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Honda CEO confirms V8 for Acura

10/20/2008, 8:52 AM

By Andrew Ganz

Honda Motor Company CEO Takeo Fukui confirmed the numerous rumors that the automaker’s luxury unit, Acura, would be getting an eight cylinder powerplant in the near future. Fukui said that the engine will pump up the RL, Acura’s largest sedan, to make it more competitive in its segment. The RL currently offers a 3.7 liter V6, but it competes against cars that offer a V8 option.

Speaking to Automotive News, Fukui said, “I don’t think that the Acura RL 3.7-liter is sufficient. We can’t compete with other premium brands.”

He said that the V8 engine will “be completely different from conventional, past-generation ones and have excellent fuel efficiency.”

It’s likely that the V8 would also see its way into the TL, which offers a choice of V6 engines. It wouldn’t surprise us to see the V8 appear in Honda products, particularly the Pilot and Ridgeline, though higher gas prices that have been turning buyers away from thirsty SUVs and pickups could negate any need for a Honda V8.

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10/20, 9:17 AM

posted by:

snork

Well it’s about dang time Honda! I know they promote being green and the most fuel efficient fleet, but in the luxury segment (were fuel efficiency isn’t a key sales factor) you gotta have a V8 to compete.

10/20, 9:29 AM

posted by:

Don

Finally! I want to see this in the RL, TL, MDX, Ridgeline, and Pilot.

10/20, 9:44 AM

posted by:

zeeck

Don’t forget the NSX either, that would be sweet :)

10/20, 9:47 AM

posted by:

Don

Ah but the NSX will have a V10. Maybe a lower V8 version could work too.

10/20, 9:50 AM

posted by:

desertdriver

Stuff the V8 into the S2000 to create a hotrod. That would be sweet!!!

What size do you think the V8 will be? 4.2L? 4.8L?

10/20, 10:05 AM

posted by:

BMW M1

im thinking 4.0L V8

10/20, 10:13 AM

posted by:

nickkop

ya i would agree, if you know honda you would have to speculate it would be a small (er) displacement V8 ! Imagine the furious power and sound of a honda engineered DOHC i-VTEC V8 !! OMG !!

10/20, 10:13 AM

posted by:

nickkop

one can only hope and wish !

10/20, 10:17 AM

posted by:

nickkop

what about a new sh-awd V8 prelude successor ?? oooohh … think 370z / g37S / lexus IS-F / supra successor competition !

10/20, 10:45 AM

posted by:

golf4me

It also has to go RWD…if you stuff a V8 into the current platform, it’s just like what Buick does.

10/20, 11:03 AM

posted by:

nickkop

agreed… or at least sh-awd

10/20, 11:18 AM

posted by:

johnnycanuck

This is all well and great, but last week I drove by an Acura dealership where the front row of vehicles was comprised of all their latest offerings pointed nose first towards the road. I don’t want to say I felt violated, but now I think I understand how first timers must feel at an Amway convention.

10/20, 11:18 AM

posted by:

Z06ified

It’s about time is right. It took ‘em long enough to wake up and realize V-8s are superior performance powerplants.

Now if they could just fix that Cuisinart inspired front grille on the TL, they may have a decent car.

10/20, 11:31 AM

posted by:

Payton Byrd

“though higher gas prices that have been turning buyers away from thirsty SUVs and pickups could negate any need for a Honda V8.”

LLN obviously doesn’t understand the pickup market. They continuously bash pickups for being what they are and show no respect to the people who buy them. If you don’t understand something, then either attempt to learn about it, or don’t comment on it.

10/20, 11:46 AM

posted by:

global_lightning

No V8 for the TL. The biggest complaint against the RL is you can get almost all the same equipment in the TL for much less money. The only real reason to buy the RL is it’s larger (but not by much). Keeping the V8 only in the RL better differentiates the lines and gives buyers a reason to look at the RL. What the TL really needs is a factory turbo option, but Honda/Acura has never been keen on forced induction.

10/20, 11:55 AM

posted by:

A4

Id much more strongly approve of a twin-turbo V6 option rather than a V8… at least side by side if anything, twin turbo the 3.7 and then advertise the hell out of forced induction benefits

10/20, 11:56 AM

posted by:

nickkop

you may just be right on the money there lightning

10/20, 11:57 AM

posted by:

nickkop

i agree with you the most there A4

10/20, 1:00 PM

posted by:

rubyroxy

V-8 is definately not the way to go. Turbo V-6 would be easier to market. Auto execs just don’t get it???

10/20, 3:43 PM

posted by:

writeeddie

RWD V-8… of course its a no brainer. Consider that even HONDA’s copycat (HYUNDAI) got a strong V8 on their much lower price V8 flagship.

10/20, 4:27 PM

posted by:

tzu13

Good. Now just fix the grille.

10/20, 4:35 PM

posted by:

Payton Byrd

… and the trunk

10/20, 8:00 PM

posted by:

Impulsive

Dear Lord … add a V16 … it won’t matter … it’s unattractive.

10/20, 9:47 PM

posted by:

deutschetouring1337

Considering Honda has a long IRL history with 3-3.5 litres and Audis current Honda derived V8 which is 4 litres and 460hp NA with no vtec system, I’m betting a 4 litre with a newer vtec system similiar to the current K20 engines and 400-450bhp and some type of FSI system for fuel delivery. Although Honda has already made it clear they are for a high mpg avg V8 so their could be sometype of fuel saving system on the horizon.

10/20, 9:54 PM

posted by:

inspire

Honda is about 10 years late to the dance. That should have been an option for the NSX and the Legend (sedan and coupe). Well, it’s water under the bridge now. But for the upcoming line-up, the V8 (finally!) for the RL will be coupled with the SH-AWD (given) but I seriously doubt they’ll manufacture a dedicated RWD for the platform (unless the next gen RL platform is based upon the NSX replacement chassis … which I hope will be engineered for SH-AWD as well as RWD).

And the V8 (possibly a couple cylinders chopped from the NSX replacement V10) should be included with the MDX, Pilot and Ridgeline so Honda will have some credibility in those markets.

S2k replacement? Probably not — Hondas are all about balance and the weight of a V8 might be too much. We would be lucky to get a modified J-series engine (somewhere around 3.0L from the TL, which has a J35 or 3.5L engine).

10/20, 10:05 PM

posted by:

inspire

^ Oh … the J-series engine is not rev happy, compared to the F-series engines. So that might not be a good idea. But it will definitely correct the low-end torque problem all S2ks currently have…

10/20, 10:18 PM

posted by:

DeansterTJ

It’s about time.

10/20, 11:43 PM

posted by:

bigp

well this is what they needed, but wait an see how the ecoboost system works out for ford

11/09, 4:37 PM

posted by:

jackjimturkey

Looks like A—a is on the way to dedicated models!

 
 
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