Why was Honda NSX not a great seller?
Discussion
Because it looked like it had been styled by a man who was only used to doing minicabs had been asked to make a mid-engined two seater.
It's all unresolved lines, lumps of black plastic, stick on intakes and sensible bumpers.
The Porsche range at the time looked sleek and gorgeous, and the Ferrari 348 looked glamorous. The NSX looked, well, Japanese.
It's all unresolved lines, lumps of black plastic, stick on intakes and sensible bumpers.
The Porsche range at the time looked sleek and gorgeous, and the Ferrari 348 looked glamorous. The NSX looked, well, Japanese.
londonbabe said:
The Porsche range at the time looked sleek and gorgeous, and the Ferrari 348 looked glamorous. The NSX looked, well, Japanese.
Yeah but at least in the NSX the headlights were better than the two candles fitted in the 911 and the winscreen wipers actualy removed rain from the windscreen. (not to mention other known issues on the 911)I also think the NSX is a match in looks for the 911 of the time but of course looks are subjective also people are talking of interiors the 911 interior of the time whilst i like it was certainly dated even then.
Edited by Pesty on Tuesday 31st May 21:08
LuS1fer said:
They were expensive and contrary to the modern mtythical icon it has become "in hindsight", it didn't win the group tests - from memory, the 911 did.
The interior is also very plasticky for what was a very expensive car - made the Corvette (hugely cheaper) look good.
Are you taking the piss? Stitched leather? Plastic? The interior is also very plasticky for what was a very expensive car - made the Corvette (hugely cheaper) look good.
The difference between the Honda and the competition was that it was well screwed together, from quality components, and didn't creak like the Tin Man's arthritic knees every time you had the cheek to go for a drive.
The interior of a Corvette, even today, is like sitting in a f
king Kia Sorento compared to an NSX.londonbabe said:
Because it looked like it had been styled by a man who was only used to doing minicabs had been asked to make a mid-engined two seater.
It's all unresolved lines, lumps of black plastic, stick on intakes and sensible bumpers.
The Porsche range at the time looked sleek and gorgeous, and the Ferrari 348 looked glamorous. The NSX looked, well, Japanese.
^this^It's all unresolved lines, lumps of black plastic, stick on intakes and sensible bumpers.
The Porsche range at the time looked sleek and gorgeous, and the Ferrari 348 looked glamorous. The NSX looked, well, Japanese.
I'm going to chime in on a point that I don't think anyone else has mentioned: they didn't update it enough.
The car came out in 1990 and was finally killed off in 2005 - with one facelift and a few variations of mechanics, but no real change to its proportions, or the interior (or the power, save for moving from 3.0 to 3.2 and adding an extra cog).
By the time the facelift came out, Honda UK cut the price by £10k but it still sold a handful in the UK each year. Like a couple of others above, the relative scarcity is one of the nice things about it now - if there had been 3 or 4 later versions then it might just be seen as an old car that's not as good as its later siblings. In 2003, according to Brian Long's book "Acura NSX: Honda's Supercar", there were only 21 sold in Europe. Obviously, Honda would have preferred it was a runaway success - the reengineering required to bring out the facelift in 2002 must have cost a huge amount more than they ever returned.
So it didn't sell particularly well at the outset, compared to its contemporaries, and it didn't sustain initial interest by not being updated enough. Added to the badge snobbery and high price, that was enough to keep it as a niche proposition.
The car came out in 1990 and was finally killed off in 2005 - with one facelift and a few variations of mechanics, but no real change to its proportions, or the interior (or the power, save for moving from 3.0 to 3.2 and adding an extra cog).
By the time the facelift came out, Honda UK cut the price by £10k but it still sold a handful in the UK each year. Like a couple of others above, the relative scarcity is one of the nice things about it now - if there had been 3 or 4 later versions then it might just be seen as an old car that's not as good as its later siblings. In 2003, according to Brian Long's book "Acura NSX: Honda's Supercar", there were only 21 sold in Europe. Obviously, Honda would have preferred it was a runaway success - the reengineering required to bring out the facelift in 2002 must have cost a huge amount more than they ever returned.
