Honda's return to the business of building performance aftermarket accessories
07-08-2001, 09:06 PM
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Honda's return to the business of building performance aftermarket accessories
Some cool info from Automotive News (kinda long), here is the link to the scoop and other related stories:
http://www.autonews.com/html/main/stories0...09/honda709.htm
Seems like Honda is moving in the right direction, albeit a little slowly....can some real after market stuff for the S2000 from Honda be available for the US consumer soon?!?!?!
LOS ANGELES-- After a 15-year absence, American Honda Motor Co. Inc. is considering a return to the $1 billion-a-year business of building performance aftermarket accessories.
American Honda's experimental modification package for the Civic
* Japan-market Honda shocks, retuned in United States
* Hand-built sway bars
* Lower springs
* Engine air intake by AEM
* Target price: Less than $1,000 installed
* Chances 'good' for R-rated Honda, exec says
At a recent ride-and-drive demonstration at Willow Springs Raceway near here, Honda executives rolled out a modified 2001 Civic with several in-house suspension and engine modifications. Although they cautioned reporters that the vehicle was a "pre-pre-pre-prototype," the executives also made it clear that Honda is considering seriously the resumption of in-house tuner-parts production. "We've been aware of the aftermarket but have been held back by the engineering challenges," said Stony Furutani, American Honda assistant manager of accessory marketing. "It's a fine line because you can't compromise on anything. It's not just cutting the springs and going fast." Producing Honda-brand aftermarket items would enhance the automaker's credibility with young tuners, an important audience of image builders captured in this summer's smash movie about street racing, The Fast and the Furious. The move also could lure many Honda owners who have been hesitant to modify their vehicles because of warranty concerns. "Any attempt we make into aftermarket performance must be done without compromising the car. A true Honda accessory adds without taking away," Furutani said.
Missed growth
Except for some body kits, Honda has been out of the aftermarket parts business since its in-house Mugen shop made performance parts for the Civic CRX in 1985. In the meantime, sales of third-party parts for Hondas and Acuras have grown to represent nearly half of the sport-compact segment, which has mushroomed from $295 million in sales in 1997 to $1.2 billion in 2000. Sales are expected to reach $1.5 billion this year and $2 billion in 2002, according to the Specialty Equipment Market Association. The Civic has been by far the most popular car for modifications, with the Acura Integra a close second, according to the association. More important, owners in the coveted 16-to-25-year-old demographic niche perform nearly three quarters of the modifications. That group has been especially critical of the new-generation Civic. A stroll through the Specialty Equipment Market Association aftermarket-parts exposition in February found widespread dissatisfaction with the redesigned 2001 Civic among suppliers and buyers, the very gearheads who give the car its halo.
"The new Civic is more like a Toyota Corolla, a multipassenger daily driver," said Oliver Rathlein, director of marketing for Eibach Springs, a supplier of high-performance suspension parts in Irvine, Calif.
Getting into the race
All of this proves Honda needs to step forward in a segment it has led almost by accident, said Eric Noble, consultant with the CarLab in Santa Ana, Calif. Noble notes that with Ford and Toyota throwing dollars at the aftermarket, Honda needs to do the same. "For the past 10 years, Honda has had the performance title for free. Now they have to work hard to even be on the podium. All of this seems a bit late on Honda's part, but certainly quite necessary," Noble said.
"Ford Focus has turned this from a single-vehicle phenomenon into a segment phenomenon. Honda wouldn't have been put under the magnifying glass with Civic if Ford hadn't so directly targeted Honda and said, 'This is a race.'"
http://www.autonews.com/html/main/stories0...09/honda709.htm
Seems like Honda is moving in the right direction, albeit a little slowly....can some real after market stuff for the S2000 from Honda be available for the US consumer soon?!?!?!
LOS ANGELES-- After a 15-year absence, American Honda Motor Co. Inc. is considering a return to the $1 billion-a-year business of building performance aftermarket accessories.
