Friday 13th December 2002
Honda NSX
Graham Bell test Honda's practical supercar
|
v8thunder
Original Poster
27,211 posts
127 months
|
Why doesn't it sell well over here? Probably something to do with the Lotus Esprit...
|
|
|
smifffy
1,938 posts
135 months
|
Something to do with the price tag!
|
|
|
Podie
38,379 posts
144 months
|
It's the little details that it suffers with. The aerial stub, the door handles and the locks... all of them look untidy. The mirrors look too low and the "stick on" side repeaters look a bit 80's Ford.
As for the appalling interior... such a shame, since it's obviously an amazingly capable car...
|
|
|
v8thunder
Original Poster
27,211 posts
127 months
|
Does anyone think badge snobbery has anything to do with it? In the States they call it the 'Acura' to avoid that sort of thing. Pity they ditched the pop-up lights as well.
|
|
|
Woodster
122 posts
132 months
|
I think the NSX is simply massively undersold. I went to a few Honda garages when I was looking at cars a few months ago and didn't see any mention of NSX's anywhere.
I can't begin to imagine how tricky it would be to sort out a test drive.
|
Advertisement
|
|
|
grahambell
2,695 posts
144 months
|
Hi Woodster,
Think you'll find the NSX is only sold and serviced at selected dealers, which as you say doesn't help the marketing.
By the way, they've actually sold 24 in the UK so far this year. Still time to sell a few more as Christmas presents...
|
|
|
apache
38,242 posts
153 months
|
I really like the old model, this new one seems kinda less appealing, great lookers, I might be tempted if it wasn't for the Griff. What sort of money do the older ones command?
|
|
|
guydw
1,651 posts
152 months
|
IMHO, the NSX suffers from part badge snobbery, part crap interior and details.
I gottta say though, this stuff disappears once you drive it. The performance may not look great compared to a Cerb (or even a Chim), it doesn't quite have the same sense of drama, it may lack torque at low revs, but let me tell you that it lays the power down so well, in the hands of all but the most capable drivers it is a much quicker car.
It handles superbly and sounds great when the revs are up. Put a ferrari badge on it and it'd be 120K !!!
I drove a J reg, it was awesome, if there is a better car for the money then I've not seen it - by the way I'm a TVR man, but maybe not for long.....
|
|
|
ninja_eli
1,498 posts
136 months
|
The pop up lights had to go due to high speed lift at the front, and trust me this does happen: 150MPH in my 355 at night proves it!
Also, as Podie says, its the little supercar details which it lacks. Interior is made with crap materials, sit in another supercar after the NSX and you can sense an emotion, the NSX doesn't do it. The leather smell, feel, colour combo's etc. Thats probably why most people did not want to pay the high price tag. It should have been pitched at 911 C2 money, and IMO even less. The 996 is overpriced for what it is.
The lights look really ugs! Car is a little too long. I personally don't think badge snobbery has THAT much to do with it (although if they were like for like, price for price, I'd probably choose the Ferrari for residual value). Great second hand buy, but be careful as if something is wrong with it, it'll cost a lot to get right!
|
|
|
deltaf
1,384 posts
126 months
|
I reckon that badge snobbery is mostly the reason.
Why do so many folks go out and buy a BMW?....simply the snob appeal that those cars have.
Matters little that theyre just a german cortina....
To me, i dont really mind the badge, so long as its got power, handling and good brakes.
Theres really nothing better than wiping the smile off of some smug snobs face at the lights or down the motorway when their 40k (and higher) badge gets wiped out by something as innocuous as a 1979 golf, finished in primer red!!!!!
Thats the best feeling on earth when they look at your "pile o shite" and it just accelerates away from them...priceless!
As for "emotion" and "involvement" and all that bollox, whats the point of "italian style" when its forever breaking down? Wheres the snob appeal in riding home on the back of an AA Relay truck?
Badge means nothing, its the drive that counts.
|
|
|
total_eclipse_t
6 posts
125 months
|
i personaly think you are getting a lot less for the money hp not much of it ,styiling is great on the outside in my oppinion but the interior loocks like the civic here in the states CHEAP you could get so much more for $88,000 bucks im just not impressed i mean come on 290.0 bhp @ 7100 rpm when the car weighs
1391 kgs / 3066 lbs is not nothing to brag about me personally for that kind of money id rather have a bmw m5 or a corvette and a audi s4 for the daily commute im sorry but if that car just had 150 more hp it would be a much more alluring car for the price!
|
|
|
Podie
38,379 posts
144 months
|
ninja_eli said: The pop up lights had to go due to high speed lift at the front, and trust me this does happen: 150MPH in my 355 at night proves it!
