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

 

Wowsers. That could pump a lot of new life into the old girl if it's true ... RWD, 420hp V-8 availability, etc.

But I think there's a lot of speculation going on here, as is usual. While 420hp would make the boy racers drool, it's more than is needed to propel a 4,000+ lb. car from 0-60 in 5 seconds (the apparent new gold standard for hot sedans).

I'd be more than happy to see 375 hp, RWD, 6- or 7-speed transmission, and a little more size in the passenger compartment and trunk. And I somehow think I'm not alone.

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I like the monstrous brake discs. The body looks it's held together with duct tape spray painted black. I'm not even going to consider their speculation as to the stats on a car that's 3 years away still.

I heard it's going to be a 900 hp, quad turbo inline 12. Go ahead, prove me wrong. Just try.

 

Great, just in time for $5 a gallon gas...a thirsty V-8. I can't believe Honda is going to do a RWD platform....it goes against everything they stand for. AWD I can see.

I'd rather see them bring back an AWD high HP version of the RSX.

 

Who in the H... wants a V8 in these times? with the traffic we have now, what the H.. is the point? I am happy with the motor they have now. Just design me a car that looks good and has ALL the bells and whistles. IF the RL gets a V8 with 400hp it might as well be a moon rock. Thats how popular it will be. The 09 will be half a moon rock as it is.

 

This is good news, indeed.

Sure, fewer will buy a V8 because of gas prices. However, it is needed to compete with the bigger guys on the block. It would be fine for those who don't care about gas prices because $4/gallon is pocket change to some (not me!)

Having that halo V8 model will bring people in the door to buy a RWD, 6AT RL.

 

We can only hope Honda will get with it and introduce a 6AT. To me, that would fix a lot of the issues with the current RL. I kind of feel 2nd and 3rd need to be adjusted with another gear in there, and the car would respond so much better, and not bog quite as much in certain situations. You could still give it long legs with 5 and the hoped for 6.

And we can only hope for $4 gas. I would not be surprised if the national average hit $5 this year. California is already there in places. But we are not paying $9 like in Europe or so says my friend from Norway.

But you are right, a V8 halo model, especially a Honda V8, would be great.

 

I agree Bob. But you read an article like this and wonder if it's possible for Acura's plans not to be influenced by the reality of the current situation

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll...806110389/1148

If they go with a v8 it needs to be done within reason and be efficient coupled with a 6-7AT, cylinder deactivation, etc.

 

I know you guys are tired of hearing this (or just don't WANT to hear it), but my 380 hp V-8 LS460 gets BETTER mileage than my '06 RL did. So you don't know what the H (to quote dwest) you're talking about when you just automatically assume V-8's get bad mileage! So quit it, already!

My LS routinely gets 18.5 in ALL city street driving, and will quickly jump to 19-20 if I do even a little bit of freeway running. On the open highway, I can do 29 and 30 mpg standing on my head. Often more. I've posted pictures showing that. So quit it!

Now, I've already said 420 hp is excessive, but I'll also say this: If Acura doesn't put a V-8 in the next-gen RL, it might as well give it up for dead right now ... because it will be. Luxury car buyers don't want a freakin' V-6 in their cars. That's all there is to it, and $5 a gallon gas doesn't change that. If you want stellar gas mileage, get a Civic.

Just make your V-8 efficient (like others have done) and install a transmission that will allow higher gearing while still preserving performance at lower speeds (like others have done). It ain't rocket science ... it's being done right now.

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Times are changing, I want an electric car as one of my cars.
This RL is way too big for me, and I do not need a v-8 with these gas prices, no thanks, not green enough. How quickly things change.

 

yeah fuel prices are really becoming one of thee main factors for considering a car these days.. Especially here in Cali were cheap Premium is, as of this morning, $4.69..

Like many here this is great news (v8, rwd, and etc..), just blows that this might be compromised by fuel prices..

Hope, we can have some deflation and reduce the price of fuel soon.. (or prices of anything in general)

 

Thank you!

