gonnamissit said:
They moved the Insight, NSX and S2000 to the 'low volume' assembly line to setup things in such a way that they have an assembly line completely dedicated to research.
Interestingly, the new line is the same one that was making the Prelude, dicontinued around the time of the move. Now the NSX will be discontinued.... makes you think that is the line where models go out to die... The s2000 is 6 yrs old, and so is the Insight ...
Good to know, do you happen to know what has become of the small Toguchi factory and test track? The plant's credo was "Cars That Make Our Dreams Come True".
Here are some excerpts about it and the all aluminum body NSX from
Good Mileage: The High-Performance Business Philosophy of Soichiro Honda.
What makes this factory even more unique is that the Honda NSX is the first mass-produced car in the world built with an all-aluminum (monocock) body. That is, an auto body where the outer shell and structural framework are all of one piece. Aluminum is light and rustproof, quite unlike a steel auto body, so that a car's energy efficiency and balance is increased.
The final scene we witnessed at the auto-body finishing shop was, in some respects, the most impressive: Here, all the body-sanding and filing was done by hand. Although this is the kind of labor that could easily be entrusted to machines, here the human touch prevails. The sanders state intently at every inch of the automobile, and file the chassis with affection and care. When the initial filing is finished, the body is rinsed with water, and any small dents or otherwise out-of-shape parts are fixed. Just before the cars are about to be painted, it's as if a dialogue between human beings and their handiwork is taking place. Employees even put their signatures on the auto body when their work is finished. Though erased when the cars are painted in the final stage of production, the signatures nonetheless seem to express the sentiment, "I made this car with pride!" No wonder the NSX has the feel of having been "made by hands."
One last excerpt, involving Mr. Honda, and as pertinent to the Insight as it was to the NSX:
Shortly after the NSX factory was completed, Mr. Honda paid it a visit. As he listened to the managers' accounts and hopes for the factory, he examined each work area with pleasure. Sighing in appreciation at the innovative and well-thought-out factory layout, he seemed brimming with satisfaction and pride. Suddenly, however, he bristled angrily when one of the factory managers called out to him, "Mr. Honda, we are dedicated to running this factory in the spirit of fine craftsmanship." Honda exploded, replying: "I never intended that the employees of this factory would be, in any sense, superior to those at the other factories. It is precisely because the other Honda factories are producing the broad market models that you all have the leisure to concentrate on the NSX. Please, don't make petty claims to grandeur!"
Anyway, I'd prefer to think of the line as one where retiring cars spent their final years while their replacements come of age. Isn't the S2000 somewhat of a replacement to the Prelude, along with the RSX? The S2000 will of course a successor down the line, the S500's legacy will continue on. As for the NSX, Honda's president has just
recently said a NSX replacement will be out in 3-4 years with a F1-inspired V10 engine. It'll be impressive to have an impressive halo supercar in the Honda family line-up once again.
Autoweek now has an
article up saying the CRX will return in 2007. Between the CRX and the Jazz/Fit next spring, we could see some impressive mileage from a relatively light car with a lean burn engine (in the 50s once again). Hopefully, with availability and popularity greater the the Civic HX (lean burn engine trim, but even rarer than Insights). I'll be dreaming of the new Civics IMA powerplant in a lighter and hatchbacked CRX...
EDIT: Typo in quote