i have always asked myself this question,why did honda choose not to ship us the "good" stuff. type r's,sirs,smx's and all of the other models they kept for themselves.
could it be because some of the models are too fast? some of the models dont have a buying croud? is it because some of the models offered look similar to the us models?(avenger head lights"black housing" look very similar to the jdm teg r lights) or is is because we nuked them?
why do you guys think?
not a poll just want some opinions or some edjamacated answers... thanks.

 

I believe the reason is simply the fact that those 'faster' cars do not match US emmisions criteria, ect.

 

yea but a b16a out of an crx sir put into my usdm crx passed emmissions with flying colors so how could that be?


[Modified by madeinjapan, 6:39 PM 2/7/2002]

 

I honestly think it is because they want to sell more acuras than hondas. While sell a ctr to someone if you can get them to buy something higher priced like gsr or itr? Sure doesn't explain everything, but you can bet honda does ungodly amounts of market research before making their decision, and they do what they think will maximize their profit and public image.
I used to work for Takata and you will not believe how much friggin market research they did and are still doing for some products they will be releasing in the next few years (nothing car related really, unless you plan on getting a fully outfitted mdx) All about money and image, and believe it or not, car enthusiats are not a big market share
now why they don't at least put out a few limited edition vehicles the way other manufacturers have done, I can't explain...

 

1) Japs always keep the best for themselves. This applies to everything.

2) See #1

 

a few would probably pass emmisions in another state..but if cant sell in calif..its not worth shipping to the mainland

 

I dont know ....

honda being one of the cleanest motor company .. it should pass the emmision test with no major problem ... or it should take very little to have it pass emmision tests .....

unlike Lancer with turbo and need rework front bumper
i understand why mitsu is holding back the Lancer EVO

but cars like CTR .... where there are at least more demand then the maxinum Honda could provide us ....

but I do remember ... for every type R they sell .. honda is losing money ...

but at least gives up civic with B16A in every body style ...
sedan, coupe, HB ...

 

Hey, I'm sorry, but you guys got your heads in the clouds on this one. In the first place, your cars [and mine] are made by scab labor in Ohio, not Japan. Right there that should tell you they are gonna be POS. The 'new' Si's are made in the British Isles; about as high-tech as Mudistan and Dirtistan IMO.

You're just a bunch of cash-cows to the Japs. They could give a poo poo about you and your dreamcar. They just keep taking your money and keep the good stuff for themselves - period.

Wake up and smell the sushi, you yankee doodle dumbies!!!

 

no poo poo,nerd eater...

 

Can't handle the truth, huh, bro??? Show me where I'm wrong and I'll be glad to recant...

 

dam they censored my negative post........i agree. and the truth hurts,but hell why do you have to be to neg about it.......


[Modified by madeinjapan, 6:48 PM 2/8/2002]

 

anything adding performance to the motor needs CARB approval..most of the JDM honda parts are not approved in calif

 

It's obviously cheaper for Honda US to sell us stuff that's built in Ohio.

What puzzles me is that if overlapping models (i.e. CTR vs. GS-R) aren't an issue in a small country like Japan, why is it an issue in a large country like the US??? I suppose the real answer is the Acura vs. Honda issue, but even then, it's not enough of an explanation.

Jesus--we all know all that stuff would sell with flying colors stateside!!!

 

My guess is that honda is known to have ultra low emission vehicles and they want to leave it that way by leaving us in the dirt with most SOHC motors.

 

its all marketing, just liek every other car company out there.
just as audi isnt bringing over the s3 because it will totally screw up the sales of the gti.

losing money is more important than making the customer happy [us younger gen]. if the accord is their money maker, along with the tegs and cl's then they are gonna build on making those even better and not just bring over a ctr to make a selected few very happy.
the emissions ans safety parts also hold true.
they want the general population to be buying their cars in a foreign market.

thats why they came out with the mdx, cuz everyone is jumpin on this suv craze...
the tegs are still selling, and with a ctr, the rsx will be in jeopardy.

we just have to move there i guess.


[Modified by def jux, 7:19 AM 2/10/2002]

 

Some things I don't understand and have talked about with my friends:
Why would they change certain things before they sent them to america.

IE.,
JDM Valve covers...in america they "typed" the DOHC larger then VTEC.
Amber clocks and gauges and whatnot inside the car...why would they change the color for America?

Just wondering

 

due to safety concerns..calif has enact d a million laws restricting what u can and cant have on ur car, how low, how loud..u name it and calif has a law saying u cant have it

 

honda, US can easily build a car that will perform on equal footing with the japanesse models..and they can easily build them to equal that of the itr s..but the big wigs in japan are not about to let anyone know that honda is as good as acura cars..its just a money scheme that we dont want to see

 

Ooooh... you're SO close to the answer! "Acura vs. Honda" is SO close. The answer to this is that the American CiViC population is aging and Honda Corp. wants to move them/you onto the Acura line, where they can suck your blood for another 20 years. That's ONE of the reasons they are giving themselves and the Euros the CTR's, but not the Americans. If I wasn't so tired, I'd provide some proof. Please, just take my word for it...

