Cautious optimism

 

50-60k sub 3200lb rigid chassis rwd with high revving na motor making around 450 hp. DEFINITELY attainable, considering how overpriced the m3 is and that costs 60k with similar hp output.

 

As a reference point, a base C6 starts at 48k with a 3200lb weight and 430hp. The Corvette is hailed as pretty much THE performance bargain. They can do this because they sell more of it than any other sports car in that performance range, which enables them to take advantage of many parts of mass production that isn't possible when you're selling 7.4k cars in 8 years (like the NSX from 1991-1998). They also aren't making a car from scratch, but doing generational updates every few years. This means less R&D.

So yeah, I find your ideal car pretty unlikely. The M3 doesn't weigh 3200 pounds. The M3 will sell a ton more any given year than whatever Honda comes out with (because it's the well established M3 vs. a new, relatively unknown NSX).

BMW's engine design is greatly helped by it's motorsports involvement. The M3's V8 is derived from the M5's V10 which came from the V12 they used in F1. The S54 in the E46 M3 is also based on a race engine. This is something I think Honda should do as well with the NSX. They've got a 3.5 liter V8 that makes 650 hp. Scale it up, lower the compression, keep it a relative screamer (it's what they're known for), and market the hell out of the fact that the car has an engine derived from IndyCar. You've already got a ton of data on the engine and are familiar with it's characteristics. This means much less money spent on R&D with the end result being an engine that probably would be just as good if not better than whatever engine you built from scratch.

Now all they have to do is come up with a modern RWD chassis.

A 4L V8 making 450hp in a car around 3200lb would satisfy your requirements. To be honest, I don't see it coming in at any less than 65-70k though.

 

haha yeah i totally agree. that's why it was a wishful thinking for me. the initial r&d would cost them a fortune just like the lf-a, and even then there would be no guarantee of any kind of a success. i've driven the new c6 vette and while it handles great and has gobs of power, the driving experience just isn't all there. that's why i am praying honda comes up with something in the next 2-3 yrs. s2k has totally spoiled me in every regard about owning a sports car and i know honda is the only company that can produce a sports car (not a super car) that i will be happy with.

 

Seriously? I haven't read of such news. But still, Honda is not about to let Toyota and Nissan have supercars by themselves. In their home market/culture, they are quite competitive and prideful against each other.

 

As a side note there was talk in October of some non-production days on the Accord lines.Those recently have been rescinded and in fact overtime has been added with several Saturdays

The bread and butter products are doing just fine thank you

 

How are people repeatedly fooled into thinking Honda is actually going to do a true NSX successor? They have been singing the same B.S. song since I was at NSXPO in 1997 and not a darn thing of substance has happened. Plus, it is obvious the company is run by bean counters and people that would not know a good driving experience if it landed on their face and started to wiggle. The recent CR-Z is a perfect example of that. That car is good at NOTHING!! It could have been a CRX replacement.....but it is neither fast nor fun to drive. It could have been a hybrid....but it really does not get that great of gas mileage compared to other hybrids. The car all around sucks.

I watched a Honda commercial recently for the Accord Coupe, and they were talking about something regarding how its engine was derived from Formula 1. Really? Because the rest of the car was derived from Lazy-Boy and Buick it lacks so much driving excitement.

I was lucky to be getting my license when Honda / Acura still made cars that were fun to drive. The ORIGINAL Legend and Legend Coupe back in 1990 was fun to drive. In late 1990 the REAL NSX came out. The CRX Si from 1990 - 1991 was awesome driving fun. Even the entire Integra family was great all the way through 2001. The S2000 was the 'Last Mohican' of inspired Honda engineering when it was released in 2001. Any car after those has been one big yawn fest.

Honda needs to go into their own 'secret warehouse' in California and take some of those REAL Honda and Acura models out from 1990 - 2001 and drive them. Feel what inspired engineering is about, then drive their current turds and see why they have lost their edge. Do that, Honda. Then come talk to me about Formula 1 inspired cars again, because I have never heard someone drive an Accord and say, 'Wow! That is just like a race car'.

 

Somebody pass the dulcolax... I'm having a hard time giving a crap.

 

The simple answer is: because Nissan and Toyota now have supercars. Why does that matter? If you know anything about the Japanese business culture, pride is as important as profit.

 

I actually do know quite a bit about Japanese business culture, and know about their pride. But tell me, where has that pride been for the last decade while Honda has been getting their lunch handed to them? Hell...the NSX was out of date a few years after it was introduced and they did not really do anything of substance to keep it current.