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Meh, there's quite few 600+HP FWD out there.
Production, no. but do they "dart around" and "totally un-drivable", no they drive just fine but lots of understeer and weight transfer that aids the rear tires traction which enhances stabilty
Would I want one, no.
In general a AWD is the best for a high power vehicle, then RWD, then FWD.
There are many compromises with each including vehicle stability under changing conditions such as transition from static to dynamic friction and extreme slip-angle.
There's often good reasons and compromises why designers choose FWD, AWD or RWD, one the greatest car engineer/designers of all time Gordon Murray has even written some great columns on it as well.
However I am amused by the 1000+HP Ody.
In terms of "Theories on papers are one thing, but real-life-real-car is another.", ahhh no. Physics and theory apply in real life all the time in vehicle design, not in text books. If you're ever interested these teacher has some decent lectures on vehicle design including all aspects of the system. There's also some other cool videos for learning how to model various vehicle designs as well.
.....
High power (500+hp) FWD cars don't drive fine in corners, only low power FWD ( < 310hp, currently set by Acura RLX) cars do.
When cornering under power, the front tires of the low power FWD cars start losing traction gradually and therefore will understeer in a safe way.
But for high power FWD cars when powering out through corners, the massive engine torque will abruptly break lose the front tires, causing them to bounce and lift off the ground momentarily.
As soon as gravity takes over, the wildly spinning front tires fall back to the ground, they bounce again, they fall again, and they bounce again, and they fall again, ..... , for as long as the throttle plate is open and the steering wheel is at an angle.
In effect, the front end become like a ping pong ball, "darting around" with absolutely no steering control available to the driver.
Not just you who don't want such 500hp FWD car, no one wants to pay money for it either. That's why no automaker is stupid/crazy enough to put out such 500hp FWD vehicle in production form.
Also, please don't throw at me video clips of various physics, theories, lectures, and simulations, because everyone knows they will never truly represent the real thing in life, especially something as complicated as a high power FWD vehicle.
Ok, I'll be fair. Physics/theories/lectures/simulations/modelings may sometimes accurately reflect a single component, such as a high power engine alone, or a FWD chassis alone, or a suspension design alone; but once everything is put together, there are just too many other unforeseeable factors/parameters/variables interacting in real life that physics/theories/lectures/simulations/modelings can never account for.
Using the current Honda F1 engine program as an example.
Using existing physics, breakthrough theories, and advanced computer simulations/modelings to develop, the Honda engine looks good on the test bench. But once it is installed onto the McLaren race car, the McLaren-Honda race car is seriously underpowered and unreliable.
The culprit lies in the lack ofREAL LIFE testing of the REAL car, because F1 regulation prohibits teams from doing off-season tests. So when the season starts, problems and issues begin to appear once the McLaren-Honda car is running around on the race track live.
No matter how advanced and costly, computer modelling and race simulations can't truly represent theREAL McLaren-Honda car running in the REAL world situation.
Lesson learned : Physics/theories/lectures/simulations/modelings are only useful as design guidelines, they CAN NEVER truly represent the real thing operating in real life situation.
High power (500+hp) FWD cars don't drive fine in corners, only low power FWD ( < 310hp, currently set by Acura RLX) cars do.
When cornering under power, the front tires of the low power FWD cars start losing traction gradually and therefore will understeer in a safe way.
But for high power FWD cars when powering out through corners, the massive engine torque will abruptly break lose the front tires, causing them to bounce and lift off the ground momentarily.
As soon as gravity takes over, the wildly spinning front tires fall back to the ground, they bounce again, they fall again, and they bounce again, and they fall again, ..... , for as long as the throttle plate is open and the steering wheel is at an angle.
In effect, the front end become like a ping pong ball, "darting around" with absolutely no steering control available to the driver.
Not just you who don't want such 500hp FWD car, no one wants to pay money for it either. That's why no automaker is stupid/crazy enough to put out such 500hp FWD vehicle in production form.
Also, please don't throw at me video clips of various physics, theories, lectures, and simulations, because everyone knows they will never truly represent the real thing in life, especially something as complicated as a high power FWD vehicle.
Ok, I'll be fair. Physics/theories/lectures/simulations/modelings may sometimes accurately reflect a single component, such as a high power engine alone, or a FWD chassis alone, or a suspension design alone; but once everything is put together, there are just too many other unforeseeable factors/parameters/variables interacting in real life that physics/theories/lectures/simulations/modelings can never account for.
Using the current Honda F1 engine program as an example.
Using existing physics, breakthrough theories, and advanced computer simulations/modelings to develop, the Honda engine looks good on the test bench. But once it is installed onto the McLaren race car, the McLaren-Honda race car is seriously underpowered and unreliable.
The culprit lies in the lack ofREAL LIFE testing of the REAL car, because F1 regulation prohibits teams from doing off-season tests. So when the season starts, problems and issues begin to appear once the McLaren-Honda car is running around on the race track live.
No matter how advanced and costly, computer modelling and race simulations can't truly represent theREAL McLaren-Honda car running in the REAL world situation.
Lesson learned : Physics/theories/lectures/simulations/modelings are only useful as design guidelines, they CAN NEVER truly represent the real thing operating in real life situation.
It's obviously clear when you may a statement like this that you have absolutely have no idea what you are talking about.
Today I learn something brilliant from you trying to end a discussion.
Next time when I run out of arguments, I will tell the other guy that he doesn't know what he is talking about and also that he has absolutely no clue what he is talking about.
Think of all the Honda/Acura models that have been failures or not having the sales to warrant reinvestment...
