NSX concept revealing today
01-10-12, 04:12 PM
#76
Why is the Acura NSX being built in Ohio?
Why is the Acura NSX being built in Ohio?
Three years (on top of the three-plus we've already waited) is a long time to wait for the second coming of the Acura NSX. Measured in Internet time, it's an infinite opportunity for speculation about the whys and hows of the new car. Aside from the new supercar's hybrid powertrain, the most shocking part of the announcement is that the car will be built in Ohio. Honda has an engine plant, a transmission plant, two assembly plants and a research and development center in the state, so this shouldn't be treated with the same level of surprise as if, say, Ferrari announced it would start building cars in Kansas.
Yet it's still a big change for the exotic Acura, which was manufactured in Japan during its entire first-generation lifecycle, from 1990-2005. When the NSX debuted, part of its appeal was that it represented the pinnacle of Japanese technology and quality, at a time when Japanese automakers were absolutely crushing the competition in both. Times have changed, but we still suspect that a number of fanboys might be disappointed that the second-generation NSX will be built by gaijin.
We spoke with American Honda CEO and president Tetsuo Iwamura about the decision to develop and manufacture the NSX here in the U.S., and he told us that the decision was made for three reasons. The first is that Honda is committed to building cars in the market in which they are sold. The U.S. is the largest market for the NSX, although he said the car will be exported to Japan and other markets.
When asked if there was any concern that Japanese customers might have objections to a Japanese supercar built in the U.S., Iwamura said, "You don't have to be so modest. American-built cars have a power, even in Japan."
The second factor was that Honda has had positive experiences with product development of other models here in the States. Iwamura specifically mentioned the North American market-only Pilot and Odyssey as examples. The third reason for the decision to build the NSX here is that Honda believes its Ohio manufacturing facilities produce high-quality products and wants to take advantage of that expertise. Iwamura also said that assigning the halo car to the U.S. would be motivational for its American employees.
Currency fluctuation, however, was not a consideration, according to the Honda chief. While he said that would indeed be the case with a mass-market model, the limited-production nature of the NSX makes the effect of a strong yen a moot point. Regardless of where its built, Iwamura said the main consideration in bringing the NSX back to market is its technology, quality and performance, just as the original did. The NSX is an important part of modern automotive history, a literal poster-child of the '90s, so we're certainly rooting for this new exotic Buckeyemobile to deliver on all fronts.
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/10/w...built-in-ohio/
01-10-12, 05:49 PM
#78
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People are caught by surprise that this new NSX will be built in US but what people are missing in this whole thing is this car is born and announced as ACURA NSX not as Honda NSX. Its built to be an Acura and Acura is a US brand tailored to US taste. Its very logical as a matter of fact.
Sure it will be rebadged as Honda elsewhere but thats because Honda missed an opportunity to kick start Acura as a world brand, new NSX is perfect opportunity for such thing but they dont have the cars to follow up the brand world debut.
Sure it will be rebadged as Honda elsewhere but thats because Honda missed an opportunity to kick start Acura as a world brand, new NSX is perfect opportunity for such thing but they dont have the cars to follow up the brand world debut.
01-10-12, 07:18 PM
#79
I was in Japan in November and the Honda messaging there is about mobility, low cost and low energy use including lightweight scooter gizmos. they also love to show off Asimo improvements.
My guess is, the home folks do not want the NSX to exist so they said to US Honda, if you want it, do it yourself.
My guess is, the home folks do not want the NSX to exist so they said to US Honda, if you want it, do it yourself.
