from 'Japan-Best Car' issue Dec.10-03

enjoy...my wife just send it to me...

 

heavily photoshopped TL.. the front looks like a different spin on the other artist renderings of the next legend, stuck on the '04 TL of course..

if the next legend looked like that i'd be pretty disappointed

 

To address other posts in this thread, if a V8 is so important, why is the MDX selling so well?

 

Thats a horrible photoshop prediction of the new RL. I can guarantee that the new RL will look nothing like that. Hopefully we'll see a damn show car soon!!!

 

The MDX sells fairly well, because it competes mostly with other SUVS of similar size, utility, price, and power. People cross-shopping it will look at the RX330, a 3.0L X5, ML320, etc... Fortunately the market for those SUVs is fairly large and Acura has fielded a competitive car that has class-leading power (or at least near the top) that also has good value and quality. However, I doubt anyone looks at the MDX as a serious competitor to V8 editions of those same SUVs, or other V8-only luxury SUVs. The new RL "would" (in theory) need a V8 because all of the cars it will be cross-shopped against have V8s and more power. Not having that is a big sore thumb and a minus for a lot of prospective buyers. Unless Honda has something else in sotre, say like IMA, to help offset that, then I see the use of a V6 as a big negative. It may not make much difference in terms of performance, but it will in perception.

 

I'm guessing that an RL with a 3.5 liter 300 hp V6 and awd will be priced in direct competition with the A6 3.0, 530i and E320. Acura doesn't need to go up against the A6 4.2, 545i and E500 to do well in this segment. For the most part the V8 versions are halo cars for the entire model. If Acura tosses in some spiffy gadgetry that the Germans don't have (which although appearing utterly pointless to me, probably helps to sell cars) then they can probably achieve the same halo effect without offering a V8.

I do think Acura is finally coming out of its slump in full force. It doesn't have the as-good-as-German cache of Lexus or the really hot gottahaveit new models of Infiniti but the TSX, TL, MDX and now RL are genuine luxury competitors. They don't seem very exciting to me personally but I can see how the middle-of-the-road approach has the potential to sell a lot of cars.

 

I don't think that RL needs V8 to sell well in this case. The recent RL has been around about 5 years or more. The overall styling has not changed with minor updating of luxuries and some powers. Still, I don't see Honda is pulling off this model. Thus, V8 engine is not really the point to me.
With TL now, has the aggressive and the power to handle with 530&330, if RL is going to take on 540, that will be somewhat suprising to me as a marketing. I think it is more like a competitor towards E320 or S80. With 300HP+ & AWD, it is going to offer about the similar comfort as E500, however, with a lot less money. So there should be a market for. Moreover, I do not believe that RL will be a much more massive production car like its sibling TL, therefore, power & superior road handling will not be the main issue but rather comforts and luxuries.
RL has never been on the emphasis of its power and handling. A reworked C35 engine is not too bad if it can furthur improve its oil efficiency grealtly and overall comfort of the car. With IMA debuted later, Honda should still manage some room to react with other makers
Just a thought... :thinking:

 

I think that the average car buyer, especially one shopping in the entry to mid level luxury market, has little interest in what type of engine or drivetrain a car has and is more interested in raw specs, vehicle feel, and Consumer Reports reviews.

 

Confirmation of what the OG's on this forum have been saying.

 

Dunno if they'll be the "first" to market with this kind of drivetrain though, since a hybrid version of the Lexus RX is going to be available pretty soon as well.