Element, Crosstour, CR-X, Insight, ZDX, RLX.
And Honda even messed up the previous Civic which is why they had to do an emergency MCE and offer big incentives (seems like they have learned from their mistake on the new Civic which seems like a major, major improvement - the new, more coherent and clean dash design by itself is a huge improvement).
Hence, all the recent executive changes.
And yes, Hyundai execs have also made their share of missteps, but they have also made numerous correct decisions as well.
Such as expanding into the BRIM markets where Honda is a small player.
Even with the recessions in Russia and Brazil, those markets are future growth markets and H/K now have nearly a quarter share of the Russian market.
And it's not like they are just leading Honda in the developing markets.
H/K has the largest market-share (by far) in the EU out of the Asian automakers and is 2nd to Toyota in Canada and Australia (once they add smaller crossovers, will likely pass Toyota/Lexus again in Canada; won't even need the additions to the Genesis brand).
Think of all the Honda/Acura models that have been failures or not having the sales to warrant reinvestment...
Element, Crosstour, CR-X, Insight, ZDX, RLX.
And Honda even messed up the previous Civic which is why they had to do an emergency MCE and offer big incentives (seems like they have learned from their mistake on the new Civic which seems like a major, major improvement - the new, more coherent and clean dash design by itself is a huge improvement).
Hence, all the recent executive changes.
And yes, Hyundai execs have also made their share of missteps, but they have also made numerous correct decisions as well.
Such as expanding into the BRIM markets where Honda is a small player.
Even with the recessions in Russia and Brazil, those markets are future growth markets and H/K now have nearly a quarter share of the Russian market.
And it's not like they are just leading Honda in the developing markets.
H/K has the largest market-share (by far) in the EU out of the Asian automakers and is 2nd to Toyota in Canada and Australia (once they add smaller crossovers, will likely pass Toyota/Lexus again in Canada; won't even need the additions to the Genesis brand).
Honda stand by its designs. its only quality control and production issue that they change people. CRZ/Insight is enormously popular in Asia.
Your making statements without revenue and profits. Honda is by far valuable and larger brand.
Honda is growing faster than H/K group in China and India. H/K group is simply going with lower priced offerings and bigger discounts.
Gasgoo.com (Shanghai Dec 14) Acura, a high-end brand of Honda, will officially launch the 1st made-in-China model in 2016 after 3 years of preparation for localization. But what will face the made-in-China Acura remains unknown.
There is no doubt that the production of the made-in-china Acura has been at the last moment according to Guangzhou Honda. However, so far, in addition to products, more information about the made-in-china Acura hasn’t been released. Even franchisers of Acura know little about its localization strategy.
“I heard of that Acura is preparing for its localization in China. But manufacturers haven’t communicated with us about that yet,” said a franchiser of Acura in northern China.
Meanwhile, how to build its distribution channel after localization gives rise to controversy again. Like other domestic brands in China, Acura is likely to run into difficulties when dealing with distribution channels.
Acura made in China, it is said, may be sold on the distribution network of Guangzhou Honda so as to accelerate the construction of its own network. Now Acura has about 40 4S stores in China. But some of them have dropped out because of long-run loss, which is not good news for those long-term franchisers.
Compared to China Honda, GAC, who may regard Acura as a marginalized brand in the Chinese market, is obviously not so keen on promoting made-in-China Acura.
Even the joint venture that produces Acura does not show too much expectation on it.
“We are not so excited about the localization of Acura in China. We just take a wait-an-see attitude now,” said an insider on December 10.
Compared to those brands that have been localized in China for 2 years like Infiniti, Jaguar, Land Rover and Cadillac, Acura which still needs half a year to finish its localization in China is undoubtedly trapped in awkward transition.
For decades, the rental-car market served as a security blanket for the Detroit 3. Weak sales month? Just dump some cars onto Enterprise or Avis lots to prop up the totals.
But over the past few years, General Motors and Ford Motor Co. have become less reliant on that profit-eroding habit, according to a review of industrywide rental sales data by Automotive News. Picking up the slack has been a mix of Asian automakers -- most notably Hyundai-Kia, and to a lesser extent Nissan and Toyota. American Honda's fleet business is negligible.
The chaos of often-sporadic bulk sales to rental companies distinguishes the rental market from the more predictable and profitable commercial and government segments of the fleet business.
For both GM and Ford, rentals account for a significantly smaller percentage of their overall U.S. sales volume than a few years ago -- 13.6 percent for GM through November this year vs. 18.6 percent for all of 2012, according to data from Bobit Business Media, publisher of the trade magazine Automotive Fleet. While still the top rental provider by volume, GM is the only automaker among the top 7 to reduce its rental sales this year -- down 11 percent through November -- and company executives vow more of the same for 2016.
Ford's rental business likewise is downsized from years past, despite a 23 percent jump this year through November. Rentals accounted for 11 percent of Ford's sales through November vs. 15.4 percent for all of 2012.
For both companies, the shift reflects revitalized car lineups that are better able to compete with Asian rivals for retail customers. It also shows their reluctance simply to keep their factories running regardless of demand and a stronger emphasis on resale values and brand health, analysts say.
Hyundai-Kia's surge in rental business, meanwhile, coincides with a tough market for car sales. As consumer demand shifts to pickups, SUVs and crossovers amid lower gasoline prices, the market shares of the car-heavy Korean brands are under pressure, says Jessica Caldwell, an analyst for Edmunds.com.