01-10-12, 07:34 PM
#80
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Its admirable you come here to pick up for Acura/Honda but there is a lot not accurate. It has nothing to do with "ego" at all, everyone knows I love the first gen NSX, it is one of the greatest cars of all time. It also was compared to the GT-R and Supra in the 1990s. Those 3 battled for Japanese sports car supremacy. There is no Supra today and no NSX today. The GT-R is back the LFA is by far the greatest road car from Asia. These are not just my words, the experts in EVO, Top Gear, MPH, C&D etc etc etc have all stated this fact. The LFA should not be brought up, it is a $350,000, V-10, RWD, only 500 made exotic sports car. It has been pitted against the Ferrari 599 GTO and the 700hp Lamborghini Aventendor. These are their top of the line cars, not their entry level ones. The LFA should take longer to produce considering the Carbon Fiber construction IN HOUSE. How many NSX's were sold, 15-20k? 500 LFAs will be built.
It is apples to oranges. They both have 4 wheels and thats about it. If anything this new NSX will possibly battle the LF-LC that debuted, both are sports car hybrids and the LF-LC will be a lot cheaper than the LFA.
It is obvious with production moving to America that to save costs & share parts, just like they did with the TL in 1999 etc etc There is nothing wrong with that if that is the business case to bring back the NSX. It certainly will not be as special as the first generation NSX. Honda is one of the better companies at sharing parts. They might simply adjust the mid-ship platform again and it seems it will be the engine going in the new RL/TL etc. It makes no sense for them to use two completely different 3.5 liter V-6 engines. When the rumors came out I think most didn't believe it but with the car being made in Ohio, it makes sense now.
Sorry NSX and "exotic" is still up for debate. The heart of an exotic is the engine, many people insist on at least 10 cylinders even! This new NSX will surely be a great handling sports car but the Porsche 911, Corvette ZR1, Nissan GTR are not exotics nor will this be.
Of course some internetz people compared the LFA and GTR. Like Chris Harris said they have completely lost the point. The only thing these 3 cars have in common is they are cars. THey are priced differently and executed differently for different markets and perform differently.
In summary, while I think it should be named something else, its great that we are getting a hybrid sports car with trick AWD. No matter what, everyone should welcome another sports car to the world.
The last thing anyone needs to do is compare a car not produced yet to cars in production and compare a car out of production to a car in production. By the time the NSX hits a NEW GTR will be in the streets. With Acura/Honda stating they will not target Tier 1 brands like Lexus, that is an obvious clue the NSX does not have the LFA anywhere in its sights at all.
MR_F1 is correct. The HSC debuted in 2003 as the new NSX. It is 2012 now, the new car will debut in 2015 or so. The on/off NSX project has gone on much longer than the LFA/GTR which shouldn't be mentioned anyway. Apples to Oranges.
It is apples to oranges. They both have 4 wheels and thats about it. If anything this new NSX will possibly battle the LF-LC that debuted, both are sports car hybrids and the LF-LC will be a lot cheaper than the LFA.
It is obvious with production moving to America that to save costs & share parts, just like they did with the TL in 1999 etc etc There is nothing wrong with that if that is the business case to bring back the NSX. It certainly will not be as special as the first generation NSX. Honda is one of the better companies at sharing parts. They might simply adjust the mid-ship platform again and it seems it will be the engine going in the new RL/TL etc. It makes no sense for them to use two completely different 3.5 liter V-6 engines. When the rumors came out I think most didn't believe it but with the car being made in Ohio, it makes sense now.
Sorry NSX and "exotic" is still up for debate. The heart of an exotic is the engine, many people insist on at least 10 cylinders even! This new NSX will surely be a great handling sports car but the Porsche 911, Corvette ZR1, Nissan GTR are not exotics nor will this be.
Of course some internetz people compared the LFA and GTR. Like Chris Harris said they have completely lost the point. The only thing these 3 cars have in common is they are cars. THey are priced differently and executed differently for different markets and perform differently.
In summary, while I think it should be named something else, its great that we are getting a hybrid sports car with trick AWD. No matter what, everyone should welcome another sports car to the world.
