Slimey

This is beating a dead horse, but I'm commenting anyway...

I find it a bit interesting that Honda/Acura has no officially approved tuner or modification company. I know that a lot of us take Comptech USA as the 'official' tuner, but there really is no such designation.

A number of other car companies take a different and more honest attitude -- tune a car responsibly and we'll support you in your endeavors.

For instance --

In the mail today, I received Subaru's Drive Performance -- The Magazine for Performance-Driven Enthusiasts. Wow. Subaru official logos all over the place; published by Subaru of America, Inc. This is a 'magazine' (OK, it's mostly a long advertisement brochure) dedicated to informing consumers about Subaru's performance -- from it's presence in the World Rally Championship, to an in-depth description of an approved after-market exhaust including installation instructions with pictures. They even give tips on how to install the exhaust yourself and how to clear the ECM after modding (which they even say in not necessary -- to beat another dead horse). There are tips about how to autocross your car, and even how one dealer sends their WRX and WRX STi customers to a fast lap driving school.

Subaru's SPT Website
Drive Performance Magazine (just a home page and a subscription request form)

There is a huge aftermarket in Honda & Acura -- how come Honda of America takes the hard line and officially supports none of this type of activity? Wouldn't embracing this community be advantageous, especially if they (the manufacturer) controlled the sales of a tuner division or officially licensed other tuner's products? Wouldn't it provide Honda a method of maintaining their standards across such 'official' products and thus not having people modify their cars with products that will harm expensive warranty covered parts?

CLpower

I don't think Honda needs to do any of that. It won't help their sales at all.


And I find it funny that subaru does this but yet mitsubishi is terminating warranty's on cars that are autocrossed

mrsteve

iTrader: (1)

They don't really need to. You don't really see Honda ads talking about all out performance that much. With Acura you do lately, but the VAST MAJORITY of Honda/Acura sales are not for enthusiasts (sp?). Subaru is all about "AWD performance." It's really just not needed for Honda/Acura to have an "official tuner." Comptech USA designs parts solely for Honda/Acura and that is enough for most dealerships to allow the modifications. I mean how many other dealers out there let you put a supercharger on your car and not void the warranty?

Slimey

But they could if they wanted too.

I guess I want the pat on the back from Honda that 'it's OK'...

mrsteve

iTrader: (1)

I understand what you are saying. It would be nice to see something in writing or verbally hear it from someone...but more or less Comptech IS the "official tuner" for Honda/Acura. I mean if my dealer will sell it to me, take my money to install it, there is no way they could turn around and say "no we no longer will warranty this."

This is when it comes down to finding the best dealer out there and one who will work with you. I'm lucky enough to have found what I, and many other people in the MD/DC/VA area feel is the BEST dealer in the country when it comes to the service department; Tischer Acura.

Like CLpower said, if Honda officially came out and said something it wouldn't help them at all, so there is no point for them to do so. I understand where you are coming from though.

jruss9819

I just bought a G35C and as a lot of you know Nissan/ Infiniti is really starting to offer a lot of Nismo parts. I have to admit that its nice to see a car manufacture realize that their is a huge market for the after market community. In a way it reminds me of the way Toyotas TRD has been doing business for a while. Toyota offers a bunch of after market stuff with full warranties for all of the products as long as they're installed by a certified TRD dealership. Honda may not need the help in car sales but they would make a butt load of cash if they sold performance upgrades and warranties for them. I agree with Slimey in the fact that Honda/ Acura needs to realize the growth in the after market, market. To give Acura some credit they have mad some attempts at moving in the right direction. They are selling the new V-spec stuff. Even though the V-spec doesn't really improve straight line performance at least it's in the right direction. Either way Honda/ Acura needs to address the growing aftermarket need.

SCTL-SS

It would be very nice of Acura/Honda to do as suggested. If they would endorse or co-partner with an after market company that would be to every ones advantage. The consumer would have a good developed product with legitimate gains and the auto manufacture would benefit from the profits. There would be less concern with low grade products for our cars and we would feel more safe with a part that was spicifacally designed, tested and developed for performance as others have done ex: TRD,Nismo,AMG,etc.. At least I'm glad of the relationship Comptech has with A/H.

mrsteve

iTrader: (1)

Exactly. A/H doesn't need to reinvent the wheel by coming out the "factory authorized" performance parts when Comptech already makes parts that dealers will sell and install. All of the other brands and their aftermarket parts you mentioned are very expensive and if A/H came out with parts they would be in the same price range as Comptech (a little overpriced IMO as well) but Comptech is proven performance. My dealer already has a full tuner shop (they do internal engine work on NSX's and they would for the CL too if the interest was there) inhouse more or less and will sell you and install all Comptech as well as all other parts for our cars from different manufacturers (OBX, H&R, etc.)

