RE: Honda kills the NSX
Tuesday 12th July 2005
Grab one now while you canHonda is to stop building the NSX, announcing today that it will discontinue production of the supercar. Production for the North American market stops at the end of December 2005, while building of the European version ends in September.
Honda kills the NSX
European version build ends in September
Grab one now while you can
Honda reckoned that it's working on a successor, what it called "a new sports car for a new era, which is to incorporate Honda’s most advanced technology."
NSX history
The NSX was a car that garnered a small but loyal following -- and was arguably a victim of being too good at what it did. Enthusiasts point to its reliability and everyday practicality. So do its detractors, saying that a supercar has no business displaying those attributes, adding that it was just too easy to drive. The enthusiasts might have the last laugh when it comes to residuals though.
The NSX made its debut in 1990 as a mid-engined sports car with an all-aluminium monocoque body, said to be a world first for a production vehicle at the time. The NSX evolved, with performance improvements including increased displacement, a six-speed manual transmission, enhanced aerodynamic performance, and different tyre sizes, along with the addition of the NSX Type-T open-top model and the NSX Type-R pure sports model with further enhanced driving performance.
Honda called it "one of the first true sports cars to adopt clean emissions measures". It managed to sell over 18,000 cars during the 15 year life-span of the machine -- not enough perhaps to make it a profitable concern.
Honda said it will "continue to foster an environment supportive of NSX owners and their enjoyment of their cars, through meticulous maintenance of NSX vehicles, a Refresh Plan to preserve vehicles in their optimum condition, and the continuing support of NSX Owners’ Meetings to assist owners who wish to enhance their driving skills."
Discussion
Sad news, this. The NSX never really captured the imagination of the supercar buying public. Styling not dramatic enough, engine not big enough, Honda name not having the appeal of Ferrari or Porsche. Perfect build quality and ergonomics ironically drawing accusations that it lacked character.
A few year ago, I was thinking about buying an NSX and researched on the net. Journalists were quoted as saying it was the one sportscar they would spend their own money on, owners were racking up 100,000 miles with no problems etc. Said to be fantastic to drive. I still watch the used car prices.......
Used by McLaren as the target car during the F1's development. It's the forgotten supercar.
>> Edited by bor on Tuesday 12th July 10:45
>> Edited by bor on Tuesday 12th July 10:48
A few year ago, I was thinking about buying an NSX and researched on the net. Journalists were quoted as saying it was the one sportscar they would spend their own money on, owners were racking up 100,000 miles with no problems etc. Said to be fantastic to drive. I still watch the used car prices.......
Used by McLaren as the target car during the F1's development. It's the forgotten supercar.
>> Edited by bor on Tuesday 12th July 10:45
>> Edited by bor on Tuesday 12th July 10:48
"Sad news, this. The NSX never really captured the imagination of the supercar buying public. Styling not dramatic enough, engine not big enough, Honda name not having the appeal of Ferrari or Porsche. Perfect build quality and ergonomics ironically drawing accusations that it lacked character. "
Yeah it is a little sad, but inevitable really. The car wasn't really keeping pace with the latest supercars and increasingly looked a bit of an anachronism.
That said, as the proud owner of a 2001 3.2 coupe, I think these cars are just stonking. Its very quick, dependable, good looking (in my biased opinion), verges on practical and even has the audacity to ride serenely. The only negative I can level at it is steering that doesn't belong on a sports car. It feels ok, but 3.2 turns lock-to-lock is ridiculous.
The NSX stands out as a great automotive engineering achievement, and surely thousands of 355 and future Ferrari model owners have a small debt of gratitude to pay this car for massively moving the game on and proving you didn't need to be a contortionist to drive a sports car, or put up with shoddy build quality and unreliability.
Yeah it is a little sad, but inevitable really. The car wasn't really keeping pace with the latest supercars and increasingly looked a bit of an anachronism.
That said, as the proud owner of a 2001 3.2 coupe, I think these cars are just stonking. Its very quick, dependable, good looking (in my biased opinion), verges on practical and even has the audacity to ride serenely. The only negative I can level at it is steering that doesn't belong on a sports car. It feels ok, but 3.2 turns lock-to-lock is ridiculous.
The NSX stands out as a great automotive engineering achievement, and surely thousands of 355 and future Ferrari model owners have a small debt of gratitude to pay this car for massively moving the game on and proving you didn't need to be a contortionist to drive a sports car, or put up with shoddy build quality and unreliability.
article said:
Honda said it will "continue to foster an environment supportive of NSX owners and their enjoyment of their cars, through meticulous maintenance of NSX vehicles, a Refresh Plan to preserve vehicles in their optimum condition, and the continuing support of NSX Owners’ Meetings to assist owners who wish to enhance their driving skills."