Combined rental sales for Hyundai and Kia have risen each year since 2011, more than doubling over that period to about 237,000 vehicles through November this year, according to Bobit data. For Hyundai alone, rentals through November equaled 22.4 percent of overall sales vs. just 9.9 percent for all of 2012.
Hyundai and Kia "were on a roll following the financial crisis but have lost some momentum" as the Detroit 3 regained their footing, Caldwell says. "Anytime an automaker is under pressure to protect market share, it's tempting to count on the daily rental business to dial up more volume."
FCA US, the No. 2 rental provider in volume behind GM, has not throttled back as much as GM and Ford, the Bobit data show. Rentals accounted for 16.7 percent of overall FCA US sales through November this year, down from 21 percent for all of 2012. But unlike GM and Ford, FCA is on pace to sell more rentals this year than in 2012.
FCA's car lineup is improved with the redesigned Chrysler 200 and other recent entries. But it still lags rivals in an increasingly competitive car market, pressuring FCA to divert more cars to fleets to sustain production and sales volumes, analysts say.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CFO Richard Palmer acknowledged during a conference call with analysts last spring that FCA US' high rental mix -- about 77 percent of overall fleet sales -- hurts its profitability relative to Ford and GM because margins on rental sales are "significantly lower" than in the other fleet segments, commercial and government.
That's in contrast to Nissan North America. While it has increased rental unit sales in recent years -- up 20 percent between 2012 and this year's projected total -- that has coincided with broader growth across its commercial fleet business since introducing dedicated small and medium commercial vehicles.
For decades, the Detroit 3 dominated commercial and government fleet sales. That's partly because they built larger and heavier-duty types of vehicles suited for those fleet buyers.
Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A.'s rental sales have grown for 3 straight years and are on pace for close to 200,000 this year, up about a third from 2013. But that's still a relatively small fraction of its overall sales at around 8.2 percent.
GM has been the most explicit about its rationale for dialing back rentals: It's out to improve its brand health through better resale values, which is tough for an automaker to do if tens of thousands of rental cars are flooding the used-vehicle market each month. The approach has contributed to a rough year for GM's car sales, though: They were off 14 percent through November, by far the industry's biggest decliner in cars.
GM execs say they're willing to make the trade-off, though, as stout truck and crossover sales buoy profits.
"This is very deliberate because we want to build these brands," GM North America President Alan Batey said of the rental reduction during an investor conference in October. "We want to build these residual values, and we're really focused on quality of sale."
Oh for sure, as Audi had its difficult moments a decade or 2 ago. Took a while to recover. More on that below.
I'd imagine Honda would be happy if they could sell as many RLX as the A6.
The worst year for A6 was better than the RL or RLX every year, except for 2006 when the RL was fresh.
Heck, for the the past 3 years, including this year, the Audi has sold well over 20k A6's. The RL/RLX never came close to that...lol
Since Honda is not likely to have a RWD platform, then at the very least, Honda should make sure its flagship looks good on the outside, with nice materials inside, and have decent powertrain options. Right now, the RLX has nice interior, but let down by fake wood. Its eSH-AWD system is nice too, but the FWD model needs to go. And obviously, the less said the better for the exterior.
I agree, the RLX is last place, they would be happy to have the sales of Hyundai/Kia RWD cars and Infiniti M's cars too along with the A6 but look at the sales of the BMW 5 series and Mercedes E class, they are the biggest sellers, much bigger then the Audi A6.
Acura needs a premium chassis to get the good looks like the top sellers, Audi uses its own bespoke higher end platform that gives it better looks. I don't think the RLX interior is very nice, does not scream luxury/money was not a issue in its design, the RL had a nicer interior, the new E class, that is going to have a really nice interior.
Yea I've seen the new E Class interior, it's definitely nice. To me, it's on a different level to everyone else in the segment.
My friend just bought a 2016 5 series where I spent an hour inside. I also drove the RLX when it first came out. I really can't say the 5 series has a nicer interior than the RLX.
I'm not sure if I said it in this thread before, but Volvo showed us that even with FWD and a transversely mounted engine, you can still get FR proportions. Knowing that Honda will most likely persist with FWD with a transversely mounted engine for future Acura models, perhaps Acura can learn a thing or two from Volvo on exterior design....lol
Honda Motor Co.’s luxury Acura marque is poised to celebrate its 30th birthday by outselling every American premium brand on their home turf and unleashing the much-awaited $150,000 NSX supercar.
Acura outsold General Motors Co.’s Cadillac by 5,862 cars and light trucks through November, and topped Ford Motor Co.’s Lincoln by almost 70,000 vehicles, according to Autodata Corp. To stay ahead, Acura will introduce its 573-horsepower NSX in the spring, ending a decade-long wait for the successor to a revered high-performance icon.
While not a volume model, the NSX supercar lends cachet to Acura, which was set up in 1986, before Toyota Motor Corp.’s Lexus or Nissan Motor Co.’s Infiniti. Its sales improvement shows both how American consumers are embracing Japanese luxury brands and the extent of Cadillac and Lincoln’s struggles to regain traction despite sweeping overhauls of their lineups.
“We have strong confidence for Acura’s future,”Tetsuo Iwamura, Honda’s executive vice president, said in an interview. “This NSX will definitely contribute to enhance the brand image for Acura and will be a driving force to pull ahead, or pull above, the rest of the model lineup.”
Barring a last-month comeback by Cadillac, Acura will finish ahead of the American luxury brands for just the 2nd time in its history, achieving the same feat in 2012. Iwamura declared it “high time” to improve Acura’s sedan lineup after it relinquished the lead over Cadillac the following year.
