Quote:
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Originally Posted by Double Bubble
Quote:
Originally Posted by red-sauerkraut
Explains why makers like Honda do not have any sports cars in their two car lines.
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I give you Civic Type R |
Civic as "sports" car? Who buys those any more?
There hasn't been a decent Civic since many readers here were in grammar school. Honda axed the famed double wishbone suspension on its Civic model back in 2001. The bean counters won, and driving enthusiasts lost. I had a 1991 Civic Si hatch for many years. That car was a revelation. You would not believe what fun one could have with just 108 stock hp, with God's own steering and clutch. Scarcely 2100 pounds, it handled like a go kart. A friend drove it and said, you think it, and the car is already doing it. So incredibly responsive, no drive by wire, no ABS, no anti-skid nannies, heck, no power steering, but one of the most direct connections between driver and machine in automotive history. I could beat guys on motorcycles in that thing! Cars were mechanical products in those days, not the warmed over computers with wheels and engines attached they've become today. So when the engineers got it right, the owner did a lot of grinning.
But the current Civic? Si or type R? Yawn. Focus ST or VW GTI? Good stuff if you want a compact hatch.
The sports car has "died" before and come back. Build something tight, driver-focused and affordable, and it'll sell.