Article:
http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti...E/61211003/1057

Notables:
"But Hirohide Ikeno, president of Honda R&D Americas Inc., said the company is considering V-8s, too."

"That is our direction," he said last week during a reception for the opening of Honda's advanced design studio in Pasadena, Calif.


"V-8s are being considered only for Acura models, not for the Honda Division, Ikeno said."


Are you serious?...the next RL will get a V8?

==V8 Gulp==
I think many here will be praising the fact that Acura (Honda) will finally have a V8. For years upon years enthusiasts have been yearning and even fighting (albiet electronically) one another at the mere thought or suggestion of v8 power. This curse, or fear as some put it was very powerful. So powerful in it's persuasiveness that Honda Heads has decided their engines need a big head too. A V8 head. What is next?

==Made By Design Americana==
But exactly who is designing these engines? I'm not trying to knock over Honda tech. They do great work. Every single engine those geniuses have brought out have been outstanding. No one not even Nissan can boast at equal engine technology. And for those Yamaha fans, sorry even they too can't hold a candle to Honda knowledge and determination when they want to play. Supposedly, Acura North America designed much of the RDX power plant specs. As some of you have heard, the RDX does get some poor gas mileage. I often wonder had Honda designed the engine end to end in Japan what mileage outcomes could we have expected.

North America is a huge market, yes. How can any manufacturer not bow to the huge potential sales figures. It's so huge that the NA division crafted a whole new Accord for market.

==Darlin, are we still in Okinawa?==
What fears me the most however, is both Honda and Acura going wayward of the goals set forth
when the firm originally decided to make these 'up-market' vehicles. That they would take further steps and design regional specific design requirements. A parting of the seas, so to speak. Will we see this with power plants? With Core values?

Those wayward goals I mentioned are big honking gas wasting V8s, or huge wasteful cars. But what are the core goals you ask? Look at the original Civic. The original Accord. The NSX, the S2000, the first Legend. Did I mention the Type-Rs? These were innovations in power plant, efficiency, and driving pleasure. While these cars may be plebian they are non the less collector's items. Each a milestone in Design excellence.

==Survivor 1000 - Staring NA Acura==
Lets face it, Acura has never really been keen to performance. The family has always had the Type-Rs, and various other performance oriented cars never offered here (at a lower price point no less!). Acura just never wanted to sell them. So why all the cozy warm feelings now?

==The Donut Facade - at least they taste good!==
I believe we could be seeing an Acura acting defensively, and not pro-actively. It's still too early to know for sure if a V8 will surely help sell cars. As I was mentioning earlier, it is in the corporation's best interest to not end innovation at the top of the brand but they *MUST* continue and filter it through-out to the perceived lower-end models. With Acura's SH-AWD RL,RDX,MDX, crazy torque steer TL, a V8 could fit nicely in the range. But this V8 could be a facade if it's huge and wasteful. A defensive facade. A reaction, not innovation.

==The Good Days==
The Honda of yore would spend **all the necessary time needed** designing this V8. It would utilize the best technology, and be fuel-efficient. It would also astonish other manufacturers on debut, make them shutter and cry at the performance figures. Remember the reaction from Ferrari when the NSX was first debuted, or the S2000 with it's 120hp/ltr design? The Engine would also be designed in Japan.

I'm not racist or Anti-American (just the opposite) but I want to see a Japanese Honda V8. Not an American Honda V8. Until that happens, we know just how serious Honda is about having a V8.

The US has the Vette, the Mustang, the Camaro, and even the Viper. Japan? The EVO, the Imprezza, the 3000GT, Supra, NSX, S2000, Eclipse GST, Skyline GT-R, Z series, RX-7, Turbo MR2, the Honda Type-Rs, the 240sx series, etc....... WHat direction will this V8 take? American or Japanese?

Only time will tell how this story will turn out, can't wait to see it through...

 

I have no problem with a V6 in the RL. I like the car a lot. I feel the TL is a very nice car as well, but the price difference in amazing. I don't think you get that much more in the RL vs the TL other than the SH-AWD.

I love the RL, but it shouldn't be as expensive as it is. Just because you compete against other high end cars doesn't mean you need to be near their price as well.

 

I for one, welcome the idea of a Honda v8. Actually, it's about time! I also agree it should, and most likely will, be developed by the Japanese. I'm confident they can keep the MPG up and extract a lot of power from the engine. I do think, like most Honda engines, this one should be high revving. They will also need to develop a proper FR drivetrain to handle this engine.

 

I too like the idea of a honda V8 and like you said a Japanese honda V8 and not a honda badged chevy V8 ( which probably wont happen). But to be honest, honda does NOT need a V8 to be competitive. In my opinon the V6 in the mdx and RL are very good V6, but i have a feeling that SH-AWD causes big drivetrain losses and honda should ditch it and leave it as a stand alone option.

I know this has been said many times before, but they reall need RWD cars and Suv's. The S2000 shows they are capable of making good rwd cars, now lets just see it done in a midsize car.

 

Honda shouldn't have any problem at all building V8s. After all, they already are building V8s for racing application. For building production V8s, they would need to spend a good amount of money on some R&D and assembly plants. I think that's their most major obstacle all these years. But they can no longer afford to avoid it.

 

As much as I like power, they don't need a V8. Nobody does unless it's very fuel efficient. Tht time has come for everyone to be concerned with fuel economy as our natural resources are going away and the cost of them is going up and up.
Fuk a V8.

 

LOL! you named a lot of Japanese cars at the end there. You run out of American cars?

 

I only added a few notables. It's just my abrev. simple take on things.

The criteria was sports cars who's manf. felt they threw in top of the range power plants.

I was also trying to point out the many characteristics between the Japanese 'sports' cars vs. the american type in a broad between the lines comparison.

Def. feel free to add to the list, i don't do this full time i'm sure i missed a billion things.

 

Performance wise, Honda does not need a V8 to compete. However, how many avg. Joes out there are just going to look at the number of cylinders and decide which car is more powerful? More than enough to prompt AHM to consider building a V8 for its Acura division.

It's not about performance. It's all about marketing.

 

A V8 for the Acura flagship and one for the Ridgeline