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Originally Posted by Halo
Nobody knows. The S2, like the NSX, has never been a 'gold mine' for Honda. Given the production costs of a car like this, with most parts unique to the chassis, I doubt they're making a killing. Compared to Accords and MDX's, the sales aren't what's driving this car to redesign. It's a niche vehicle. Personally, I'd like to see it discontinued. Think about the following cars like the Supra now have, even though discontinued.
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Given the low production numbers I keep hearing on the S2000 -- usually in the 6,000-7,000 range -- you're right. By contrast, Nissan pumps out 20,000-30,000 Zs a year. So, there's not a lot of profit for Honda.
But most large manufacturers want to offer a complete range of products from compact to sedan to minivan to SUV to sports car. And sports cars tend to be the prestige models that draw attention to a product line. So, I'd be surprised if Honda drops sports cars altogether. Of course, that doesn't mean they have to offer an S2000. But consider....
The S2000's low volume is in its favor. It's not like Honda has to keep up huge sales levels to keep some plant open. I imagine they can sell 6,000-7,000 S2000s per year for some time. It's a classic looking coupe along the lines of the old British MG/Triumph cars when I was a kid (plus you get real performance and Honda quality!). Also, I'd think there'd be some inertia at Honda to replace a low volume sports car with another low volume sports car because it's hard to cover the development costs.
The NSX was milked by Honda long after it should have been retired. I expect Honda to hold onto the S2000 in the same vein and, IMHO, the S2000's classic lines mean it will have a long shelf life.
Has Honda shown off any sports concept cars?