No Honda V8, unless...
 

It won't link right, so here's the text:


Honda Wary of Building V8, Chief Engineer Says

By: Norihiko Shirouzu, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal

LOS ANGELES -- A senior Honda Motor Co . executive said the No. 2 Japanese auto maker likely won't build a V8 engine unless it could improve the engine's fuel economy and emissions beyond the industry's norm.

He said one way to address the lack of V8 powertrain options in Honda vehicles may be to create a propulsion system that combines a V6 engine with an electric motor to offer V8-like power.

Tomoyuki Sugiyama, an executive chief engineer of Honda's research arm in Japan , said in an interview here that Honda remains apprehensive about making a V8 engine if it is the kind that guzzles gas.

Some Honda dealers have been asking Honda to offer V8 engines, but the company has insisted that its sales of full-size vehicles aren't large enough to justify a new family of big engines. Other dealers also want Honda to build pickup trucks, a move that could justify developing a V8 engine. Honda admits it has " studied" the possibility of developing pickup trucks, but Yuzuru Matsuno, a Honda spokesman in Detroit , said the auto maker hasn't made a final decision on the possibility. Honda isn't likely to enter the pickup-truck market any time soon, he added.

Mr. Sugiyama said that as a corporate strategy, Honda "tries to put a higher priority on safety and environmental friendliness" over sheer power. "We won't likely develop V8 engines unless we can come up with a technical solution to their fuel economy and emissions" and make them a standout in the industry.

One solution the company is considering, Mr. Sugiyama said, is to try to create a V6 engine that can put out V8-like power, instead of trying to develop a cleaner and more economical V8 powertrain.

"That's one direction we could take," he said.

-Norihiko Shirouzu, The Wall Street Journal; 313-510-5886



Well... I think it's about damn time Honda starts making pickups then. :D

Seriously though, I understand and respect why Honda's choosing not to develop a V8. But it's like they're wondering if they should even try.

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never mind:oh: :p

This is both good and bad news. Good becuz if Honda ever produces a v8 it'll most probably send the Toyota and nissan v8's crying foul to their respective engineers. and bad becuz we don't even know if it'll evvveeer happen :(

All I really want to know is why honda never wanted to create and all wheel drive, turbo v4 or v6 vehicle. I know they don't want to make a v8 but damn, if they had something that could compete with a GSX or get close to a supra, think of what you could do when aftermarket parts come out.

In the past couple of months, this is the drift we should have been getting. The Dualnote was the 1st big hint at this, and various amgazines such at motor trend have speculated this.

Tell you the truth, I rather see the 400hp come from the IMA V6 with 40mpg instead of the V8 with 15mpg, those are some HUGE braggin rights for a car that will most likely smoke just about everything on the street. Honda is being different, and theres nothing wrong with that.

I also think they WILL make a V8, just not that soon. Heck, their working on it.

Im sorry, but if the corvette can get 28mpg, I dont understand why honda cant make a v8 that's as fuel efficient.

we are all forgetting that honda already makes 2.65 liter turbo'd v8s for the lame duck cart series

imo...honda won't make a production v8 ever b/c it now has the technology to never need one...with ima on a large 6 cylinder powerplant you can get v8 performance without the sacrifice of emissions and fuel mileage...as someone noted the dual note (mid engine rwd, front ima) and rdx (front engine fwd, rear ima) are keys to future honda powertrains

Thats becuase of a very tall 6th gear, and the skip shift feature, the engine itself isnt that efficient. Also, every Honda sold meets LEV (if not ULEV) status, even the S2000 (which could make more power but they wanted it LEV). BUT, there are ULEV V8's out there, so I dont know.

I think they're pullling our legs...I can see the IMA/combo as a possibility, but I think HONDA has what it takes to develop a very refined V8. Well, I'm crossing my fingers that the next NSX and RL will be V8's...