NSX Sales

^They could have lowered the price by forgoing hybridization.

Keith Tanner said:

pushrod36 said:

Maybe it was bound to be a sales dud no matter what it was because the original cast such a huge shadow.

Did the original really cast a huge shadow at the time? I remember it being a car that the journalists loved and the public went oh hey is that a Ferrari 348 over there? It only became an icon later to a generation that grew up on Japanese performance.

It was the first supercar that was actually practical and reliable enough to be a daily driver(except maybe the Porsche 911 Turbo).  I think that’s a pretty big shadow to cast.  Thing is, it forced the European brands to up their game, so Acura can’t really compete on the “practical supercar” factor anymore.

eastsideTim said:

Keith Tanner said:

pushrod36 said:

Maybe it was bound to be a sales dud no matter what it was because the original cast such a huge shadow.

Did the original really cast a huge shadow at the time? I remember it being a car that the journalists loved and the public went oh hey is that a Ferrari 348 over there? It only became an icon later to a generation that grew up on Japanese performance.

It was the first supercar that was actually practical and reliable enough to be a daily driver(except maybe the Porsche 911 Turbo).  I think that’s a pretty big shadow to cast.  Thing is, it forced the European brands to up their game, so Acura can’t really compete on the “practical supercar” factor anymore.

But that's not really enough to cast a shadow. Sure, it makes for good bragging rights later if you spin it just right - "first supercar to be drama-free, because nobody wants drama in a supercar!" - but that doesn't sell cars now nor did it then.

But if that's true, then what did the original do so well, that the second generation isn't doing? 

Well, the original didn't outsell the Ferrari 348. 

That's my point - I think the legend of the NSX is newer than the car. It's a car that was not a big hit in the market and didn't really make a big impression despite the frothing of the Senna fans and the enthusiast press. Then the generation that was weaned on Honda performance grew up and the NSX somehow attained a limited mythical status in that group but was still overshadowed by other cars of the same and subsequent eras.

And when the new one came out - after so many false starts it might as well be a Duke Nukem game - it had the same problem as the first. The things that make it stand out from other offerings just aren't interesting. It looks like a flat Accord. It's a hybrid - but so is a Porsche 919 or a McLaren P1 or a TheFerrari and those are on a different level of performance. The NSX is just...meh, as the kids say.

to be honest.. I can tell you part of the problem. I didn't even know it was in production. If I didn't know. how many other people don't?

I'm afraid that if Chevy goes through with the mid-engined Corvette, they could end up in the same pickle. I mean, how many mid-engined supercars from all manufacturers get sold each year anyway? a couple of thousand?

In reply to pushrod36 :

Not to dispute the sales figures or anything from the original post, but I did see two of them driving around here on the same day last week, I do think they are pretty amazing looking in person though.

Kreb said:

I'm afraid that if Chevy goes through with the mid-engined Corvette, they could end up in the same pickle. I mean, how many mid-engined supercars from all manufacturers get sold each year anyway? a couple of thousand?

Lamborghini sold just over 3800 cars in 2017. McLaren sold over 3300. That doesn't count mid engine cars from Ferrari, Audi, Lotus, Bugatti, Pagani, Ford GT, etc. Most of these manufacturers have seen record sales for several consecutive years and as the wealthy get even wealthier all the time, there's really no sign of a slowdown.

I'd estimate maybe 20,000 mid engined cars sold combined last year. That would still be a bad sales month for the Camry in the US alone. But these super cars should have much higher profit margins than a Camry too.

According to this website, sales were 269 in 2016 after a late June release, then for the full year of 2017 they sold 581. The high figures in October and November 2017 coincided with the $30k trunk money. 

http://carsalesbase.com/us-car-sales-data/acura/acura-nsx/

The original was a much better seller.

Funny timing on this thread. I saw TWO original NSX's just driving around today within an hour. Then again, I know at least one of them is in my neighborhood and the guy daily-drives it.....

Keith Tanner said:

eastsideTim said:

Keith Tanner said:

pushrod36 said:

Maybe it was bound to be a sales dud no matter what it was because the original cast such a huge shadow.

Did the original really cast a huge shadow at the time? I remember it being a car that the journalists loved and the public went oh hey is that a Ferrari 348 over there? It only became an icon later to a generation that grew up on Japanese performance.

It was the first supercar that was actually practical and reliable enough to be a daily driver(except maybe the Porsche 911 Turbo).  I think that’s a pretty big shadow to cast.  Thing is, it forced the European brands to up their game, so Acura can’t really compete on the “practical supercar” factor anymore.

But that's not really enough to cast a shadow. Sure, it makes for good bragging rights later if you spin it just right - "first supercar to be drama-free, because nobody wants drama in a supercar!" - but that doesn't sell cars now nor did it then.

I get what you're saying, but I had an NSX poster on my wall in 1991.

Edit: And here it is

I was 14, and Honda / Acura represented everything the rest of the automotive world wasn't.  

It was the pinnacle of cool and quality to me.  

Porsche was cool, but peddling the latest revision of the same old 911.  Ferarri and Lamborghini were selling the equivalent of fast Fieros.  

I realized at the time that the NSX was a high water mark for quality and what was next.

I don't think that's revisionist history.

It replaced my Countach poster and remained there until the E36 M3 came out.

I think there are just too many fancy pants super cars that you can buy now. Personally, for some reason, I've never been interested in those high-end cars (probably because it will never happen for me), unless it has a prancing horse - those are the exception. The rest are about as interesting to me as a rental-grade Ford Taurus from the mid 2000's.

As I said in another thread, I wish Honda would just make a Cayman level car with the sweetie pie J series motor. Make it mid engine or front engine, I don't care - just have lightweight, manual, rwd, and less than $50K. 

When Acura changed the design from transverse mid engine to longitudinal you know they were at a lost as what the car should be. Then hybrid drive that adds weight and complication, well that’s a dead duck there. To me a super car should be about the driving experience, a little raw, loud, powerful, if it drives like an appliance it’s doomed. But then there’s the Viper dead in the water, so there goes that idea......

They should have stayed true to their roots and made a simple pure n/a driving machine that was affordable for mildly to moderately successful people. The price point imho was 69k base price with something that was light and turned to ten grand.l with a great exhaust note. Like a really nasty, slightly bigger, mid engined s2k. Honda lost the script at the rsx, hasn't found it since. They miss the boat on everything sporty nowadays, the crz shoulda been k24tsx powered, the fundamental suspension/steering geometry design on the rsx/ep3 is dogE36 M3. They were really on track with the mk1 nsx, itr, civic type r. Lightweight, simple, soulful, what happened? 

Keith Tanner said:

Well, the original didn't outsell the Ferrari 348. 

That's my point - I think the legend of the NSX is newer than the car. It's a car that was not a big hit in the market and didn't really make a big impression despite the frothing of the Senna fans and the enthusiast press. Then the generation that was weaned on Honda performance grew up and the NSX somehow attained a limited mythical status in that group but was still overshadowed by other cars of the same and subsequent eras.