AUDI, ARE YOU LISTENING? How about an attitude that isn't "if it's not new then f
k off"?agent006 said:
Honda said it will "continue to foster an environment supportive of NSX owners and their enjoyment of their cars, through meticulous maintenance of NSX vehicles, a Refresh Plan to preserve vehicles in their optimum condition, and the continuing support of NSX Owners’ Meetings to assist owners who wish to enhance their driving skills."
AUDI, ARE YOU LISTENING? How about an attitude that isn't "if it's not new then f
Quite. Well done Honda, a good attitude to loyal customers of older cars.
damianw said:
"Sad news, this. The NSX never really captured the imagination of the supercar buying public. Styling not dramatic enough, engine not big enough, Honda name not having the appeal of Ferrari or Porsche. Perfect build quality and ergonomics ironically drawing accusations that it lacked character. "
Yeah it is a little sad, but inevitable really. The car wasn't really keeping pace with the latest supercars and increasingly looked a bit of an anachronism.
That said, as the proud owner of a 2001 3.2 coupe, I think these cars are just stonking. Its very quick, dependable, good looking (in my biased opinion), verges on practical and even has the audacity to ride serenely. The only negative I can level at it is steering that doesn't belong on a sports car. It feels ok, but 3.2 turns lock-to-lock is ridiculous.
The NSX stands out as a great automotive engineering achievement, and surely thousands of 355 and future Ferrari model owners have a small debt of gratitude to pay this car for massively moving the game on and proving you didn't need to be a contortionist to drive a sports car, or put up with shoddy build quality and unreliability.
Agreed. I'm still constantly awed by the speed and composure of my '94 3.0 manual (it's quicker than you'd think). It rides better than my Cooper S and despite being thoroughly "used" the way it's maker intended it just goes on and on - I've never driven a better built car.
Wonder if value's will suddenly shoot up!!
"That said, as the proud owner of a 2001 3.2 coupe, I think these cars are just stonking. Its very quick, dependable, good looking (in my biased opinion), verges on practical and even has the audacity to ride serenely. The only negative I can level at it is steering that doesn't belong on a sports car. It feels ok, but 3.2 turns lock-to-lock is ridiculous."
In your biased opinion? I don't know of many people who could called it ugly! I think it looks fantastic!
What I will say, is that existing owners will have the full support of Honda (which is to be applauded, after all, they don't have to!), whilst they have the cachet of knowing that they will never park next to another one!
In your biased opinion? I don't know of many people who could called it ugly! I think it looks fantastic!
What I will say, is that existing owners will have the full support of Honda (which is to be applauded, after all, they don't have to!), whilst they have the cachet of knowing that they will never park next to another one!
A said:
Honda said it will "continue to foster an environment supportive of NSX owners and their enjoyment of their cars, through meticulous maintenance of NSX vehicles, a Refresh Plan to preserve vehicles in their optimum condition, and the continuing support of NSX Owners’ Meetings to assist owners who wish to enhance their driving skills.
I bet this in only in Japan. They've had the drivers courses and refresh plan there for years (where they take your car back to Tochigi and you can choose to retrim, repaint, rebuild the engine etc etc).
Given the, ahem, questionable support for the car from Honda UK while it was 'alive', people are not likely to see much of this over here when it's dead.
Shame, eh?
>> Edited by Brownbear on Tuesday 12th July 16:33
Brownbear said:
I bet this in only in Japan. They've had the drivers courses and refresh plan there for years (where they take your car back to Tochigi and you can choose to retrim, repaint, rebuild the engine etc etc).
Given the, ahem, questionable support for the car from Honda UK while it was 'alive', people are not likely to see much of this over here when it's dead.
Shame, eh?
Didn't realise they got that service in Japan... that must really add something to the ownership experience.
I share your concerns with UK support and wonder how long it will be before parts become (even more) stupifyingly expensive and NSX servicing dealers more and more rare (they're already difficult to find).
Gazboy said:
^are you serious? only 6000 miles? jeebus. that may be the real reason they never caught on.
No the real reason, was because it was japanese. Had it had a dancing donkey on it's nose, they would have sold bloody millions of em.
I dount Ferrari would be selling many 348s if they were still in production. Pity they hadn't continued to develope the NSX and thus keep it in the public eye.
I'm also someone who considered/would still consider a 2nd hand NSX - what concerns me is that they're so rare (wow? 18,000 sold ever!), that my local official Honda dealer here in Guildford had "never seen an NSX for service" in its' 10 or so year history when I spoke to them a couple of years ago (though to be honest they had a New MkII on their forecourt for sale very recently). And this is in Guildford, where we are fortunate to have lots of fancy cars due to quite a lot of wealth - so I would be personally slightly concerned about how familiar official Honda dealers are with this super-rare machine, and how good they will be servicing them from now on. Of course, Honda are Honda and I'm sure it'll be alright...
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