The last thing anyone needs to do is compare a car not produced yet to cars in production and compare a car out of production to a car in production. By the time the NSX hits a NEW GTR will be in the streets. With Acura/Honda stating they will not target Tier 1 brands like Lexus, that is an obvious clue the NSX does not have the LFA anywhere in its sights at all. MR_F1 is correct. The HSC debuted in 2003 as the new NSX. It is 2012 now, the new car will debut in 2015 or so. The on/off NSX project has gone on much longer than the LFA/GTR which shouldn't be mentioned anyway. Apples to Oranges.
01-10-12, 10:24 PM
#81
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What constitutes a car as exotic is debatable, but legacy is something the NSX has that the LFA doesn't....if you mention "NSX" most people will instantly recognize the name whereas if you mention LFA, most people would be like what's an LFA? Also, if Acura can build the NSX under or around 100k and make it look like the concept, I'm sure most people would take the NSX over the LFA and have 250k left over...even if it's performance and exclusivity isn't equal to the LFA.
The LFA is 10 levels past it and should not be mentioned. So you are saying a cheaper car that doesn't perform as well should have more buyers? No kidding.
Again the new NSX is a great hybrid AWD option in the market to come. I welcome it, we all should. I just find it not a "NSX" at all. NSXPrme seems to agree. They are apples to oranges. They are completely different cars from different time periods going to be built in different countries. Now you are comparing the fastest production car around the Ring to something that comes in 3 years.
This makes no sense.
BTW, again, Honda's CEO and Honda just said they will not and cannot compete against
Mercedes
BMW
Lexus
http://www.egmcartech.com/2010/11/08...-not-top-tier/
We agreed that smart premium is what we should be targeting with Acura, not the upper-segment vehicles such as Lexus or Mercedes-Benz. We must apply advanced technologies which make our vehicle more fun to drive, achieve a more comfortable drive and high environmental performance.
Honda will overhaul and reposition its Acura lineup over the next 18 months and abandon its long pursuit of top-tier luxury-car status for the brand.
After years of trying to propel Acura into the front ranks with Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Lexus,Honda says it will settle for offering mid-level premium vehicles that favor fuel economy over performance
After years of trying to propel Acura into the front ranks with Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Lexus,Honda says it will settle for offering mid-level premium vehicles that favor fuel economy over performance
Let us just be happy a new sports car is coming from Honda and stop comparing a car no longer built and a car not built yet to cars currently built.
01-11-12, 12:53 AM
#82
I love the photoshop that was posted on Vossen's FB page 
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=1&theater
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=1&theater
01-11-12, 12:55 AM
#83
What does this new concept NSX have in comparison to the original NS-X. Not sure on weight, mid engine, hybrid, SHAWD, potentially exotic looks, not sure how minimalist it will be. Probably will use its engine very efficiently and to its full potential.
The jury is still out, but aside from the HSC which was just a spruced up NA1/NA2 IMHO, this concept is the closest thing to an NSX successor that Honda has put out yet.
I don't know what to think about this car yet, but it could be a more than great car. I don't think it will be a game changer like the original NSX was back at its release, but IMHO very few cars today are really game changers. Great cars yes, but game changers no.
01-11-12, 11:26 AM
#85
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01-11-12, 11:27 AM
#86
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01-11-12, 12:00 PM
#87
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One thing I must say though. The design in my eyes is attractive (albeit dated and derivative), and to their credit, the technology has my interest piqued. The GT5 preview show a lot of interesting things. The question should be asked if they really will bring these to the table, but more importantly, if they take 3 years to do it, will Toyota/Lexus beat them to the punch with something similar.
01-11-12, 12:18 PM
#88
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SMH, nowhere am I dismissing the 1st NSX. The car is fabulous, its legendary, it is again of the all the all time greats. Only an idiot would dismiss the original NSX!
The LFA is 10 levels past it and should not be mentioned. So you are saying a cheaper car that doesn't perform as well should have more buyers? No kidding. Again the new NSX is a great hybrid AWD option in the market to come. I welcome it, we all should. I just find it not a "NSX" at all. NSXPrme seems to agree.
