Yeah, but the S2K lacks any sort of luxury, and if it had an acura badge it would have to be more expensive. Plus, without the S2K Honda would completely lose its sporty image.

GS-R is probably one of the best to this day. Double wishbone, 8k redline, 180hp, tons of mods. I want one.

 

The S2000 was built to celebrate Honda's 50th birthday. It wasn't meant to be a mass produced car that was meant to enhance a brand. It was Honda's birthday present to itself. Honda is the worlds #1 engine manufacturer, hence why the S2000's engine is a technological showcase for Honda. It wouldn't have made sense for the S2000 to be labeled as an Acura.

As far as Acura spending money on the CSX goes, I don't think they even had to spend a dollar. The CSX is the JDM Civic. The car was developed by Honda Japan. Acura didn't put any effort into the CSX. So you can bet that Acura is making a nice profit with each one sold. We will never get this car in the states. Acura USA is already discontinuing the RSX in order to move the brand more upscale. Bringing the CSX would do nothing to reach that goal.

 

I have to disagree with you. Honda would never spend $$ on the R&D and production process just to give a "birthday present to itself." There HAD to be some economic feasibility and/or rational analysis behind the s2k.

 

Good for Acura to move the brand upscale. Maybe finally we'll see less and less riced out Acuras and they'll move more luxo mods. I like Lexus having competition. Makes the world have better cars!

 

The GS-R and Type R, of course, were the enthusiast's and tuner's cars, but ALL Integras were a superb combination of the features I mentioned previously.

 

There is no economic feasability of developing a car as advanced as the S2000. It's produced in limited numbers and it's put together by hand. It shares nothing with any other Honda to reduce costs and isn't planned on being shared either. The NSX didn't sell in as high of numbers as it did in its first few years but Honda kept building it for 15 years loosing money with each one sold. When a company has true passion for the automotive world, if they can afford to build a car at a loss, they will. The S2000 was the car from Honda that pretty much said F-you to all the other high-revving motors on the market and showed what Honda could do. It was never meant to be a Z4 or Boxster. Even till this day I still consider the S2000 in a class of it's own. Trust me, I know an extreme amount about the S2000 and it's history. This car was not developed for the bean counters at Honda.

 

I agree with everything up to the last sentence. By that reasoning, the NSX should also have been badged a Honda in the States. Making the S2K an Acura would have taken nothing away from Honda, and would have done more to enhance the Acura brand than it did the Honda brand.

You clearly know a lot about the S2K, however. What's the source of your knowledge? Did you do an in-depth school research project on it, were you involved in some kind of Honda focus group, or what? Inquiring minds want to know!

 

I personally lean toward the S2000 having to be a Honda. While we both agree with DrUnBiased about the S2000 history and birthday present to themselves in a way, the S2000 is also a tribute to the original Honda S roadster cars. Making the S2000 an Acura just wouldn't be the same and I feel take away from the Honda S roadsters in which the S2000 is based on. The NSX on the other hand had no history. It was a brand new creation. It is kind of like making the new Slyline an Infiniti. It is okay for them to make a G35 Coupe and call it an Infiniti because there is no Nissan history behind it. However, the Skyline should stay Nissan IMHO.

 

The S2K was a Honda anniversay present, there is no replacement coming. As for it not being an Acura, I remember the huge battle Acura dealers had wanting the car as their lineup back then was suffering. Honda is not a risk taking company, its rare. Plus it really was a present for Honda. (and what a car!!!)

Honestly,I can see it being an Acura though.. its not like when u think of Acura you think of total luxury and Acura=small engines, I-4 and V-6. The S2000 would fit in the lineup.. Its not like the NSX being an Acura helped anymore than it being a Honda NSX overseas.

Its not like the S2000 never sold well, they still sell solid and resale is pretty good.

Koma, Acura is not going upscale. They are staying an entry market player. Thus the current RSX, the SUB 30k TSX and the coming more than likely sub 30k RD-X (with an I-4).

Acura has its niche and it does well in it. Not EVEYRONE should be a true luxury maker.

 

Thank you! Someone else said it besides me. Hopefully it makes sense now why the S2000 was not branded as an Acura.

 

Where did you get that from? Acura reps have already confirmed discontinuing the RSX solely just to move the brand more upscale. Having a sub $30k car isn't a bad thing. Lexus has it. Mercedes, Audi, soon BMW again all sub 30k 4 cylinders and who knows next.

 

I agree the S2000 should have been an Acura. As Boxster is to 911, so S2000 would have been to NSX.

And the Civic, er, CSX is no luxury car. Acura may sell a bunch in Canada but that just dillutes the brand. Would Canadians buy as many 'CSX's if it's exactly the same only with a Honda badge?

 

I like it

 

Huh, CSX? What CSX?
http://www.honda.co.jp/CIVIC/

 

Seems to me, though, that that would be like saying that the Mazda RX-8 and Nissan 350Z should not have been sold under low-priced nameplates either, except that in Mazda's case, they have no premium division like Honda / Acura, and Infiniti already sells a version of he 350Z...the G35 coupe.

And should we rename the Ford GT the Mercury or Lincoln GT? Or the Chevy Corvette the Cadillac Corvette ? ( Though the XLR may fill that role ). Or do a Lexus Supra instead of a Toyota Supra?