Why was Honda NSX not a great seller?
Discussion
Johnboy Mac said:
B Huey said:
It looked odd, was underpowered and overpriced.
Next question.
I'll translate.Next question.
The design gave great visability and made it as easy to drive as your mother's 1.2
The chassis was so brilliant it could have handled a lot more power
The price reflected it's overall quality and most couldn't see past the badge
Wayney said:
The car was never marketed well?
911 goes GT racing and dominate the GT3 class at Lemans. The GTR made a big song and dance about being quicker then 911 turbo around the ring. Ferrari is ever present in F1, Audi dominate LeMans etc etc etc
Where was Honda's marketing, apart from the odd Lemans entry??
How much effort did Honda cash in Senna?911 goes GT racing and dominate the GT3 class at Lemans. The GTR made a big song and dance about being quicker then 911 turbo around the ring. Ferrari is ever present in F1, Audi dominate LeMans etc etc etc
Where was Honda's marketing, apart from the odd Lemans entry??
Johnboy Mac said:
A valid point. But wasn't that one of the nice things about the NSX being low key thus making it rather cool.
How many people though are interested in a low key car in the NSX's price bracket when new?One of the things that sells expensive cars is that everyone can see it's an expensive car!
The brand did not create enough of a stir about the NSX Badge. Honda should have launched it as a stand along product with NO HONDA badging anywhere. The price was not silly and the magazines gave it a 5* rating but the interior styling....not the fit and finish were just not upto what people wanted for a top end sports car. The only other possible problem was the lack of noise from the exhausts / engine. Otherwise the manuals are still great cars and better than anything else made in that time period. A 928 GTS would come close second...
coyft said:
I don't recall it having bad reviews in fact quite the opposite. I bought mine in 1991 not long after it was launched, I was influenced quite heavily by the rave reviews it received. Perhaps I was reading different magazines.
Agreed. I know that the original stormed the annual Autocar handling test (the one they used to do at a circuit each year). Might even have won 2 years running (not quite sure). IIRC that magazine's testers stopped adoring the NSX when the power steering was added.My guess is that it wasn't a dream car/brand. Porsche, Ferrari, etc had been fuelling schoolboy dreams for decades. When those schoolboys were rich grown-ups in the '90s, the Honda/NSX wasn't a strong enough idea to overcome those dreams.
The NSX is one of my favourite cars ever. Such an amazing chassis and setup; a truly wonderful drive, and also very comfortable for road use. I also love the understated looks, and of course the beautiful Honda V6 and it's unforgettable sound.
The reasons it didn't sell are most probably a combination of everything mentioned already: not that fast, a lack of badge kudos, a fairly sombre interior, and not marketed well enough. On that latter point, I realise Honda were in F1 with Senna at the time (MP4-7 - one of my all time favourite F1 cars
), but their actual direct marketing for the car was pretty poor. I've got an NSX brochure and it reads like a brochure for an MX5, except without the bits about the great handling...
The reasons it didn't sell are most probably a combination of everything mentioned already: not that fast, a lack of badge kudos, a fairly sombre interior, and not marketed well enough. On that latter point, I realise Honda were in F1 with Senna at the time (MP4-7 - one of my all time favourite F1 cars
), but their actual direct marketing for the car was pretty poor. I've got an NSX brochure and it reads like a brochure for an MX5, except without the bits about the great handling...Marf said:
Wasn't that much a flop in the US though was it?
Was a huge success there. They got pretty much universal glowing reviews from the US automotive press and it helped that they were sold under the Acura brand there. Smart move, as it helped shift more of both NSXs and other Acuras with the halo effect. Curious and a shame that they decided to launch the brand only in North America and not here, a much more badge-obsessed land.
They only sold about 19,000 - Ferrari sold 500 348's ? and ~12,000 355 - comparable numbers. But the NSX doesnt have the Badge. Maybe the NSX lasts too long many having over 100,000 miles on the clock and used as "daily drives". Nothing is as exciting as a car that won't start or breaks down - then the NSX isn't exciting. Porsche have to be the masters though making a car in large numbers and still desirable.
Modern day "equivalents" the Audi R8 - how many have been sold?
I like my old ('91) NSX and rather pleased there arn't too many around, it maybe flawed but its hard to argue with the Honda dealer when they charge you only £120 for an oil change and "A" service.
Modern day "equivalents" the Audi R8 - how many have been sold?
I like my old ('91) NSX and rather pleased there arn't too many around, it maybe flawed but its hard to argue with the Honda dealer when they charge you only £120 for an oil change and "A" service.
Nick3point2 said:
Johnboy Mac said:
A valid point. But wasn't that one of the nice things about the NSX being low key thus making it rather cool.
How many people though are interested in a low key car in the NSX's price bracket when new?One of the things that sells expensive cars is that everyone can see it's an expensive car!
sorepaws said:
Modern day "equivalents" the Audi R8 - how many have been sold?
I was going to suggest Noble - maybe the M600? Apparently a great car, but £200k of your own money? Would you really stray from the norm? It's not as if Ferrari/Lamborghini et al make bad cars...Saw a bright yellow NSX at Brands Hatch yesterday - I would!
bayemvay said:
Marf said:
Wasn't that much a flop in the US though was it?
Was a huge success there. They got pretty much universal glowing reviews from the US automotive press and it helped that they were sold under the Acura brand there. Smart move, as it helped shift more of both NSXs and other Acuras with the halo effect. Curious and a shame that they decided to launch the brand only in North America and not here, a much more badge-obsessed land.
We didn't/don't have that same prejudice against foreign cars that existed in the US, hence why they never launched the Acura brand here.
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