"Be Cool," the movie sequel to "Get Shorty," will be out in February (starring Travolta, Uma, The Rock, Cedric The Entertainer, Big Boi from Outcast, and others), and guess which car is one of the co-stars in the movie? You got it. The Honda Insight. Travolta drives a silver one throughout the movie; it's even part of the storyline; there are numerous beauty shots of it; and Travolta refers to it as "The Cadillac Of Hybrids." I'm hoping Honda will continue to produce them, because it would be one of the bigger business blunders if they don't!
Hollywood Insider News: Elmore Leonard And The Insight
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Well sorry to say this but Honda probably won't be making them after 2005, I read in last Saturday's newspaper about the Honda Accord Hybrid, and it talked about the Insight. Honda said they will continue to make it in 2005, then either decide to continue it, replace it, or drop it from the lineup. My best guess is that they are going to drop it because it don't sell that well.
If you would like to see the article yourself, then see my thread: "Honda Stopping Production of Insight in 2005?"
Here is the link:http://www.insightcentral.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2169&start=20
(Scroll down and click on the links that I have on the page and you can read the article that I scanned there.)
Hrmm, from what I've gathered they have these rumours every year. Honda takes an enormous loss on every Insight (Honda basically eats half the cost of every Insight) so I doubt that the intent of producing Insights was making money. Hence, I don't think that poor sales figures would be grounds to stop making it.
However, the popular speculation seems to be that Honda will eventually stop production of the Insight and start producing the IMAS. Since the IMAS is still essentially an Insight, however, err. yeah.
However, the popular speculation seems to be that Honda will eventually stop production of the Insight and start producing the IMAS. Since the IMAS is still essentially an Insight, however, err. yeah.
Foxpaw why else would Honda sell the Insight, obviously to make money. Why sell the car if they aren't making anything for it? That is why you don't see any insights around at the dealerships because if you want one you have to order it because they aren't going to make a bunch of them and leave them sitting on the dealership lot and not get anything for it (people do not buy them), Honda would be loosing money doing that. That is why you don't see that many on the road simply because they don't sell that well, and hybrid cars are not so popular these days, so they will probably stop making the Insight. If you are reffering to the IMAS as the Insight II then I highly doubt that they will make it because that is what the big rumor on here last year was, that they were going to make the Insight II in 2005 and they never did, instead they are just selling the 2004 model for another year as the 2005 so I highly doubt seeing it after the year 2005.
Well, how could Honda possibly making money on the Insight when they take a humongous loss on each one. Hence, they LOSE money on every one that they sell. They aren't profiting off of the Insight, they're subsidizing it.
We can only speculate on their motives for doing so, but the premise is probrably bragging rights for having the most efficient car, and experimentation with hybrid technologies so they don't end up with a black streak on one of their better known car models as a result of incorporating unproven technologies into them.
And, err.. just for the record, I don't know that it's accurate to say that they never did make the Insight II in 2005. I mean, it's not even 2005 yet.
We can only speculate on their motives for doing so, but the premise is probrably bragging rights for having the most efficient car, and experimentation with hybrid technologies so they don't end up with a black streak on one of their better known car models as a result of incorporating unproven technologies into them.
And, err.. just for the record, I don't know that it's accurate to say that they never did make the Insight II in 2005. I mean, it's not even 2005 yet.
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:roll:Chris said:
Chris; we have covered this on previous threads; the Insight was intended as a proof of concept car. The millenium year, 2000, and being the trendy, green thing to do were factors. a couple hundred million dollars was spent in development and tooling, and manufacturing processes for the car. To recover those costs would take the sale of huge quantities. The Insight is NOT about profit on the model, per say. But there are renumerations for being the first hybrid, and for being the highest mpg car for several years running.......Billy
Honda designed 3, yes 3 hybrids!
The Accord arriving Dec 1, more than doubles the power of any other hybrid.
The Civic takes the prize for best camoflaged hybrid.....
But, the Insight is the hybrid people notice, and the 5 speed blows the doors off anything else for mileage.
Accept no substitute! Their styling and aluminum body will stand the test of time, therfor they will still be helping to promote Honda sales decades from now! Continuing to sell a couple of thousand a year is no big loss for Honda and makes Honda stand out environmentally. If Honda comes up with a better replacement for the Insight, great! God only knows who spreads rumours of their demise every year, but it is something of a joke.
VW has designed a "2 litre" 3 passenger car. If they do sell it to the public, it will be only 1,000 cars a year, and only available in Germany. It will not make money either! :wink:
Thanks Amy for the heads up on that movie, and good for John Travolta. The movie just might popularize the Insight! I'll have to check it out.
