DexDiamonds

I'm curious about the 4G TL Type-S. I know that Acura usually waits about 2 years before they releasing Type-S models so if that's the case do you think it'll come with the V8 rumored to be coming in the next generation RL?

HEK

GREAT RUMOR...., keep it going...( but I doubt it)

OUTATIME

Well the V8 in the RL itself isn't a rumor . . . Fukui confirmed it himself. But if it shows up in anything, it will be the RL first.

sharp218

Does anybody know the HP/TQ estimates for the V8? I'm assuming it would have to have at least 340hp..

Kulrevon

No estimates or specs on the engine. Except for the fact that it needs to fall in between the V6 and the NSX V10 which is supposed to be up around 550hp.

So I guess we have a range of 300-550hp. I was assuming 350hp and hoping for more.

I wouldn't think they would offer it in a TL until a few years after the RL. but who knows.

smsTL

iTrader: (1)

Damn...i want NSX when it comes out...

shubysingh

how cool would it be if acura went the audi route, having two sport models, s and rs?
it could be type s and type r.
acura does want to become tier 1 after all.

just wishful thinking, please no !!!

VTEC Racer

It's possible. The new X6 fighter may come with a V8 and it is believed that the underpinnings of that car mimics that of the TL's. If they can fit the V8 in the X6 fighter then maybe they can fit it in the TL also. I would prefer Acura keep the TypeS name just for the mere fact that it has some history behind it now where as Lexus came out with F and nothing behind it. Remember, Acura is not trying to be like what they were in the past. If it sounds like something they would never do in a million years, it's probably more likely than ever before. Just wishful thinking...

Bearcat94

At the dealership today. Sales guy and I were talking about the 4G Type-S (will there be one? when? etc).

He said the speculation in the showroom is the TL-S *might* get the new V8. He guessed 340 - 360 HP. In an AWD configuration, that'd rock in my book.

I *think* the new gen RL will debut before a TL-S would be due (Acura has released the Type-S for the last 2 years of the 2nd gen and 3rd gen). So, the RL would get the V8 first, then, *if* a TL-S is produced, it should be the 2012 model year (fall of 2011).

csmeance

if the v8 does come out, it should trickle down to the TL when it gets it's MMC in 2012MY or 2011CY. If the TL gets the v8, I wouldn't be too surprised to see the TSX get the TL's 3.2 J32 thrown in it.

sharp218

I always thought TSX would do great with the 240 hp Turbo 4 from the RDX

KeithL

Such speculation for 3 years out, and even if it did I see a $45K+ price tag, and no V8 is going to win me over on the 4G styling. They really need to go back and do some deep soul searching. What are they trying to do and where do they really think the market will be in the future. The last 2 years have seen gas prices climbing and people as interested in decent feul milage as power. Let's face it the bread and butter modles are usually not the high HP models, the high HP cars (Type-S, G35S, etc) usually make up smaller percentages and are the ad fodder to get people in the door. The market has been headed for some time now to more responsible cars. Sure the 3G sold well and so does G35, but unless the times of excess return, people are going to remmeebr $4+ gas for a while and especially here in SE, the 3+ weeks of long lines for gas. Sure I love a decent performaing car, but in the end I buy the TL for its ride, comfort an amenities, as I supect most people do. Look at the people driving TL's, most are family people with their familes. Take 30 HP away and give me 5MPG or something and I'm all over that! I shy away froma a G35 becaue the 3-4MPG less it will get will cost me more than $600 a year in feul and before some of you say if you can't afford it you should not buy it, there is no reason some people should not want a decent sporty style near luxury car without wanting to feed the gas pump all the time! And to some $500-$1000 a year is a deciding factor!

ggesq

iTrader: (1)

Using a 8 cylinder in the RL ( and maybe a TL) will definately help Acura towards their goal of becoming Tier 1.

PetesTL

I hghly doubt a V8 will ever find its way into a TL. V8-powered cars are fast disappearing. GM and Ford have even announced that they will no longer produce V-8 powered vehicles after a few years. Audi's upcoming S4 will now use a turbo-charged V6 instead of the 4.2L V8. In today's economy and global climate, modified 4 or 6 cylinder engines along with hybrids and diesels are the way to go.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

That's true, but the purpose of a V8 is to help improve Acura's image as a luxury brand. If you head over to the Car Talk forum you will see a lot of people saying how Acura is not Tier-1 because it doesn't offer V8 and RWD. It's like making the 6MT TL, it's not going to sell well, it only accounts for 5% of the total sale, but they still do it because it wants to show that Acura has a sporty side.

The bottom line is, if they don't offer V8, people will keep on saying Acura is never going to be a Tier-1 luxury brand, but if they do offer V8, then we got people saying that's a bad move when fuel price is still high and everyone is moving away from V8.