American Honda's experimental modification package for the Civic
* Japan-market Honda shocks, retuned in United States
* Hand-built sway bars
* Lower springs
* Engine air intake by AEM
* Target price: Less than $1,000 installed
* Chances 'good' for R-rated Honda, exec says
At a recent ride-and-drive demonstration at Willow Springs Raceway near here, Honda executives rolled out a modified 2001 Civic with several in-house suspension and engine modifications. Although they cautioned reporters that the vehicle was a "pre-pre-pre-prototype," the executives also made it clear that Honda is considering seriously the resumption of in-house tuner-parts production. "We've been aware of the aftermarket but have been held back by the engineering challenges," said Stony Furutani, American Honda assistant manager of accessory marketing. "It's a fine line because you can't compromise on anything. It's not just cutting the springs and going fast." Producing Honda-brand aftermarket items would enhance the automaker's credibility with young tuners, an important audience of image builders captured in this summer's smash movie about street racing, The Fast and the Furious. The move also could lure many Honda owners who have been hesitant to modify their vehicles because of warranty concerns. "Any attempt we make into aftermarket performance must be done without compromising the car. A true Honda accessory adds without taking away," Furutani said.
Missed growth
Except for some body kits, Honda has been out of the aftermarket parts business since its in-house Mugen shop made performance parts for the Civic CRX in 1985. In the meantime, sales of third-party parts for Hondas and Acuras have grown to represent nearly half of the sport-compact segment, which has mushroomed from $295 million in sales in 1997 to $1.2 billion in 2000. Sales are expected to reach $1.5 billion this year and $2 billion in 2002, according to the Specialty Equipment Market Association. The Civic has been by far the most popular car for modifications, with the Acura Integra a close second, according to the association. More important, owners in the coveted 16-to-25-year-old demographic niche perform nearly three quarters of the modifications. That group has been especially critical of the new-generation Civic. A stroll through the Specialty Equipment Market Association aftermarket-parts exposition in February found widespread dissatisfaction with the redesigned 2001 Civic among suppliers and buyers, the very gearheads who give the car its halo.
"The new Civic is more like a Toyota Corolla, a multipassenger daily driver," said Oliver Rathlein, director of marketing for Eibach Springs, a supplier of high-performance suspension parts in Irvine, Calif.
Getting into the race
All of this proves Honda needs to step forward in a segment it has led almost by accident, said Eric Noble, consultant with the CarLab in Santa Ana, Calif. Noble notes that with Ford and Toyota throwing dollars at the aftermarket, Honda needs to do the same. "For the past 10 years, Honda has had the performance title for free. Now they have to work hard to even be on the podium. All of this seems a bit late on Honda's part, but certainly quite necessary," Noble said.
"Ford Focus has turned this from a single-vehicle phenomenon into a segment phenomenon. Honda wouldn't have been put under the magnifying glass with Civic if Ford hadn't so directly targeted Honda and said, 'This is a race.'"
07-08-2001, 11:38 PM
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This really throws a (good) wrench into the To Mod Or Not To Mod debate.
If the manufacturer of my car makes performance accessories for it, then you are still somewhat 'factory' if you mod your car with the manufacturer's parts.
I'm very excited to see where this goes, if anywhere!
If the manufacturer of my car makes performance accessories for it, then you are still somewhat 'factory' if you mod your car with the manufacturer's parts.
I'm very excited to see where this goes, if anywhere!
07-09-2001, 12:19 AM
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Man it's about time. People who have Toyota or Lexus cars get to buy TRD stuff and keep their warranty. Honda finally realized they are missing out on a lot of potential sales.
07-09-2001, 07:53 AM
#5
Maybe in the next movie about after market modifications to Honda's they will even use the car's real name.
For those of you who haven't seen the movie, in "The Fast and the Furious" they have a 10-second quarter mile car called the Honda 2000. It looks a lot like a black Honda S2000 with a NOS kit.
For those of you who haven't seen the movie, in "The Fast and the Furious" they have a 10-second quarter mile car called the Honda 2000. It looks a lot like a black Honda S2000 with a NOS kit.
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