrari will sell for $100,000 over MSRP, and people will still have to wait years for it. if the NSX was as sought after as it was hoped, there would not be 100+ highly desirable new NSX's lying around.

i would have to argue that rising inventory levels are absolutely a definite sign that a car isn't getting traction. there is no debating that point, there simply isn't a better indicator than cars sitting on showrooms with no one buying them...
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The serial numbers of cars being delivered internationally I'm let to believe are now into the 400's. The US I think gets roughly half of current production. I still feel it's way too early to call success or otherwise around the sales figure to date. As I've already mentioned, it's a new-comer into a market that is crowded with well established cult cars that have long created their own auras of 'must have' desirability, and that the NSX is only just starting out in it's attempt in calve out it's own loyal base. And based on comparative reviews I've read so far, the NSX does have unique attributes that make it appealing against other offerings, and especially as a daily driver - and that is what keeps it in contention for me.

Your statement that supercar buyers usually aren't short on disposable income - it all depends. The sales figures for luxury/exotic models generally show that lease sales make up a much greater proportion of all sales - the lower monthly payments makes ownership possible for folks on limited monthly budgets who would not otherwise afford one. And as happened in the 2008 crash, sales across the board tanked and the market was flooded with repos and early lease terminations, which suggests that affordability for most buyers remains relative to one's ability to earn sufficient income to maintain payments.

Rising inventory levels could be due to a number of factors. Anyone following the current international financial markets would certainly have diminished confidence in spending up on large luxury purchases, especially if one's job or business sales performance are at risk. Exotic car sales tend to co-relate with the volume of high end real-estate sales, which particularly at the moment are showing significant downward trends internationally. I certainly am cautious about my spending and investments in the near term, because I don't want to be caught out and waste money imprudently, when a little delayed gratification will yield investment and luxury bargains later. If things do go pear-shaped, the greatest danger for the NSX is that Honda shuts up shop. During the 2008 crash, they closed their Swindon UK factory for four months because of unsold bread and butter inventory. Time will tell.
 
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The highest US Vin # I found was 409.

They have been running 2/3 US spec cars so I would imagine at least 600 total have been produced.

I am getting to think that some of the dealers actually want one on the floor to show off.
 
powdbyrice said:
mdx sport hybrid is your next ride? :D
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I am, indeed, potentially interested in the MDX Sport Hybrid. However, I don't think it will tow my NSX like a regular SH-AWD MDX, and there is also a non-zero likelihood of NSX 2.0 for me in the next year if I can get a sub-MSRP deal on it. We'll see.....
 
chrisn said:
The car is built to order. If dealers have inventory, it's because they thought there was a chance for premiums. Acura is not "stuffing the channel."

Unless we hear credible stories of cars going for deep discounts to MSRP, then "number of unsold cars online" is not a meaningful statistic. I would also caution that some automated systems post all inventory at MSRP, but when you call, they want a premium....

I've been offered (repeatedly) build slots for a 570S at MSRP. Doesn't make me think any more or less of the car. I suspect the average NSX-qualified Acura dealer has deeper pockets than the average boutique "supercar" dealership, so it just might be a bit more greed/speculation. But it also probably means they aren't going to freak out and sell at a loss. They'll drop price to MSRP when they want to move the cars.....
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McLaren sells customer spec'd cars at MSRP. I should know I bought my 675LT at MSRP.
 
fastaussie said:
you sound really bitter. try to relax a bit before something internal explodes...

and read a few other posts instead of automatically disagreeing with me and presuming to know so much about what is actually virtually nothing. I’m not the only one who doesn’t see things as you do.

Porsche had no trouble selling nine hundred and ninety one 911R's in minutes. how does your global finance scene explain that one?

regardless of what you think, or whichever excuses you care to produce. over 100 new cars sitting around does not equal hot seller...
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Agreed. Around here 570s are selling well. If you order one you won't get it for at least 6 mos at our local dealer. I just figured I'd get a Cayman
GT4 instead and wait.
 
chrisn said:
I don't think it's fair (or accurate) to point to rising inventory levels as a sign that the car is not getting traction if much of the inventory is (likely unrealistically) being offered at big premiums. I think that logic is unassailable. If you disagree, why do you disagree?

