Autoblog

Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Honda Accord Coupe

Honda's Accord has grown at every redo since the model's inception, and this latest version is no different. We've already tried out the sedan, so we borrowed the two-door version to sample the Coupé lifestyle, wherein you actually pronounce those acute accents. Our first impression is that the Accord Coupe is the best Monte Carlo never made, while retaining a fundamental core of Hondaness. Accords have always been half cool, half dorky, with the scale tipping one way or another depending on the generation. This latest one continues that trend, and we wanted to find out if the 2008 Accord Coupe is crushingly cool or heavily noisome.


All photos © 2008 Dan Roth / Weblogs, Inc.

Click above image for a high-res gallery of the 2008 Honda Accord

While 1976 was a big birthday year for the United States, it was still a pretty dark time for cars. Exhaust emission control systems were only a few years old and engineers were still struggling with the new technology. A new gizmo called a catalytic converter was starting to appear in many cars and that necessitated the use of gasoline that was free of tetra-ethyl lead. In those days before sophisticated electronic engine controls, most components were still mechanical and engines weren't working as well as they had only a few years earlier. They were using more gas and they were down on power.

Honda Motor Company had its first automotive hit with the Civic that had been introduced a few years earlier. In 1976, Honda introduced a second larger model to its U.S. lineup dubbed the Accord. While the new car was indeed larger than the Civic, it was by no means large. The first Accords measured a whopping 93.7 inches between the axle center-lines and 162.0 inches from bumper to bumper. Power came from a "screaming" 1.6L four-cylinder with a finger pulling 68 HP and Honda's revolutionary CVCC system. September 2007 marked the debut of what is arguably Honda of America's most important model, the new eighth generation 2008 Honda Accord. Honda provided Autoblog with a fresh Accord EX-L V-6 sedan to drive from the first week's production run. We'll tell you all about our experience after the jump.


All photos ©2007 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Has Ernie Boch Jr. let the cat out of the bag? Autoblog reader Jason tipped us that he heard a fleeting mention of the 2008 Honda Accord being Motor Trend's Car Of The Year during a commercial for a seasonal promotion at the national sales champ dealership. Could it be that Jason's sharp ear has uncovered Motor Trend's announcement traditionally made in November? Boch Honda's website mirrors the statement that Jason heard, as well, offering a "newly redesigned 2008 Honda Accord LX, Motor Trend's Car Of The Year" for a $198/month lease. Motor Trend, on the other hand, remains mum so far on its pick. The press always blows the automaker's embargoes, how meta is it that a dealer appears to have deflated the COTY balloon? We'll be giving Ernie a ring on Monday, stay tuned.

Thanks for the tip, Jason!

Our friends over at the Kicking Tires blog decided to take a gander at how well a few of the new 2008 models did their first month on the market, and it turns out really, really well. Though automakers don't break down what percentage of a particular car's monthly sales were of the 2007 or 2008 model, Kicking Tires compared the September sales numbers to the prior month when the redesigned '08s weren't available. The 2008 Cadillac CTS, for instance, sold 3,887 units in August and a whopping 6,416 units in September. That's a 65% increase in units sold month over month and a 73.5% increase in the average number of units sold per day versus the prior year. Clearly the car's positive reviews are reaching the eyes and ears of prospective buyers, which is a good thing for Cadillac overall. Besides the Escalade, which sells in smaller numbers, the CTS was the only Cadillac that increased its sales last month.

Kicking Tires also took a look at the 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class and 2008 Honda Accord, both of which debuted redesigned models in the marketplace last month. The same thing happened. The Merc's sales shot up 42.8% compared to last September and the Accord, which has also enjoyed positive reviews, was up 37.3% versus last year. Curiously, however, the Honda Accord sold even better two months ago when only 2007 models were available. In August of 2007, the average number of only 2007 Honda Accords sold per day was up 37.3% versus just 31.2% in September 2007 when the 2008 models were added. Either way, sales were still up compared to last year, so Honda should be pleased. Not every automaker can say that about its bread-and-butter midsize sedan.

[Source: Kicking Tires]

click above image for 50 high-res pics of the 2008 Honda Accord Sedan

During the night, Honda opened the flood gates and officially unveiled the 2008 Honda Accord, the eighth generation of the automaker's perennial best-seller. There's too much new stuff to talk about, so we'll hit the highlights here and you can check out Honda's exhaustive press release after the jump.

The Accord for 2008 is available as a sedan, which has grown large enough to be classified a large car by the EPA, or a coupe. There are three basic engines available, including a 3.5L iVTEC V6 producing 273 horsepower and 250 ft-lbs. of torque. Do the math and you'll realize the '08 Accord with this engine is the most powerful Honda ever produced. It also features a new Variable Cylinder Management system when ordered in the sedan that can power the vehicle on three, four or all six cylinders to achieve an excellent 19/29 mpg. The other two mills are a 2.4L inline-four producing 200 horsepower/170 ft-lbs., and another 2.4L producing 180 horsepower/166 ft-lbs. All models of the '08 Accord can be ordered with a five-speed automatic, while four-cylinder models can also be had with a 5-speed manual transmission, and the V6 Coupe can be optioned with a six-speed manual.

Read on after the jump for more.

[Source: Honda]

Jalopnik brought us a few nice shots of the 2008 Accord coupe and sedan last week, and they do it again with some better shots of the cars' V6 badging, lower rear bumper assembly and overall BMW-like profile.

Though not a radical new design direction for Honda, it's a handsomely-done Camry competitor that should age well.

[Source: Jalopnik]

When Honda released information about the development of its Advanced VTEC (A-VTEC) system in September, we were looking forward to seeing how the new system would be employed in the next generation of Acuras and Hondas. The system will increase torque, power and fuel economy, all while oozing fewer emissions into the atmosphere. Good stuff, all of it.

Not much has been released since, but the variable valve timing obsessed folks over that the Temple of VTEC (TOV) came across a new patent filed by Honda entitled the "Variable valve actuation device." The setup is similar to BMW's Valvetronic system, by varying the lift and duration of the valves throughout the powerband, likely eliminating that abrupt, albeit entertaining, switch over to the hot lobes. It can be employed in both SOHC and DOHC applications and will likely find a home in the 2008 model Accord.

More power, more torque, less emissions, plus the option of a lightweight SOHC engine? Bring it.

[Source: TOV via Motor Authority]