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Autonews.com article: TALK FROM THE TOP: Honda chief builds vast global network
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Date: December 02, 2002 20:11
Submitted by:
JeffX
Source:
http://www.autonews.com/article.cms?articleId=41596&a=a&bt=honda&arc=n
Credibility Rating:
N/A
This article requires you to register with the Automotive News website, but it's worth it. In this story, they interview Honda Motor Co. CEO Hiroyuki Yoshino. Here's an excerpt of interest:
What happens next with the Acura NSX? Is that a vehicle that you could put a hybrid powertrain in to improve the performance?
No. The kind of customers who buy that car are not interested in fuel economy.
I'm thinking of off-the-line performance, because with an electric motor, all of the torque is available immediately.
But we would have to add some weight to make a hybrid. And space is so limited in that kind of car. Light weight is one of the keys to the NSX's performance.
Could a V-6 engine tied to a hybrid give you the performance that other makers get from a V-8? You have said consistently that a V-8 does not fit the Honda image of fuel efficiency. Is that something you're looking at seriously?
Would you like to be a member of our product development team? (Laughs.)
Will Honda continue to raise horsepower across the board in its U.S. lineup as part of the current "horsepower war" there?
Not necessarily. But the better the performance, the more people like it. At least, if it doesn't damage the fuel economy.
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[fancy]
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