They would NEVER have a chance of selling a "real" pickup truck to the hairy chested pickup crowd so why bother?
I disagree. Toyota and Nissan do a good job, why can't Honda? All they have to do is make a REAL truck. That means a real frame, real suspension, etc. I'd certainly consider a Honda pickup or SUV if they made one with truck underpinnings and not that of a minivan.
I don't think anyone would have a problem with the Ridgeline if they advertised it showing it being used the way you say it's intended to be used. However, the ads I've seen show it offroad in situations it'll never see in real life. It's the same with the Pilot. They advertise it as a hairy chested offroad machine, but having driven one, I'd wager you'd get it stuck the first time you got into deep mud or sand. That said, it's a very nice vehicle (my friends have one and I've drive it several times), but not an offroad machine.
There's nothing silly about the S2000 (or any of their cars for that matter). If I didn't have a kid and/or had room for a third vehicle, I'd like to have one. Of course, I could just park it in my front yard, but that would make El T sad.
Chris