They are apples to oranges. They are completely different cars from different time periods going to be built in different countries. Now you are comparing the fastest production car around the Ring to something that comes in 3 years.
This makes no sense.
BTW, again, Honda's CEO and Honda just said they will not and cannot compete against
Mercedes
BMW
Lexus
http://www.egmcartech.com/2010/11/08...-not-top-tier/
Honda is saying they are not trying to compete. So you want to tell us they are?
Let us just be happy a new sports car is coming from Honda and stop comparing a car no longer built and a car not built yet to cars currently built.
The LFA is 10 levels past it and should not be mentioned. So you are saying a cheaper car that doesn't perform as well should have more buyers? No kidding.
Again the new NSX is a great hybrid AWD option in the market to come. I welcome it, we all should. I just find it not a "NSX" at all. NSXPrme seems to agree. They are apples to oranges. They are completely different cars from different time periods going to be built in different countries. Now you are comparing the fastest production car around the Ring to something that comes in 3 years.
This makes no sense.
BTW, again, Honda's CEO and Honda just said they will not and cannot compete against
Mercedes
BMW
Lexus
http://www.egmcartech.com/2010/11/08...-not-top-tier/
Honda is saying they are not trying to compete. So you want to tell us they are?
Let us just be happy a new sports car is coming from Honda and stop comparing a car no longer built and a car not built yet to cars currently built.
Naturally, this car will be compared to the LFA just like the GTR is always compared to the LFA. Whether or not the two cars will be designed to compete with each other remains to be seen.
Additionally, a majority of NSX owners on Prime are more excited about this car than any other concept for the NSX. It is more true to the philosophy of the original NSX than any concept before this one.
P.S. The Viper ACR is the fastest production car around the Ring.
01-11-12, 12:24 PM
#89
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I'm sorry, but as an AMERICAN, I have faith in American products and manufacturing. To assume that America cannot manufacture products on the same level as the Japanese is ignorant at best. Honda's plant in Ohio (which is in AMERICA) has been recognized as one of the highest quality plants in the world by JD Powers.
What a shame...
01-11-12, 02:35 PM
#90
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I cannot understand why we can't just be happy a NSX is coming, no matter where its built, what it has instead of people comparing a car not built to production cars. Seriously?
You cannot buy a Viper ACR. You can buy a LFA. If you want that point, well its 2nd fastest the NSX can't lap it in 8 minutes.
You came here to argue (again) without reading. Do I need to repost that Honda said Acura cannot and will not compete with Lexus, Benz etc? So why on earth would this compete with the LFA? It won't. It won't cost $375,000, it won't be carbon fiber, it won't have more than 6 cylinders. Be reasonable. The LFA is the greatest road car from Japan, this will not compete. We should just be happy its coming in 3 years and again, STOP COMPARING A CAR NOT BUILT TO PRODUCTION CARS. The NSX will be a NSX, people will of course compare it to other cars not in its class b/c that is their prerogative.
The LFA has again battlled the 599 GTO and Aventendor in one on one comparos. I 100% doubt the new NSX will ever battle the top of the line from Europe. It is not its market. Its like saying the next LF-LC is going to fight the next Bugatti. Makes no sense. They have 4 wheels and share nothing.
My goodness it is not a DISS to say a car is in a different class! It is a fact! A LS 600hL owner cannot argue and be mad that it is not in the same class as a S65! Different markets completely!
I'm sorry, but as an AMERICAN, I have faith in American products and manufacturing. To assume that America cannot manufacture products on the same level as the Japanese is ignorant at best. Honda's plant in Ohio (which is in AMERICA) has been recognized as one of the highest quality plants in the world by JD Powers.
What a shame...
We get it. When your favorite brand moved production here its okay. If the LFA or GTR was built here the internetz would burn it down Imagine the ZR1 built in Canada or the SLS built in Australia or the R8 built in Sudan. I think its reasonable for consumers to expect the halo product from a company to be built by their homeland as their pride and joy. You cannot get upset at people that prefer iit built in Japan its their choice like its your choice to not care.