Cadillac has been unable to keep up with other luxury brands’ sales growth as it’s tried to boost pricing and compete head-on with German automakers, said Eric Lyman, a vice president at TrueCar Inc. Cadillac’s models are selling for $52,850 on average this year, while consumers are paying about $39,825 per Acura vehicle, according to TrueCar.
“Halo cars are always exciting for the enthusiasts and the niche people who follow the brands,” Lyman said of the NSX. For a customer choosing between Acura or another luxury auto brand, the supercar may not tip the scales in Honda’s favor, he said. “The question is, will the presence of an NSX somehow bring them to the table in the 1st place?”
Honda has taken other steps to improve the brand’s standing. It’s made Acura a separate division within the company, giving it dedicated management, marketing and other resources, with the hopes of distinguishing its models from Honda in the eyes of consumers.
TLX, SUVs
Acura’s biggest leap forward has been made by the TLX sedan, which began sales late last year. The company has delivered 43,572 units in the U.S. through November, topping the Lexus IS and almost doubling sales of Cadillac’s ATS.
The Acura SUV lineup, comprised of the MDX and RDX, may also be reinforced. The brand showed a small crossover at the 2013 Shanghai auto show, and earlier this year filed with the U.S. to trademark the name CDX.
“We are studying several possibilities,” Iwamura said. “It’s too premature to mention that.”
Honda Motor Co.’s luxury Acura marque is poised to celebrate its 30th birthday by outselling every American premium brand on their home turf and unleashing the much-awaited $150,000 NSX supercar.
Acura outsold General Motors Co.’s Cadillac by 5,862 cars and light trucks through November, and topped Ford Motor Co.’s Lincoln by almost 70,000 vehicles, according to Autodata Corp. To stay ahead, Acura will introduce its 573-horsepower NSX in the spring, ending a decade-long wait for the successor to a revered high-performance icon.
But Acura isn't outselling Buick. Through November, Buick has sold 202,347 units vs Acura's 160,342 units.
What is it about Cadillacs that prevents them from selling?
Not sure what their incentives are these days, but hve you seen the MSRP's of their cars? They aren't that different than a equivalent BMW or Mercedes.
Take the ATS vs 3 series as an example and look at their starting prices:
ATS 2.5: $34k
320i: $33k
ATS 2.0T: $36k
328i: $38k
ATS 3.6:$42k
340i: $46k
Performance wise, each 3 series trim is faster than the equivalent ATS trim. In other words, 320i faster than ATS 2.5, 328i faster than ATS 2.0T, and 340i faster than ATS 3.6. In fact, the ATS 3.6 performance is closer to the 328i.
Assuming you like the styling of Cadillac, the only other good thing is handling. Otherwise, they just can't compare with the others in terms of performance, interior, refinement, etc.
For comparison, the IS350 starts at $41k. It's cheaper than the ATS 3.6, arguably more prestigious, has a much nicer interior, and still has nice RWD handling.
I think Cadillac is going in the right direction with making these fun to drive RWD premium cars. But they are behind the others in making a good overall package. Yet, they went ahead and charge people premium prices. That IMO is a bit too optimistic.
yah Cadi has improved a lot in recent years but they are getting too ahead of themselves.
While the products might have improved but it takes time for the market to adjust and notice the improvement before they can charge as much as the Germans...
For decades, the rental-car market served as a security blanket for the Detroit 3. Weak sales month? Just dump some cars onto Enterprise or Avis lots to prop up the totals.
But over the past few years, General Motors and Ford Motor Co. have become less reliant on that profit-eroding habit, according to a review of industrywide rental sales data by Automotive News. Picking up the slack has been a mix of Asian automakers -- most notably Hyundai-Kia, and to a lesser extent Nissan and Toyota. American Honda's fleet business is negligible.
The chaos of often-sporadic bulk sales to rental companies distinguishes the rental market from the more predictable and profitable commercial and government segments of the fleet business.
For both GM and Ford, rentals account for a significantly smaller percentage of their overall U.S. sales volume than a few years ago -- 13.6 percent for GM through November this year vs. 18.6 percent for all of 2012, according to data from Bobit Business Media, publisher of the trade magazine Automotive Fleet. While still the top rental provider by volume, GM is the only automaker among the top 7 to reduce its rental sales this year -- down 11 percent through November -- and company executives vow more of the same for 2016.
Ford's rental business likewise is downsized from years past, despite a 23 percent jump this year through November. Rentals accounted for 11 percent of Ford's sales through November vs. 15.4 percent for all of 2012.
For both companies, the shift reflects revitalized car lineups that are better able to compete with Asian rivals for retail customers. It also shows their reluctance simply to keep their factories running regardless of demand and a stronger emphasis on resale values and brand health, analysts say.
Hyundai-Kia's surge in rental business, meanwhile, coincides with a tough market for car sales. As consumer demand shifts to pickups, SUVs and crossovers amid lower gasoline prices, the market shares of the car-heavy Korean brands are under pressure, says Jessica Caldwell, an analyst for Edmunds.com.
Combined rental sales for Hyundai and Kia have risen each year since 2011, more than doubling over that period to about 237,000 vehicles through November this year, according to Bobit data. For Hyundai alone, rentals through November equaled 22.4 percent of overall sales vs. just 9.9 percent for all of 2012.
Hyundai and Kia "were on a roll following the financial crisis but have lost some momentum" as the Detroit 3 regained their footing, Caldwell says. "Anytime an automaker is under pressure to protect market share, it's tempting to count on the daily rental business to dial up more volume."
