Honda's engines have always been a bit special. Not Mazda rotary, miller-cycle or tiny V6 special, but a bit off the beaten path and resistant to market trends. For decades the Japanese automaker insisted on making engines that rotate the opposite direction than the rest of the industry (in line with its motorcycle roots), and took what seemed like an eternity to go back on its founders aversions to any more than four cylinders. Well, as anyone who's stepped into an Acura dealership knows, a V6 still doesn't cut it when you're trying to lure customers away from the likes of Lexus and BMW. And the new TL may have the company's most powerful V6 to date, but even in today's socio-economic climate, luxury consumers still want V8 muscle. Reports now indicate that Honda is ready to cough it up.
The confirmation reportedly comes straight from Honda CEO Takeo Fukui, who says that a V8 engine will be earmarked towards the company's luxury brand Acura. No official word on where the eight-cylinder engine will land, but we can expect it to find its way into the engine bay of the top-of-the-line RL and probably an SUV, as well. Fukui reportedly promises his V8 will be highly efficient, but while we won't expect it to rotate in the opposite direction, it promises to plug the gap between the company's existing V6s and the V10 in the highly anticipated successor to the NSX.
[Source: All Cars, All the Time]
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