In a shattering volte-face, Honda has cancelled the NSX replacement. It was due to be unveiled within weeks. Japanese companies normally set huge store by consistent long-term planning. And it pulled the plug on F1 a couple of weeks ago. It all shows how desperate the economic climate is for everyone.
Do not, by the way, imagine these decisions are the doing of passionless men in grey suits who don’t understand the value of halo cars.
Honda’s CEO Takeo Fukui would have been right behind a V10 supercar. A lifelong engineer, he has designed Formula One engines. He ran Honda bike R&D, then all Honda R&D. Back in the day, he was a bit of a hand in a race-car, and has driven modern F1 cars around a track none too shabbily. Name another executive who can do that.
He’s just announced other changes, too. A new small diesel engine, which is good news for us in Europe. Hybrids in bigger cars.
A new factory Honda factory in Japan, already built, won’t go into production, he says. (Similarly, Toyota is just finishing a plant to make the Prius in America, but for the moment it’ll be locked and left silent.)
I can put only one positive spin on the Honda NSX and F1 stories. And that’s that the engineers won’t be sent home. But that they’ll be re-assigned to making sure other Hondas are better than they’d otherwise have been, and get here sooner. Especially the lovely little CR-Z hybrid sports coupe.
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not a bad plan, not building a car which no one buys anyway – not a bad plan withdraw from F1 where they haven´t been succesfull in ages.
It makes more sense, currently, to concentrate on other projects. Personally, I’d far rather see a small hybrid coupe/roadster than a large Ferrari challenging halo car. Does Honda need a halo car? Possibly. Does it need to be an NSX? Probably not, particularly when their motorsport (well, F1) achievements are dubious at best.
The FCX Clarity must surely be seen as a bit of a halo car – new tech and all – and makes sense to continue on the hybrid/eco theme.
Incidentally, another racing exec – Aston’s Ulrich Bez… Or does it not count if they crash…
Well, if the NSX replacement was going to look like that and have a V10 FR layout, I’m glad it’s become a miscarriage…
As for F1, that’s very sad. They said towards the end of the year “We’re going to concentrate on the 2009 car to make it a potential winner”, or something like that anyway.
Looking forward to the CR-Z though. It’s the only hybrid I’ll even consider buying, because, while I don’t believe in hybrids (being green, that is. I know they exist), it looks really cool and should be cheap to tax and maintain. And name a bad sporting Honda. No wait, you can’t. Even the NSX was actually good, just not as desirable as some rivals and maybe a little overpriced…
Anyway, I hope Honda survives. They’re a fun company.
Fukui-san must’ve driven the GTR and realized that the NSX was not up to the task. It might be on par technology wise but price wise?
Now where is that XGA?
I think it looks good, shame it wont happen. I would guess it would be re-done in 5 years.
I hope they keep going with the Hydrogen cars, although they are a bit pointless atm as cracking water is too expensive (fossil fuel wise), once fusion is perfected, their cars will be the best in the world… but that might be 50 years off yet so dont hold your breath
These are good decisions. They’re thinking long-term. Which is good. Plus they have the Clarity project, which will give them a firm placing in future automotive markets.
How broke are Honda??
Presumably they have put in a lot of time and money into the NSX already so it seems strange to shelve it at this late stage. Will they reintroduce it if business picks up? Will they use it as a race car now they have pulled out of F1?
It looks like they are turning their collective backs on horsepower and racing and going down the green routes of diesel and electric as well as hydrogen in the FCX.
I a way this is a good decision, the first NSX Hardly sold so honda was wasting money on production, so this probably would have happened again, unless the price was dead cheap, and it was amazingly fast, like the Vauxhall VXR8.
By the way if GM goes bust, and you want a fast 4 door saloon, then buy a VXR8, they will be dead cheap!
Sad news from Honda, that NSX replacement would have been a great one.
On the other hand, why doesn’t the economic climate stop BMW and Merc doing crap-looking cars?
bad news but if they make the fcx clarity properly maybe a hydrogen nsx?
The loss of a real car like the NSX (presuming it would be as good as the last one) is a real shame.
Still on the upside, if people stop buying blue Imprezas complete with matching jackets and then driving like complete tossers, there is an upside of the Japanese car industry issues
)
ye, fair enough they did well on a hydrogen car, but really they wont do a sport version for ages.
just to, ithink, pointless, and also it would require more power so probably more hydrogen, which may be deadly.
I guess there’s only one thing left to be said now… NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOO
Perhaps it’s another case of being unable to compete with Ferrari? It’d have to be pretty special to be better than an F430. It’s a shame, but a good choice I’m sure, they’d make a loss on a small volume car like that I’m sure. In better days it’s worth it for the feel good factor it gives the rest of the range, but not in the current economic climate, it’s money that could be better spent elsewhere. Besides, the people who can still afford a supercar are more likely to want an italian or german offering, a budget supercar is no use when most people are umming and aahing over whether to buy a budget car full stop.
@Irish Cousin: I don’t think it’s about being broke, ‘cos then they’d be firing people. And the new NSX must be finished unto production level. It’s about image and credibilty I guess. Honda can’t be seen to market supercars or run a F1 team. They’re just too small to take on the public opinion for a fight.
If the first Hydrogen balloon was invented in 1783, surely technology has come far enough to make the extraction of hydrogen a simple & cost-effective process?
Most of us boiled water & collected the hydrogen in a test tube in High School – can’t say we ever liquified the stuff though.
What happened with the (GM?) Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car that James May tested years ago that had interchangeable bodies?
@ My last post^^^
There’s part of an episode for the next series of Top Gear – how hard is it to get hydrogen & what happened to the GM car… or at least James May’s next Open University programme.
brain says good decision
heart says NOOOOOO
the concept looked amazing
hope someone buys F1 team. what happened to BAR?
I suppose, on the bright side, a car that stylish and unique will still look great in five years. If Honda can turn things around in the next few years they can put it into production then, and they might have some spangly new hybrid or fuel cell powertrains to put in there. That, or they can come up with something even better in five years There’s a lot of designing talent around at the moment, a few years of designing economically viable, well priced saloons might cause a build up of creative energy just waiting for the opportunity to sketch the next generation of japanese supercar.
Damn. I was really looking forward to seeing that car put into production
If manafacturers keep axeing these stunning cars (NSX, BMW CS etc.) and dropping out of motorsport competitions (Honda F1, Subaru and Suzuki WRC) then we may end up in a world without cars…
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOO whats the world coming to
what a shame.
Top Gear is immence and easily the best seiries on tv. Please Please Please can you bring out a blue ray dvd box set of the series. Top Gear has only got one blue ray and its the one to the pole and its absolutly fantastic. this series has been 10 times better and we realy want a blue ray dvd of the series.
im speaking on behalf of ALOT of people.
trust me lol
If the secret nsx did lap times round the ‘ring as fast/er then a GTR, why the heck don’t they get on and build it?
People will want one!!
Well, me and Rowan Atkinson….
Please Honda, Please Build it , i’m begging you!!!
The last NSX was tested and tweaked by the all-time legend that was Ayrton Senna.
Hondas pulling out of F1 in 1993 was the reason why Senna didn’t get his 4th world championship chance.
Hi. I LUV TG but could ya all like, make the show longer?
Thanks
yours faithfully
BUGATTI@10mph
Will jamesmay go on blog?
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