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Zeddy December 17, 2008 6:02 PM

Thank you! The voice of sanity! It is going to be a tough ride for all manufacturers and I for one do not want to see Honda lose its independence.

Tell your colleague to put his toys back into the pram. ;)

lambo1 December 17, 2008 7:45 PM

agreed

Splash n Dash December 18, 2008 10:48 AM

What's next? Any car that can be perceived by the public to be extravagance. I fear manufacturers will put ever increasing weight behind this parameter when deciding to commission a car.

It is now socially unacceptable to spend "unnecessarily". Take the ING Christmas party in Holland as an example. F1 car demo was planned but due to outrage in Dutch press they bowed to public pressure and cancelled.

RobotBoogie December 18, 2008 10:56 AM

For a good long time, all kinds of manufacturers have been involved in all kinds of vanity projects - from the VW Phaeton to the Chrysler Prowler. They are now coming to an end and it is a good thing. The NSX is a case in point - great car but with zero profile, almost certainly never turned a profit, and served only to impress other manufacturers and car hacks. The only people who miss these cars will be motoring journalists.

Robbijay December 18, 2008 11:24 AM

and of course the majority of car lovers everywhere.

RobotBoogie December 18, 2008 4:31 PM

I think you're missing the point, Robbi. If car lovers really loved these cars, they would sell at least in sustainable number. They don't. NSX sales in 2001 for the whole of Europe was 10 cars; total European sales in its decade-long life barely hit 1,000. Car lovers, like poseurs, tend to stick to the default Porsche/Jag/Ferrari/Aston choices if they are waving their cheque book about in this part of the market.

theop December 18, 2008 6:53 PM

It was not selling Robot because it was too expensive for carrying a Honda badge. Unfortunately at least 90% of the market who that buys sports cars buys them for the "face value" and badge, not for the sport. Purists loved the NSX for a reason - a gd reason - it was a great car to drive, pure car to drive. The market though is defined by those who put their money where the mouth is and buy it. It is unfortunate, but most people with £60k for a sports car, would rather get anything else, most notably 911s.

I also have a friend with £40k for a sportscar who was looking at an NSX and eventually went and bought a used DB7 v12 - the ULTIMATE sports DOG! I mean.. how can you tell that guy who loves parking the Aston in Chelsea that dynamically his car is a bad as they ever camefrom AM.. Not5 even going to reliability issues... XJS anyone?

RobotBoogie December 19, 2008 4:50 PM

If purists loved the NSX, it would've sold more than 10 units in a year. Unless being a purist is a pretty elite club, of course.

Peter Cavellini December 22, 2008 3:22 PM

Ten units a year!

if they can't sell 1000 units a year,if the mission statement says they can sell 1000 units,if there are 1000 people with nothing to do with they're cash,then there are a lot of people who could do a lot to help others at this time of year,10 bloody units please!what a waste of resouces to produce 75 cars for what some well of people, what a waste of money!  

jammy_rex December 22, 2008 5:28 PM

Of course purists loved the NSX!  unfortunately many of these purists could not afford to buy such an expensive performance car, but many of those who could would buy the "default option" Porsche or whatever, without even trying out an NSX.  If they had, I think many more would have been sold. Of course in previous years many more than 10 were sold (quoting the lowest number available), though never a large amount by any means. Those people who were in the know and could look beyond the badge snobbery experienced a car that was far superior to an equivalent Ferrari or Porsche of the time.  If it wasn't for the NSX, certainly Ferrari would not be making such good cars as they produce today.  But, sad as it is that we won't be seeing another NSX, if cost cuts such as these mean that Honda can keep it's independance, then it will be worth it.