Re: Interview with Dave Marek of Honda R&D Americas
(Score: 1, Normal)
08-11-2012 15:42
dampflok wrote:
TonyE wrote: I dunno about Marek, though. I like the Accord Wagon and the Element. Both were ill served by marketing... no V6 or MT5 in the Wagon, no real back seat in the Element....
But isn't he responsible for the Acura design mess?
Well, as Homer Simpson said, it takes two to lie: one to lie and one to listen. So what's the allocation of blame between the design side and the business side? Did Marek advocate the Plenum etc., and the brass deferred to his judgment? Or did Marek present those elements as part of various alternatives -- and not necessarily even favored by him -- and upper management made the regrettable command decision? Or were both sides equal partners in crime?
It is not lost on me that shortly after 2009, Colliver took a secondary advisory role at AHM. Merek and Ikeda have been with AHM for many years, making some of the best designs ('04 TL) and worst as noted. And don't forget that prior to 2009 (virtually) EVERY review of H/A would say "great car, but boring design".