FCA US, the No. 2 rental provider in volume behind GM, has not throttled back as much as GM and Ford, the Bobit data show. Rentals accounted for 16.7 percent of overall FCA US sales through November this year, down from 21 percent for all of 2012. But unlike GM and Ford, FCA is on pace to sell more rentals this year than in 2012.
FCA's car lineup is improved with the redesigned Chrysler 200 and other recent entries. But it still lags rivals in an increasingly competitive car market, pressuring FCA to divert more cars to fleets to sustain production and sales volumes, analysts say.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CFO Richard Palmer acknowledged during a conference call with analysts last spring that FCA US' high rental mix -- about 77 percent of overall fleet sales -- hurts its profitability relative to Ford and GM because margins on rental sales are "significantly lower" than in the other fleet segments, commercial and government.
That's in contrast to Nissan North America. While it has increased rental unit sales in recent years -- up 20 percent between 2012 and this year's projected total -- that has coincided with broader growth across its commercial fleet business since introducing dedicated small and medium commercial vehicles.
For decades, the Detroit 3 dominated commercial and government fleet sales. That's partly because they built larger and heavier-duty types of vehicles suited for those fleet buyers.
Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A.'s rental sales have grown for 3 straight years and are on pace for close to 200,000 this year, up about a third from 2013. But that's still a relatively small fraction of its overall sales at around 8.2 percent.
GM has been the most explicit about its rationale for dialing back rentals: It's out to improve its brand health through better resale values, which is tough for an automaker to do if tens of thousands of rental cars are flooding the used-vehicle market each month. The approach has contributed to a rough year for GM's car sales, though: They were off 14 percent through November, by far the industry's biggest decliner in cars.
GM execs say they're willing to make the trade-off, though, as stout truck and crossover sales buoy profits.
"This is very deliberate because we want to build these brands," GM North America President Alan Batey said of the rental reduction during an investor conference in October. "We want to build these residual values, and we're really focused on quality of sale."
so H/K group is selling rental crap thats why the revenue and profits does not match Honda.
What is it about Cadillacs that prevents them from selling?
The current gen products are more expensive and the lease deals suck compared to the Germans, that's what. The product is really almost there from a quality standpoint, but Americans are just not ready to pay German car-type dollars for a Cadi yet.
Look at the CTS-V.....with some optioning, a typical example will sell for $95k (base is $82k or so), and a fully optioned car at just over $100k. A fully optioned 2nd generation CTS-V (which I have) topped out at $74k! That price increase is also reflected in the ATS and further down the CTS lines.
Cadillac's leadership has said they are not worried about dropping sales, wanting Cadillac to be an "aspirational" brand....and not everyone can afford an aspirational car.
Um, OK. So I wish they'd explain why Mercedes and BMW are eating Cadillac's lunch in many segments, and those cars are even more expensive.
American Honda Sets New All-Time Annual Sales Record
Jan 5, 2016 - TORRANCE, Calif.
Total combined annual Honda & Acura vehicle sales eclipse previous record set in 2007 with a 3.0 percent gain over 2014
Honda Division records its best-ever year in 2015, gaining 2.6 percent
Total Honda & Acura trucks set new all-time annual marks, up 9.7 percent in 2015
Honda CR-V maintains position atop SUV market with fourth straight annual record
American Honda also sets all-time record for month of December
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. today reported all-time record annual sales of 1,586,551 Honda and Acura vehicles for 2015, an increase 3.0 percent to beat the previous record set in 2007. Honda and Acura truck sales also set a new annual record, gaining 9.7 percent on sales of 770,424. Honda Division sales topped last year`s record to set a new annual mark, rising 2.6 percent on sales of 1,409,386 units. Acura sales totaled 177,165, a 5.6 percent increase for the year and the division's best result since 2007.
"What better way to celebrate the "Year of Honda" than with an all-time automobile sales record," said John Mendel, executive vice president of the Automobile Division of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "We are grateful to our customers who embraced our entire product lineup and are the true power behind the Honda brand."
Honda
The Honda Division maintained its strong momentum through the end of 2015, grabbing both annual and December all-time records for the second straight year. Core models CR-V, Civic and Accord all finished strong, with CR-V setting a new annual mark, while the Pilot and Odyssey continued to flex sales muscle. The addition of the HR-V to the lineup also helped push the division to new annual heights.
CR-V set a new all-time annual record, gaining 3.2 percent on sales of 345,647 as it maintains its position as best-selling SUV in America.
Core models CR-V, Accord and Civic combined for over 1-million in sales for the third straight year.
In addition to the new annual record, Honda Division sales set a new combined car & truck December mark of 134,070 units, rising 12.2 percent for the month.
Both cars and trucks set individual December records as well. Car sales were up 13.3 percent on sales of 72,839 units, while trucks gained 11.0 percent with sales of 61,681 vehicles.
"While we are excited about the all-time sales record, we continue to have incredible momentum driven by the relentless cadence of new and successful products we introduced in 2015 that will give the Honda brand tremendous energy going into the new year," said Jeff Conrad, senior vice president and general manager of the Honda Division. "With a similar pace of new products coming this year, we're anticipating a very robust 2016."
Acura
The Acura Division enjoyed its best sales year since 2007, with strong performances from both sedans and trucks. The updated RDX set a new record and MDX recorded another year of sales over 50,000, despite limited inventory in last quarter of the year. Sedans also played a key role, with the TLX leading the way to take a larger share of the mid-luxury sedan segment.
One of the hottest players in a hot luxury SUV segment, the Acura RDX set an all-time annual sales record, climbing 13.7 percent on sales of 51,026 vehicles.
