Dazmb wrote:I wonder how Honda will spin the whole Type R 'red H, racing heritage only on race cars.... etc' line now if they don't actually have any race cars ! (other than Indy cars maybe).
It's a sad state of affairs for Honda and Type R.
Bóllocks. I am sure they will still be involved in racing in Japan in other classes. They only went back into F1 in 2005, so it is not as if the majority of R cars on the roads can claim F1 cred.
If Honda had stayed out of that useless F1 nonsense and put the $300,000,000 ANNUAL budget into road car design and equipping, we would be able to buy a 1100 kg car with carbon fibre rims, an engine that had a 10,000 rpm red line and brakes that didn't need upgrading for the track. Their sales wouldn't have fallen 41% either. I don't mean all of that 300m should have gone into type R's, rather that spread over the whole range, all their cars would have been better value for money which would probably have resulted in greater sales as a consequence.
What Honda should do is put some effort into developing a type R car that is clearly best of it's type, the way the Civic Type R was seen as the best hot hatch for several years running. Although the sales of such cars will always be low relative to the total, they add cachet to a marque in a more meaningful way than stuffing around in F1 ever will. I will bet there have been a lot of standard model Hondas sold simply because the type R's exist.
Nissan's GT-R is a classic example. Given the level of tech that is in that thing, it's almost bespoke levels of construction and limited numbers, it surely must be a loss-leader. That is, it is sold for less than it costs to make because it adds prestige to the brand which translates to increased sales across the range.
Honda should at least reclaim the hot-hatch crown or produce GT-R / Evo equivalents.
Personally I am glad they have dropped out of F1. If they had sunk the money they have wasted on F1 into Type R's .....
My other Honda runs on grass.....cuts it too.