Honda won't build a V-8

Honda, ever the forward-thinker when it comes to drivetrains, has said that it will not produce V-8 engines and will instead focus its development on diesel and gas-electric hybrids. In early August, Honda chief Takeo Fukui indicated that the company was looking into building a V-8 and would decide within three years.

This year, Honda plans to build 70,000 diesels for Europe (oh, if they would only bring a diesel Honda CR-V to the United States) and 30,000 hybrids, mostly for U.S. consumption, and by 2007, the company forecasts an increase of 20,000 units in each category.