MDX exceeded 50,000 sales for the fourth straight year and continues to be the best-selling luxury three-row SUV in America.
TLX sales of 47,080 and a stronger performance from ILX as the gateway to the sedan lineup helped boost Acura sedan sales more than 18 percent in 2015.
Acura enjoyed a fourth consecutive year of sales growth in 2015 with 177,165 vehicles sold, gaining 5.6 percent for the year.
Acura truck sales exceeded 100,000 for the second straight year.
"The Acura brand continues on its steady march, now four years strong— with both our sales and brand power gaining increasing momentum with both trucks and sedans," said Jon Ikeda, vice president and general manager of the Acura division. "Importantly for our future, Acura sedans continue to gain strength – which will be our critical focus in the next phase of our strategic plan."
Accord, Civic, and CRV make up ~2/3 of Honda's production
MDX and RDX make up ~62% of Acura production, but at least car production is 18% up from 2014
Acura’s heartstring-pulling crash test spot was among the winners during the 3rd annual 1 Show Automobile Advertising of the Year Awards.
The award winners were announced today during the Detroit auto show. New York-based One Club, producer of the One Show, is a New York nonprofit group that recognizes creative excellence in advertising and design.
The awards recognized work in several categories including broadcast TV, interactive, online video and dealer advertising.
Acura’s spot, “The Test,” shows that crash tests aren’t emotionless tasks. The spot follows an Acura engineer as he preps for a test by putting 4 lifelike dummies -- who are actually actors -- into the MDX crossover.
The ad, which won an award in the broadcast TV category, uses an emotional touch when it reveals that the engineer was imagining himself and his family in place of the crash dummies.
“Our goal here is to talk about how personal it is,” said Leila Cesario, national advertising manager for Acura, in an interview when the ad released. “It’s beyond just passing a test.”
Hyundai’s viral hit, “A Message to Space,” nabbed an award in the online video category.
Hyundai helped a girl send a message to her astronaut father. The automaker deployed 11 Genesis sedans to Delamar Dry Lake in Nevada to craft a message in giant lettering out of tire marks in the dusty terrain.
The video has crossed 70 million views on YouTube since April 2015.
“We aimed to demonstrate our vision of being ‘a lifetime partner in automobiles and beyond’ to customers in a way that they could intuitively understand,” the automaker wrote in an email Q&A with Automotive News shortly after the video was released. “As cars have now become a companion of people’s daily lives, we wish to be their lifetime partner and a brand beyond simply being a means of transportation.”
The winners
Print & Outdoor
Land Rover: “The Test Drive Billboard” -- Y&R/Singapore
Broadcast Television
American Honda: “Paper” -- RPA
Acura: “The Test” -- Mullen Lowe U.S.
Interactive
Chevrolet: “Technology and Stuff” -- Commonwealth/McCann
Experiential
BMW: “Reverse April Fools’” -- DDB Group New Zealand
Online Video
Hyundai Motor: “A Message to Space” -- Innocean
Daimler: “The Uncrashable Toy Cars” -- Jung Von Matt
Acura’s latest national ad push will pack a punch.
The brand tabbed Michael B. Jordan, star of the hit boxing movie Creed, to do the voiceover for the campaign. The spot will begin running on Sunday during the NFL’s AFC playoff game between the Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers on CBS.
The campaign, Acura says, is about reintroducing its Precision Crafted Performance philosophy as the brand’s “core promise.”
The 60-second ad touches on the past, present and future of Acura. Using a thudding backdrop, the ad flashes back to the vintage NSX while running through the brand’s current lineup.
The latest NSX and the newly revealed Precision concept make appearances as well.
While Jordan was chosen around the time Creed released, his selection had nothing to do with the popularity of the film, said Jon Ikeda, general manager of Acura. Jordan’s youthful voice is representative of an image the brand wants to portray.
Acura turns 30 this year in March, Ikeda said, and he associates the brand with someone who’s no longer a kid and is more sure of who they are.
Ikeda said the 28-year-old Jordan, who’s 1 of Hollywood’s up-and-coming stars, has a voice that feels natural and unique -- which is what Acura is aiming for as a brand.
Jordan also did voiceovers for Acura’s presentation at the Detroit auto show on Tuesday.
“It was really funny because we’re going through all of these different actors, some incredible voices, incredible actors. But [the voices were] just very heavy and very serious. Then Michael B. showed up,” Ikeda said during an interview at the Detroit auto show on Monday.
He added, “There’s some definite confidence in the guy’s voice, but yet it’s still youthful. There’s something still left to explore, it’s not somebody talking down to you. He just fit with what we’re trying to do.”
The brand wouldn’t confirm if Jordan’s voice will be used during its NSX-themed Super Bowl ad, which will be a continuation of the Precision Crafted Performance premise.
Super Bowl stage
Acura says the Super Bowl spot will focus on the NSX’s North American roots, but why was the long-awaited supercar chosen in the 1st place?
The question caused Ikeda to look back to 1989, a year before the NSX debut, when he joined Honda as a designer. The Acura brand, he said, was 1 of the main reasons he wanted to work for the automaker.
“The Precision Crafted Performance aspect of the brand back then. The performance side of it was so strong. When we decided to reestablish that a bit stronger a couple years [ago] and made that dedication to do so, we used the NSX as a benchmark to express what Precision Crafted Performance means to us again,” Ikeda said.
Now in 2016, Acura is doubling down on that mantra. The Super Bowl ad, Ikeda said, will get people excited about Acura.
