While I’m busy writing a feature on one of the greatest CR-Xs every built, I thought I’d pass along some tidbits to you guys regarding the new CR-Z. I was randomly talking to Rodrez online early and he mentioned he saw pictures of the C-West CR-Z aero kit.  He didn’t show me anything but I decided to go on a search for some pics of it that weren’t artistic renderings and sure enough, I found it….

Looks good, the front kinda reminds me of something Audi-ish but it flows well. Definitely adds a bit of style to the CR-Z, which apparently is very popular with older people. I’m sure they created this car with the intent of it being the next generation “green” sport compact for the new generation but much like the current crop of die-hard CR-X guys, the owners are older men. Nothing says “I’m moving on in my journey through life” than by surprising your girlfriend by selling your CR-X and getting…a…ummm…new CR-X…errr…Z…

Haha, I guess it’s understandable. People are generally nostalgic and when you create a car that’s a newer version of what is definitely a placemarker in the history of Honda automobiles, you would expect them to generate the interest of guys who were around when CR-Xs were new. Maybe when they hit U.S. shores the younger generation will take a liking to them but from this article in Best Car magazine, so far, it would seem to show otherwise…

We have received word in Japan on how popular the Honda CR-Z is proving to be with older people, the latest sales figures moving the goal posts for would be “sports car buyers” again, this time into a much older age category than is normally the case and all the manufacturers are climbing over each other to get a slice of the “Hybrid-pie”…

Traditionally, new sports cars are the domain of the guy in his 20’s to 30’s. Not any more. The CR-Z is the first of a potentially long line of cars to appeal to older buyers in their 40’s and over. All of them sporting something Hybrid.

Older buyers are taking to the “Hybrid Sports” concept, and specifically the Honda CR-Z like it was 70% off at IKEA, with a strength in sales even Honda hadn’t envisioned. Numbers speak of sales at more than 10 times the previous estimations that were made by the Japanese company, indicating a massive surge in support toward the movement for “Green Sports Cars”.

Men in their 30’s make up the bulk of the CR-Z’s sales which is acceptable to the casual observer. The real shock comes from where the other chunk of buyers of the car are coming from and according to the figures, a whopping 35% of buyers are those over 40, marking out a real paradigm shift in the sports car mentality for the Japanese male. This obviously doesn’t answer the argument that the Japanese males Western counterparts may desire a car altogether completely different and are arguably a lot younger and hungrier for a traditional turbo charged inline 4 as opposed to “Hybrid” anything. A meager 15% of males in their 20’s who have purchased the CR-Z tell the story of how impotent the “sports car” is to young Japanese adults.

Obviously the people at Honda are not listening to any of this and are happy to just sell cars it seems.

The sports car market, in itself, is still in good shape, price, design and concept wise if based on the current climate and if the product is right, there is a chance that these cars will sell, and sell well. Why? Perhaps BP has an idea…

Right now, the Japanese market is poised to take on an onslaught of “Hybrid-Sports” vehicles, with each manufacturer keen to offer up its own take on the theme.

And yet, one question lingers and a new one is asked…

Does this signal the death of the “traditional” Japanese sports car as we know it and if so, is this what the manufacturers would have us accept as its replacement? The argument “for” the change, at least from the manufacturers of the technology, certainly says so.

It makes us wonder whether the riots in Thailand were over the direction Honda is taking with its Hybrid technology instead of over a pay dispute…

Words: Adam Zillin

Source: Best Car Magazine.

It could be totally possible that the new CR-Z is the “mid-life crisis” car for older men, who feel that by owning this car it would make them “hip” or “cool”. Or who knows, maybe it’s just a solid car that will become popular with everyone. I guess time will tell… From a style standpoint it’s a very cool car, but trying to convince the younger people to modify a hybrid?…Ehh…that’s a bit of a stretch…