As Americans with logic, we have seen the results for decades. Thus why people prefer Japanese cars built in Japan. That is their choice to vote with their money that way. Honda building it here is telling the world "we are an American company". Which is fine. There have been articles in the past arguing the best "American cars" are not from domestic brands. As you stated the Ohio plant is an award winning plant and its built Acura's for over a decade. We live in a global market where items made from all over the world are of high quality! iOnce the processes and management is in place, the workers will respond! Honda has proven they still churn out high quality cars no matter where its built for the most part always in the top 10 in quality.
Calling people ignorant after a year not posting already
Seriously? The truth of the matter is that neither you nor Phil knows how this car will perform, or what its specifications are. To claim that it will cost less than an LFA and have inferior performance is just absurd because you know nothing about the car. None of us should be making any sort of claims about this car.
Naturally, this car will be compared to the LFA just like the GTR is always compared to the LFA. Whether or not the two cars will be designed to compete with each other remains to be seen.
Additionally, a majority of NSX owners on Prime are more excited about this car than any other concept for the NSX. It is more true to the philosophy of the original NSX than any concept before this one.
P.S. The Viper ACR is the fastest production car around the Ring.
Naturally, this car will be compared to the LFA just like the GTR is always compared to the LFA. Whether or not the two cars will be designed to compete with each other remains to be seen.
Additionally, a majority of NSX owners on Prime are more excited about this car than any other concept for the NSX. It is more true to the philosophy of the original NSX than any concept before this one.
P.S. The Viper ACR is the fastest production car around the Ring.
the NSX can't lap it in 8 minutes. You came here to argue (again) without reading. Do I need to repost that Honda said Acura cannot and will not compete with Lexus, Benz etc? So why on earth would this compete with the LFA? It won't. It won't cost $375,000, it won't be carbon fiber, it won't have more than 6 cylinders. Be reasonable. The LFA is the greatest road car from Japan, this will not compete. We should just be happy its coming in 3 years and again, STOP COMPARING A CAR NOT BUILT TO PRODUCTION CARS. The NSX will be a NSX, people will of course compare it to other cars not in its class b/c that is their prerogative.
The LFA has again battlled the 599 GTO and Aventendor in one on one comparos. I 100% doubt the new NSX will ever battle the top of the line from Europe. It is not its market. Its like saying the next LF-LC is going to fight the next Bugatti. Makes no sense. They have 4 wheels and share nothing.
My goodness it is not a DISS to say a car is in a different class! It is a fact! A LS 600hL owner cannot argue and be mad that it is not in the same class as a S65! Different markets completely!
I'm sorry, but as an AMERICAN, I have faith in American products and manufacturing. To assume that America cannot manufacture products on the same level as the Japanese is ignorant at best. Honda's plant in Ohio (which is in AMERICA) has been recognized as one of the highest quality plants in the world by JD Powers.
What a shame...
Imagine the ZR1 built in Canada or the SLS built in Australia or the R8 built in Sudan. I think its reasonable for consumers to expect the halo product from a company to be built by their homeland as their pride and joy. You cannot get upset at people that prefer iit built in Japan its their choice like its your choice to not care. As Americans with logic, we have seen the results for decades. Thus why people prefer Japanese cars built in Japan. That is their choice to vote with their money that way. Honda building it here is telling the world "we are an American company". Which is fine.
There have been articles in the past arguing the best "American cars" are not from domestic brands. As you stated the Ohio plant is an award winning plant and its built Acura's for over a decade. We live in a global market where items made from all over the world are of high quality! iOnce the processes and management is in place, the workers will respond! Honda has proven they still churn out high quality cars no matter where its built for the most part always in the top 10 in quality. Calling people ignorant after a year not posting already
Last edited by LexFather; 01-11-12 at 02:39 PM.