I saw this over on autoblog.com, thought i'd share with everyone here.

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/19/a...-magic-8-ball/

 

Awesome, the car really does need it. I am sure it will be one hell of a motor as Honda puts out very decent drivetrains.

 

Hmph. I'll believe it when I see it in an RL.

 

when RL coupe comes, its mine!

 

about dam time!!!!

 

If they want people to continue to buy RL's instead of TL's they better do a V8 option.... That V8 could go in a lot of other vehicles too, completely transform the Acura lineup, here's hoping!!

 

if they did bring a v8 out, it would probably go in the RL, the MDX, and any new flagship car they would bring out. the new NSX is supposed to be a v10 if i'm not mistaken. hopefully its a sign of good things to come from the Acura line up. Now if someone could just do a little more with the styling cues they have adapted, but one step at a time i guess, haha.

 

This won't make a damn bit of difference overall....this will NOT make people that were going to buy BMW or MB switch to an Acura. V8's have nothing to do with it.

Sad to day, Acura just doesn't have the Cache'....YET.

 

Worth repeating:



The V8 rumors are 12 years old at this point. I'm a longtime Honda guy and I remember how long it took for Honda to place a V6 in the Honda lineup--waaaay too long. Now it's almost too late for a V8 given the current automotive climate. I'd welcome it, but I doubt it's coming.

 

I tend to agree. Honda's resistance to V8 powerplants may have come full circle with the current market and fuel climate. Still, there is time to test the waters and hint at V8 development for passenger vehicles and still pull out before the anticipate 2 year launch of the 2011 RL. The new engine powerplant near Saitama (Yori) is not to come online until sometime in 2009, so there is time to go either way.

But should Honda enter the V8 fold for passenger vehicles, I expect them to introduce a very clean, very efficient and high performing (relative to the other aforementioned attributes) engine with likely creative technology (i.e. VCM, DI, and some variance of VTEC). Whatever V8 Honda may introduce will likely leapfrog the attributes of Honda's current V6 engines and perhaps those of competitor V8s. But power and torque are never the absolute of the Honda equation.

The Honda equation is power, torque, efficiency, reliability and emissions impact.....which is a much more elegant final product over brute power and performance metrics.

 

And just an FYI...

Honda has prototyped V8 engines, although they were speculated for the truck models, Ridgeline, Pilot and likely the MDX...

and keep in mind, Honda has been racing with a V8 engine, which serves as a proving ground from future passenger vehicle applications...

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...%3D1%26hl%3Den

 

.....and....voila!

"...Honda Motor Co. CEO Takeo Fukui confirmed plans for Honda to launch its first V8 engine in an Acura. Fukui said Acura, with U.S. sales down 15.3 percent through September, needs something extra under the hood, especially in its flagship RL sedan. "I don't think that the Acura RL 3.7-liter is sufficient. We can't compete with other premium brands...

...The upcoming engine will "be completely different from conventional, past-generation ones and have excellent fuel efficiency," he said..."


http://blogs.automobilemag.com/63091...ent/index.html

http://wot.motortrend.com/6300889/au...els/index.html

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/10...ne-to-next-rl/

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dl...810199992/1065


all posted today.

 

Now if they would just come out with a rwd platform that would be cheaper & more efficient than their shawd that would go alot further torwards making the RL relevant in the market place.

 

perhaps your wish may come true....

http://www.leftlanenews.com/acura-rl-future.html


Hopefully not another pipe dream, but there have been reports to a F/R RWD RL and a RWD biased SHAWD RL in the next generation.

 

I have desired a V8 option as well, but my thinking has changed.
I drive 80 miles RT per day and at this point, I would not want to get lower mileage than the 20 mpg with the V6.
Why not focus on new technology like hybrid rather than putting a V8 in the line-up
(yes, I'm from CA)

 

I am generally happy with the V6. But I agree a V8 is needed to get brand recognition and in particular, make the RL more noticable in the class.

There is mention that the V8 in development will include technology and efficiency, that, as I would expect from Honda, be a class leader. Let's hope so...

"...The upcoming engine will "be completely different from conventional, past-generation ones and have excellent fuel efficiency," he said..."



Now, getakey, unwrap your arms from that tree....