 

absol. right. If Acura wants compete with the BIG ONES she has to get a V8.
Looks at the Infiniti: they are going in Europe with the FX50, 390 hp, or BMW with the new 4.4 biturbo 406 hp... they don't give a s. to the gas mileage, because they are image cars, for people that doesn't mind about fuel expenses...

 

Biased much?

All of the V8 whining is a load of crap, as is the "halo car" BS. And the only people clamoring for RWD cars are forum fanboys and the automotive press. We don't need to regurgitate the actual numbers of V8's sold for the various brand other than to point out it's pretty damn low. It all comes down to the brand perception. They can't sell a car with a $50k sticker on it so they're going to try to sell one with a $70k sticker? Not likely. Acura is a day late and a dollar short. V8's in a $5/gallon gas environment are a non-starter, especially at the "10% of units sold" number that V8's ususally represent.

I thought SH-AWD was going to be the standard across all Acuras? Good luck selling RWD cars in the snow belt, which represents a pretty big portion of Acura sales. They bet the house on the TL and MDX. The MDX will go the way of the dodo if gas keeps rising. I'm more and more convinced that this company is done.

 

I have to say, I'm pretty darn excited about this news. As for the v8, I'd have to agree with Mike_TX, neuronbob, and krio. I'm not sure if I'll buy a v8 version, but it gives me a choice to, and it'll help me stay within the Acura family.

Gas prices aren't stopping MB, BMW etc.. from making bigger engines.

As for the new MDX, I'm seeing more and more these days.

 

I get 18 MPG in my V6 RL right now. How much worse is a V8 going to be? Seriously?

Please. The reason the gas mileage sucks in the current RL is because of the higher state of tune of the V6 -- they're wringing all they can out of an undersized engine for this car, and it doesn't have the low-end grunt to provide satisfactory acceleration with decent economy.

Don't whine to me about gas prices, if you can't pay $4 a gallon for gas, then don't drive a $50K+ car. And the hybrid stuff is a bunch of malarkey, they're not any more efficient than a good small engine or diesel, and they're much worse for the environment.

Give people a V8 that doesn't have to rev beyond 5K RPM just to feel like it's going somewhere, and you will get more buyers for the RL.

 

But they have a hard time selling shawd in the sunbelt, it is inefficeint & adds weight to the RL. The current motor would be so much more responsive without the driveline loss of the awd. Look at Bob's Dyno runs.

 

Looks guys. A big luxury or exotic car with V8 v12 says I have arrived and I have money. The RL will NEVER say that. As been said, they are a day late and a dollar short. As much as I love our 06 RL, if I ha REAL money I would not be driven one.

 

hard to agree. the car will go on sell in late 2010... and it will be VERY different from the current one... How can you say? With the overall quality of the RL, a V8 and RWD... why not, I mean??

 

When you are talking want cars, its all about image. Go to the rich mans balls, count how many RL's in the parking lot. You won't need to use a calculator.

 

seriously? i'll believe it when i c it...haha

 

Interesting point, but you can't fault Acura for an inefficient engine when you are comparing two completely different drive systems. The AWD drive system carries both a weight and friction penalty that the LS escapes. If I lived in Texas I probably wouldn't place much value on the AWD system, but those of us in other parts of the country value it and accept that there is a mileage penalty to be paid for it. That said, I do think Acura should look very hard at that magnificent LS transmission and make some serious changes in that direction.

 

That's the point. sub 20mpg cars are not going to be good enough going forward. MPG needs to get MUCH higher, not stay the same or go down. Government regulations and/or market forces will ensure that. Acura is not Lamborghini. They won't say "to hell with CAFE" and pay the fine. Also, people driving a $40-$50k Acura's (or MB or BMW) are just regular working class shmucks who happen to have a few extra bucks in their pocket compared to the average guy. I think $5-6 per gallon gas WILL matter to their customer base.

Just saying that I won't be surprised if we see some changes in the strategy between now and 2011.