“The campaign for us is this coming year in 2016 in our point of view is on Precision Crafted Performance. We’re going to kick this thing off,” he said. “We’ve got a car that represents that. We want to show the world. That’s exactly why we picked the NSX.”
As usual RT misleads and obfuscates by picking and choosing info.
Honda stand by its designs. its only quality control and production issue that they change people. CRZ/Insight is enormously popular in Asia.
Your making statements without revenue and profits. Honda is by far valuable and larger brand.
Honda is growing faster than H/K group in China and India. H/K group is simply going with lower priced offerings and bigger discounts.
The CRZ is kinda popular in Japan, that's about it for Asia.
Honda's profits nowadays are up in large part due to the weak Yen (which is the same for pretty much all the Japanese automakers who sell a lot in the US).
Honda is in best position after export from Japan and Mexico plant stablizes.
Hyundai stagnation continue with no prospect of factory.
Yeah, why don't we overlook the fact that Hyundai has had its best sales year ever in the US, despite the drop for Dec.
H/K saw a 6.2% increase in sales from 2014, whereas Honda/Acura saw a 3.0% increase (just in case you don't know, 3 is lower than 6.2).
And that was w/o the aid of any additions to its lineup, unlike for Honda which added the HR-V.
Take away the 41,969 HR-V sales for 2015 and H/A's sales for 2015 saw less than a 4k increase on 2014 sales.
Originally Posted by SSFTSX
Honda has more than million sales in China. dominated by SUVs.
Still got a ways to go before getting close to the 1.68 million that H/K sold in China.
But hey, let's not forget the other large auto market - Europe (how convenient of you to not include that).
H/K sold 831,145 in the EU last year (a 10%+ increase) for a 6% marketshare; Honda sold a whopping 125,834 (that's less than they did in 2014) for less than a 1% marketshare.
Needless to say, Honda was outsold by Toyota/Lexus and Nissan, but was also outsold by Mazda and Suzuki in the EU and just barely managed to outsell Mitsu.
Now, of course, H/K have their issues - mainly not enough CUVs/SUVs (much less trucks) in their lineup and not enough capacity of what they do have, but that will start to change for 2016.
Hyundai USA's supply for the Tucson will go up to around 90-100k and w/ Santa Fe Sport production to be added around mid-year, supply of the SFS should also increase as well.
Kia's new Mexico plant is about ready to start production and that added capacity will allow Kia to increase production of the new Sportage, along with adding production of the upcoming Niro hybrid/PHEV/EV crossover.
In the next 5-6 years, H/K will be adding 6, if not 7 more crossovers, as well as a small pick-up.
And at the high-end, Hyundai managed to get the union to agree to double Genesis G90 production to 32k/yr.
Under the previous 16k production schedule, there would have been a 10 month wait just to fulfill the back-orders (as of mid-Jan.) for the Korean market alone.
How many RLX's is Acura expected to sell this year?
As usual RT misleads and obfuscates by picking and choosing info.
The CRZ is kinda popular in Japan, that's about it for Asia.
Honda's profits nowadays are up in large part due to the weak Yen (which is the same for pretty much all the Japanese automakers who sell a lot in the US).
weak yen? Honda almost exclusively North American brand now. this shows how much you know about it.
Yeah, why don't we overlook the fact that Hyundai has had its best sales year ever in the US, despite the drop for Dec.
with incentives any firm can claim title.
H/K saw a 6.2% increase in sales from 2014, whereas Honda/Acura saw a 3.0% increase (just in case you don't know, 3 is lower than 6.2).
it is the quality of sales not the quantity that matter. HRV and Pilot saleing at MRSP.
And that was w/o the aid of any additions to its lineup, unlike for Honda which added the HR-V.
Hond also eliminated Insight/Civic Hybrid/ILX hybrid/Ridgeline. TSX/TL replaced by one car.
Mid size Accord has two engines which H/K groupd use 1.6T/2.0T/2.4 in mid size Optima/Sonata. this is just one example of over expanding.
Take away the 41,969 HR-V sales for 2015 and H/A's sales for 2015 saw less than a 4k increase on 2014 sales.
HRV just replaced Fit sales. HRV higher transaction price vehicle. Fit are only imported now from Japan to make room for HRV at mexico plant.
Still got a ways to go before getting close to the 1.68 million that H/K sold in China.
Those are small dingy cars just like in India.
But hey, let's not forget the other large auto market - Europe (how convenient of you to not include that).
H/K sold 831,145 in the EU last year (a 10%+ increase) for a 6% marketshare; Honda sold a whopping 125,834 (that's less than they did in 2014) for less than a 1% marketshare.
Show me the revenues and profits and market cap. I can bet this quarter Honda revenue will exceed H/K group revenues.
Needless to say, Honda was outsold by Toyota/Lexus and Nissan, but was also outsold by Mazda and Suzuki in the EU and just barely managed to outsell Mitsu.
you can sell to rental fleets.
Now, of course, H/K have their issues - mainly not enough CUVs/SUVs (much less trucks) in their lineup and not enough capacity of what they do have, but that will start to change for 2016.
not enough CUV/SUVs? is this a joke like your previous excuses of limited production and lack of north american factories. H/K group has many more SUVs than Honda.
Hyundai USA's supply for the Tucson will go up to around 90-100k and w/ Santa Fe Sport production to be added around mid-year, supply of the SFS should also increase as well.
Kia's new Mexico plant is about ready to start production and that added capacity will allow Kia to increase production of the new Sportage, along with adding production of the upcoming Niro hybrid/PHEV/EV crossover.
the growth era of H/K is over.
