http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/ Autoblog Comments for Honda NSX to spearhead RWD model lineup http://www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/Apr 17th 2008 11:37AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/Apr 18th 2008 9:24AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/
The Corvette is not a bad design necessarily. But considering how beautiful and graceful Japanese design can be (think caligraphy, origami, sand gardens, etc) I definitely think it's a waste of potential. German design is classy and generally very upscale looking (think Audi R8), British design is some of the best, period (Aston Martin, Bentley's interiors), Italian's do beautiful sports cars better than anybody (Pinanfarina's Maserati Birdcage Concept, Alfa's 8C), but looking at Mazda's Nagare, Ryuga, etc, concepts, Japanese vehicles really can stand out without being derivative of the Europeans.

Asking people to pay for an Acura that looks like a Chevy when there's an Aston Martin product or Maserati product in a similar price/performance range? Regardless of whether Honda's name is behind it, as pretentious as buyers in that segment can be and if the new TSX and RL are any indicators, I can't see many people swaying in Acura's favor. But I guess we shall see what happens.]]>Apr 17th 2008 11:39AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/Apr 17th 2008 8:26PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/Apr 17th 2008 11:40AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/
[In other words, this is a "concept" car. That shouldn't be a new concept (pun intended) to you. It's not a production mock-up.]]]>Apr 17th 2008 1:28PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/1. something said or done to provoke laughter or cause amusement, as a witticism, a short and amusing anecdote, or a prankish act: He tells very funny jokes. She played a joke on him.]]>Apr 17th 2008 4:01PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/
my high school calculus teacher used to say "better never than late..."]]>Apr 17th 2008 11:40AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/
They can't really afford to engineer more than a few platforms, and they really can't make them terribly different from each other. They're about the size of BMW, who also has a serious lack of diversity in their product line: all rear-drivers (excepting the Mini) with little base engineering differences. The difference is that Honda's cars are mostly front-drive (excepting the S2000) and are more mass-market (with the lower profit margins that entails).

It's the reason that Acura struggles as a marque of gussied-up Accords: Honda is not Toyota; they do not have the capital to engineer a speciality platform and move it in the volume necessary to offset the cost. What they do, they do very well, and criticising them for working within their financial limitations really isn't fair.

You may as well as BMW or Porsche (unless they buy VW) to sell a Civic-class car at a Civic price (and no, the 1-Series does not count; it's too small inside, to expensive to make and much too heavy). They're simply not set up to offer that breadth of product.]]>Apr 17th 2008 12:35PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/
they were just arrogant about it because unlike a big marketing/sales based company like Toyota, Honda is an engineering/manufacturing driven company. if their engineers said, "no need for RWD V8, we can accomplish just as well with AWD and a 300HP V6", that's what they set out as a challenge. problem was, while the engineers were busy impressing themselves with variable timing-this and super handling-that, the market was calling for a RWD sedan with available V8.

if they can spend $$$ on developing a stupid "awesome-o" robot and even private jets, they've got money to make a RWD V8 sedan. it's not money they lack; it's sales and marketing driven savvy they're deficient on. ]]>Apr 17th 2008 1:09PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/Apr 17th 2008 1:14PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/Apr 17th 2008 11:42AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/Apr 17th 2008 12:04PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/Apr 17th 2008 12:10PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/
The first NSX scared the bejeezus out of the Italians, and probably furrowed some brows as Porsche as well. It wasn't quite as extreme, but it cost a lot less and wasn't a complete maintenance princess. Remeber late 80s/early 90s Ferraris? Remember "Oil changes every 1000km, and even then you're spending more time in the shop than out". The NSX was a supercar that could be treated like an Accord, and it (as well as the Corvette) were serious game-changers.

I think people forget that the NSX was released in 1991. They're comparing it to models released in the last years of it's life, which isn't exactly fair. Honda's mistake was not (by choice or not) failing to keep the pressure on.]]>Apr 17th 2008 12:39PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/Apr 17th 2008 1:41PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/Apr 17th 2008 11:43AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/Apr 17th 2008 12:07PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/Apr 17th 2008 11:44AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/17/honda-nsx-to-spearhead-rwd-model-lineup/Apr 17th 2008 11:49AM