Autocar - First for car news and reviews

The restructuring of Honda’s new model programme that led to the death of the new Honda NSX is much more extensive than previously thought. Honda is completely dismantling its plans for the next two years as it attempts to deal with the rapid collapse in new car sales across the world.

Among the casualties of Honda’s rethink are a range of rear-wheel-drive cars to be sold under the Acura brand, a proposed V8 engine, a successor to the Honda S2000 and a convertible based on the forthcomin...Read the full article

I'm not sorry to see the new S2000 be laid to rest.  Having seen the concept at the motor show, I was disappointed by its lack of relationship to the current model.  To my mind it was the same sort of shift that the original CRX did when it became the CRX Del la Sol - not a good move.

What is gratifying though is Honda's ability to change their strategy quickly, this will hopefully see their survival in undoubtedly difficult future times.

If Honda are taking a lead by ploughing all their pennies in to products like the FCX, then they should be applauded by everyone. Surely the US taxpayer would have been better off both financially and environmentally by ploughing $8 billion in to Honda rather than an old school GM product.

This is sad news as it's the cream of automotive design which is being cut back.

scotty5:

an old school GM product.

Clarkson famously goes on about GM being a health insurance and pensions company!

So it's official now, to quote Jeremy Clarkson, Honda will now make 'nanny cars for a nanny state'.

In terms of design they may as well replace the H for I (Indifference).

Whilst Honda are undoubtably reacting to grave economic conditions, it is extremely difficult to understand their marketing strategy. Having pulled out of F1, when costs are being slashed, and thereby effectively wasting a colossal investment which would attract younger buyers to the brand, they now resert to type and pull the plug on any pretence of offering any 'sporting' options; The danger is, their 'grey shoe' customer base may well die off, before they do.

Earl K:

The danger is, their 'grey shoe' customer base may well die off, before they do.

Absolutely.

manicm:

Earl K:

The danger is, their 'grey shoe' customer base may well die off, before they do.

Absolutely.

What on earth is a grey shoe customer base? I've heard of the 'grey haired' customer stereotype, even those who wear brown shoes can be put into some kind of catagory, but 'grey shoe'?

 

Earl K:

Having pulled out of F1, when costs are being slashed

Honda had put in hundreds of millions of pounds every year in to F1 and got very little back in return.   They couldn't even find a sponsor to back them up, hence the Earth Dreams theme.   Even Aguri were beating them on a much lower budget!

It's a difficult one to say what they should have done to improve their position.   Brawn was certainly the right move, but keeping their driver line up was not.   Really they should have kept the most experienced driver and brought in a rookie to train up for 2008, then perhaps they'd be in a better position for 2009 but in reality the cheques they were being asked to sign were just too much.

What Honda is doing is taking away the shine from their brand.   How important that is to general sales I don't know, but surely cars like the S2000 got people to look round their showrooms for longer?   To see cars they may not have appreciated existed before and ultimately buy those?

 

 

Could be a smart move NSX excepted Honda has never been that good with larger cars.

 If buyers are downsizing and Honda can skillfully develop its small to medium cars it may have a very good business plan. 

 Recently the trend in car manufacturing has been smaller volume larger margin (often unsuccessfully executed) and Honda may be right in thinking that smart consumers may not want that anymore and that it can deliver the right high quality volume products if it is fully focused.

A V8 from Honda?.....That would have been quite an engine!

Sorry AutoCar but you are only partially right!.The NSX is well and truly dead but the Acura models ARE still on the cards.