Kudos on owning an NSX. First or second owner? No insult intended. Just curious.

Anyway, I think most of us are really disappointed that HONDA never kept the car competitive by regularly updating the car and more over, never gave it more power. At $90k, who really gives a flip about f/econ? So would have killed HONDA to ship the car outside Japan with more than 280hp? I doubt it. But I think most Japanese Sports Cars are aimed at their home tracks and not really at international competition.

Agility more than power is the issue. I think they might be the first country to adopt an AWD specific road racing series or league before too long.

Because big power (and the speed that goes with it) is a major component to international competitiveness for Sports Cars, The NSX never really stood a chance outside of Japan. That and the car was exposed as having below par handling, probably a weakness built in to it’s specific power needs for racing in Japan. I don’t know.

I tend to feel that HONDA treats their Sports Cars like works of art first and equipment second. Most Automakers will go in equal parts. Because of this the S2000 has gotten old and is beatable with a Kappa car. The NSX got beat by the C4 Corvette not three years out the shoot. If HONDA took a more equipment stance with their Sports Cars, The NSX might have been more impressive.

As it is, at least in America, The NSX is “a basketball player trying to play football”.

A V6 was pathetic….ala NSX.

Kind of like a stuffed bra.

I have to disagree with you. The Mustang is a sports cars, just not the same class of sports car. If you same the Monte Carlo/ Lumina coupe was not a sports car, I would agree. The Mustang falls neatly into that segment usually just called “performance”. It’s not the usual svelte definition of Sports Car, like a Vette, or S2000 (Honda make a new one or bury this one I really is starting to look ratty around the creases).

The Crossfire, while disappointing as a flat soda, was a sports car. This car was also not really a Miata knock off either. It would be like saying the Accord is a Camry knock off, or the GMC Pick-up is a Ford P/U Knock off, or the Viper is a Corvette Knock off. They are similar but neither is a knock off of the other.

But if you must look for “knock-offs” then the Miata is a knock-off of the old British sport coupes from MG and the like, which it Miata really is almost exactly like, with 30 years better tech and development.

Really it’s only a knock off if the car is a direct copy of an existing model. Just because two vehicles share the same class does not make it a knock off of another vehicle.

Styling is subjective, but I liked it and think the rooline and rear fender area are examples of concept car styling that actually hit the road. And the most gorgeous wheels!

The Good: The car is so well built. The doors are bank vault solid and shames the hollow feel of all it’s Japanese rivals. It’s exhaust sounds fantastic….none of that fart-cannery. Also it’s just so planted at all speeds….it’s got more grip than you can imagine. That said, it could hang with many sports cars but it’s really more of a GT.

The Bad: I think the real reason it didn’t sell, is because it’s got no headroom for anyone over 5′8″(and incredible blindspots that aren’t an issue if you know how to use mirrors). So most buyers seem to be women and most examples were automatics. The automatics are SO much slower. That said, the engine just barely had enough power to keep a manual tranny model fun. I could easily keep up with my friend’s S2000. Sure his car was ultimately quicker, but you had to drive the Honda like you hated it. The Crossfire has nice low-end torque. Still, it should have atleast had 250hp.

Tho the interior materials were substantial, some of the switchgear was old feeling (HVAC knobs) and some of the painted finishes had durability issues.

Overall, it was a solid concept car for the road that had a too high price, too tight interior and an engine that needed a boost. I’m happy that an American company took the chance to really unleash some styled cars. The Crossfire didn’t make it but the 300 did. For awhile, Chrysler was really rockin’ a cool Deco feel. That’s over now.

It is a shame it’s being killed off but this was coming for more than a year.

The Crossfire was really the Kappa cars before they were. While performance is an issue, The Kappas cost a good $10K less than the Crossfire listed for. The styling otherwise was never an issue, but Crossfire lacked performance $35K-$40K would seem to demand. It fell into that same whole the Thunderbird (Blunderbird) fell into. It was rolled out without considering the market or expectation.

The Thunderbird should have been a Vette-fighter. Just as the Crossfire should have been a “dressed up Viper Mini-me”. Instead we got underwhelming posers with great names, decent interiors but couldn’t beat anything in their class.

Maybe the FIrepower will turn up and make us forget this error in judgment.

jjt, pull the foot out of the mouth, don’t embarrass yourself in front of children. We both know that you are not senile yet and I guarantee to the forum that you dont’ need diapers yet .You know that S2000 as much knock off of Miata as Camaro knock off of the “Bird. Totally 2 different animals for different markets and different costs.

But the Corvette is.

Then what is it, a station wagon?

Still, for the bargain hunter, I can’t think of anything else that even comes close.

Good idea, poor execution.

Blakkarr: I find NASCAR boring.

CTS DRIVER: the s2000 is not a sports car.

F451: “Had they modeled it after a scaled-down version of the Firepower they would have had a winner?”
Would have been more likely.

Get Real: NSX wasn’t really a failure. The people who most appreciated that class of car couldn’t afford it. The market dried up.

Comment by CARnut, posted on April3 at 6:58 pm

and by the way theese sound like sweet rides, nothing roars like an old fashioned big block on boost.

Failed cars like this include the Delorean and Acura NSX, (sorry NSX lovers but a car that looks like it should go……damned….it should GO !!!!!)