CTR - Motor Bang For Your Buck 2007

[didz]

The way i see it is, Honda went wrong when they strayed away from the formula they used with the DC2/5R's. Everything that didnt need to be there for racing and shit was taken out. No A/C, sound deadening, etc... This time round' the car's weight is what is slowing it down. Make it 1160kg like the DC5R and it will be a monster on the track and have MUCH more desirable accel times. The thing comes with that many gadgets and shit anyone would think it was a euro sports model inside and not a type R.

[ennavoli]

The way i see it is, Honda went wrong when they strayed away from the formula they used with the DC2/5R's. Everything that didnt need to be there for racing and shit was taken out. No A/C, sound deadening, etc... This time round' the car's weight is what is slowing it down. Make it 1160kg like the DC5R and it will be a monster on the track and have MUCH more desirable accel times. The thing comes with that many gadgets and shit anyone would think it was a euro sports model inside and not a type R.

IMHO, Honda actually did a fine job analyzing the current market before releasing FN2R. Most people in the market for a new performance car these days do actually prefer not only performance but a more comfortable ride and expect more "advanced" features (cruise controls, multiple airbags etc) Only the fair few of us actually want a more raw car which we fondly remember the type R badge sworn by. Most people will want more features out of a 2007 spec model than a 1998 model.

Not only the weight is a disadvantage, but the rear torsion beam makes me wonder if the rear suspension can be easily tuned for camber angles. FN2R is a hot hatch, not the JDM type R everyone wants.

In terms of marketing, they did good, but not for the few fair of us enthusiast. I myself prefer the raw type R and not the current FN2R, but we can always lighten the car ourselves. That is why there is the JDM FD2R for the more hardcore audience, but unfortunately, it might not arrive in Australia at all.

[6ary]

IMHO, Honda actually did a fine job analyzing the current market before releasing FN2R. Most people in the market for a new performance car these days do actually prefer not only performance but a more comfortable ride and expect more "advanced" features (cruise controls, multiple airbags etc) Only the fair few of us actually want a more raw car which we fondly remember the type R badge sworn by. Most people will want more features out of a 2007 spec model than a 1998 model.

Not only the weight is a disadvantage, but the rear torsion beam makes me wonder if the rear suspension can be easily tuned for camber angles. FN2R is a hot hatch, not the JDM type R everyone wants.

In terms of marketing, they did good, but not for the few fair of us enthusiast. I myself prefer the raw type R and not the current FN2R, but we can always lighten the car ourselves. That is why there is the JDM FD2R for the more hardcore audience, but unfortunately, it might not arrive in Australia at all.

I'm in a love hate relationship with my FN2R, love it because its great new and has that wow factor especially to my non-honda frens, but in the back of my mind its a 2nd class typeR behind the FD2R. I don't need cruise control or dual climate control. I need LSD and brembos and +20hp! I didn't buy a dc5r or dc2r because i don't like 2nd hand cars and old interiors. The perfect car to me would be a fd2r in a fn2 shell, wotcha guys think?

[aaronng]

I'm in a love hate relationship with my FN2R, love it because its great new and has that wow factor especially to my non-honda frens, but in the back of my mind its a 2nd class typeR behind the FD2R. I don't need cruise control or dual climate control. I need LSD and brembos and +20hp! I didn't buy a dc5r or dc2r because i don't like 2nd hand cars and old interiors. The perfect car to me would be a fd2r in a fn2 shell, wotcha guys think?

If I didn't urgently need a car, I would have waited 1 year to see if the FD2R is released here. Or at least drive a 2nd hand car until the FD2R is confirmed to be released.

[6ary]

If I didn't urgently need a car, I would have waited 1 year to see if the FD2R is released here. Or at least drive a 2nd hand car until the FD2R is confirmed to be released.

i actually needed a car urgently, i almost got an evo9.. unfortunately i checked the insurance premium before taking the plunge

[fasthonda]

Whatever people may say about the Euro CTR it does have a high topend speed.



The LEGAL speed attained was on an Autobahn.
As we are all aware this particular speed is extremely dangerous and illegal on
Australian public Highways and roads.

[Nepolian]

I was lookin for a "Hot hatch" and test drove almost everyone.....R32, GTI, MPS3, XR5 etc....but there is somting about being able to rev to 8500rpm...maybe its just me. Sometimes I think that I should've bought a FN2R for the fancy bits, but since I got the EP3R I am happy with it and save some dough for mods............Having said that, if the FD2R had been available, it would win hands down.

End of the day, each to their own. Theres a car out there for everyone to buy to suit their personal taste and needs. My 2c.

Cheers

I'm in a love hate relationship with my FN2R, love it because its great new and has that wow factor especially to my non-honda frens, but in the back of my mind its a 2nd class typeR behind the FD2R. I don't need cruise control or dual climate control. I need LSD and brembos and +20hp! I didn't buy a dc5r or dc2r because i don't like 2nd hand cars and old interiors. The perfect car to me would be a fd2r in a fn2 shell, wotcha guys think?

[slipangle]

I'm in a love hate relationship with my FN2R, love it because its great new and has that wow factor especially to my non-honda frens, but in the back of my mind its a 2nd class typeR behind the FD2R. I don't need cruise control or dual climate control. I need LSD and brembos and +20hp! I didn't buy a dc5r or dc2r because i don't like 2nd hand cars and old interiors. The perfect car to me would be a fd2r in a fn2 shell, wotcha guys think?

I reckon that, in the short term, Honda have satisfied what they think to be a need to shift product, and that in the short term, people will be wowed by the "wow" factor of something new. BUT, unless the product has integrity, then whether that product will have enduring appeal and status will be weighed by more than the initial gloss of something new.

Do I think that Honda did a decent job with the FN2R? Yes. Decent.

Do I think that Honda did an exceptional job which stands out from it's competitors in an exceptional way in which Honda (with "the power of dreams" and with "everything they've learned from racing") should be? No.

In the long term, to me, this car does not capitalise on what the Type R brand should be. However, in the long term, it will be a blip, like a momentary lapse of concentration in the history of Honda's "best efforts". The reason I feel it is blip is because Honda have shown us they ARE still capable of producing something like the FD2R, which is the sort of product which will keep the heritage of Type R going, and is a good sign that Honda have not become a bunch of accounting/marketing led decision makers focused on capturing the masses with delivering what it thinks the masses want (at this point in time) - comfort, gadgets, styling.

Integrity of the product will be what bolsters the brand. Otherwise, if you slap Type R to anything "just sporty" without outstanding credentials to back it up, Type R will eventually mean nothing, and that's sad, because it is a valuable attribute for Honda, and certainly, when executed well, means a great deal to a lot of people who respect the brand.

I bet you regret canvassing for an opinion now!