KeithL

Possible, but the lack or RWD and an RL that truly stands out (with or without a V8) is the key. They could have done some suped up V6 RWD RL and been closer. The problem is the RL was just nothing special, they counted on technology and SH-AWD. Look at the RL 2 years ago and a 3G TL, at a glance the TL actually looks bigger, so how do you justify a $45K-$50K car. The sloped lines and tapered ends made the RL look too small. Also Acura has no consistency in its styling. You maybe now see some famliy resemblence between and RDX and MDX, but even that is a stretch. All their cars are single one off styles and designs. You see a Mercedes and you recognize it, regardless if you know the model, same with BMW, Audi and Infiniti. Lexus is the only one where the strong similiar design cues do not exisit, Acura is truly like a aggregate of different car lines.

PetesTL

I would LOVE to see Acura move toward diesels.....like what BMW (and soon Audi) is doing......can you imagine a TL with 400+ lb/ft torque and 25mpg city?!! While I love my 4G now, I salivate when I hear about the new BMW 335d coming out.

Jason1000RR

What if...hopefully....

CL6

V6 sales are always huge compared to V8 sales for any given model that offers the choice of either and people hear already squeal like little piggies because the TL or some other Acura doesn't offer a certain feature. Wonder how they'll react when the V8 is $3,000 more and has features the V6 doesn't have.

RSA_Secure

Luxury car makers are moving to FI type engines. Of course, for their top of the line sports model, they have a V8. The category type-s falls in, V8 doesn't make sense. It sounds good, but it won't sell well IMO.

StealthC1

You know its hard to speculate what MIGHT be coming out for the nest Gen RL or the next TLS. I agree with KeithL When it comes down to it, Acura builds luxury cars, and the people buying them are gonna strongly consider fuel mileage. A V8 would be alot of fun but guess what, Acura spending all that extra money on research and development for a V8 TL would come back a loss. We all know that in an uncertain economy with fuel prices fluctuating all the time the guy with a family to feed and a mortgage to pay wont wanna buy the V8 for and extra 30-40HP. Besides all you Acura drivers out there know just like me its very easy to tweak our cars and get more performance than what the manufacturer gives us. Spending the extra 3000-5000 grand on a few extra horses not to mention the extra 500-1000 dollars a yr on gas can add up real quick. Acura releasing a TYPE S with a V8 is cool but guess what, its not enough bait for todays buyer in this unstable economy.

PetesTL

Honda has hinted that a diesel engine may find its way into a Civic in the near future. I have my fingers crossed that Acura will do the same.....although if it does, my guess would be that the TSX might go diesel first.

sr4dt

IMO, demographic you are mentioning would be a Honda clientle... after all the V6 Accords are quite fast and host basic luxury. A V8 TL will pitch TL into the class of M3/M5. Anyone desiring to get into these "Luxury" performance class of vehicle would be looking beyond the basic economics of the vehicle. However if some one who is woried abou 5-6K price and couple hundred dollars of maintainance and looking at a V8 RL (or TL) is way over there head ... JMHO


I truly wish that a V8 shows up a optional engine for 4G TL-S a couple of years down the road, but I think it won't happen untill 5G TL.

PetesTL

In my opinion, the V8's these days are becoming more and more irrelevant. With engine technology available today, a V6 engine can be made just as powerful (if not more) than most V8 engines, plus you'll get a lot better gas mileage. With the public's perception of 8-cylinder cars these days, a V8-powered TL will actually hurt sales in my opinion. Go to any used car lot today and you'll see a glut of V8-powered cars that nobody wants to buy. In my opinion, a diesel-powered TL will sell like hot-cakes. (The new BMW 335d is already sold-out at my local BMW dealership).

Elder_Red

I've had several customers come in with LS460s and 7-series looking for something similar from Acura. When I showed them that the closest we had was the current RL, they looked at it for a few minutes and politely got back into their cars and left. Why??? They saw how small it was and that it only had a 6cyl; I'm sure they were interested in our reliability, technology and safety but they also wanted similar size and power! We need the 8cyl to compete with the "big boys"...

KeithL

I'm sure size had more to do with it than the V8, not to say that to some the V8 is not important. The RL has always looked smaller than it is, not that it is huge, but it's styling makes it look small.

static808

The RL V8 rumor is the new car will have power via a 4.8L 420+hp engine. Cylinder deactivation, RWD and SH-AWD options. And best of all....new platform.

I would imagine the next generation Acuras, starting with the new RL will be sharing the chassis and RWD/SH-AWD design.

The TL would be the logical first step in chassis sharing.

Acura did mention that with the RL chassis will be independent of Honda so no more design sharing with the Global Accord platform.

I hope this is all true.

PetesTL

I would love to see the price tag (not to mention the gas mileage) on a 420+ hp Acura. It will never happen.

