I WENT OFF ON A TANGENT! :slap: I was discussing the options available to an Acura customer and you went off BS'ing about value for the dollar! If you feel that 5-series owners are in a different income bracket than RL customers and just have "excess monetary money they can just blow away" lets look at the options available to a consumer buying a 3 series. They can buy a 325i, 330i, 330ci, 330ix, M3, etc. THE CONSUMER HAS OPTIONS. If he is concerned about "value for dollar" he will most likely get a 325i. If he wants the most out of his 3-series he will buy an M3. Or any other 3-series model that is available. Whatever he chooses, BMW still gets the Sale. The Acura consumer does not get that option. He must go searching through other dealership lots to get choices. Whichever Honda chooses for the RL, a V8, IMA, or Hybrid, it should not be standard. It should be OPTIONAL. Will it be as many options as a 3-series or 5-series, no, but its a start in the right direction. Hey, a person buying a TL or RSX have the option of an S. In the TL family the car serves two needs the TL is a nice small family car and the TL-S is more sporty and creates an "option" for consumers. Oh, but Acura should not have made the TL-S because they won't sell as many as regular TL's! :slap:
Acura customers may come back because of the price value of their products but once they step into the showroom and they are confronted with a luxury car that has no options and no trim levels they will likely shop around.

When you go to Sears for a new suit do they just have single breasted black ones? No, they have single and double breasted (trim levels) and black, gray, blue (colors) and some even have vests (options)!

You ask, does it make good business sense to make and offer a V8? I don't know. I'm not the VP of production for Honda, I don't have the projections that specify how much R&D will be and I don't have their sales forecasts. Just because Infinity doesn't sell its V8 sedan does not mean Honda's would flop. Besides the actual sales figures of V8's in certain cars there are other benefits. Take the GS400 for example. Yes they sell more GS300's but do you think they would sell as many GS300's as they do if they didn't make a GS400? Besides creating an option for consumers it also creates awareness to the Lexus and GS names. How great would it be if Acura had a commercial that boosted a 5.5sec 0-60 time for the New 325hp V-8 RL! That would get plenty of traffic in the showroom. Once the poor saps are there and find out that they can't afford the V8 or are not willing to shell out the $$$, the salesman can turn around and save them $100/month on an equally equipped V6 version. Now that person is driving the car they wanted and are completely satisfied. When their lease is up or are ready to trade it in they may then be able to afford the V8! Now don't get your feathers all fluffed because I mentioned V8. This is merely an example. I could have said IMA or Hybrid.