 

lol tampa - you know despite what I said that I have a very large carbon footprint!
I've got 980 horses on my boat that gets less than 1 mpg (I know standard is gph, but this is an auto thread)
I guess I'm going to have to look for a solar boat, or what are those things with masts called

 

slow

 

Enlighten us, if not a V8 RWD option, what will?? Please don't say a bigger, most powerful V6 ever.... Acura has been there, done that. Even with better marketing and styling there is an ever present deficit in the Acura lineup holding it back from comparison to any marquee brand. This is a fact.

You have to build a Cache, it occurs over time, upscaling from V6 to V8, FWD to RWD is a natural progression in the population perceived luxury automobile segment... it's as natural as 6 comes before 7, and 7 before 8. If you're gonna compare your apples to other peoples apples, you better bring apples to the table and not plums, no matter how good they are....

If Honda doesn't want Acura to be taken to the next level then they will continue to produce phenomenal V6 engines and Acura will be nothing more than a really nice Honda....

Am I surprised about the V8 announcement, of course not! There was no where else to go! Honda Executives have finally said it themselves. Honda philosophy can be maintained no matter what they build, they build well and that will always be the constant. Would I buy a Honda built V8?? Damn straight... any day of the week including Sundays.

 

both Larry (Oracle) and Tom Perkins had their BIG boats in the Bay recently. Have you read much about Tom's slow boat?

 

V8 & RWD will definitely bring recognition to it as an Acura flagship. It sounds really bad that the Flagship model has lesser power than the next best model. Also it will help shut the press who always clamour about a missing V8 in the RL.

I am sure with the big engine, the super efficient VCM technology will be introduced to Acura lineup...

 

IMHO, MB has lost some cache in terms of quality.
In terms of cache, what is Hundai doing with the Genisis?

 

You won't have to sacrifice your 20mpg in a Honda V8, most efficient V8's get the same mileage as our beloved RL with a V6. I would also have to say that Honda does focus on alternative technologies, Hybrid and Hydrogen, but market forces haven't forced any of the automakers hands in a most significant way. People, V8 is not the devil incarnate!!!! There will always be
4 and 6 cylinder variants available for anyone that chooses. If I want a V6 RL when the time comes, I'll just buy a TL.

 

I get better mileage in my E500 than I did in my RL. SHAWD may be the siznit for a lot of people, but it is not efficient. As Bob's Dyno run shows the driveline eats a lot of power & the MPG is not what you would expect for a V6.

 

Yes - understand the SHAWD taps power as well as mileage, but I must say the RL powerplant was not the number 1 or 2 reason I bought (or did not buy) mine.
Compared to other cars I was reviewing (in 2005), the RL was clearly superior in technology (including the SHAWD which I consider added safety as well as fun) and quality. At the time, I was wishing for a V8, but I did not feel the V6 was inadequate. Now after driving the car for 85,000 miles, I do not know of one situation where I needed more power. So other than the prestige factor, V8 is not important to me. That said, I understand that prestige is necessary for this car to compete in this class and remain viable. If a V8 is the answer, so be it, but I'm wondering if there might be other options.

 

Can't wait to see the new RL (bigger, faster and with a spanking new V8).

I do agree with the getakey. I basically viewed the RL as the best of the lot even though the looks might not appeal to others.

I find the V6 with enough power for everyday driving but won't hesitate at getting a V8...

 

static - regarding looks: In 2005, I really did not see anything else that I like from a styling point of view in the same class and price range up to $50K or so.
And, I have not tired of the look. Still looks good to me from multiple angles.
I know most on the board are not into the 2009 grill, but its OK with me.

I have not been looking at cars, so not up on all the latest models, but what else looks good?

I saw that genisis on the road. Does not look that good in person.
The new JAG is cool, but parent company?
I have to say, I'm not into Lexus styling at all.
To each his own.

 

To me the V8 would be nice, but the norwd option will always limit the sales they will never sell a lot in the sunbelt where very few people are willing to pay the premium for awd over 2wd.

 

None of that matters....if it doesn't say MB, Porsche, BMW on the grill, it won't sell. This makes me happy because it keeps the prices down on Acuras.

