Location: Lewisville, Texas USA Drive 2000 5-speed Insight
Posts: 789
The article was a teaser. It said this next generation Insight would have better acceleration while getting better than 80 mpg. That would be about a 20% improvement in fuel economy and better performance. The body is carbon fiber, but I wonder what kind of hybrid engine they plan?
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2005 Insight, UK Spec Silver 5 speed with Alpine stereo, subwoofer & speakers with iPod link, IMA C&C, Shark Fin Aerial, Garmin EcoRoute HD, Skinz sound deadened rear shelf, 'InsightCentral' number plates, 19" rear wiper, Osram nightbreaker plus bulbs
Previous owner of 1999 Japanese Silver 5sp, 2001 UK Citrus 5sp & 2000 Japanese Red CVT Honda Insight - An extraordinary car for ordinary people
Location: Lewisville, Texas USA Drive 2000 5-speed Insight
Posts: 789
I'm sure that like the J-VX, this concept car will change before it makes it to the dealers. The bumpers and rear-view will need to be addressed.
A 300-pound reduction in weight should improve the performance. The current Insight is about 1800 pounds - the next generation will be under 1500 pounds. The wheels could be a little smaller in a lighter Insight, allowing more engine room. Just a guess, but the electric motors will probably be more efficient.
Just a guess based on the limited information, but it suggests that the next generation Insight will get 80 mpg with the performance approaching the CRX-Si. I think the CRX-Si would get about 35 mpg with that kind of fast cruising (can someone confirm or deny?)
Having said all that, I do have concerns about the carbon-body. I hope it's modular so replacement is easy. If you bust the main body - it's totaled. I'd expect the carbon-body to increase the price.
___The cost is unfortunately a significant and IMHO, the #1 issue as to why the 2 seat Insight is not selling in any kind of quantity after an initial sales surge so many years ago. A carbon composite body on an all-aluminum frame? That sounds incredibly expensive and I have to think Honda is going to get tired of losing tens of thousands of dollars on each and every Hybrid automobile they sell instead of finally making some green on the entire hybrid concept. Toyota may soon accomplish this with the 04 Prius although many state that Toyota had already achieved a profit on the first generation Prius later in the 02 model year. The sales numbers and profits per vehicle vs. design, R&D, and construction expenses of Gen #1 don’t add up in my book for this to be true but whatever. In the case of the next gen Insight, something has got to give and an ultra expensive Honda hybrid with a somewhat std. level of performance is not going to make money for anyone. The time for hybrid development has got to move to a time of profit or the Honda Insight replacement is probably doomed as a “concept only” product for the car show circuit
___Good Luck
___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___[email:37zoegnw]Waynegerdes@earthlink.net[/email:37zoegnw]
Location: Lewisville, Texas USA Drive 2000 5-speed Insight
Posts: 789
Nothing is set in stone for the next generation Insight or that there will even be one. The Knowledge Base outlining the history of the Insight had a prototype storing the electric charge in a capacitor but it was deemed a crash hazard. I expect Honda will focus on introducing hybrid power plants to the rest of their line.
Bear in mind Honda is the ONLY family controlled auto company existant. This allows them to do things other companies can't do due to accounting constraints. They have the money to throw at an ideal if they feel like it. The continuation of the Insight through 2004 shows that the losses they take on each one is worth being at the top of all fuel economy lists to them. Don't discount this concept car. If the ruling family of Honda want to make a statement , they won't care about the bottom line.
Good point Trans Am Don. Another important point to make is that this IMAS concept car has stirred passions, albeit on both sides of the fence. Any car that stirs passions is a winner.
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2005 Insight, UK Spec Silver 5 speed with Alpine stereo, subwoofer & speakers with iPod link, IMA C&C, Shark Fin Aerial, Garmin EcoRoute HD, Skinz sound deadened rear shelf, 'InsightCentral' number plates, 19" rear wiper, Osram nightbreaker plus bulbs
Previous owner of 1999 Japanese Silver 5sp, 2001 UK Citrus 5sp & 2000 Japanese Red CVT Honda Insight - An extraordinary car for ordinary people
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The replacement for the Insight?
