![]() 01/18/2014 at 10:30 • Filed to: Honda, RWD, coupe, lease | ![]() | ![]() |
Subaru has the BRZ. Scion has the FR-S. Nissan just announced the IDx. Kia just announced the GT4 Stinger. Ford still makes the base Mustang. Hyundai still has the Genesis Coupe. Where is Honda?
As many of you know, I currently drive a 2013 Civic LX sedan with an automatic. Although a very good and solid car, it isn’t very exciting to drive. It is however, a lease. So, in 33 months, I will be handing the keys back to the dealer. Naturally, being a car person, I am still thinking of what my next car will be. Lucky for me, when my lease is up, I will be turning 18. So, I will be able to get whatever car I want (hopefully two!). I’ve been considering how little I drive the Civic now. And mileage isn’t the issue. I get 12,000 a year and so far (I’ve owned it since October 31) it has 1386 miles. I am under the mileage gap. This means that, as long as I don’t drastically increase my mileage, when I return it, the car will have under 36,000 miles. I will get some money back because of this. This money of which I’d like to put towards another Honda. This is simply because I want to always have a reliable car. The second car can be the one that is my weekend fun machine.
By seeing the releases (or promised releases) from all of these great manufactures, it got me thinking. Where is Honda’s RWD sports coupe? Obviously there is a market if all of their competition is making something. Us Jalops do actually matter.
Honda used to fill this gap with the S2000. I loved that car. When my parents went to the dealer in 2006 to buy the Accord and Pilot, us kids roamed around the lot. Although I was much younger (about 8), my first car that I said was awesome in the dealership was this bright yellow S2000 convertible with the manual transmission. I begged the lady at the front desk to unlock it for me. She did. I spent a good half hour just sitting in this thing. When I went to get my Civic in October, there were no cars that jumped out at me. Nothing that begged for my attention. Sure, my Civic is nice, but I didn’t even feel the connection with it at first.
So, Honda, we are waiting. Please make it soon. Within the next three years to be precise. My lease is up in October of 2016 I need this car, whatever it may be, to be sitting on the lot in a bright obnoxious color with a manual transmission. I need to be pulled to it so on the day I hand in my Civic, I can leave with it instead. I know I’m not alone. I know people want these things. I’m not going to lie either, this new Nissan is really sharp. If it looks anything like the concept, that will be high on my list as a next car. And the Nissan dealer is right across the street from my Honda dealer, so the walk will not be a problem.
![]() 01/18/2014 at 10:41 |
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Good story. Thanks. I have had my 95 Honda V6 (4-door) sedan since it was born, and have been very happy with it. However, I have always wondered how it's power-train would have performed as a RWD version in a two-door coupe...guess I'll most likely never know...(Honda?)
![]() 01/18/2014 at 10:48 |
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I think what the BRZ would be if "old" Honda built the engine and put in double wishbones and all four corners and I get chills.
![]() 01/18/2014 at 10:51 |
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Because Honda has had SO MUCH TROUBLE competing with small, RWD sports cars before, right?
The S2000 (and partially, in combination with the NSX) was designed to compete with extreme high performance (>$50,000 in today's money) cars like the Supra, when it came to competing with low end sports cars, like V6 Mustangs, Camaros, Nissan Silvias, Toyota Celicas, etc. the EK, EG, and Integra did their job fine. Honda never really had trouble making their FWD cars just as exciting and fast as comparably-priced RWD cars.
However, Honda will need a RWD car to compete with the ATS coupe, the new RWD Lexus coupe (RC-F?), the new Corvette, and the new IRS Mustang. In other words, they need an NSX. Something much more expensive and much faster than an GT86 competitor.
But for competing with the GT86, Nissan's new Z and/or lower-end sports car, and the base Mustang, all they need is a much better, stripped down, lightweight, and hardcore version of the Civic Si, like they used to have. They need a new, smaller platform for the Civic to be based off of, an engine closer to the S2000's than the current K24, drop about 400 lbs, and decent aero. A 220HP, 2400lb, $25,000 civic would be a stab in the kidney for the GT86 if they had a good suspension too.
![]() 01/18/2014 at 10:56 |
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That thought is insane... It would be... Perfect
![]() 01/18/2014 at 11:07 |
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You mean BACK into the RWD coupe market.
![]() 01/18/2014 at 15:07 |
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It's going to be difficult with their bad rep with civics these past few years. Yeah it's been high in sales, but the base audience (before) and the growing competition isn't going to well. The S2K did great with the competition back then and it's still going strong today, its just if they sent out a S660 kei then I see no reason that they're working on something today.
Maybe an S3000 would be overkill, yet maybe it wouldn't if they actually continued their inline engines. Putting in a V6 is great, it's just the competition for more balanced power seems worthy nowadays; I'm talking about building their very own Inline-6. Toyota is even considering it if they mass produce the FT-1. Honda started with 4 then 5, just continue it and make it 3-litres (S3000). If you think about, silly as it is, a new engine non aspirated all motor inline 6 would be a really great achievement for Honda and probably widen their ideas with it.
![]() 01/18/2014 at 15:20 |
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It honestly would be great... it would have so many uses too... they need to get on that!
An S3K isn't too crazy either... offer a convertible and steal the sales from the people that wanted the BRZ convertible that'll never happen