Gee Major, I sure wouldn't agree with most of what you wrote.
Today, Honda's cars are not the cool radically styled cars that they were.
Honda's cars have NEVER been radically styled. Ever, ever, ever. You can look at the changes introduced with each succeeding generation of the Civic, or the Accord, or the Prelude in the 1990's and even back into the late 1980's. While they made them attractive, they were never cars that made people sit up and take notice. Their ONLY car that generated plaudits for styling was the NSX.
Toyota has the edge on radical style.
Hardly. For every allegedly radical car model that Toyota introduces (like the TT-like Lexus SC), there are five different introductions of boring and/or copycat versions of the Camry, ES, Avalon, LS, Echo, GS, Corolla, RAV4, and IS.
Hondas became Toyotas, and Toyotas became Hondas.
Toyotas are the most American-like of all the Japanese cars, with cushy suspensions and lack of road feel. That's why their demographics skew so much older than Honda's.
I think the NSX has suffered with this change of corporate think. They ruined the perfect chassis to build a T-model
Sounds like (a) you've never driven the NSX-T, and (b) you think that YOUR desire - for a rigid coupe - is the ONLY thing that matters in the marketplace, that you don't care what most potential buyers might want in a car.
In fact, they made the NSX more rigid when they introduced the NSX-T. If anything, the chassis is
better than before - as the handful of owners who opted for the later-model coupes will attest.
The "new" NSX reminds me of the guy going thru mid-life crisis. He goes out, gets a diamond stud earing, a tattoo, and flash suit, and behold: "The new me!" Not exactly an improved version, in my opinion.
Except that you are totally ignoring the fact that the 2002 NSX is merely a holdover version. It's
NOT the "new" NSX. And Honda
IS working on the new NSX. And it might be worth the wait. A fact that you conveniently ignore in your tirade.
I find it odd that as both enter their last years of production, the two-seat NSX looks like a copy of a two-seat Ferrari, while the four-seat Camaro looks like the four-seat Ferrari. In other words, it is just a cheap copy.
That's exactly what some people said in 1990, when the NSX was first introduced.
I don't know how much Honda spent on redesigning the NSX. I figure $20 million to retool, restock, new advertising, photo shoots, websites, manuals, car shows, etc. But what did they achieve? Nothing that an NSX owner couldn't do with after market parts for about $20K.
Again, you forget - this is NOT the "new" NSX. This is merely a slight cosmetic freshening.
I would have liked to see a NSX-RR. A real road racing version. No frills like a Porsche speedster. Start with a coupe and take out everything: the electric window lifts, a/c, clock, antennae, radio, electric seats, electric mirrors, engine cover, five layers of dash padding, etc., and offer it at a lower price.
Again, this is YOUR preference. However, it's doubtful that such a model would sell very many copies. Look at how much trouble Honda had in selling the mere 50 copies of the Zanardi NSX.
Any NSX owner has the ability to remove all of that equipment from his NSX and turn it into a no-frills track car. And some owners have done so. But unless there are hundreds and hundreds of such owners out there eager to do so, it doesn't make sense for them to sell a no-frills track car. And in the market for expensive sports cars, this is a given. Such manufacturers as Chevy (Corvette), Porsche, and Ferrari either don't sell such a de-contented model, or they sell it at an even higher price due to additional performance content.
YOU may want Honda to cater to your personal preference, but the fact is that there isn't a sufficient market for de-contented factory race cars. Even when Honda was selling a de-contented car in a lower price bracket (the Integra Type R), as the model progressed they found that they had to add standard equipment that they had deleted in earlier years, like air conditioning and rear wiper/washers, to get the cars to sell.
Considering the massive drop in value that the late model NSXs have experienced ($200 a week)
To some extent, this happens as cars reach a certain age. To some extent, this has happened as a result of external factors such as the current severe recession. Perhaps you blame THAT on Honda, too?
I don't expect tha 2002 "poser-mobile" NSX
Oh come now. How do you expect anyone to listen to you seriously when you use such ridiculous terms? Whether you prefer the 2002 NSX or the 1991-2001, you have to admit to all but the most expert observer, they look identical.
How much will a 2002 be worth in 2004?
Probably exactly what a 2000 NSX is worth now.
I understand that Honda must bow to demands of the market, but the new NSX is nothing more than a Powder Blue Tuxedo. They should have simply created a fixed headlight kit, a suspension upgrade kit, a ground effects kit, etc., and they could be selling them to owners of all years.
Honda is not in the business of selling aftermarket parts for its cars. And if they did, given the way many of the kits look, I can imagine how many folks would be talking about how Honda makes its cars uglier.
Zanardi owners that can't get OEM floor mats that are sold out...
Oops, sorry, I'm on a rant.
Yes, you are. You're also making a big deal about NSX owners who can get factory floor mats that are black with black stitching, and can get aftermarket floor mats that are black with red stitching, but may have trouble getting factory floor mats that are black with red stitching. I bet even YOU will admit that that's a little silly.
So what is my point?
As far as I can tell, your only point is that Honda should make exactly the car that YOU want to buy, at a price that YOU want to pay, and the rest of the world be damned.
While I regret Honda's decision to discontinue availability of the NSX Coupe this year, it doesn't surprise me, considering the low level of interest in the coupe in recent years. And I agree with that decision from a marketing and financial perspective, while disagreeing with it from a product (and enthusiast) perspective. I suspect it was just too much trouble for them to handle the handful of coupe orders they received while it was available.
[This message has been edited by nsxtasy (edited 10 February 2002).]
