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new NSX prototype testing death

Joined
6 March 2000
Messages
141
as quoted from temple of v-tec rumor&news section:
"German newspaper reports that a Japanese engineer died yesterday during a test comparison (everyday driving) between a new Honda prototype and a Ferrari F1, both with to japanese engineers. The accident happened near Dortmund in Germany, when both cars had to reduce speed on the autobahn to about 75 mph (120 kph) becouse of rain. While passing some trucks, the Ferrari broke out and slid under the middle rails. The co-drivers head was cut down, the driver was heavily injured.

The Honda was not involved inthe crash - the car was reported to be a "NRX" with nearly 300hp and a price of 190 000 DM on one of its last test drives.

The F355 has wider front wheels than the F360 and the NSX. Maybe that can lead earlier to "aquaplaning", as we call it here. The "NRX" didn't have problems - so I expect the next NSX-generation to have about the same wheel combo as the F360 has: Very small in front, big meat at the rears."

Well I wrote it word for word and I'm not sure if the NRX is a typo or not? Crappy to hear news about the next NSX becouse of somebody's death. Also not happy to hear about it only having 300hp??? That better be wrong? Well if it was the NSX's last test ride as quoted then that means it's on it's way...maybe next year.
 
If that's true, I think we all owe him a moment of silence.
 
That is terrible. The car doesn't sound like the 2nd gen NSX though unless Honda has taken a very radical approach (which Honda has never done in their entire history).
 
Sad death, Earnhart, Wollek, Alboreto, now this...
About the 300hp, don't be discouraged that's only half the information, what if the car only weighed 2000-2250 lbs? With an F1 trans...I might go back....maybe not....
 
A true Grand Touring sports car reminiscent of the NSX that weighed in under 2500 lbs (much less 2000-2250) would require a very "radical approach" such as a composite body. As much as I would love to see it, that is really not in Honda's character.
 
Hate to be an 'ole fart about it but does anybody here TRULY believe the next NSX will be as much of a benchmark as the current model was in '91?

After touring and interviewing with Honda R&D last year (and turning down an engineering job there), it became clear that the talented engineers were railroaded into designing mediocre mass produced vehicles to grow the company, not to show its engineering force. Just look at the new Civic (what a dung-pile) and the upcoming killing of the Prelude.

Over the last several years, Honda has worked hard to become the bastion of political correctness and environmental responsibility. A fire-breathing, 400hp, Ferrari-beating supercar is not in the Honda agenda and business plan. Marketing such a vehicle (if Honda actually knows how to) would be hypocritical and would have no value added to a company whose most recent business plan is to produce and sell more cars.

I hope I am 100% wrong but in a few years I will be looking for a used 360 Modena. Will the NSX be so good that I'll choose the NSX? I hope so.....

"Enjoy our NSX's for it may be the best we will ever get from Honda."

Vic
'92 Black/Black
 
Vic,
Your points are well taken, dis-heartening, but logical. I guess it just seems to me that with the racing tech. Honda has sitting on the shelf it would be a crime not to intro a new NSX with ALL the goodies. As far as the marketing angle, they must look at the opportunity cost forgone by not having a "world-beater" supercar in the stable. But again, we live in a time where Porsche is building SUVs!!!!
 
Originally posted by aaron:
But again, we live in a time where Porsche is building SUVs!!!!

Let's hope the trend of SUVs is a temporary blip. In fact I think it will be once these families start having kids who drive and don't want to pay the fuel and taxes that are mostly likely to occur in our near future.

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Hal Jones
Lake Oswego, Oregon
95T Blk\Blk SportShift
 
First, a moment of silence for dead and injured.

re: "NRX." Given vicster2's comments about Honda's "green" image, it is unlikley Honda would use this designation for its next generation NSX. An internet search reveals that NRX is widely used to describe a "nuclear reactor experimental."

It this part of the story is wrong, what else should we hold suspect?
 
vicster,
well like you said I hope your wrong. There is a flip side to this as well. Although I'm not familiar with Honda people directly I know that many of them are automotive fanatics and the NSX is a company image builder and source of pride.
What would Honda use in the ever popular JGTC championsip if the NSX weren't around? And if the execs at Honda were all about grean cars and profit then why was the NSX no discontinued long ago, after all they loose money on each one sold as the car has never been profitable for them. Honda is proud of their technical ability and they do want to showcase their dominance, this is for sure.
I'm an avid motorcyle fan and you should know that Honda set out a few years ago with a statement that they would seek out to regain there lost market share with new models that will outperform their rivals who have surpassed them. The next year they won the world superbike title on a bran new machine, this is almost unheard of. The street version of the bike was selling for less than Honda's cost (first year anyway, it went up this year), so much for economical and enviromental sense.
I would anticipate that Honda will pull out all stops on the next generation NSX to make it as ground breaking as the first generation was. It remains to be seen though if in the mean time the current generation will go through an update prior to the release of a new NSX or not, which doesn't make sense but we've all heard rumors about this.
My own personal opinion is Honda better come out with a V-8 400+hp F1 shifter screamer that has similiar but updated exotic look that gives us the same driving pleasure we all love so much. I don't even car if it's not Aluminum and costs inline with the boxster and corvette. But anything less than a V-8 with performance in line with a F360 or better and I will be disappointed for sure.
 
