if only Acura came out with this A-Spec, it would be worth the $5,000. and would be the hotest acura of all time.

http://www.carlist.com/conceptcars/2...ratlaspec.html

 

Newsflash... that is the concept of the A-Spec currently offered. Adding intake and catback exhaust would bring you very close to that 300hp number.

 

somebody didnt search! LOL....

 

Among the features we will not soon see are ventilated seats, adaptive CC, 15" rotors, 8 piston front calipers and 21" wheels.

Super hot car, but one we will likely NEVER see.

 

But who needs 15" brakes, 8 piston calipers, and 21" wheels?

 

x98695584954594954954

 

Im still waiting to see if the rumors of the AWD system comming over somethime after 06...

 

I would have to witness the dyno test to believe that ANY bolt-on intake/exhaust will provide 30 HP on this car - even brake HP. Honda's are so well tuned that there is not a lot left on the shelf. On the S2000, they take such pains to make those engines, that we are happy with 2-3 HP from an I/E!!!!

Honda surely could do it - screwing the emissions and adding a lot of spark advance and fuel enrichment would help; a cam change would do it, and it would not be difficult to develop a racing cam lobe profile that sacrifices low speed torque for top end HP. But it would not be as tractable and as useful as the current engine, which beautifully balances torque and HP without power adders. So if you spent all your time keeping the cams "on the boil" at 5000-6800 RPM, you would be happy. Having that sort of HP bragging rights is a folly, for most of us.

One would also need to change the gear ratios to take advantage of the shift of the power curve up in the RPM range.

Do not even think of the cost of this - re-engineering the powertrain, re-certifying the engines at the EPA, and the cost of maintaining double the parts inventory, different runs at the engine plant, etc etc. The cost would far outweigh any benefit for a major mfr. like Acura/Honda or Infiniti/Nissan. They have a different market target and vision of success.

BMW and M-B are locked in a horsepower war. BMW is NA, M-B uses power adders. It is almost demonic, and captures the essence of the German culture IMO (I should know - I descend from it). Thank goodness all that energy and pride is devoted to engine building, not Mauser building.

The major Japanese mfrs are far less aggressive in their marketing war. While power has certainly crept up, it has been geometric, not logarithmic (isn't the MB SL putting out over 700 HP!!!??). The G35/TL buyer wants good power, but is not willing to go to the single digit economy of the uber-cars.

I find it ironic that the "old school" Corvette LS6 gets nearly twice the mileage of engines it is competitive with using "Eurotechnology". The new Z06 will have 500 HP in a 3100# car, offering Enzo like peformance.

 

To Road Rage;

I don't find it ironic at all that the Chevy small block in the 'Vette does what it does. That simply means that Chevrolet got it right in 1955. As for Germans and their Mauser building, heck, we kicked their butts twice in the last century.. I wouldn't be too worried about them pulling one on us. Besides, we still make some darned good ordnance.

Here's something you might find interesting. In WWII, we built over 275,000 war planes, 87,000 war ships, 155,000 tanks, 1.5 trillion rounds of small arms ammunition, and three nuclear bombs. At one point two of our plants (Ford and Chrysler) were producing a bomber every two minutes.

 

Oops, forgot one. At the end of WWII, we had 101 aircraft carriers in service.

 

Brother SB:
Son, I agree that the miracle of the small block was its original design, but the Z06 is a quantum leap ahead, so I make a distinction. The SB of today yields 2-3X the economy and 3-4X the RWHP of the original.

I am not worried about the Germans - the kindness of the Marshall Plan led to the miracle of post-war Germany, and they have steadfastly adhered to a staunch stand against future militarism, and against anti-Semitism. But one can not overlook the historical facts of two wars in one century, and genocide to boot. The German youth of today wouldn't fight if they were invaded by Alpha Centaurians. They have become dependent on us, like all of Europe, including the Francs. I laughed when the anti-Iraq folks talked glowingly of "French Diplomacy" - which has a long history of deceit (remember Eldredge Gerry?) and the terms of the Versailles Treaty after WWI, which led to starvation in Germany in the 20's, and set the stage for a little guy named Schickelgruber (aka Hitler) to make a little fuss.

Glad you are a student of history - the miracle of US production (and the liberation of women it helped create) was, and is, truly amazing.

 

Roadrage made some excellent points.

SB, one thing I would point out that despite the incredible production capability the US brought to the table in WWII, you have to agree that the Germans had superior weopons, just not enough of them.

Vandy

 

Replacing the intake and exhaust, including headers and downpipe, on the type-S yields 30whp. It can be done.

Adding an intake and the Comptech cat-back should net roughly 20 bhp.

 

To savageTL;

Some of the German weaponry was better than ours but some was not. For example, we had the M1 Gerand as the standard infantry rifle. It's main flaw was the rather loud metallic clink when the internal magazine reached empty and ejected the clip.

I would still give an edge in overall quality to our equipment, but I will say the MG42 was one hell of a fine machine gun.


To Road Rage;

My comments about Chevy's small block referred to its basic design which is still with us. I will easily admit that it's come a long way since 1955, though.. as have we all, eh?

The Treaty of Versailles imposed reparations on Germany for its folly. This may have been fine for France and the rest of Europe if France had managed to keep and maintain the fighting spirit. But after WWI, they took a turn towards socialism and pacifism and turned away from things military and of force, ignoring one of nature's most basic tenets: if you want peace, you must prepare for war. Germany, on the other hand, took the opposite road, partly out of national pride, partly out of the little bohemian, and partly because it's in their blood (was in?). This resulted in France's capitulation in just 6 weeks in 1940 when they had more men in arms and more artilllary in the field than did Germany. The will to fight and carry the day had been sacrificed on the alter of the same disease that continues to infest Europe even today.

As for the liberation of women, I could care less.. it was going to happen anyway, whether or not a war gave the push. I'm not a supporter of group aiding and abetting.. such as affirmative action or incentives and preferential treatment. I consider that to be quite un-American.

Gentlemen, it's been most enjoyable but the lateness of the hour calls me and 4:15 comes mighty early sometimes.