I don't know either, but Jack Hollis is a very competitive guy. He played on championship baseball teams in college and two years in major league baseball before an injury. He may be all talk, I don't know. But he talks like he really gets it. He knows that today's youth has more interest in phones than cars. He knows that today's youth does not jump into a car at 16 as we did;most are 19 or older before buying a car. He gets the price of a new car, insurance, etc. are all turnoffs to first time buyers. I hope he can back up his BS with a real driver's car for the younger & older crowd.

 

^^^ Only time will tell.

 

I was thinking about this just the other day.
An AP3 should come in two variants. A direct injected 4 cylinder (or small 6) with 270 - 300 hp and an turbocharged direct injected engine with 350 to 400 hp. 18" wheels standard with 19" wheels optioned. The lower horsepower engine should have about 200+ ft-lbs of torque. The higher horsepower engine should have 300 - 350 ft-lbs. The smaller engine should be 2.2 or 2.3 liters and the larger should be a small 6 with about 2.7 to 3 liters capacity. Redline on both engines should be 8000+ rpm.

The exterior design would need to be updated as well as the interior, but I would keep the car basic - transmission should be a manual or a twin clutch automatic with paddle shifters. The car should have traction control because a short wheelbase, light car with 350 ft-lbs of torque would drive backwards very easily (i.e., the back end would want to step around in corners if you are not judicious).

I would also make a sports package that came with bigger brakes with ducting, AC delete, lighter seats, etc.

The car should weigh no more than 3000 pounds - lighter is better, and should have the electrorheological shocks ala the MDX sport.

 

^^^^^

I like your thinking. I wonder if anyone at Honda is paying attention?

 

I was thinking about this just the other day.
An AP3 should come in two variants. A direct injected 4 cylinder (or small 6) with 270 - 300 hp and an turbocharged direct injected engine with 350 to 400 hp. 18" wheels standard with 19" wheels optioned. The lower horsepower engine should have about 200+ ft-lbs of torque. The higher horsepower engine should have 300 - 350 ft-lbs. The smaller engine should be 2.2 or 2.3 liters and the larger should be a small 6 with about 2.7 to 3 liters capacity. Redline on both engines should be 8000+ rpm.

The exterior design would need to be updated as well as the interior, but I would keep the car basic - transmission should be a manual or a twin clutch automatic with paddle shifters. The car should have traction control because a short wheelbase, light car with 350 ft-lbs of torque would drive backwards very easily (i.e., the back end would want to step around in corners if you are not judicious).

I would also make a sports package that came with bigger brakes with ducting, AC delete, lighter seats, etc.

The car should weigh no more than 3000 pounds - lighter is better, and should have the electrorheological shocks ala the MDX sport.
[/quote]


Ooh! Put me on the waiting list!

 

To me that sounds like it would just be a me-too BMW Z4. Not sure how well it could compete with the Z4's or how many people would cross shop a luxury brand with a regular brand.

I think Honda ought to make it lighter with improved handling and a horsepower bump in the 250-270 HP area. Then provide the option of an automatic so the car sells in larger numbers thereby ensuring they get a return on investment. As you suggested it may help to have the car in three trims
1. A CR track-ready version with minimal creature comforts (maybe make this build-to-order so they dont build up excess inventory)
2. A Touring model with all the bells and whistles
3. Same as above, except that it comes equipped with a slushbox.

A retractable hardtop option like the Mazda would also be nice to have so driving schools and sanctioning bodies allow the car on track without the roll bar requirement.

 

To me that sounds like it would just be a me-too BMW Z4. Not sure how well it could compete with the Z4's or how many people would cross shop a luxury brand with a regular brand.

I think Honda ought to make it lighter with improved handling and a horsepower bump in the 250-270 HP area. Then provide the option of an automatic so the car sells in larger numbers thereby ensuring they get a return on investment. As you suggested it may help to have the car in three trims
1. A CR track-ready version with minimal creature comforts (maybe make this build-to-order so they dont build up excess inventory)
2. A Touring model with all the bells and whistles
3. Same as above, except that it comes equipped with a slushbox.

A retractable hardtop option like the Mazda would also be nice to have so driving schools and sanctioning bodies allow the car on track without the roll bar requirement.
[/quote]

The 3.5 liter engine in the BMW has about a 6500 rpm redline, and uses twin turbos to get the horsepower. It also weighs over 3500 pounds. As I said, the AP3 should weigh less than 3000 pounds. I have never driven a Z4,but certainly have the impression that they are more GT than razor sharp handling sportscar.

 

I heard today that the next S2000 will be an Acura. Acura has plans to release 3 new cars. They have already released the TSX Wagon, rumors are that the next car to be released will be the S replacement. It may become available as early as next year.

 

I would love if ^that came true. I don't want to put any more $$ into my '05 S2000 with 94,000+ miles on it. I've already put more money into it than I'll recoup when I sell it. I really would like a Honda that is a legitimate replacement for it, though.

 

Patti, there are some S's out there with >200K on them. Your's is still waiting to be broken in.

https://www.s2ki.com/home/2010/09/01...-going-strong/