Again Ken, stop spinning the story.
I ask you a very basic question, what have Mr. Klaus disclosed at the NSXPO TO YOU personally, that he didn't disclose through other NSX owner, and/or any other media outlet?
What is the engine configuration, FI or NA? Actual engine size, etc? If your answer is different than what we think we already know, which is a 3.5L, direct injection, maybe Turbo, and three electric motors, I would like you to tell us.
As I have indicated, I used the word "probably" because there has not been any concret evidence of any information of any sort. So again, since you said I'm wrong three times through three assumptions because you actually know what's up their sleves, let's hear it.
You said "The rolling prototype in the commercial during the Super Bowl…" Where did you get that information from? We know about the running Accord with the prototype of the hybrid system and they have slap some panels over a NA1 NSX for Avengers, but the 2012 show car had no engine, no tranny, no interior, no door panels, etc. In fact, it was less ready than the HSC! AND it took them a year to show us a "Maybe" interior. So what do you actually know that people on prime have not heard, please tell us!
As for the Civic, the 2012 refresh, I'm quoting the article you're using:
"Honda has performed a thorough do-over of the Civic for 2013, modifying its look, its interior ambience, its front structure, and its suspension and steering systems.
With new front and rear styling, Honda grafts a shiny smile to the formerly sad, sluglike shape of the four-door Civic. Honda says it’s a more “emotional” and “youthful” design. This, of course, means nothing."
While Car and Driver repeated what Honda told them through a nice sales pitch, the truth is far from it.
As close friend of 25 years who is working high up in Nissan said, Honda simply return the decontented contents back to the car because the 2011 had a public relations disaster, with poor review for it's cheapness! Adding some chrome strips, using nicer materials, tightening up the steering ratio is nothing special, but somehow you think it's magical that they got that done in one year - One a car they supposed to sell more than 300,000 a year. yeah, they're paying the same attention to a future car they might not even sell 1000 a year.
Brilliant!
I guess you're easily impressed.
It took Honda one year to show us what the new NSX interior "may" look like and they have to get all that ready by 2015, and somehow you believe they will build a brand new drivetrain with a car that might not sell. Even the original NSX took them six years to develop and they still used the C block, derived from the Legend that was already five years into production before the finalized version of NSX 1.0.
There is a good reason why when a new 911 comes out, they called it evolution from the previous car, by tweak what's already there and beef up what's needed.
If Honda is clever, which I suspect they are, they will simply update the original NSX chassis and save R&D cost, also time!
I sure hope not.
The original NSX was a home run out of the ball park and the next NSX has been hyped to death by HONDA and the media and another home run is fully expected. The development team and HONDA itself have been set up well and truly for either merely delivering what has been promised and now fully expected or else.
Any "issues" that either come up with the car after it is introduced or that cause significant delay (even 2016 instead of 2015) will very seriously damage the image of HONDA and the future NSX.
I feel for the development team. The original NSX came on the scene when nothing was expected of it and when the Ferrari and Porsche competition of the day were essentially caught off guard and sleeping. The were awakened by the NSX and have continued to up their game RELENTLESSLY ever since. The NSX of 2015 is going to have to face the 2015 458 and GT3 among others. The bar that HONDA raised and challenged the competition with has continued to be raised while HONDA went on its hibernation. Now as the NSX prepares once again for its assault on the powers that be, the attack is not the blind siding that it was a quarter century ago and the defenders are fully armed with lethal weapons that produce out of this world performance while delivering sounds fit to be played in a symphony orchestra and that Mr. klaus himself found so profoundly moving.
When HONDA finally showed their vision of the next NSX they must have been aware of the formidable challenge at hand and if such a challenge had to be undertaken by any, I am glad and encouraged that it was HONDA, AN ENGINEERING POWERHOUSE second to none and at long last getting back in the ring with fighting gloves on and talking smack.
The gauntlet has bee thrown, the tough talk has been heard....now HONDA needs to deliver and knock the ball out of the ball park once again.
The bar wasn't very high back in the 1980's. Ferrari 328 and Testarossa are just lookers, Audi had nothing, Nissan had nothing, Corvettes were jokes. The bar has risen over and over by other makers since the introduction of the original NSX. Everyone is using aluminum and some (CF), and they all figured out high NA output using the same system Honda came up with. However, there are more potential buyers out there in today's environment even with this donkey of a economy. If Nissan can sell every GTR's they make at full msrp plus some, there is hope that the new NSX can have the similar result. That's why if the car can run with Nissan GTR, the look alone should sell more car if they are priced similarly. It will be foolish for Honda to price this car above NA 911, when you know the production cost will be lower than the german rivals.
It had nothing to do with exterior re-styling, and everything to do with criticisms by Consumer Reports, who don't care about styling but do care about handling, performance, ride quality, noise, and safety. Improvements were made everywhere, including the exterior styling, interior design, noise, standard equipment, suspension, and steering, as described in this article in Car and Driver. In its review of the revamped model (May 2013), Consumer Reports said, "With a quick update, the Civic wins back its recommendation", and "The updated car rides a lot better and has a quieter cabin and improved steering, and the interior looks much nicer."