That may be a reason to get rid of them, but the actualy reason why pop-up lamps have gone is due to the pedestrian impact regs... note they went from everything... including diablo's...
|
|
|
deltaf
1,384 posts
126 months
|
Podies correct, theyre a little over zealous about pedestrian impacts over there.... why pedestrians would want to jump onto your pop-ups is quite beyond me tho! 
|
|
|
Captain Muppet
5,904 posts
134 months
|
Podie said:
ninja_eli said: The pop up lights had to go due to high speed lift at the front, and trust me this does happen: 150MPH in my 355 at night proves it!
That may be a reason to get rid of them, but the actualy reason why pop-up lamps have gone is due to the pedestrian impact regs... note they went from everything... including diablo's...
Esprit still has them - buy one before they die...
|
|
|
Newromancer
528 posts
131 months
|
Maybe one reason why the NSX sells so badly is because of the real bad reputation the cheap Hondas have. Lots of teens buy Honda's, lower them and so on. (Fast and the Furious Hondas) But when driving them faster the Mirrows shake and the bonnet waves. A CRX is simply not built for high speeds, the suspension, the breaks, the chassis, an engine with lots of hourses ( but less less torque) ... the car is simply not a great one -> But hey, but for that price! -> It's Ok! It drives and need's less gas.
Unfortunatly that hurts the NSX. The NSX really is a fine car worth its price -> But would you like to drive a HONDA if you could get an Lotus?
|
|
|
Newromancer
528 posts
131 months
|
Captain Muppet said:
Podie said:
ninja_eli said: The pop up lights had to go due to high speed lift at the front, and trust me this does happen: 150MPH in my 355 at night proves it!
That may be a reason to get rid of them, but the actualy reason why pop-up lamps have gone is due to the pedestrian impact regs... note they went from everything... including diablo's...
Esprit still has them - buy one before they die...
Maybe this posting is displaced here, but I once saw a table of cars and the downforce they produce at 200kph. The 355 didn't came off that well. ( A bit better then the TT ) Surprised me a bit, thats why I remembered it.
|
|
|
deltaf
1,384 posts
126 months
|
Id definetely buy the Honda NSX over any lotus.
Built better, goes better, looks better, lasts better.
I once drove the original Lotus Esprit, i had the job of doing an engine removal and strip.
It was the limited Edition John Player Special....what a pile of shat!
Looked nice but had no quality at all. Morris Marina door handles for gods sake!
This is what i mean by badge snobbery, the Lotus has the heritage, the Honda has the quality.
Quality does it for me every time, but that dont mean id go out and buy a roller.
Heritage, emotional involvement,italian flair....its all bollox.
The kings new clothes kind of ethos, that goes with certain cars, it does my head in when motoring journos go on about it, but at the end of the day, if its tacky and dont last, who wants that in a car?
|
|
|
S2 Giles
2,055 posts
144 months
|
OK I have to say it...
LOTUS = Lots of trouble usually serious
A Lotus fanatic I know has this on the number plate of both his Lotus' as they are always in the garage...
he has 2 so that he has a 50/50 chance that one will work !
Elise, what a wonderful car but so let down by a Rover engine !
111S is getting there but still
I'd go for the Honda & part of its appeal is that there arnt many around, i would never buy a car just because its popular or has the right badge.
I too enjoy humiliating BMW 325 drivers in my HONDA.
Just my opinion remember
|
|
|
Captain Muppet
5,904 posts
134 months
|
Newromancer said: Maybe one reason why the NSX sells so badly is because of the real bad reputation the cheap Hondas have. Lots of teens buy Honda's, lower them and so on. (Fast and the Furious Hondas) But when driving them faster the Mirrows shake and the bonnet waves. A CRX is simply not built for high speeds, the suspension, the breaks, the chassis, an engine with lots of hourses ( but less less torque) ... the car is simply not a great one -> But hey, but for that price! -> It's Ok! It drives and need's less gas.
Unfortunatly that hurts the NSX. The NSX really is a fine car worth its price -> But would you like to drive a HONDA if you could get an Lotus?
I used my CRX for track days - seems to work well enough. That said I've not really pushed it to the limit, just sliding around on slick tyres and keeping under 110mph to be kind to the poor weak brakes.
|
|
|
grahambell
2,695 posts
144 months
|
S2 Giles said:Elise, what a wonderful car but so let down by a Rover engine ! 111S is getting there but still.
Don't know why people keep going on about the K-Series engine like it was a complete load of crap. Or maybe I do - it has a Rover badge and it's British so it must be crap. Just like everything with a German badge is brilliant... The K-Series happens to be an award winning design and can provide a decent amount of power from what is a compact, lightweight unit, which makes it ideal for lightweight cars like the Elise and Caterham. VVC version in both 111S and TF160 seemed pretty good to me. Guess Giles' S2 isn't the V8. 
|
|
