What makes a car an Exotic. Is it limited production, mid engine, weight to horsepower, or just a consumer label?. My wife asked me and I didn't have an answer.
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What makes NSX an Exotic?
- Thread starter Jfowler
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Great question! I vote for the incredibly beautiful styling (what a magnificent sight!) and that there are so few of them around. Then, you drive it and you're hooked. Once you delve more into the whole NSX project starting in 1984 with the F-16 inspired research, design, and development including Aryton Senna's input. Good looks, smarts, personality, from a good family and a good heart! I'm in love! Only reason it might not be an exotic is that it is too reliable and spends too little time in the shop! :biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin:
There's other threads on this but I can't search b/c of Sitko...
Exotic is defined by its uniqueness--its scarcity. With cars, price has a lot to do with it meaning the more expensive, generally the less sold meaning they're rare. Use of unique technology such as all-aluminum body (still unique today) and titanium (more common today) in the NSXs case.
Extreme styling and obviously speed and power are not common in most cars and are a common feature in rare, unique cars. Obviously those things do not automatically make a car exotic. A Corvette is aggressively styled and powerful and not exotic. A Fiero has a mid-engine layout but it's not exotic either.
When the NSX was built there were very few cars that had more than 75% (let's say) of the NSXs overall character and features and the NSX had many features no car had ever had. The NSX had far more R & D than almost any production vehicle maybe ever. All those things combine to put the NSX into the "exotic" category, IMO.
Exotic is defined by its uniqueness--its scarcity. With cars, price has a lot to do with it meaning the more expensive, generally the less sold meaning they're rare. Use of unique technology such as all-aluminum body (still unique today) and titanium (more common today) in the NSXs case.
Extreme styling and obviously speed and power are not common in most cars and are a common feature in rare, unique cars. Obviously those things do not automatically make a car exotic. A Corvette is aggressively styled and powerful and not exotic. A Fiero has a mid-engine layout but it's not exotic either.
When the NSX was built there were very few cars that had more than 75% (let's say) of the NSXs overall character and features and the NSX had many features no car had ever had. The NSX had far more R & D than almost any production vehicle maybe ever. All those things combine to put the NSX into the "exotic" category, IMO.
:biggrin:
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I found the definition http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exotic_Car
The term is used for most centrally located engine and high output. The design and price for its era. Thanks for the help
The term is used for most centrally located engine and high output. The design and price for its era. Thanks for the help
It's exotic because with the mid engine layout, someone could probably sculpt a body kit to make it look exactly like a Ferrari F50. I would love to see that someday if only someone were so creative.
Wikepidia:
Supercar is a term generally used for a high-end sports car, whose performance is highly superior to that of its contemporaries. It has been defined specifically as "a very expensive fast or powerful car with a centrally located engine"[2], and stated in more general terms: "it must be very fast, with sporting handling to match," "it should be sleek and eye-catching" and its price should be "one in a rarified atmosphere of its own."[3] but the proper application of the term is subjective and disputed, especially among enthusiasts. The use of the term can be dependent on the era: a vehicle that may have been considered a supercar at one time may not retain its superiority indefinitely
-but that was from Wikipedia written and modified by who knows...
I disagree with their definition because a few rear-engine cars (Porsche 959) are definitely exotics and don't meet the "centrally-located engine" criteria from Wikipedia.
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The NSX is mid-engine, beautiful, extreme design for the time, high cost for the time, and beat Ferrari's 348 hands down -as well as almost every other 'supercar' during the time, limited production (exclusivity), chassis design (still one of the best out there), and I could continue to go on and on. But my favorite defense/reasoning why the NSX is an exotic/supercar is because Gordon Murray (creator of the greatest car ever built -McLaren F1) says it is.
Ive driven a lot of cars -many exotics/supercars (P-cars, F-cars, L-cars, etc...) and still consider the relatively low powered NSX a supercar. Don't let it's practicality and ergonomics fool you into thinking its not.
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Of course that's silly. Aside from the Porsches there are more front-engined exotics than I can count. I understand that it's "generally accepted" but it shouldn't be. There too many front-engined exotics to allow a general acceptance of that as the definition...that's lame.
As I mentioned, exotic is case by case. Scarcity, rarity, uniqueness of style and technology are what make a car exotic. And when Gordon Murray says it is. :wink:
A exotic car to me..
Fairly high performance, and not a lot of them out there. More expensive to operate than a typical Honda civic. And hard to find.
Fairly high performance, and not a lot of them out there. More expensive to operate than a typical Honda civic. And hard to find.
Add handmade to the discussion.
