Written By Special Features Editor Chris May

A Love Note to Honda: We are on a Break

Let’s get this out there right now, I really like Honda. I have owned 6 Hondas over the course of 10 years and current have 2 still in my driveway. I have an RSX-S that is my track toy and of course like any good fan-boy, the Ridgeline to trailer it to events.

Now before you assume I don’t buy other marks, over the course of the last 10 years, I have also owned a BMW M3 (E46) and two family cars in the form of a Mazda3 and Hyundai Sonata Turbo. Yet somehow over the course of these 10 years, I managed to keep a Honda in the garage.

Now many of us 30-something’s in the world remember the boom of the sport compact scene ushered in on the silver screen via the late Paul Walker and Vin Diesel. Honda, Mitsubishi, Mazda, Nissan, Toyota and Subaru went rounds on a yearly basis to fight for the king of the hill on the street and on the track.

Tuners took simple platforms with strong foundations and created some of the best fossil consuming machines we have seen. I dare to say, this was one of the best times in the automotive performance market since WWII when soldiers returning from overseas started to customize their cars and enveloped the Hot Rod movement and brought it to main stream recognition.

 

Unfortunately with the end of the sport compact movement, increased safety and CAFE regulations, and product designers constrained by board rooms filled with MBA’s in accounting, we are now in an auto market that has now produced machines with no personality.

Now Toyota has publicly come out of their comma and said they recognize they have lost their roots and will be coming back to the sports car market and answered with the Toyobaru (FT86/BRZ) and the F1 concept.

So what does Honda do? They revive an icon with the NSX and completely ignore what made the car what it was at its inception. Compared to the competition, it was an affordable, amazingly balanced and reliable halo sports car.

The new NSX on paper looks to check all those boxes except affordability. $100K + sales price is not affordable when you can go get a Corvette C7 for $30k less. Oh and the C7 is pretty damn nice.

I can write off the NSX as nothing more than an exercise in hybrid technology and public relations. So now we are hearing rumors about a new S2K successor. My hopes were rising until I read the rumors and got pissed off, again a rumored hybrid with a steep price tag of $60k.

So my last bastion of hope, Honda brings us a hot hatch with attitude and performance to back it up, a perfect recipe for success. The Civic Type-R is a culmination of everything the US market wants, but will not get unfortunately for some reason or another.

Motor Authority Snaps Civic Type R at Nurburgring

The best years for everyday enthusiasts are behind us with Honda. The writing is on the wall, if you want Honda performance, have deep pockets. Or do what most of us do, find an old Honda and have a blast.

For now Honda, we are on a break till you win me back. I will be looking at Subaru if you want to find me.

Written By Special Features Editor Chris May

 

Image Credits for Chris May’s 2002 Acura RSX-S

http://www.hybrid-racing.com/blog/feature-car-friday-issue-5-2002-acura-rsx-type-s/