6SpdTerror

If the RL looks just like the one in your avatar and comes with a 375-420 hp v8.......put me on the list now!!!

crazyasiantl

iTrader: (7)

I read in either Car and Driver or Automobile that the TSX is getting a diesel..i think it was called i-dtec or something like that. as far as the V-8, i think Acura should do it. In order to keep sales up and draw customers in, they will need to do something they never done, like a V-8 RWD car. I think Acura needs a A8, 7 Series, LS, and S Class type car. The V8 will do wonders for a high performance TL/RL or even the MDX/Pilot. I say why not?

PetesTL

It's not a bad idea but they should have done that about 4 years ago. The problem is, V8 engines are on their way out. These days, everybody wants green. Efficiency is the hot word in the auto industry. The other big problem for Acura is that over the years, the RL has already established for itself a certain "image" among luxury car buyers...(Yes, I'm talking about the "prestige" factor)....I seriously doubt that hordes of BMW 7 series or Mercedes E or S-class buyers will flock to the RL even if it does get a V8 someday. In my opinion, the best way for Acura to muscle-up the RL is to simply bolt a supercharger or a turbo to its V6....you'll get a huge bump in power as well as maintaining decent fuel economy.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

Yea exactly, I actually made a similar post to this one over at TOV. The RL simply does well in everything. But it also doesn't excel in anything. It's not the most expensive, but not the cheapest; it's not the most powerful, but it's not the slowest; it's not ugly at all, but it doesn't stand out; and these are only some examples. Another problem is that there are too few options and packages. This strategy might work on cheaper cars like the TL and TSX, since these cars are still around $30k. People who buy $30k cars still value a lot about bang for the buck - as in a lot of people would like a fully loaded car for a good price. When you jump into the $50k market, things are very different like you said, while some still think bang for the buck is important, prestige, style, and class are even more important. This is where the RL has failed to deliver. Nonetheless, I think Honda was very brave when they created the 2nd gen RL, and it's one of my dream cars. It's so much different than the 1st gen RL - much more powerful, much better handling, it's actually performance-oriented, lots of standard features, awesome interior quality, and I personally really like its styling, especially with the A-spec kit. Hopefully I can get myself a WDP 2005 RL with A-spec kit in about a year or two!

JeffNY

Ok, ready for a fantasy? Forget V8's, V6's and diesels. Acura needs a series electric hybrid based on one of these:
http://www.freepistonpower.com/

At 50% efficient that's 2.5 times as efficient as a standard internal combustion engine. And forget doing rear-wheel drive. You could have an electric motor at each wheel for better performance (lots of torque to all wheels) and handling. Hummm, 0 to 60 in around 5 seconds...and recovering energy on braking, we are probably looking at a very well performing car that'd get somewhere between 50 to 100 MPG (making the value proposition so good current Acura owners could upgrade and probably save money).

But ahhh, never mind. This is just a fantasy. Acura seems to have little desire to build a car that gets an average MPG above 25....

Reality: Acura should be looking less at engine HP and more at engine MPG....right now that's what will help sell cars.

PetesTL

Well with the new CAFE standard being madatory in a few years, Acura (as well as all other automakers) really have no choice.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

But then again not many luxury cars can get above 25mpg average. You see, at this point of time, getting to "tier-1" and being fuel efficient (25mpg+ average) are two contradicting things. In order to become "tier-1" most people seem to believe you need V8 and RWD. But a V8 that gives you lots of power obviously isn't going to get 25mpg average...

ggesq

iTrader: (1)

Looks like the i-DTEC TSX is on hold indefinately:

http://vtec.net/news/news-item?news_item_id=796361

EL19

iTrader: (4)

I really dont see why people are bashing Acura releasing a V8. Its a luxury brand, if you are so concerned with being "green" or fuel efficient get a Honda or a TSX. A V* with cylinder deactivation will see 20 mpg which I have no problem with if I have 360+HP on demand. If I can afford to spend 50K+ on a car I really shouldnt be penching pennies for gas.

Legend2TL

The exterior styling theme for Acura is the pointed angle on the hood/grill/bumper. That theme was established in ~2000 and was even on the RSX. Before that there was no true theme across platforms.

In terms of what your list MB a few years ago allowed their stylist to decouple the C-class from other models (it used design themes from the E and S classes). if you look at the current C, E and S class you will see almost no styling common themes in any of them.

BMW is pretty clear in the common Bangle theme across the 3/5/7 series. Audi the same with the 4/6/8. Infiniti IMO is about the same as Acura, the M and G do share some styling trends but I see little from the FX/EX/QX into the main sedan line but Acura carried it's "point" (pun intended) across the entire line.

In the beggining Acura had many as you say one-off designs, but that is not true for the current lineup.

6SpdTerror

I agree. Buyers of tier 1 luxury are less concerned with MPG or they could have bought something else. Giv me a v8 with decent MPG and im in there.

LuvMyTSX

Incredibly disappointing. I was looking forward to this for my next car in couple years.