So it didn't sell particularly well at the outset, compared to its contemporaries, and it didn't sustain initial interest by not being updated enough. Added to the badge snobbery and high price, that was enough to keep it as a niche proposition.
Another thing the didn't do.
Release the Type R version over here.
I went over to Japan and bought a car in 1999. The auctions had quite a few NSX all in great condition and they were pennies reletivly at the time
but I had my orders andI had to get a 4 seater ( long stoy don't go there)
There was a white type R NSX and it went for roughly the same price as the others. I had heard of integra typre R but not the NSX type r. Damn i wish I had bought it.
Release the Type R version over here.
I went over to Japan and bought a car in 1999. The auctions had quite a few NSX all in great condition and they were pennies reletivly at the time
but I had my orders andI had to get a 4 seater ( long stoy don't go there)There was a white type R NSX and it went for roughly the same price as the others. I had heard of integra typre R but not the NSX type r. Damn i wish I had bought it.
10 Pence Short said:
LuS1fer said:
They were expensive and contrary to the modern mtythical icon it has become "in hindsight", it didn't win the group tests - from memory, the 911 did.
The interior is also very plasticky for what was a very expensive car - made the Corvette (hugely cheaper) look good.
Are you taking the piss? Stitched leather? Plastic? The interior is also very plasticky for what was a very expensive car - made the Corvette (hugely cheaper) look good.
The difference between the Honda and the competition was that it was well screwed together, from quality components, and didn't creak like the Tin Man's arthritic knees every time you had the cheek to go for a drive.
The interior of a Corvette, even today, is like sitting in a f
king Kia Sorento compared to an NSX.
londonbabe said:
Because it looked like it had been styled by a man who was only used to doing minicabs had been asked to make a mid-engined two seater.
It's all unresolved lines, lumps of black plastic, stick on intakes and sensible bumpers.
The Porsche range at the time looked sleek and gorgeous, and the Ferrari 348 looked glamorous. The NSX looked, well, Japanese.
Ok so it was styled by Pininfarina - I think they are Italian :-D oh and they did the 348 !It's all unresolved lines, lumps of black plastic, stick on intakes and sensible bumpers.
The Porsche range at the time looked sleek and gorgeous, and the Ferrari 348 looked glamorous. The NSX looked, well, Japanese.
londonbabe said:
Because it looked like it had been styled by a man who was only used to doing minicabs had been asked to make a mid-engined two seater.
It's all unresolved lines, lumps of black plastic, stick on intakes and sensible bumpers.
The Porsche range at the time looked sleek and gorgeous, and the Ferrari 348 looked glamorous. The NSX looked, well, Japanese.
I think it looks like an elongated Ford Probe (pop-up lights, bubble roof, full width rear lights etc.)It's all unresolved lines, lumps of black plastic, stick on intakes and sensible bumpers.
The Porsche range at the time looked sleek and gorgeous, and the Ferrari 348 looked glamorous. The NSX looked, well, Japanese.
Caruso said:
Honda were hobbled by the self imposed 280bhp limit that Japanese manufacturers had. It was underpowered, but I think it looked great and made all the right noises. But in the main I think buyers of the time thought their money would be safer in a 911.
Contemporary Supras pushed out around 330bhp.
10PS
That porsche is not like the interior of a 964 we would have got over here (it may be even a 993 even I can't tell the difference) NSX came out at the time of the 964
For one it does not have the comedy steering wheel we had fitted, It has a diffrent gear knob and most importantly it has something which improves the interior a million times. It has an extra piece under the dash (something the 993 had added)
the 964 is not a million miles away from 70's 911's
That porsche is not like the interior of a 964 we would have got over here (it may be even a 993 even I can't tell the difference) NSX came out at the time of the 964
For one it does not have the comedy steering wheel we had fitted, It has a diffrent gear knob and most importantly it has something which improves the interior a million times. It has an extra piece under the dash (something the 993 had added)
the 964 is not a million miles away from 70's 911's
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