Good observation, bro!

 

Not true! Many to most items are actually CARB exempt. All this 'environmentally friendly' crap started with efforts to protect the LA basin from smog. If product X won't effect that effort, it's given a pass...


[Modified by BlackDeuceCoupe, 8:48 PM 2/10/2002]

 

im referring to the jdm not the usdm stuff..getting CARB approval is time consuming and costly..thats why so many shops have a sign that says *some parts are for off road use only*..cuz the company doenst want to spend the money..well, hell with it..people buy them for their daily drive s anyway

 

CARB....so difficult

 

Look, test procedures for aftermarket devices, are outlined in the Small Volume Manufacturers Certification Program. These procedures basically use the same test cycles and analytical procedures used for new vehicle certification. Honda Corp could do this in the blink of an eye.

Most aftermarket manufacturers seek an exemption from the federal tampering prohibition laws contained in Section 203(a)(3) of the Clean Air Act by satisfying the requirements of the EPA's Memorandum No. 1A. Such exemptions allow the modification of a vehicle's configuration if the modification[s] demonstrate that they are at least as effective as the original equipment in reducing emissions. That's the route most aftermarket manufacturers take and it's no big deal. Honda Corp could EASILY do the same, but they don't WANT to.

Japs keep the best stuff for themselves; it's as simple as that. If they wanted to sell us 'their women' they would, but they don't. We're stuck, instead, with the red-headed step-child. Wise up...

 

well, i've seen a few to the point answers and i have a few to add;
-why do we get the lowest models with sohc motors?
so people like you and me can spend more money on engine swaps which directly relates to purchasing parts at your local honda dealer, thus loading their pockets.
they are in this for money just like all other automotive companies and they go for maximum possible profit + moderate customer satisfaction, as opposed to moderate profit + maximum customer satisfaction.
of course, safety and smog issues are there too and they play a role in this as well.
then, you have the production cost vs. profit issue. if the sales of a very cost effective civic LX or EX are high and profit they bring is satisfying then why bother bringing a less cost effective CTR that will not sell as good because it's not as affordable.
the production cost of the civic LX is lower than that of the CTR and therefore the LX is available to the public at a much lower price. now, this particular model is popular because of its good overall city driving capabilities, gas mileage, and (you guessed it) affordable price. most people (except us, the younger performace oriented crowd) don't care if that civic comes with a D16 or a B18. they want something affordable and economical. that makes the demand for these models higher than demand for CTR, so what does honda do? makes more LX's! logic.
supply and demand. its all about supply and demand. why do you think honda doesn't bring in more typeR's? think about it... typeR's cost much more to manufacture than just regular LS's, so the price is higher which ultimately means lower demand. with lower demand you get low profit as well. they play smart and bring only as many as they think will bring them the best production cost/profit ratio in the long run. that is exactly why you see LS's on every corner while you hardly see any typeR's. same goes for accord typeR, and certain other models. it is also true that they want to sell more cars from their ACURA line-up. they want to compete in the luxury dept too, not only in economical and affordable area.
i know many people out there that preffer other brands than honda when it comes to luxury, and i'm sure you do too. how often do you hear "yeah, i'm sure its a very nice, technically advanced and affordable car, BUT its still a HONDA. i'd rather get a BMW..." i hear that a lot. for some people C class benz sounds more appealing than an ACURA TL. eventhough its a little smaller and not as powerfull, but its a BENZ. because BENZ is known to be one of the most luxurious cars on the face of the planet. so HONDA has to work its way up in order to play with the big dawgs in that dept. and its gonna be a long journey because BENZ has been producing luxury cars since who knows when while honda just started back in 80's with the LEGEND. correct?
also, competition is a huge factor. when toyota launched their GSR fighter CELICA GTS, honda said; screw you guys, you're not gonna take over our market. so they released the RSX typeS. so thats something to think about also.
then, why did the civic SI get discontinued so many times and came back gloriously? to increase the demand in future. OOOOH, the whole new SI is back! yes! i'm gonna go out and buy me one of those because the DX just doesnt float my boat (that's us). so they still try to keep the younger crowd satisfied, but not as much as the other peepz that go: OOOH screw the SI, a nice DX will do just fine.
so once again, repeat after me: demand ----> supply. supply----> demand.
because that's where the money is. so says my econ teacher.
and in conlclusion of this long post; ITS ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMINS BABY!!!!

 

that came out longer than i thought.... sorry guys, sometimes i just get carried away. oh well...