I hate to say this(sort of) but Acura will never achieve high luxury status.
No V8, RWD platform, etc wll help. Some people in my building here at work don't know what an Acura is. Mercedes, pretty much across the board are notoriously unreliable after the first year, but you see them everywhere, hell I even get giddy when I see an AMG CL63 Black drive by.

The new NSX looks to by unreal, but will it sell?

I've owned Acuras\Hondas since 1984 when I bought a CRX. I love them, and will probably always have one, as they are the best bang for the buck, period.
No one does it better.

Honda has a racing Heritage in F1, and they ruled CART for while as well, and this should help with the cache' part( I bought my CRX because of it's ties to Honda in F1), but sad to say that the people with the money would rather drive up with a MB, BMW, or Porsche on the grill.

Also, this is not the time to be bringing out an engine that will most likely get worse MPG than the V6.

 

I couldn't agree more about the bang for the buck.

There is ample evidence that Honda/Acura is soon introducing diesel engines. Is there any possibility that this V8 will be one of them?

 

Not any more:

Thu, Jun 5, 2008


Mercedes-Benz is one of the most successful auto brands in this year’s customer survey conducted by U.S. market research institute J.D. Power. The Stuttgart car brand receives two gold awards for the highest vehicle quality in their respective market segments, and is also honoured for the world’s best production plant. This outstanding result is one outcome of the initiative launched by Mercedes-Benz to raise customer satisfaction and product quality.

In conducting the annual study, market researchers investigate the satisfaction of American customers with new vehicle purchases within the first 90 days, and evaluate the quality of both the concept and execution of the vehicle. Overall, Mercedes-Benz moved up one place against last year from fifth to fourth, and is the only vehicle brand with three models (CLK, E and S-Class) within the top ten passenger vehicles.



This year saw the E-Class and the CLK each receive gold J.D. Power Awards. According to the U.S. study, these models are the highest quality vehicles in their market segments. Furthermore, Mercedes’ Sindelfingen plant receives the Platinum Award, making it the assembly facility with the best delivered quality worldwide.


http://benzinsider.com/2008/06/merce...from-jd-power/

 

not trying to be argumentative, but one would hope that the most expensive cars in their class would indeed get high marks on quality.
my opinion was derived from comments from associates who drive MB cars albeit not 2008 models
Clearly they recognized a problem and went about to fix it. Kudos for that.

 

The merger with Chrysler was a very bad idea. For example, before the current E Class came out the supplier for the HVAC unit pulled out and they had to scramble to get a different company to make them... had a lot of problems with that system. Also a lot of those cars have some very complicated stuff on them like Adaptive Seats, etc...

The Japanese do have the reliability thing down but others are catching up, eroding their advantages.

 

I agree with getakey. Given MB's pricing and former reputation, for it to have had such a long streak of appalling reliability is disgraceful--Chrysler or not. The "blame Chrysler" argument doesn't wash--MB was well known to be the controlling interest in that merger.

I feel so sorry for those poor brand-loyal customers who got socked for repairs at MB's legendary hourly rates post-warranty.

I hope they do improve their products. I note that while the JD Power data you cite suggests that has already happened, the used car reliability data from Consumer's lists worse than average or much worse than average reliability for the E class for 03, 04, 05, 06 and 07. They list predicted new car reliability as much worse than average. I think it may be a little early to break out the sparkling Riesling.

 

When the Chrysler merger happened it was chaotic trying to mix suppliers, parts, leadership, etc. It was a disaster and cost Daimler billions. Chrysler didn't get much out of it except some transmissions which it still uses and the Crossfire which is just an ugly SLK.

The quality of the newly designed cars is very good actually but when you have a losing streak for 4, 5, or 6 years it takes a while to regain confidence. But like I said many of their cars use some pretty advanced, cutting edge technology that isn't inexpensive to fix. Honda/Acura took a big hit with their transmissions, Toyota/Lexus has the same thing happen because they grew too fast so no automaker is immune. Even the first 2 years of the RL had problems. But blaming the manufacturer because it costs $3,000.00 to do a brake job isn't fair, unless they were designed badly. I'm sure in a few more years MB will be back in the #1 or #2 spot.

