We all know the today Honda, this is major automotive manufacturer with great sales, excellent relations with suppliers and it was granted the right to alter its struggling IndyCar engine and then powered the car that won the Indy 500, its intergalactically popular CR-V beat the new Mazda CX-5 in a Consumer Reports test. And it is the only major automaker to never record an annual loss. Ever.
But all enthusiasts from all over the world know that today Honda isn’t the same company that got us to love the brand in the first place. Where are all those Integras, fast and cool-looking EG and EK Civics, where is S2000?! And day by day the picture turns even more grey…
But the automaker has been saying for a while now that it is determined to be the alchemist it once was, committing to building smartly engineered, fun-to-drive cars. For the first time in its history Honda has appointed an American, Erick Berkman, to the position of North American Research and Development chief. Tetsuo Iwamura, Executive Vice President of Honda North American says "What we expect him [Berkman] to do is, through this good knowledge and experience, fulfill his dream of making North America strong."
Berkman, an engineer, has a 30-year history with the company and major successes on his record: he worked on the 1999 Honda Odyssey and 2001 Acura CL, his team designed the multiple-Indy 500-winning engine, and he led the development of the 2004 Acura TL sport sedan – a car he had to fight for, and whose sales repaid his commitment and the company coffers.
What can we expect from Berkman? Well, I can suggest he's planning changes in styling, materials, driving dynamics and technology across the Honda and Acura model lines." That doesn't represent merely building a fun car; that statement would more closely equate to a change in corporate philosophy for a company that keeps an eye on costs with a great intensity.
However, there was no official claims from Erick Berkman. But we know it will involve more racing, including tracked-out versions of the NSX, and, taking the 2013 Accord as a guide, making incremental improvements and adding features everywhere. In Berkman's own words, the second crucial line in the story is what he feels is his mission: "We want everybody to fall over and go: There it is again. There's that Honda we used to praise."
And now the whole world freezes waiting for future news…
