Lexus Performance Credibility
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 7,899
Likes: 1
Originally Posted by dombey,Jan 13 2011, 12:44 AM
dude, pretty certain the NSX was the first honda product with variable valve timing. That is a defining characteristic of honda at this point.
u mad? lol
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 11,615
Likes: 1
From: North Richland Hills, TX
Originally Posted by duboseq,Jan 12 2011, 10:35 PM
Really? In what production Honda car? 
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 7,899
Likes: 1
Originally Posted by Chris S,Jan 13 2011, 12:52 AM
Maybe not in other Honda production cars, but it wasn't bleeding edge technology that Honda developed. Forging has been around nearly 1000 years, it's not anything that Honda R&D developed via racing or the NSX.
Registered User
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 291
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by Diabl0,Jan 10 2011, 06:13 PM
Its pretty simple. Unless, a car manufacturer is successfull in motorsports they will not excel in making proper sports cars. Engineering innovations from motorsports always trickle down into road cars.
Toyota/Lexus have had really bad experiences in motorsports. They threw more money than god at F1 and did not win a single race. At one point, Toyota F1 had the largest budget in F1 which says alot when you have Ferrari and McLaren there too.
On the other hand, Honda (F1, Indy etc), Audi (WRC, DTM), MB(F1,DTM etc) BMW(F1, DTM etc) and many more had huge successes in motorsports and are able to use that same R&D in making proper sports cars. In a nutshell, they know what works.
Toyota/Lexus have had really bad experiences in motorsports. They threw more money than god at F1 and did not win a single race. At one point, Toyota F1 had the largest budget in F1 which says alot when you have Ferrari and McLaren there too.
On the other hand, Honda (F1, Indy etc), Audi (WRC, DTM), MB(F1,DTM etc) BMW(F1, DTM etc) and many more had huge successes in motorsports and are able to use that same R&D in making proper sports cars. In a nutshell, they know what works.
Honda's successes are mostly as an engine manufacturer, particularly when they supplied turbo engines in the 80s to many successful and world champ winning teams. While their engines were certainly amazing, I don't believe their endeavors as a F1 team were any more successful than Toyota's (unless you count BGP-001 which had a mercedes engine).
Both are probably involved in more domestic motorsports than I can keep track of, so one would be inclined to believe that they are equal in the motorsports data department.
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,581
Likes: 0
From: Tampa Florida
Originally Posted by sparrow,Jan 12 2011, 11:55 PM
exaaaaaactly... just b/c you equip your top model with a technology does not mean it was developed on that platform. It was just the first platform it was applied to. LOL at DBW and forged internals being trickle down tech from the nsx. Major knee slap to nsx being first with vtec.
Or maybe I misunderstood what you define as tech transfer.
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 8,362
Likes: 636
Credibility? Why the hell would I need credibility, if the car makes the numbers, produces the driving experience I want, and pushes the right buttons.
Dont get me wrong, a pedigree does add subjective value to a car, kinda like buying into an exclusive club or story, but whatever, if I like the car, I like the car.
Let me put it this way, if Caterpillar or John Deere made a supercar today, would you buy it? Some folks at one point decided to buy a supercar from a tractor company with no performance credibility...
Dont get me wrong, a pedigree does add subjective value to a car, kinda like buying into an exclusive club or story, but whatever, if I like the car, I like the car.
Let me put it this way, if Caterpillar or John Deere made a supercar today, would you buy it? Some folks at one point decided to buy a supercar from a tractor company with no performance credibility...