The Accord arriving Dec 1, more than doubles the power of any other hybrid.
The Civic takes the prize for best camoflaged hybrid.....
But, the Insight is the hybrid people notice, and the 5 speed blows the doors off anything else for mileage.
Accept no substitute! Their styling and aluminum body will stand the test of time, therfor they will still be helping to promote Honda sales decades from now! Continuing to sell a couple of thousand a year is no big loss for Honda and makes Honda stand out environmentally. If Honda comes up with a better replacement for the Insight, great!
God only knows who spreads rumours of their demise every year, but it is something of a joke.VW has designed a "2 litre" 3 passenger car. If they do sell it to the public, it will be only 1,000 cars a year, and only available in Germany. It will not make money either! :wink:
Thanks Amy for the heads up on that movie, and good for John Travolta. The movie just might popularize the Insight! I'll have to check it out.
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I am still confident that the current Insight will be replaced by an IMAS-based Insight in the 2006 model year.
Great that the Insight is going to be featured so prominently in a film. Not sure that we want Travolta driving one though.... :wink:
Great that the Insight is going to be featured so prominently in a film. Not sure that we want Travolta driving one though.... :wink:
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P.S. Any publicity from the film for the Insight should only help raise re-sale values!
(If only Uma had been driving one in the Kill Bill films...)
(If only Uma had been driving one in the Kill Bill films...)
"That is why you don't see any insights around at the dealerships because... (people do not buy them)"
Well, I have to disagree about people not buying them. I mean, we all did, didn't we? And we have people coming here wondering where they can find one, or buying them on EBay and taking plane rides to pick them up.
Of course Honda doesn't want to sell a whole bunch of them at a loss, just enough to get the publicity and benefits of testing a new technology in the real world.
Well, I have to disagree about people not buying them. I mean, we all did, didn't we? And we have people coming here wondering where they can find one, or buying them on EBay and taking plane rides to pick them up.
Of course Honda doesn't want to sell a whole bunch of them at a loss, just enough to get the publicity and benefits of testing a new technology in the real world.
Hi Chris,Chris said:
maybe hybrids aren't selling well in your area of FL, but the DC Metro area is loaded with them. There are lots of Insights (I've seen five CYM in addition to the one I drive), and literally countless Prius and Stealth Civics. Maybe it's just a regional thing, but hybrids are very popular here.
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Re: Granny-mobiles
Absolutely right!!! With no advertising, how could they know? Honda now has commercials for the Civic Hybrid, they should include the Insight in the same commercial. As far as Hybrids being popular or not, I live in a developement in WV with 230 houses, and almost everyone works in Northern Virginia, a 40 to 80 mile drive depending on where you are going, and I am the ONLY one in the developement with a Hybrid. I think there are more trucks and suv's than economy cars. I deliver a mail route in Sterling, VA with 400 houses, and not one Hybrid. I usually see one or two Prius and or Civics going to or from work, and I occasionally see an Insight. One person on my route was going to buy a Prius, but the nine month wait was to long. I hope the movie will generate interest in the Insight, but from what I've read here, that Honda is only building a couple thousand and stopping production for the year in March, even if the movie generates interest, there won't be any cars available.AmyAlkon said:
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Hi Amy, I enjoyed the article you have on your website about the Rambler.
I am a Nash addict, and have owned a 60 Metropolitan and a 59 Rambler.
One of the reasons I bought my Insight was because it reminded me
of the Metropolitan.
Is the pink Rambler keeping your Insight company or did the Insight
replace it?
Robert
I am a Nash addict, and have owned a 60 Metropolitan and a 59 Rambler.
One of the reasons I bought my Insight was because it reminded me
of the Metropolitan.
Is the pink Rambler keeping your Insight company or did the Insight
replace it?
Robert
Hybrids are fashionable
There were no fewer than two double-page Hybrid advertisements in a magazine I bought Saturday: One for the Ford Escape Hybrid, the other for the Accord. Both pointed out leather, navigation and high horsepower. The Ford advertisement was funny in that it pooh-poohed "Mild Hybrids" as incapable of running exclusively on their electric motors.
The scary thing is that the EPA mileages quoted were about the same. That makes the Accord seem thirstier than ever.
:shock:
There were no fewer than two double-page Hybrid advertisements in a magazine I bought Saturday: One for the Ford Escape Hybrid, the other for the Accord. Both pointed out leather, navigation and high horsepower. The Ford advertisement was funny in that it pooh-poohed "Mild Hybrids" as incapable of running exclusively on their electric motors.
The scary thing is that the EPA mileages quoted were about the same. That makes the Accord seem thirstier than ever.
:shock:
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