NSX protest at Honda HQ in Torrance

[WingZ]

I know I don't live there to do this but since Southern Cali probably has the largest amount of NSX's anyone good with the idea of driving there with signs to protest Hondas current direction with sportscars?

Maybe if any of the prime people have media connections we could get some news coverage as well?

We've all grumbled online but maybe just maybe some embarrassment would get their "pride" back.

Not sure if any of you out there still care but I think it's worth a shot.

 

[shawn110975]

Wish I was there to help protest.

Honda takes the quite roll when every one knows they make the best cars on the planet.

they are to humble in my eyes. take the lead, I see honda commercials like one every 3 months, its like they dont need advertising, but you see toyota tring to get abck their lost market with commercials every few minutes. Honda should take lead and ruin their sales.

I will never buy an american made vehicle except a Ford F-150 truck.

I like the Honda truck but they need to take some of that George Jetson looking crap off of it.

 

[ftuhy]

I find Honda is lacking any clear direction on sports cars. They sponsor cars in ALMS, etc, but stopped production on the NSX and the S2000. In the last 5 or so years, I never recall the NSX or S2000 even mentioned in a Honda TV commmercial. (I've seen them pictured, but not mentioned)

Yet Lexus is doing heavy advertising on the LFA when they only plan to make 500 units. In some way that's equally confusing, for while Toyota at times has made some good performance cars, Lexus lives on making very reliable, but very boring cars.

So, Honda needs to stand back and look at its target market, which has a large auto enthusiast component. If they back away from the sports car market, they may be backing away from the very market that has made them a success in the US.

 

[WingZ]

Wow very little response to this. I guess NSX owners ( save for about five or six of us ..lol ) have given up on Honda completely. Oh well I thought it was worth a shot.

 

[ediddynsx]

They have tight security there...you can't just drive in and start protesting.....secondly that would not make any impact on them making another nsx or something like it.......the economy dictates what they make and right now its cars that saves gas.

Everything is about the bottom line there and the higher ups could care less about a sportscar there.

What they should have done when the NSX was being produced is have factory sponsored track events, other private owner events and more options like Ferrari does with its owners.

If Honda could only take notes on Ferrari's marketing strategies and owner events then I am sure there would be a better following/demand/loyalty to a super sports car that they made.....and winning in F-1 wouldn't hurt either and consistently racing the NSX in whatever class it would fall in would help a lot too. I am talking racing it every year that the car was produced...not just the few years that realtime raced it.

Lastly there's a lot of people who are brand snob's or just believe that Japanese cars are inferior to the Euro's, so they will always have that to fight with on getting a true asking price on a car they would produce like the LFA.....everyone's bitching on how much it costs.....but I bet you its way better quality than most Ferrari or Lambo produced.

If I were Honda why would I want to produce another car that I am going to take a loss on? This make a 70k car that can beat a 200k car is a futile idea......and the NSX being a 65000.00 car in 91 was probably really worth a 175k asking price with all the R and D they spent on making the car....but they knew they could not get that because its a Honda and not a Ferrari.....slap a Ferrari badge on the NSX and you would get 175k+ all day on the car.

 

[XYZ_NSX]

^ - What he said.

In addition, if I were running Honda, I'd be ramping up to build something the unwashed masses will purchase by the truckload (when gas hits $7 gal. as it will within the next 5 yrs):

 

[XYZ_NSX]

Now, if you want a new NSX, build one yourself!

This guy in NZ couldn't afford a Ferrari F40 (so the story goes), so he built his own. Made a couple (which I almost purchased one for $170k). The average passer-by would not know this car wasn't the real deal. The detail is amazing:

http://www.f40.co.nz/f40/Car.aspx

 

[honda606]

(when gas hits $7 gal. as it will within the next 5 yrs)

Please tell me you're not dense enough to actually believe that.

 

[XYZ_NSX]

Please tell me you're not dense enough to actually believe that.

Yes, I am. If I were smart, I'd be able to time the market and make $$$ on crude futures.

(And thanks for the compliment!).

 

[honda606]

Yes, I am.

(And thanks for the compliment!).

I'm sorry.

(And you're welcome!)

 

[mlambert890]

Now, if you want a new NSX, build one yourself!

This guy in NZ couldn't afford a Ferrari F40 (so the story goes), so he built his own. Made a couple (which I almost purchased one for $170k). The average passer-by would not know this car wasn't the real deal. The detail is amazing:

http://www.f40.co.nz/f40/Car.aspx

Interesting project, but IMO really misguided. The point of the f40 is that it's an f40. This would be like someone building the ultimate replica patek phillipe watch. In the end, even if you match the look *and* performance, what is the point really?

For $170k he could have bought any number of real cars that would be phenomenal to own and drive. In my watch example it would be like spending enough to buy a real rolex on making the fake patek.

 

[XYZ_NSX]

...what is the point really?

Because he can.

Q: Nice car! Ferrari?
A: No...I built it.

$170k would buy the front clip of the F40. I want one badly, and have been watching prices come down, but...they're still hovering/holding around $390k. To have an exact replica with (reliable, inexpensive to maintain)Lexus guts would be phenomenal.

 

[fullracehonda]

I will never buy an american made vehicle except a Ford F-150 truck.

you must have never driven one of the new tundras :biggrin:

 

[ediddynsx]

Because he can.

Q: Nice car! Ferrari?
A: No...I built it.