Purpose built, hand made, exotic materials.
When I think of "exotic," something made of rare, high quality materials comes to mind. I also think of something instantly recognizable, even if it's not by a person that's into cars.
People claim Porsches are exotic. I see them everyday. I don't give them a second glance.
I think a lot of people confuse "exotic" with "unique."
I've personally never seen an NSX as being "exotic," probably more-so because they're manufactured by an "everyday car manufacturer" like Honda. I place the NSX in the same category as the Corvette. I think they're both great performers, but neither of them are exotic.
People claim Porsches are exotic. I see them everyday. I don't give them a second glance.
I think a lot of people confuse "exotic" with "unique."
I've personally never seen an NSX as being "exotic," probably more-so because they're manufactured by an "everyday car manufacturer" like Honda. I place the NSX in the same category as the Corvette. I think they're both great performers, but neither of them are exotic.
Special may be a better word than Exotic. Living in Scottsdale Ferraris don't seem exotic anymore, but are still special. Seeing an NSX is still an event. Seeing a Ferrari is like seeing a Porsche turbo. Another funny thing, the NSX's come in all ages. Ferraris are all brand new.
I'd haveto kindly disagree. Corvettes are more like Mustangs than an NSX in the sense that everyone and their mom drives a Corvette and Mustang and their are so many different options from V6 (mustang only), V8, auto, convertible, coupe, hard top, GT, ZO6, Cobra, etc... Both the corvette and Mustang are cash cows for both chevrolet and ford -The NSX is just the NSX (yes their are NSX-R, S, Zanardi, etc... but we don't really get those and for the most part the NSX is just an NSX). Limited production.
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My uncle's the only person in my family that owned a Vette, so I have to disagree back with you.
As for a Corvette being a "cash cow," that's hardly the case. Not everyone has $45,000-$100,000+ (new ZR1) to spend on a car. Basically, you're stating that a ZR1 is going to be an exotic car.
If "exotic" is nothing more than a case of a low-production vehicle, I could lay claim that my 1994 B4C Camaro is an exotic car, just because there were only 668 of them made, but that would be a (beyond) ridiculous claim to make.
When people think of an "exotic" car, it's usually Italian. I'm repeating myself, but I think "exotic" and "unique" get confused an awful lot.
Let's use women, for example. An "exotic" woman is from the islands? It's doubtful that women are "rare" on the islands. An "exotic" woman is usually tan in skin-tone, dark hair, Barbie body, and foreign. I think "exotic" is just a case of an over-used word.
In Japan, the NSX is probably far from what one would call exotic, but maybe here in the States it is. It's the same with a Corvette. While a Corvette isn't anything special in the States, it is special overseas.
While Vipers are rare, I don't see them as exotic, either, but a lot of people do. I personally categorize the Viper, Vette, Ford GT, Porsche 911 models, NSXs, etc. into the "high-end sports car" category. As for "exotics," I think of Lamborghini, Ferrari, Saleen S7, McLaren F1, Pagani, etc. into that "exotic" realm.
I guess it's a matter of opinion. Who's to really say what is and isn't exotic? There's really not an authority on the definition of what makes a car exotic, hence this topic's title.
The thing to remember is there never were many NSXs. Around 18,000 total worldwide in 15 years of production. I'm pretty sure Chevrolet makes multiples of that every year with the Corvette. And we aren't talking about one rare model of NSX (like your Camaro or the ZR1 Corvette), that's the total for all of them. I expect it's just as rare in Japan as it is here.
So yeah, the definition of exotic is open to interpretation, but the NSX hits a lot of the checkmarks many people would ascribe to exotic. Hand built? Check. Exotic materials? Check. Purpose built with minimum compromise? Check. It fits the definition in my dictionary.
Today, those materials would be debatable as being exotic, but for the period, the NSX was the pioneer of a lot of technology that is used in exotic cars today.
But here's the question that puzzles me. While the NSX has all of these strengths going for it, why didn't it ever catch on with the "exotic car crowd," especially considering that they're probably one of the most reliable sports cars in the upper price point?
Well, it did initially--then came global recession and luxury goods were very scarce. Also, Honda's failure to update and market the car properly over it's lifespan--particularly in the power category (a feature many "exotic" buyers are looking for) really hurt the NSX's reputation in the exotic community.
Thanks guys, I have concluded that exotic is a matter of consumer opinion. What you all have said above makes me think that Honda almost made an exotic, but failed with power and marketing. A 100 more horses, and niche marketing plan could have solidified it as an exotic no question. This forum has been fun to read.
