Richard Casto wrote:
I love the concept of small sports cars but I think they are going about it wrong.
To expand on my earlier comment that was lacking in details...
My opinion is that to keep weight down on a modern car you do it via...
1. Size. Overall size. The smaller it is, the less it weighs.
2. Quantity. The less stuf you include (Sat/Nat, etc.) the less it weighs.
2. Materials. Use light weight stuff, and/or design efficiently the less it weighs.
3. Some combo of the above.
#1 is easy, but I will get to the issues around that in a second. #2 is less easy as people expect a bunch of potentially useless crap with their car and #3 is much harder if you are looking to meet a price point. I doubt something like a bonded aluminum or CF chassis or plastic, aluminum or other composite body is going to happen.
If they want to make a 9/10th scale miata, that is all fine and dandy except that the it just shrinks the number of people who can fit (I can't fit into a Miata due to poor cockpit design let alone a 9/10th scale version).
And Les has a good point above (hey, even a blind squirrel find a nut sometimes!) in that a 2.0L engine is not going to be much heavier than a 1.5L engine. I don't know why they would be focused on a sub 2.0L engine unless they have something cheap (such as an L series from the Fit) from the parts bin already picked out.
If I was to do this...
#1 Ditch that styling. Honda styling these days sucks and whatever they are trying to do continues to suck and/or is too derative.
#2 Coupe not convertible
#3 Don't make it smaller than a Miata, just keep the interior tidy, clean and lightweight. No wrap around cockpit crap that just ends up being claustrophobic and adds weight. Simple amenities. No Sat/Nav, etc.
#4 Rear wheel drive
#5 2.0L engine Maybe a revised R series engine instead of a K series (how heavy is the R series?)
In short, target the Scion/Subaru BRZ, but do the Honda version. Even then, I don't really see it being a niche Honda would do well in right now, but I would welcome their attempt. If they are gung-ho on a sub 2.0L sporty car for low bucks, then it has to be even more bare bones to even come in anywhere close to their price point
Richard
_________________
Richard Casto
1972 Porsche 914
2013 Honda Fit Sport
2015 Honda Fit EX
http://motorsport.zyyz.comMoney can't buy happiness, but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than a Kia.
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When I've referred to the car as the "six million dollar Corvette" it was more of a reference to one of my favorite TV shows of my youth, "The Six Million Dollar Man" was rebuilt "better, faster, stronger", but you're probably too young to remember that show.