EDIT: I'm not picking on V8's alone. I'm talking about general MPG. I DO realize some v8's get just as good (if not better) gas mileage than my 3.5 v6. So you don't need to keep reminding us Mike

 

hahaha.. I guess the RL group here is one of the few groups in the nation not terribly bothered by the rising cost of oil. Everyone is well within/along the demand curve.

I was actually surprised by the headline, while most companies are downsizing engines these days for future products. BUt as stated engineer it (engine and transmission) right, and we got ourselves something solid.

 

Maybe Acura is going to have a v8, 450 hp and gets 50MPG. If they ditch that so called power grille, I will pay cash!

 

This was said in car talk but not in the RL section but does anyone think this is not the new RL? Why would they test a new V8 in the TSX and not the old RL body. That maybe they just plan on coming out with a RWD TSX?

 

Yeah maybe they will. I'd get in line for that too

 

Maybe Acura needs to skip 6AT and go straight to 7AT since all its competitors already using 7AT (exception to LS460 because it uses 8AT). If RL uses 8AT, that surely even will help the gas mileage a lot better on top of the iVTEC with its VCM.

 

um, it's a Power Plenum No need to make up ridiculous names when Acura already gave it a perfectly fine ridiculous name

 

That does seem very odd doesn't it. Makes no sense from where we're sitting. But then again, I'm not aware of any new sedans other than the RL. Also, if it was a TSX RWD tester, why is it choped and stretched? There's definitely a different chasis under there.

Probably using the TSX skin to throw people off the trail. It's a lame attempt and probably isn't going to work very well for anyone who can use deductive reasoning.

 

The probable reason is they are using the under-pinings of the latest generation sedan [using the TL would have meant running camo for another 6 months], rather than a five year old chassis.

 

All valid points. I just think I will believe this more when I hear it from Acuras mouth.

 

When analyzing the viability of a V8 RL, its probably a good idea to look at the sales figures for the V8 M45. Anybody have the sales figures for those? I live in the northeast and see mostly the M35X. Rarely do I see an M45. Not sure if its the lack of all wheel drive or the V8 that seems to keep the take rate low up here.
On the other hand, I see mostly the regular 535 (non all-wheel drive) version of the 5 series. I'm going to guess that the added cost of the "X" version keeps most from ponying up for that option. Once again, I rarely see a V8 (540 or 550). So yes, while I agree that a V8 version of the 3rd Gen RL would possibly boost the brand's overall appeal, I'm not so sure that in itself will boost sales. I dont think the V8 version of the M was the reason the car became so popular.

 

more cylinders does not mean more fuel. Acura could be taking the path that I have seen as the best bet, having small motors with more cylinders, with cylinder deativaction, for example:

4.L V10 - you could have around 375 HP and gobs of Tq, and also get really go gas mileage since it could turn into an inline 5 cylinder motor when crusing.

you could also use the Mugen v8, 3.4 L V8, they have amazing power out of that, if they de-tune it and make it for everyday use, 330HP is possible, and then when crusing, you it could turn into an inline 4.

This coupled with a redone logic of SH-AWD would stay true to honda's roots, innovation.

 

Boston - Some brands may sell only 10% V-8's but I'll guarantee you EVERY Lexus LS sold in the United States since Lexus' inception in 1989 has been a V-8. And they ain't doing too badly with them, either. Lexus sold over 70,000 V-8 units in 2007, of which over half were LS460's. Acura would love to sell 35,000 RL's.

But you made your own point: Acura wants to be a big player like a Lexus or BMW, but it isn't going to be until it steps up and loads a V-8 into its top-of-the-line car like the big boys.

And RWD is hardly the domain of forum fanboys. I daresay AWD fits that description much better. The only people who "whine" for AWD are snowbunnies up north and boy racers who figure they can go faster around corners with it (or at least TELL people they can).

Come on - stick your head up outside of this forum and you won't see a huge a clamor for AWD aside from the Audi groups, and Audi guys are a breed unto themselves anyway. But people aren't exactly complaining about their BMW M's or their AMG M-B's or their Mustang Cobras or Dodge Vipers not being quick enough or good enough because they lack AWD.