Despite all of this MB is the only luxury brand in the U.S. to take the smallest decline in sales overall so that says something more than just brand-loyal people buying their cars.

Sorry to take this thread off its point, which is the imminent arrival of a V8.

 

Indeed, the luxury market has been shrinking this past year, even before the current credit situation. And, as an effect of the shrinking segment, the consumers of this segment were polarizing to the legacy brands. Fringe brands, and Acura is way out on the fringe of the luxury segment, is not positioned for sustainability in the current market. Hence, the move to position the brand for better recognition and moving the models up to be more inline with the Tier 1 models.

Even if it does not make sense to offer a V8 NOW, it does attempt to get Acura on the radar with Tier 1. Also the RWD/SHAWD platform hinted for the next Gen RL. That along with the NSX hopefully will give Acura a halo effect.

Do I think Acura will sell a lot of V8s? Assuming it is an option...no. As with comparable models, the V6 models are the volume. The V8 brings them in to the showrooms. And in fact, if leasing shrinks in Tier 1s, that may help Acura if their pricing still retains comparable market value.

IMHO a V8 does make sense in image, if not as much in substance, as does the RWD / SHAWD platform configuration. What does NOT make sense to me is the investment in this engineering to compete in a market designed for mostly mature customers using juvenile and unsophisitcated styling.

 

How do we ultimately define a luxury car, is it price, vehicle offerings, outstanding reliability and service, racing achievements, historical nostalgia, notable marketing... who knows.

Personally I think there are 2 main factors that make Porsche, MB, and BMW stand out, their offerings and what you pay to get them. Everybody knows that when a SL65 or a Porsche GT3 drives down the road, there is an element of financial success and prowess needed to comfortably afford them (assuming they didn't cash in a large portion of their nest egg) This I feel is what drives the prestige, of course, not to mention the mechanical offerings and performance inherent.

I do agree wholeheartedly that a "bang for the buck" philosophy will not create a prestige brand. Most likely though a larger flagship RL with V8 and RWD will likely undercut the offerings from the aforementioned REAL luxury brands, there will still be bang for the buck, but the prestige will likely increase, it is a variable in the equation. If the Acura with V8 and RWD costs more, it will also increase prestige, especially if marketed appropriately. Damn, even the Genesis and Lincoln advertisements have been impressive. In regards to mileage, the current selection of V6 engines available do not offer any substantial advantage.

Personally, I believe the V8 and RWD option for Acura is a good thing, I certainly haven't read any convincing arguments to the contrary. "It just won't" isn't very convincing. It can only increase sales of the RL, improve prestige, improve performance, and probably match fuel mileage to most V6 engines. Honda is Honda, Acura should be Acura, once and for all. But I suppose we can butt heads about it all day, time will be the test!

 

"For premium brands that run the risk of being caught out in the middle -- neither value for money nor luxury -- the solution is to quickly adopt a brand-building approach that focuses on key luxury brand behaviour. Companies like Audi and Duchy Originals must be looking hard at themselves and asking if they are truly luxury enough."

http://www.brandrepublic.com/InDepth...remium-brands/

Audi is indeed addressing this with the current A4 promotion....largest in the class (highlighting MB and BMW models)



Acura is likley examining this dilemma.

And I think "Acura's most powerful...ever" (TL commercial) is a good statement. And likey the V8 will feed into this strategy when ready for launch.

But as artful as the Acura commercials are, they do not point out how they are better than competitors (as Genesis ads do so well) while cleverly keeping the ugly factor in the darkness. I figure Aurca has determined that no one will buy or drive and Acura unless it is dark out. I think they get it now.

 

Think of the vast market of those in need of cataract surgery.

 

I left Acura because they just don't have the product depth they need to complete. They look more like Porsche did 5 years ago in terms of how many models they offer. To get "prestige" offered a diverse number of vehicles would help. Selling 3 sedans and two SUVs ain't gonna cut it and you certainly can't make a decent living there, either. But if they keep designing cars for the blind it won't matter how many cars they have in their line-up. I think the RL, TL (if it had a nose transplant) and the MDX (if they got rid of the foam in the inside of the doors at the bottom) would sell very well at BMW, Audi, or Mercedes so it ain't all bad news.