[DarkSunrise]

Originally Posted by Re_Invention

over-dramatic much?!

The Prelude was 3000lbs and cost $23,500 14 years ago. An SH model would've set you back $26,000. That's $35,109 in today's dollars according to the BLS CPI Inflation Calculator. Give or take an 8% "adjustment" you're still looking at a 200 hp, 3000lb FWD coupe 5 speed for $35,000 OTD if it were released today.

The S2000, that was a $32,000 car. Given that same 8% "adjustment" it's a $43,000 OTD price for a 240 hp 2800lb (HEAVIER THAN THE FRS!) convertible, if it were released today.

People keep bringing up the K20 engine.. it was a cool, I love it, but it fails emissions standards dramatically. End of story.

And let's not even get started on the sales numbers of the NSX. Or price!

They are definitely not 'affordable' cars. Maybe you are pining for the modified used market days.. and we never got the good stuff, anyways (Type R with exception of a few hundred for.. one year?).

On the other hand..

Someone mentioned, the Accord Sport comes in a manual. I could be wrong but I don't see the Camry offered in a 'sport' version with a manual. To my knowledge it's just the Accord and the Mazda6 in that category [JDM 4 door sedans with 4 bangers]. What car hasn't gotten bigger and heavier in that respective class?

Let alone the V6 Accord Coupe you can spec in a manual as well, which I'd argue this is the successor to the Prelude. And of course, you've HAD the Civic SI/Acura ILX (RSX) this whole time. I can't think of any other coupe with a V6 and manual that comes out of a Japanese car maker that isn't a luxury brand. I wouldn't say they've lost their way at all, the products given the market are there, and hell, they are now back in F1 with McLaren. It isn't like Toyota has been making fun, affordable cars for the past 14 years that didn't have a direct Honda competitor. No, in fact, Honda kept ON offering after Toyota threw in the towel. It took sleeping in bed with another manufacture [risk reduction] to bring out something cool, and that's the only cool thing they have (and it isn't even fully their own!!!).

Now.. just because you don't like the products, doesn't mean they have or haven't been making them.

Taking S2000, Prelude, and NSX prices, adjusting them for inflation, then stating what horrible values they would be if sold new today for those prices is beyond stupid for any number of reasons which should be obvious. But it's enough for this discussion to say that when those cars were released, they undercut their intended competition by a fair amount. Competition for the S2000 ($33k) was the Boxster ($43k), Z4 ($41k), and TT Quattro Roadster ($40k). The S2000 was cheaper by at least $7k over those cars. When it was released, the NSX ($62k) was designed to match up against the Ferrari 348 ($122k), which it undercut by a huge amount.

Not sure why you brought up the K20 (I didn't), but your point (that it would fail emissions standards today) is irrelevant for this discussion.

Honda used to be synonymous with motorsport in the 1980's and 1990's (six consecutive constructors' championships in Formula 1, six consecutive drivers championships in CART). Honda was also known for being a builder of consumer cars that were light, sporty, and affordable relative to their competition. There's nothing hyperbolic or overdramatic about those statements.