SH-AWD is nice in the snowbelt, in the same way a Jeep 4WD is nice ... it helps you keep going in the white stuff. But people outside the upper midwest and northeast generally couldn't care less about it, handling claims or not. Sorry, that's just the truth. Ask any dealer south of the Mason-Dixon. Then ask how many Mercedes Benzes and BMW's and even Infinitis and Lexuses they sell with AWD.

Look, Acura is suffering and it needs to figure out who it is and where it's going. It's going to either be a front-wheel drive, mid-range carmaker with a line of SUV's, or it's going to be in the true luxury car market with the big guys. If it wants to keep cranking out V-6 FWD cars and compete with Honda and Toyota, fine. But if it wants a true luxury-level car, it can't pussyfoot around with a 6-cylinder engine. At least not as its only option. And it can't keep trying to sell people on the notion its AWD is some magic antidote for V-8 power.

I still maintain Acura makes damn fine cars, but if it wants to keep an RL-type car in its lineup, it HAS to have RWD and a V-8 option. And people who want V-6's can either get it as a lower-cost option or just buy an Accord.

Bias? Wow, I think the AWD bias is getting thick in here!

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I am sure the the V8, they will approach the LS figures as Mike_TX mentions. 29-30 highway is not a stretch and imagine throwing in some really neat cylinder deactivation like in the Accord. The puppy could get much better city mileage (mid 20's) to 30+ highway.

I am sure Honda isn't in the dark when they are designing a V8. Knowing that 50,000 Civics were just sold last month, they have a good idea on the future.

If the Car is in the mid-$50K range to start and tops out at the low $60's with a state-of-the art V8, people will buy.

Soapbox time....
$5/gallon will ruin the entire world. I forecast (heard it hear first) a serious pullback from $4/gallon to....$2.50 - $3 by Nov 2008. The world cannot function like this, its a global issue and its not like we are running out of the black gold. The speculators will leave oil and move onto commodities. Its not sustainable.
Soapbox time over..

 

Actually most of the World has been paying way more than that for many years (ie $8 in UK) and it's been functioning OK, the US is not the world or the only thriving and mighty economy it one was anymore..

Regarding V8's I think it's a must if Acura wants to improve its image of luxury. They have to start somewhere anyway. They may sell few V8 compared to V6's but perception is very important in the luxury market.

 

V8 would work perfectly well in the LS segment since it's basically what you need. These Premium Luxury Sedans have everything so it only makes sense to have the engine to go with it. Gas mileage can be taken care of.

Only recently did Honda have engines that didn't get the best gas mileage, weird, but maybe they're going back to those roots in a sense. If Honda uses the V8 and has a proper cylinder deactivation system, the people who have issues with the gas guzzling V8 might actually be interested.

I hear the Chrysler one doesn't work all that well, but again, if Honda can do it properly, you'd have a winner, even with these gas prices!



By the way, Of course you can guarantee every LS sold in the US was with a V8...that's because it's the only engine it came with...


As for the original post....That's awesome..hope they do it right this time. They've started properly.

 

Correction to my earlier post. I should have said, the US can't function on $5/gallon.

cai06 is correct in that the world has been living with $8 and $9/gallon prices. But they have started to buckle and we shall see what happens...globally

Hopefully the Acura V8 will see $3/gallon. Not likely in 2011...but you never know.

 

So what if they're paying $8/gal in the UK, the exchange rate is approx 1 dollar per 1/2 British pound. Sounds like a wash to me. Also, the strength of the Euro vs. the dollar has helped. The US has been getting off cheap, but it's not as much as people are suggesting.

Whining for AWD? I guess you have to consider the source.

For driving in the snow, AWD is almost a necessity if you like keeping your car on the road. I'm not going to bash those who want RWD, just saying that it's not practical for a large portion of the country.

What I can afford and what I am willing to pay for gasoline are very different. If the rising costs continue, the last thing I'll consider is getting a V8. Fortunately, I have a few years before having to decide.