http://www.vtec.net/news/news-item?news_item_id=18577

By: Norihiko Shirouzu, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal

LOS ANGELES -- A senior Honda Motor Co . executive said the No. 2 Japanese auto maker likely won't build a V8 engine unless it could improve the engine's fuel economy and emissions beyond the industry's norm.

He said one way to address the lack of V8 powertrain options in Honda vehicles may be to create a propulsion system that combines a V6 engine with an electric motor to offer V8-like power.

Tomoyuki Sugiyama, an executive chief engineer of Honda's research arm in Japan , said in an interview here that Honda remains apprehensive about making a V8 engine if it is the kind that guzzles gas.

Some Honda dealers have been asking Honda to offer V8 engines, but the company has insisted that its sales of full-size vehicles aren't large enough to justify a new family of big engines. Other dealers also want Honda to build pickup trucks, a move that could justify developing a V8 engine. Honda admits it has " studied" the possibility of developing pickup trucks, but Yuzuru Matsuno, a Honda spokesman in Detroit , said the auto maker hasn't made a final decision on the possibility. Honda isn't likely to enter the pickup-truck market any time soon, he added.

Mr. Sugiyama said that as a corporate strategy, Honda "tries to put a higher priority on safety and environmental friendliness" over sheer power. "We won't likely develop V8 engines unless we can come up with a technical solution to their fuel economy and emissions" and make them a standout in the industry.

One solution the company is considering, Mr. Sugiyama said, is to try to create a V6 engine that can put out V8-like power, instead of trying to develop a cleaner and more economical V8 powertrain.

"That's one direction we could take," he said.

 

nothing new here, we know by now that the DNX/Dualnote is the way to go?

Have you heard about Honda Insignt, Honda Civic-Hybrid, and the dualnote?

Honda is BIG in Hybrids techonologies.

 

Nashua,
No doubt. Hybrids and alternative fuel is the future.

 

yea, would be nice if they can convince me thats what i want to drive.

i wouldnt mind that kinda config if it works... but umm... they gotta be able to create an image for that, that comes along with having a big V8.

 

yah this remour has been spread for at least a year..honda claims they want to invent and develop a V8 engine for the next gen of Acura Lenend or current 3.5 RL whatever u call it..but not sure if that is true...

 

Right, i've heard the same about the RL. Yet, we still don't see one yet. I know honda is racing a mugen v8 in one of the race series so they must be thinking about it.

 

Honda is really missing out on market share by not building a Pickup. Nissan is going to release a full-size soon to compete with the Tundra from Toyota. It is supposed to have the Q45 engine in it.

 

That's funny because Hondas Indy Car engines are 2.65 liter Turbocharged V8s.

 

this smells like a big pile of

Just basically contradicted another Honda USA official in Jan '02 of the LA/Michigan auto shows who said that the RL was headed for a V8.

Maybe for Japan there will be no V8 because emissions are a lot stricter. But in the US, we'll have to see...

 

This is all horseshit!

Honda better get with it and give us greedy Americans a damn V8!

 

A big pile of banana shit? hehehe

 

This is Honda's first 8-cylinder avalable for sale, correct? Wow, I guess I'll have to get used to the idea...

 

I'm trying to think if there are many Indy cars that are not V8's...

 

they should just stick the NSX engine in the RL!!

as far as hybrids go, Honda should take a look at what BMW did with their Hydrogen-powered V12 7-series...it's an alternative fuel with the only byproduct being pure water, and u're not significantly sacrificing power versus a dinky 70 - 80 HP Insight/Prius

 

They could make I-6's.
Like the new GM engines...they put out monster hp and torque
It is not necessary to make a V8 to make balls out power....look at Porsche....

 

Porsche has a boxer 6, which i believe honda should go with


i6's make it difficult for emmission, car layout etc., I don't see honda going with it. Although, they LOVE the i4 layout.

 

Yeah but i don't think middle aged dudes who want a quiet luxury ride want to rev the hell out of the engine to make the car move. Moreover, the RL is one heavy as car. I think it would really say difference with the introduction of the IMA functionality as Acura retain the 6 and not have to add the 8.