If you guys get a chance,read the June edition of Automobile Magazine.It has a full,front page picture of the supposed next NSX.It says it will have an i-VTEC V6 putting out 350 hp and 240 lb-ft of torque.
The pictures have me sold.

Joe

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97 NSX-T
93 RX7 Touring
 
Yo NSXBADBOY,

I don't subscribe to that magazine. Can you scan the cover and post it? I'm very curious about that article too!!! RSVP.



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NSXY
95 NSX-T, 5 sp, Red/Tan, Stock, except Dunlaptya SP9000s
 
Originally posted by vicster2:
Hate to be an 'ole fart about it but does anybody here TRULY believe the next NSX will be as much of a benchmark as the current model was in '91?

After touring and interviewing with Honda R&D last year (and turning down an engineering job there), it became clear that the talented engineers were railroaded into designing mediocre mass produced vehicles to grow the company, not to show its engineering force. Just look at the new Civic (what a dung-pile) and the upcoming killing of the Prelude.


The current Civic is a prime example of how Honda/Acura is practically getting up and running away from the image and market that built them. People used to see Honda/Acura as the company that built perfromance cars that were fun to drive and still got great gas mileage. Now they are boring cars that still get good gas mileage, but are all but totally numb when driving them. The Integra Type-R, Prelude, and NSX are the last good cars that the company sells here. Hopefully Honda/Acura wakes up and gives us fun cars again.



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Carpe Diem! Get out there and DRIVE YOUR NSX! It won't do you any good when you're gone.
 
The Integra Type-R, Prelude, and NSX are the last good cars that the company sells here. Hopefully Honda/Acura wakes up and gives us fun cars again.

Don't you think the S2000 qualifies? It's not that long ago that it was introduced. And the RSX Type R, expected late next year, is likely to be in the same tradition.

Honda/Acura has been THE automobile manufacturer catering to the enthusiast market, and I don't think you can discount their commitment to this market based on their mass-market automobiles such as the Civic.
 
Originally posted by nsxtasy:
....Honda/Acura has been THE automobile manufacturer catering to the enthusiast market, and I don't think you can discount their commitment to this market based on their mass-market automobiles such as the Civic.

THE automobile manufacturer catering.... Huh? I dont think so!!! They have a couple decent entrants, and one real good one -NSX-, but that is all.

Maybe we are getting into semantics here, but I define "catering" to be synonymous with "core competency" at least as it pertains to the auto industry. Honda's core competency is reliable, economical, environmentally friendly mechanisms of transportation.

Manufacturers I would consider to be catering to enthusiasts would be Porsche, Ferrari, etc., but certainly not Honda.
 
I guess I'm considering who is catering to the automotive enthusiast in all price ranges, not just those at the upper end of the food chain. Honda is still THE most highly desired make by far of the import tuning crowd. But as you point out, they may not be the preferred marque of the gold chain set. And maybe that's a good thing.
smile.gif


Honda is also the only manufacturer I can think of who makes a production car (the Integra Type R) specifically for high performance purposes ONLY - sacrificing the performance-draining creature comforts and including mod-quality suspension, engine, and other components - whose price isn't so high as to freeze out all but a handful of enthusiasts.

Granted, they built their reputation on "sensible" cars, but this is the company that gave us the NSX, the Integra Type R, and the S2000 - a pretty good testament to their commitment to providing high-performance automobiles for the enthusiast, at several price points, each providing more bang for the buck than most of its competitors. Not a bad record if you ask me.

Limiting ourselves to manufacturers whose "core competency" is cars for the enthusiast would eliminate anyone who produces anything OTHER THAN performance cars - so that we wouldn't be able to recognize those who give us cars such as the NSX (Honda), the Corvette (GM), the 360 Modena (Fiat), etc. Furthermore, keep in mind that part of the "miracle" of the NSX is that Honda was able to take a loss on every car built because of the profits it was making on all those Civics and Accords and motorcycles and bicycles.

[This message has been edited by nsxtasy (edited 01 May 2001).]
 
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