I think the NSX is a great car, but you're definitely right. Unfortunately, Honda really didn't make much of a profit off of the NSX (if any at all), and it ended up being more of a rolling advertisement for their technology more than anything else.
290 hp is certainly not a lot of power for a high-end sports car, and the torque was even lower, wasn't it? A power/weight ratio can only carry a car so far.
It's a shame Honda didn't do anything to update the NSX.
Exotic vs Unique. It's all a matter of perspective. The above example makes sense, UNLESS you are from the same island. Because if you were, those same "exotic" women, are just that, women and nothing more.
My two cents are these:
Unique = Car with unique mods or paint job, something that makes it stand out from the base models regardless of its make and model. Example would be a flourecent green Mustang. Hey I never said it would look good, just unique. :wink:
Exotic = Something you dont see everyday, limited production numbers and availability, or the make and model name has been discontinued or no longer made (hence the limited availability).
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But once again, we're back where we started with "exotic."
Something you don't see everyday: B4C Camaro
Limited Production number: B4C Camaro
Discontinued (or no longer made): Camaro
I'm not trying to be argumentative, just trying to come to the same determination as everyone else of what "exotic" truly is.
I guess to me, the definition of an exotic car would be the ones that I dreamed about in school, or had posters of on my wall as a kid. I'm stumped; caught between a rock and a hard place. :redface:
if you have to ask which cars are exotic and which cars aren't..... then why do you care? :wink:
you know them when you see them, because you almost snap your neck trying to get another look. maybe not because it is the best-looking car out there, but because it looks like no other, by any stretch of the imagination. (not just a different color with vinyl graphics)
they are LOW, and they are WIDE (or at least look it); they handle better than a typical production car. they are inherently FAST. (a lot of "normal" production cars are, but only when they try to be:wink: .) they only seat 2 people comfortably (or, in rare cases, 3:wink: ). there aren't many of them (and not because it is a limited edition - because the whole vehicle is limited production)
they are not meant to be practical. they are meant to be precise. they are toys.
THAT is what makes them different, and THAT is what makes them EXOTIC :biggrin:
you know them when you see them, because you almost snap your neck trying to get another look. maybe not because it is the best-looking car out there, but because it looks like no other, by any stretch of the imagination. (not just a different color with vinyl graphics)
they are LOW, and they are WIDE (or at least look it); they handle better than a typical production car. they are inherently FAST. (a lot of "normal" production cars are, but only when they try to be:wink: .) they only seat 2 people comfortably (or, in rare cases, 3:wink: ). there aren't many of them (and not because it is a limited edition - because the whole vehicle is limited production)
they are not meant to be practical. they are meant to be precise. they are toys.
THAT is what makes them different, and THAT is what makes them EXOTIC :biggrin:
Agree with everything you said. I guess in reality, we do not own exotics...just really awesome and high-end sports cars. I love my NSX, but it is not even close to a Ferrari, Zonda, Koenigsegg, Lamborghini, Veyron, ect. Be happy with just owning an NSX weather it is an exotic to everyone else or not....who cares anyways? The car is awesome and there are many other people out there that wish they could own one.
Mike
Mike
My uncle's the only person in my family that owned a Vette, so I have to disagree back with you.
As for a Corvette being a "cash cow," that's hardly the case. Not everyone has $45,000-$100,000+ (new ZR1) to spend on a car. Basically, you're stating that a ZR1 is going to be an exotic car.
If "exotic" is nothing more than a case of a low-production vehicle, I could lay claim that my 1994 B4C Camaro is an exotic car, just because there were only 668 of them made, but that would be a (beyond) ridiculous claim to make.
When people think of an "exotic" car, it's usually Italian. I'm repeating myself, but I think "exotic" and "unique" get confused an awful lot.
Let's use women, for example. An "exotic" woman is from the islands? It's doubtful that women are "rare" on the islands. An "exotic" woman is usually tan in skin-tone, dark hair, Barbie body, and foreign. I think "exotic" is just a case of an over-used word.
In Japan, the NSX is probably far from what one would call exotic, but maybe here in the States it is. It's the same with a Corvette. While a Corvette isn't anything special in the States, it is special overseas.
While Vipers are rare, I don't see them as exotic, either, but a lot of people do. I personally categorize the Viper, Vette, Ford GT, Porsche 911 models, NSXs, etc. into the "high-end sports car" category. As for "exotics," I think of Lamborghini, Ferrari, Saleen S7, McLaren F1, Pagani, etc. into that "exotic" realm.
I guess it's a matter of opinion. Who's to really say what is and isn't exotic? There's really not an authority on the definition of what makes a car exotic, hence this topic's title.
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