RL weighs 3900 lbs
NSX weighs 3100 lbs

IMHO, Acura can get away with a powerful 6 and some for of AWD system. IMA is not exactly my favorite but quattro and subura AWD hits the fuel consumption hard. Once Acura can say our Flagship has 300+ HP i think sales will pick-up.


In a way scooter, i think you are right the NSX engine will go into the RL. ivtec 3.5L +IMA.

 

I'm not surprised at all... Actually I'm very disappointed... Honda doesn't seem to understand the US market at all.. Toyota/Lexus and Nissan/Infiniti both have developed powerful V8 engines for the US market and if Honda/Acura thinks that a V6 engine will be adequate there going to be in for a very rough ride.. What's adequate in Asia and Europe is not going to cut mustard in this country.. Just by Honda saying that they are reluctant to build a V8 tells me that they don't care about the US consumer..

I've always defended Honda/Acura from people who would state that they are too conservative, boring, or even behind the times.. I guess Honda's mentality is if it's not broke then don't fix it..

 

Honda will be offering a V8 in an Acura model, probably the RL, in the very near future. This is why they are getting involved with IRL for the 2003 year. It will help them in the development of a 3.5 liter V8. See below.

http://world.honda.com/news/2002/c020527.html

 

Yeah but honda has been in the V8 game in CART for how long now?? Honda has had a v10 in formula for how long??? This doesn't mean jack. Remember the NSX was supposed to get a 4.0L v8?????


JOE,
Consumers will buy what you give them as long as it is reasonably priced and it has the fuel economy, power and some goodies. You can't make a statement like Honda doesn't understand the US market. It does and that's why they do so well. They also understand that adding a v8 w/o addressing environmental issues will lead to trouble down the road.

 

The engines in CART are smaller liter and turbo. Honda wants to develop a all-new 3.5 liter, normally aspirated V-8 engine. The last time I checked the RL was a 3.5 liter V6...I see a V-8 going into the RL very soon.

 

i'm gonna go out on a limb and say the new RL will have either the Type S engine or the NSX engine and b RWD

 

we will see

 

Zapata, I'm going to stick with my original point.. Honda/Acura DOES NOT understand the US market because they are losing potential customers by not providing a V8 in either the Acura RL or the NSX.. How many times have we read or heard how underpowered both the NSX and the RL is.. How many car magazines have criticized Honda/Acura for not putting a V8 in either car.. The statement that Honda made about not making a V8 because of environmental concerns???? Give me a break!!! If it's a gas engine it's going to pollute!! So is Honda saying that Toyota's and Nissan's V8 pollute so much more than their V6 engine???? I highly doubt it... I think Honda has a mentality of don't fix what isn't broke..

Honda/Acura sell very well in the US and so Honda thinks "why develop a V8 when the V6 engine is doing fine." What Honda doesn't understand is that other companies are surpassing them with V8's because that's what American drivers want.. Why do you thing Toyota and Nissan have decided to put V8's in their lineup... They also see the need to compete against BMW, Benz, Jaguar, and US manufactures..

Hybrid technology is good but personally I will never buy a hybrid car until I have no choice...

 

well Honda's gotta b doin SOMETHING right if they're 1 of the best performing Japanese stocks on Wall St. these days

 

I think otherwise. Looking at sales... they've seemed to
consistently find their niche. As for understanding the market... I
think it's the market that's behind the times. When tougher
emissions laws take effect (and they will)... it'll be the gas
guzzling V-8 manufacturers that will be in for the rough ride.

When Honda started... every manufacturer formed a coalition
saying that the governments new emissions standards were too
tough and it couldn't be done. Honda did it. If you've been
keeping up... the exact same thing is happening again. Motor
companies are lobbying the government to roll back it's emissions
laws it has prepared for the next 5 years. Honda once again is
the only manufacturer not siding with the rest of the automotive
industry. Honda's prototypes are putting out 300 equivalent hp
and getting almost 40 mpg.