It really just isn't necessary for A/H to put out their own line of parts when there already are so many other manufacturers who make quality products and can offer them at a lower price.

rondog

iTrader: (1)

that is one of the reasons I am starting my company, so I can eventually end up with parts for a car company that has true enthusiasts as a following. The wheels will be carried and warrantied by Curry Acura Parts department from the beginning.

mrsteve

iTrader: (1)

WOW that's a nice partnership for wheels. Never heard of wheels being warrantied by a dealer's parts department. Congrats man. Best of luck to you, it looks like you have started off very very well. Your designs are impressive.

Zapata

Subaru will void warranties for aftermarket mods. I remember reading.....


Even Mitsu is voiding warrantys for those who auto-x .

heyitsme

Honda/Acura actually is getting into it with their factory performance/a-spec packages, they just need to expand their products more and allow the customer to pick and choose what they want instead of having to pay 5k for the whole package.

Slimey

But not really -- for instance, it's not like I can buy Type S swaybars for my non-Type S model, whereas I can buy an STi swaybar for my non STi Forester.

Rod

Honda is being conservative in that sense right now, they're waiting to see how the other companies' ventures, like Nismo, do profit-wise before they make any serious commitment.

Frainky

Honda has one of the most expansive product market on earth.Generators,motorcycles,watercraft,lawnmowers ,pumps,scooters,outboard motors,snowblowers,ATV's-on and on etc etc

They have limited options so they make one product right.Everything coming down the line is made the exct same way.Quality issues that is why there are not alot of different options on their cars.Honda actually can make different models of cars on the same line.ie there running low on elements,so a factory that makes civics makes a few changes and presto elements down the same line ad civics.Not at the same time of course.What other maker can do that.

mrsteve

iTrader: (1)

What does that have to do with factory performance parts?

Slimey

Most of the automobile companies have their hands in other products, and the assembly line was invented by Ford about 100 years ago.

What does that have to do with the issue of a performance division within the company?

Frainky

I kinda got off topic on that one. I was trying to respond to heyitsme's comment about honda comming out with a-spec stuff (actually its hfp with honda)and why you cant pick and choose what you want instead of buying the whole package.Its a quality issue quality includes the performance aspect of a vehicle.

LiQiCE

A lot of you guys said that its not in Honda's best interest to make performance parts because thats not their attitude (based on commercials) and they only want to make 1 product with few options and make it right ... and that they have their hands in a lot of other stuff.

But lets not forget that Honda's #1 Japanese competitor, Toyota while making extremely conservative cars also has TRD, an officially supported aftermarket company for Toyotas. Comptech is close to it, and I'm greatful to have Comptech around ... but its still not officially supported.

There's a ton of reasons on top of this one that I'm considering a Lexus or Infiniti next go-round.

mrsteve

iTrader: (1)

But those "facotry supported" modifications are ridiculously expensive. Have you seen the prices for IS300 mods?!!?

LiQiCE

Its about the same as what Comptech would charge tho for some stuff... I mean, the Suspension kit is $1400 which is close to what Teins would run you, but from an actual car manufacturer. I guess Acura and Honda do have A-Spec and HFP for suspension type upgrades ... they just don't have any true performance upgrades like an add-on supercharger or anything like that.

Slimey

And they don't send you brochures in the mail that show you what add ons you can put on your car to make it autocross better.

cusdaddy

Yeah, but I read that Subaru has revoked some warranties for cars that autocross. Very similar to what Mitsubishi is doing at the moment. It even revoked the warranty of users it gave SCCA membership to as a deal they had at once time when buying a WRX. Pretty shady IMO.

Slimey

Agreed, pretty shady if that's true. This same brochure authored by Subaru of America discusses SCCA and the SCCA sponsored Subaru Challenge http://www.subaruchallenge.com

cusdaddy

I can't say for sure it's true about Subaru, but I read it in a few places. I recently read about it in the Mitsubishi thread too:

http://forums.utahscca.com/viewtopic...2578b4d38a29f9

darrinb

how can mitsu tell if you auto x

cusdaddy

There is a true case where reps from a Mitsu dealer went to a drag strip in CA, and photograhed the VIN #'s of the Evo's running that day. One guy got a letter in the mail from his dealer with pics of his car and VIN.

In regards to AutoX, they can do the same thing, or they can look up the SCCA databases which capture the names and cars of everyone who runs in their events.

mrsteve

iTrader: (1)

That would suck ass! Thankfully Acura doesn't have this same attitude. Haha... I've been to the drag strip while my service manager, service advisor, and service technicians were there watching and racing. I my Acura Service Department.

SCTL-SS

That's the way it should be.