I had dinner last night with a very knowledgeable member of Honda's new vehicle development team. He works with some of the people that I worked with during my tenure, so we were swapping stories while the women talked about their junk, and he starts talking about the 2004 TL he drove a couple weeks ago. Here are the specs:

6-spd manual
smaller than current design, 400-500 lbs lighter
260 HP in Type-s trim
The engine is not due for a power bump at this time. The theory is that the lighter, smaller car will sort of short-circuit the need for HP. However, expect to see a bump in torque due to the improved v-tec. He said the new one he drove with a 6-spd blew away his 2002 TL-s. The 2005-6 years may see a bump in HP, but not for 2004.

Personally, the extra HP doesn't much matter to me. I'm excited to see the smaller TL with a 6-spd (beefed up to handle the probs encountered in the CL) and more torque.

For sale: 1999 BMW 328i, premium package, custom stereo.

 

smaller TL (overall length wise or just weight)???? is this going to be like an 03 accord look alike? When I compare my fiancee's 03 4 door accord next to my 99TL, her accord acutally looks bigger. I just can't wait to see the new TL, thanks for the info.......oh and a manual........about time Honda.

 

Then it will look just like the new one coming out T _ _, forgot the name. Edmund's says it is going to be 280hp. Oh well I'll just wait for the M5 and 500 hp. LOL.

 

hahah M5, you can buy like 2 fully loaded TLs with that

 

i just want the base/premium TL to have stability control on the 2004 model. i find it bad to spend 2grand to get that one feature currently.

 

well 2 tl's = 500 hp. LOL

 

hmmm i think a TL can beat a m5...
here's my plan:
1.) swap the 3.2L NSX engine in
2.) put in a centrifugal supercharger from comptech
3.) reduce weight by taking out sound deadening material
4.) do an auto - manual swap with a cl-s 6 speed tranny
5.) get some massive headers and bigger exhaust
i think we're almost upto 500hp now.. hehe
that'd be sweet to see a TL like that tho wow

 

well question, isnt the new accord bigger than the TL? then wudnt it follow that if its gonna share the same type of design, it wud be bigger in size, not smaller?

just makes me wonder how its getting smaller instead of either staying the same size or getting bigger

 

smaller TL??
hrm...

 

The 99-03 TL was a streched accord platform - it was supposedly streched 400mm longer (that's what the told us when we were laying out the new line) than the KA Accord. The current Accord hasn't changed all that much - it is possible that the new TL is based on the old (KA / Gen 6) Accord platform. The prior generation CL was based on the KG Accord (Gen 5) platform after the KG ceased production in 1997.

 

I really doubt the TL will get smaller. Every new generation always grow in size. Plus I am pretty sure the hp will get a bump also. There's no way it can stay the same if it is a brand new model. All of this is just my humble opinions.

 

I'm psyched for it! :wow:

 

M5....you could buy like 3 or 4 tl's for the price of one M5

 

The new E60 M5 will be considerably more than the E46 M5 you could buy 3 TL's.

I HIGHLY doubt the new TL will look anything like the new accord. Think about it. If the '04 TL even looked REMOTLY like the new accord, it would ruin the sellability of the TSX. Why spend $33K on a new TL-S when you can get the TSX that looks just like it for less? Granted it will have more power but still, the extra 5K whoudlent be worth it to most people.

Im expecting a disgustingly beautiful new body style based on the accord frame. Hell, the TL now is on the accord frame, though you cant tell at all. It looks nothing like an Accord.

Hopes up, want a breakthrough from Acura.

 

After the dozens of times that the headlights would get stolen, I think i'd be better off just getting an M5..Geez, $1,800 for the lights at the dealer!!
Ed

 

400mm?? pardon me if my math is off, but isnt that like 40cm, or about 16-18inches?? that seems like a very long stretch. you could make a tl limo with that stretch.

 

There is no such thing as an E46 M5. The code for the current 5 is E39. E46 is the code for the 3.

But you are right in disallowing a comparison between the TL and the M5.

 

beefed up 6spd because of the problems on the cl?

please enlighten me with what problems with the 6spd cl you are speaking of.

 

Wouldn't a smaller TL put the car too close to the TSX class??
I know the TSX is a 4 cyl but still, the average TL buyer is not buying the car to be the fastest thing on the road. They buy it for safty(smaller isn't safer),comfort and convenience at a reasonable price.

 

Whatever that Honda guy drove was a pre-production vehicle. That doesn't really say much.

I'll wait until I see one at the dealership in September.

 

How will the new TL be lighter when it will offer a lot more gadgets?

Going with an aluminum suspension could save some weight, but I dont think Honda is too thrilled about that.

 

It is quite easy to keep the horsepower the same- Honda has a lot invested in that engine, and still has not seen a huge payback. As for the size, the new TL will be smaller, as it has a problem with the RL platform - they are too close in size. The TL can shrink a couple of inches and still be larger that the TSX. Have you seen a TSX? It is the 4-dr version of the RSX.


Actually, the pre-production lots don't start until final body is determined around the end of Marchl. The final body is narrowed to three around the first of the year. All three are all smaller than the current TL.

 

My friend at the Acura dealership knows nothing. I asked him about it. Im gonna get in contact with my other friend who works for Panasonic and his job is to keep Honda happy. He said they are cheap and a pain in the butt to keep happy. Wouldn't spend an extra $2 for better speakers in the Accords instead of the cheap paper ones.

 

uh, the new tl won't be smaller, no matter what your friend says. that's just ridiculous. also, the new tl would be too close in size to the rl? they are already close in dimensions w/ the current models.
oh yeah, the tsx is NOT a 4dr rsx. it shares nothing w/ the rsx. it is the north american version of the euro/jdm accord.