Every maker needs to have a finely made hot hotrod of some kind in the stable, just so they can keep their eyes on the prize. Whether you win on speed, luxury, economy or flat out sales, it's still a race.
@noodlz: funny enough, I heard a story about that styling- the reason behind it is all pedestrian safety. That's why there's no large intake up high, and the whole thing is so bullish in stature.
Geez, half-year operating loss and Honda freaks out. "WE GOTTA CANCEL THAT HAPPY-HAPPY JOY-JOY CAR RIGHT NOW! WE'RE GONNA' RUN OUT OF MONEY IN LIKE 10 YEARS, AND HOW WILL WE AFFORD TO KEEP ASIMO IN D-CELLS AND ROBO-HOOKERS IF THINGS DON'T IMPROVE AND PEOPLE START BUYING CARS AGAIN?!!!"
The worst part is, this move will kill the dreams of thousands of gearhead kids before they ever go to sleep at night.
No posters on the wall/desktops, no great supercar to aspire to own, none of the usual stuff that has driven so many of us to become obsessed with that damn car culture.
While it may be on hold, so are the young entrants into our little bubble. Japanese designers have always been some of the most forward thinking out there; but they grew up that way. Now they'll have to find direction from fewer available sources of inspiration. This, happening all across the spectrum, could lead to some pathetic car design down the road, eco friendly or not.
@gravit8: Not necessarily, just the values will change. Efficiency will be at the forefront instead of managing buttloads of cheap horsepower. Like Gordon Baxter said when he drove an old MGTD, "Previous generations had the same thrills we have now, they just had them at lower speeds".
Personally, I'd rather see my kid come of age in an era of awesome handling, efficient, lightweight cars than in the era of cars with overpowered engines and crappy suspensions (Mustang).
I can't say I'm sorry to see no new NSX. What's the relevance to me? The Honda S2000 and various R editions has much more impact on what I may buy. Look at the Ford GT, it had little to no impact on Ford's image, sitting as it did, several stratospheres above any other Ford product.
As a Rush fan and Honda enthusiast I will be listening to 'Red Barchetta' all day, "....a brilliant Red Barchetta (err, NSX) from a better, vanished time"!
...all of which means stop breaking the NSXes that are still running! A fabulous chassis held back only by its frankly mediocre powerplant, the NSX makes even dumb drivers look good, and great drivers look like Emerson Fittipaldi.
Its day shall return. You don't take all that engineering work and just drop it in the hopper. It'll be back.
@brandegee: In its day it was a brilliant engine, but not capable of delivering all the power that the chassis could have made use of. Now output levels on a par with the NSX's original rating are base-level or one step up on a Malibu. It was the chassis that made NSX fast; had it had all the engine it could handle, the NSX would've been a full-on supercar from the beginning.
that's so strange... what's next, honda filing for bankrupcy within a few months or weeks?!
the only 2 japanese companies whom are looking good financially are toyota & nissan... i wonder what's going on in the land of the rising sun; or is it starting to set lately over there?!
I'm guessing this has a lot more to do with image management than actual funding constraints. Honda is probably reassessing its position in people's minds and realizing that so few of us will be aware of the NSX, let alone allow it to influence our image of Honda for the better. Which is sad because a future with just hybrids, electrics, and hydrogen sounds pretty bleak.
12/17/08
Only reason to do a front engine NSX would be so they could stretch it, add two doors, and take it NASCAR racin'.
I gotcher bizness model right HERE!
12/17/08
[cut to Harvey Keitel pulling up in an Accord]
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Jumping the gun a bit there, it was never going to be this generations E-Type.
12/17/08
12/17/08
No posters on the wall/desktops, no great supercar to aspire to own, none of the usual stuff that has driven so many of us to become obsessed with that damn car culture.
While it may be on hold, so are the young entrants into our little bubble. Japanese designers have always been some of the most forward thinking out there; but they grew up that way. Now they'll have to find direction from fewer available sources of inspiration. This, happening all across the spectrum, could lead to some pathetic car design down the road, eco friendly or not.
12/17/08
Personally, I'd rather see my kid come of age in an era of awesome handling, efficient, lightweight cars than in the era of cars with overpowered engines and crappy suspensions (Mustang).
12/17/08
I can't say I'm sorry to see no new NSX. What's the relevance to me? The Honda S2000 and various R editions has much more impact on what I may buy. Look at the Ford GT, it had little to no impact on Ford's image, sitting as it did, several stratospheres above any other Ford product.
12/17/08
12/17/08
12/17/08
12/17/08
Its day shall return. You don't take all that engineering work and just drop it in the hopper. It'll be back.
12/17/08
12/17/08
12/17/08
12/17/08
12/17/08
the only 2 japanese companies whom are looking good financially are toyota & nissan... i wonder what's going on in the land of the rising sun; or is it starting to set lately over there?!
12/17/08
12/17/08
12/17/08
12/17/08