$170k would buy the front clip of the F40. I want one badly, and have been watching prices come down, but...they're still hovering/holding around $390k. To have an exact replica with (reliable, inexpensive to maintain)Lexus guts would be phenomenal.

Unfortunately you are not going to find an f40 lower than that unless its high miles, needs major tlc or been in a hit. My friend bought his f40 many years ago for 400k and had to sit through a one hour interview to buy the car. The f40 has a huge following and it being very limited produced will keep prices stable or start to go up.

 

[mickeylex]

Wow very little response to this. I guess NSX owners ( save for about five or six of us ..lol ) have given up on Honda completely. Oh well I thought it was worth a shot.

The low response probably has more to do with the fact people are busy or out protesting other issues. Protesting the direction a car company is going with their design on a sportscar isn't likely to garner much of a following.

 

[Vega$ NSX]

I'll protest with ya! But nothing about the NSX, just one of these issues:

 

[repin jerz]

I'm not sure if protesting in front of American Honda in Torrance is going to do anything. Honda Motor Corp, Japan are the real shot callers and apparently their direction for the time being as we all know is fuel efficiency and future alternative fuel cell research. Honda Japan has even killed the Civic Si from production as some of us would call the last performance car in the Honda lineup.

Honda is about to launch the CRZ...a hybrid sports car that really doesn't get the fuel economy that you would think nor does it put up the performance specs we all would like to see. It's a shame too because Honda was headed in the right direction before the recession hit and before Dick Colliver stepped down as Executive VP.

 

[Olyar15]

Protesting is a complete waste of time. Talk is cheap. Fact is, none of Honda's sports cars have sold well after the first few years. Now that could be as much about the perceived lack of power more than anything, but for Honda, as a business it makes more sense to concentrate on vehicles that can make money.

 

[docjohn]

Alright then I'll talk to Larry B and Hirofumi about staging a hungerstrike at Honda HQ in Japan.:tongue:

 

[XYZ_NSX]

Unfortunately you are not going to find an f40 lower than that unless its high miles, needs major tlc or been in a hit. My friend bought his f40 many years ago for 400k and had to sit through a one hour interview to buy the car. The f40 has a huge following and it being very limited produced will keep prices stable or start to go up.

Eh...there's one sitting near my house at a dealership. I've been going back/forth with the owner. Still sitting for over a year.

My "pre purchase interview" would go like this:

Me: Here's my suitcase full of cash...want it?
Dealer: Yeah.
Me: Thanks. Have it washed, fueled and ready by 5:00. I need to be home in time for Wheel of Fortune.

 

[shawn110975]

VEGAS_NSX,

Funny pic. if only one of the guys holding the sign said NSXPRIME. LOL

 

[ediddynsx]

Eh...there's one sitting near my house at a dealership. I've been going back/forth with the owner. Still sitting for over a year.

My "pre purchase interview" would go like this:

Me: Here's my suitcase full of cash...want it?
Dealer: Yeah.
Me: Thanks. Have it washed, fueled and ready by 5:00. I need to be home in time for Wheel of Fortune.

There might be a reason why its sitting there then.....theres quite a few people that can buy that car very easily and if its a clean car then it would have been snapped up already.

 

[M Baker]

Pointless NSX protest at Honda HQ in Torrance

Honda is about to launch the CRZ...a hybrid sports car that really doesn't get the fuel economy that you would think nor does it put up the performance specs we all would like to see. It's a shame too because Honda was headed in the right direction before the recession hit and before Dick Colliver stepped down as Executive VP.

"We all would like to see..." It's humbling, but the fact is "we all" are a tiny minority of the population. It is hard for us to understand that most people just want a car they think looks cool and could care less about the performance attributes we hold so high.

And I'm sure Honda is very aware of liability concerns of a fast 2 seat car as well as the high insurance rates that would deter potential buyers. I have never thought of a sports car being something I get for high gas mileage, whether it would have a hybrid label or not.

Honda has never made a mass production muscle car. They have made fun-to-drive well-balanced cars: CRX, Civic Si, S2000, Integra, NSX, Prelude. None of which have massive HP, and definitely not torque machines. The CR-Z is just a continuation of that pattern and I bet it will be a blast to drive on a mountain road full of turns. The CR-Z is a compromise.

The recession has changed a lot of people's directions. Some car companies don't even exist anymore, several others are under new ownership and/or management. In my opinion the Pontiac GTO was "heading in the right direction"... ah yes, doesn't exist anymore. Honda still exists and still builds quality cars, so they have been doing many things right.

 

[nsxtasy]

VEGAS_NSX,

Funny pic. if only one of the guys holding the sign said NSXPRIME. LOL

Look again:

:biggrin:

 

[nismo4life]

I honestly don't think Honda has a care in their mind about sports cars in the US Market. The last and only Type R ever sold here was the Integra and it was watered down from the real ITR overseas. Euro Accord R, EK9-R, DC5-R, DC2-R, EP3-R and the current FD2-R. I would of purchased any single one of those if they sold them here. Hell, I would of even spent the $38k and bought a Mugen RR over the '08 STi I bought 2 years ago new. It honestly makes absolutely no sense to me. You can't argue the car needs to pass safety inspection when the IDENTICAL chassis is sold here already. The K20 is currently sold here as well, and the motors in the Type R's are not that much different then the US Spec engines. They can't even cry about not being able to sell the cars, 00 Integras still go for about 10,000 with over 100k on them. I'm really starting to lose faith in Honda....