In the next 5-6 years, H/K will be adding 6, if not 7 more crossovers, as well as a small pick-up.
you will have to dump into rental fleets.
And at the high-end, Hyundai managed to get the union to agree to double Genesis G90 production to 32k/yr.
without separate dealership structure. no one will be buying them. waste of resources.
Under the previous 16k production schedule, there would have been a 10 month wait just to fulfill the back-orders (as of mid-Jan.) for the Korean market alone.
How many RLX's is Acura expected to sell this year?
RLX is not North American made. it is not taking factory space here. let see how many NSX sells.
weak yen? Honda almost exclusively north american brand now. This shows how much you know about it.
With incentives any firm can claim title.
It is the quality of sales not the quantity that matter. Hrv and pilot saleing at mrsp.
Hond also eliminated insight/civic hybrid/ilx hybrid/ridgeline. Tsx/tl replaced by one car.
Mid size accord has two engines which h/k groupd use 1.6t/2.0t/2.4 in mid size optima/sonata. This is just one example of over expanding.
Hrv just replaced fit sales. Hrv higher transaction price vehicle. Fit are only imported now from japan to make room for hrv at mexico plant.
Those are small dingy cars just like in india.
Show me the revenues and profits and market cap. I can bet this quarter honda revenue will exceed h/k group revenues.
You can sell to rental fleets.
Not enough cuv/suvs? Is this a joke like your previous excuses of limited production and lack of north american factories. H/k group has many more suvs than honda.
The growth era of h/k is over.
You will have to dump into rental fleets.
Without separate dealership structure. No one will be buying them. Waste of resources.
Rlx is not north american made. It is not taking factory space here. let see how many nsx sells.
For Acura’s Super Bowl spot, ad agency MullenLowe considered an array of songs from various genres to find the right backdrop for the NSX supercar.
Classic rock, hard rock and R&B were among the choices, Acura says. The agency says it took around 4 to 6 weeks to decide.
In the end, David Lee Roth’s potent vocals in the Van Halen classic "Runnin’ with the Devil" proved irresistible. Acura unveiled the ad today.
The artistic visuals of the opening seconds hint at a quieter affair. But then Roth’s a cappella interjections kick in as the NSX is shown, conveying some of the unbridled excitement that Acura hopes to elicit with its long-awaited supercar.
The 30-second spot closes with the rock anthem in full blast -- the NSX’s roaring engine harmonizing with the blistering guitar as it speeds away.
Acura is using the ad, slated to run in the 1st quarter, to emphasize its “Precision Crafted Performance” mantra. The brand is releasing a 60-second version of the spot online today, too.
Off guard
Acura brand chief Jon Ikeda, a former designer who says he’s still learning the ropes of marketing, had a clear vision for the ad from the outset. For advertising’s biggest stage, he wanted an energy and volume to match, said Mark Wenneker, chief creative officer of MullenLowe.
“The visual was supposed to be very modern and crafted and beautiful,” Wenneker said in an interview Thursday, “but the idea with the music we chose was to take these screams that were screaming at every piece and part of the car, and give people a little smile and a little bit of something they weren’t expecting to see.”
He added, “It was intentional to catch people off guard a little bit.”
This isn’t the 1st time the NSX has been featured in the Super Bowl. Acura ran an ad in 2012 starring Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno.
But this time, Wenneker said, Acura wanted the car to be the star.
The ad team’s search for the perfect song tossed them into uncharted territory. This is the first time Van Halen has ever released "Runnin’ with the Devil" for advertising use.
Wenneker said the band’s love of cars, and the NSX in particular, may have played a role in the decision to license the song.
The decision to use Roth’s isolated vocals was a creative call.
“A capella was a choice that we liked in a lot of music we looked at because it felt so different,” he said. “The choice became clear when we [heard] "Runnin’ with the Devil" all the way through full blast or other rock-’n’-roll music. It would kind of bleed in and wouldn’t stand out.”
Acura says the goal of the ad is to show that the NSX is “better described through raw emotion than words alone.”
‘American stage’
The brand will bolster its Super Bowl campaign by spreading the 30-second version of the ad with a new Twitter video feature that will allow people to share it with their friends and enter a sweepstakes for a VIP NSX driving experience, the company said.
In addition, Acura is launching a countdown clock today in the lead-up to the Feb. 25 debut of the NSX online configurator. Consumer can begin contacting Acura stores that day to place NSX orders as well.
Using the song of American rock legends was fitting for the NSX, which will be produced in Marysville, Ohio, said Leila Cesario, Acura’s national advertising manager.
“This is an American supercar. We’re putting it on an American stage,” Cesario said in an interview Thursday. “You need that full-of-energy American band that helps to bring it home.”
Most certainly agree, that ad is light years better than those Made for Mankind ones, bravo!
In fact, the main reason why I like it, is it doesn't contain a lot of marketing / sales mumbo jumbo. It just simply shows an awesome product, and tells you who makes it, and when its available. IF you want to know more, go to an Acura dealership. Mission accomplished.
Most certainly agree, that ad is light years better than those Made for Mankind ones, bravo!
In fact, the main reason why I like it, is it doesn't contain a lot of marketing / sales mumbo jumbo. It just simply shows an awesome product, and tells you who makes it, and when its available. IF you want to know more, go to an Acura dealership. Mission accomplished.
Well im not sure i would go that far. They have been showing commercials of this car for (this will be its 3rd Superbowl add) 3 years now and we still dont have it.
12-10-2015, 04:16 AM
Meh, there's quite few 600+HP FWD out there. 
China
AutoNews
AutoNews
SuperBowl Commercial
Very uninspiring 
