Honda Has Problem With New S660 Roasters

[HTSS_TR]

Quote:
Honda Motor Co. has sold out all 8,600 of its new roadsters slated for production this year and is fully booked through June. The only problem: four in five buyers of the $16,000 sports car are over 40.

That is a much older demographic than other models in the lineup and many of these older customers are repeat customers buying the coupe as a second car, according to Misato Fukushima, a company spokeswoman. It’s also a contrast to the last sports car Honda introduced in 1999, the S2000. Back then, only one in five buyers were over 40 years of age.
...
Stagnating annual incomes and an efficient public transportation system means many younger people in Japan don’t see a need to own a car. The number of driver license holders under the age of 40 has fallen 46 percent over the last 13 years.


http://finance.yahoo.com/news/hondas-hit-16-000-coupe-210000029.html

 

[cazi]

So it's not a problem with the car itself, but with the fact that young people don't buy it.

 

[sasha]

Young buyers IMO are looking for power. The s660 is a nice looking car but the 660cc engine, NOPE! Even the turbo version seems lacking despite the 1900 lb weight. Put a type-r engine in here.

 

[Mr Nice]

Most young folks can't afford a new car, this is a fact.

Maybe Honda needs better marketing towards younger professional yuppies with income for toy.

 

[Rick in PA]

The only problem is whoever crafted that sentence doesn't know the meaning of the word "problem":

prob·lem/noun
a matter or situation regarded as unwelcome or harmful and needing to be dealt with and overcome.

 

[B20z]

Maybe Kenny Rogers could help them out.

 

[Vikas]

Aren't they talking about young people in Japan? I was not aware that we were all experts in knowing about population distribution in Japan!

 

[GiveMeAVowel]

Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
Most young folks can't afford a new car, this is a fact.

Maybe Honda needs better marketing towards younger professional yuppies with income for toy.




Exactly, the bottom line is that incomes of younger people today are quite low especially when compared to that same age group back in the 70s and 80s in Japan.

 

[Quest]

rather misleading title RE: Honda has a problem....

Honda's problem RE: S660 roadsters has to do with lack of interest from younger buyers, not the product in this case.

It's borderline misleading I'd say.

Q.

 

[Subdued]

They sold them all, what's the #$^%@#$% problem?

 

[sciphi]

Originally Posted By: Subdued
They sold them all, what's the #$^%@#$% problem?


The problem is that the younger folks that this car was targeted at can't afford to buy it or aren't interested in car ownership if they can afford it. So Honda is very worried that future repeat customers simply will not be there in 10-15 years.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: sciphi
Originally Posted By: Subdued
They sold them all, what's the #$^%@#$% problem?


The problem is that the younger folks that this car was targeted at can't afford to buy it or aren't interested in car ownership if they can afford it. So Honda is very worried that future repeat customers simply will not be there in 10-15 years.

Yeah, this is the problem. Future repeat buyers isn't there for the company.

The profile of the S2000 buyer was 80% younger compares with 80% older for S660. And this S660 is targeting young buyers.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

The problem is that they don't sell it over here

 

[GiveMeAVowel]

Originally Posted By: slacktide_bitog
The problem is that they don't sell it over here

I agree, this type of car, small, simple, well engineered, fun, and priced reasonably is what made Honda great during their glory years....

The only change would be to put the 1L turbo in it. I am pretty certain that the safety and compliance work to make it legal for sale in the US and elsewhere is already done, all they have to do is submit it to DOT if they want to sell it here.

Honda, are you listening? At around 16k $ they would sell a TON of them here in the USA.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: GiveMeAVowel
Originally Posted By: slacktide_bitog
The problem is that they don't sell it over here

I agree, this type of car, small, simple, well engineered, fun, and priced reasonably is what made Honda great during their glory years....

The only change would be to put the 1L turbo in it. I am pretty certain that the safety and compliance work to make it legal for sale in the US and elsewhere is already done, all they have to do is submit it to DOT if they want to sell it here.

Honda, are you listening? At around 16k $ they would sell a TON of them here in the USA.

This is Kei car class designed for Japanese market only. I don't think Honda would spend resource(man power and money) to test the car for other markets when they don't plan to sell it elsewhere.

If they do plan to sell this car with 1L turbo engine elsewhere then they will test it with appropriate engine(and possible beef-up transmission). Otherwise, the tests with 660CC engine can not be used for 1L engine.

I read somewhere that Honda has a plan of a similar styled roaster with 300HP 2L turbo engine of 2016 Civic type-R for worldwide market. But the price is probably north of $35-40k.

 

[GiveMeAVowel]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR

This is Kei car class designed for Japanese market only. I don't think Honda would spend resource(man power and money) to test the car for other markets when they don't plan to sell it elsewhere.

If they do plan to sell this car with 1L turbo engine elsewhere then they will test it with appropriate engine(and possible beef-up transmission). Otherwise, the tests with 660CC engine can not be used for 1L engine.

I read somewhere that Honda has a plan of a similar styled roaster with 300HP 2L turbo engine of 2016 Civic type-R for worldwide market. But the price is probably north of $35-40k.



Actually Honda itself has mentioned that there is a very good chance that this car WILL be sold in other markets with the 1L turbo engine. It is a Kei car, however look at the size of the Lotus Elan and plenty of other VERY small cars that have been sold in the US over the years, there IS a market for small fun cars like this even in the USA, and if the car car pass Euro safety and emissions regs it can pass ours as well with little modification. Honda NEEDS to bring back a bit of their old spirit and this car would be just what it needs in the US to rekindle interest in the brand, and to reconnect with what made it great in the USA.