And as for building a V-8. Remember, companies aren't just
looking at American market anymore. It's about global market.
Creating a manufacturing facility for V-8s just for Americans is
very expensive, especially when you're looking at a car market
that can't even sell 1000 a month. The rest of the world is a
completely different market. Asia isn't V-8 orientated. Europe is
huge into efficiency and diesel. Australia and US are the only gas
guzzling targets. For almost the first time ever... the US is the
blessed target... already getting mass production of vehicles with
tons of power and performance.

I think Honda is actually going in the right direction. Hybrid is the
future.

 

It DOES understand the U.S. market. If they didn't they wouldn't sell SOOOO many cars. Car magazines are all of sudden the source for truth???? Sure it's losing potential customers but the percentage of the population that will buy big v8 luxury flagship. The car business is in gross sales not niche markets. RL has been criticized for not having power you are right. If Acura were to add a 3.8L v6 putting out 300hp/280ft-lbs then would these people say the same thing? No, the problem is not that a v8 is missing it's that POWER is missing for a such an expensive car.

Give you a break about what?? Yes, Honda is the industry leader in evironmentally safe cars. It's a part of their company philosophy. Yes, a v8 will pollute more than a v6. No you are wrong Honda/Acura is doing very well. No company including toyota or nissan has surpassed Honda. Even Toyota with the Camery and the Nissan with the Maxima are doing it with v6's.

American drivers want something that is safe, relatively inexpensive and up to date. That's why Honda/Toyota out sell everything else!!!!

Why be closed minded??????? Even the new skyline is going to be a hybrid.

 

In the last 10 years... Acura has sold less than 10,000 NSX's
and approx 50,000 RL's. 10 years! Honda sold almost 400,000
accords alone last year.

There aren't enough sales in the market to warrant a new
production facility, especially if they can't design a V-8 up to
their emissions standards (or the governments).

 

Wait a minute.. I have been a part of this board for quite a while now and all I've read is when Honda/Acura will be coming out with a V8... Now what I'm reading from certain members is Honda/Acura is doing just fine without a V8. Which is it??? Do people want a V8 or not????? And why is it that so many other manufacturers that do not sell V8's in other countries produce them for the US????? Because there is a market in this country for large engines.. Are car magazines experts?? To many Americans they are.. Personally, I could care less whether Honda makes a V8 or not but it just seems that so many people on this board have complained about Acura not having a V8..

The reason I don't like hybrid's is because the current technology is just not there yet.. The effeciency is there but not the power..

 

Would this make you happy?
http://www.hondabeat.com/news/dnx_concept.cfm

 

Yes

 

my dad works for Honda and plus I worked for Honda for 2 summers(cause i go to college the other 9 months of the year) but there's 2 main reasons I personally think Honda "holding up" on bringing out the V-8 #1 cost. the cost to add on to the Anna plant plus to train a new "line" is TREMENDOUS(i'm talking 10's of millions of dollars at least) #2 Honda right now is on a trend to get the best gas mileage they can for the car. (that's how they've got all those awards about the cleanest emmission cars and all that stuff) Now if they brought out a V-8 they'd be shooting their own foot.matter of fact the '03 Accord V-6 is the same block and almost the same motor completely as the 98-02 V-6 Accord they are making a actual smaller motor but just changing the heads a little bit. as you guys have heard Honda gonna bring out a "little pickup"(it's about the size of a S-10,Ranger) anyhow I believe it will be like the old odyesee where they brought out the little one first to see how it does in America(which i think it will do okay) then they'll bring out the "bigger version"(like the Tundra, and 1/2 tons) thats when the V-8 will roll off the assembly line. Now I know this is depressing news but I do got something that will cheer you guys up. I honestly believe for the 2004 or 2005 CL (and all V-6s)(when they redo the Odyesee they are going to redo the V-6(that's all V-6) will be DOHC because dad told me the new head machineing line(they just built it within the last year) can machine DOHC for the V-6.

 

Good info. It confirms what was reported in the articles and also coroborates what other analysts have said about the v8.

More importantly, you think there will be a '04 CL??????????