Also, your attachment didn't work, but I found the report with 201 YTD. It also shows 51 sales in November, a 306 run-rate for 6 months (612/year), which i still don't think is full run-rate of deliveries. I think sell-though will pick up when people can actually buy this "$156K" car for a price approximating that figure (no carbon brakes, specific ordering lead-times, no premiums).
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It is fair. This happens with all cars including my 675. Mine happens to be optioned with a roof scoop so it's rather immune to depreciation. But when you start seeing more cars in inventory it means they are not moving. Having bought and sold many cars in my life I've always found this to be the case.
 
My problem was value.

I thought the car was special, and I would forgive it its inability to dominate any one discipline other than the least sexy one - versatility, were it not for the ridiculous price.

I know the GT-R gets no love on here, but it is half the bloody price. It's not half as good, it's much much more than half as good. The honda is simply about £60k ($80k) too much money. At £100k I'd have snapped up my allocation, at £160k it makes me seriously uncomfortable.
 
neoprufrok said:
McLaren sells customer spec'd cars at MSRP. I should know I bought my 675LT at MSRP.
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neoprufrok said:
Agreed. Around here 570s are selling well. If you order one you won't get it for at least 6 mos at our local dealer. I just figured I'd get a Cayman
GT4 instead and wait.
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neoprufrok said:
It is fair. This happens with all cars including my 675. Mine happens to be optioned with a roof scoop so it's rather immune to depreciation. But when you start seeing more cars in inventory it means they are not moving. Having bought and sold many cars in my life I've always found this to be the case.
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We get it, you have a McLaren. :rollseyes
 
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maybe there are so many because they are just too pretty to drive...
 
They humped the pooch with pricing and the extra expense to make it a "green" hybrid and we all saw it coming from 100 miles away.
It's not styling or performance, it's price and the relative value compared to the now heavily saturated entry level super car market.

They are priced in no mans land. Anyone spending $200K+ will spend the extra small percentage to buy the "real" exotic in Lambo/Ferrari/McLaren.

The should have stripped the hybrid crap, knocked $50K of the MSRP for a "base" model and they'd be selling them all day long. There are practically none of them "out on the streets" to act as a brand ambassador and draw people into see the full lineup.

If we've learned anything from Honda it's that they're perfectly content cranking out Civics and CR-Vs all day long at a profit and they truly don't care about the niche of the halo car. The problem is that they should have had the foresight to realize how bad it's going to reflect to have the cars pile up in greedy dealership showrooms.

Sadly, I think the NC1 is going to quickly fade into obscurity instead of lifting the entire brand.
 
There are elements of truth in what you say, except that "anyone", for similar cost would buy one of the three marques you mentioned, over the NSX. There are a few things about the NC1 that are less than ideal, but there are many things that Acura got right. Yeah, it's a bit heavy, but it looks great and goes like stink. If I had one, I could drive less than an hour to have it serviced, (maybe less with one of these things!) instead of loading it on a truck and sending it to Montreal to get raped by one of the "exotic" make dealerships. It may be a few 10ths slower around a track than the options mentioned, but that would be of no concern to me. There are virtually no tracks around here, and if there were I probably would not want to chew up a set of brake pads and tires on a 200K+ car for an afternoon of shits and giggles.

There are numerous people on this forum that have waited patiently for their new NSX. They obviously could have bought one of the other choices out there, but chose the Acura. They all seem pretty happy. Getting a drive in one might just be an eye opener, instead of relying on the "expert's" opinions.
 
Bricks and Bio said:
I was told by the NSX Specialist that the delay in offering the steelies is from Brembo
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Brembo didn't have enough lead time to have these brakes available at time of release? Honda should poke them with a sharp stick then. This is undoubtedly delaying, if not outright costing Acura sales. Maybe they should give Wilwood a call.
 
Companies have priorities and allocate resources per these priorities

i am an MBA

if I make more selling carbo ceramics in an expanding market, that is what I will allocate resources to

i will get to the steelies when I get to it
 
Bricks and Bio said:
I was told by the NSX Specialist that the delay in offering the steelies is from Brembo
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That would be the cover story you'd expect, no?

Even if it's true, it's still on Honda. They have been dealing with suppliers for a long time and should know how to have a handle on this kind of thing. Could be that Honda knew steel might be delayed and was cool with the extra profit they thought they would be getting selling carbon rotors on what they expected to be an in-demand car.
 

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