Acura’s flagship model, the RL, will get a V-8 when the next generation debuts sometime in 2011, Automotive News reports. Power and displacement are hush-hush, but the new engine should make far more than the current V-6’s 300 horsepower (305 in the TL). It will be Acura’s first production V-8.
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...a_v_8_car_news

Previous posts stated V-8 will come later, but I'm guessing sooner. my guess for HP would be around a modest 330hp for Honda... they don't care if the "E" has 380hp and "5" has 360hp... that's my guess.

 

I'm very impressed with the RL's drivetrain (and overall quality) just as it is, but, of course, a V8 will only make the car that much nicer. Honda and Acura have a tradition of mostly transverse-mounted engines, but, in this case, torque steer, even with over 300 HP, will not be an issue like it is with the 300 HP transverse-V8 Chevy Impala SS, Pontiac Grand Prix GXP, and Cadillac Northstars, because of the RL's AWD.

But that circus-clown grille has GOT to go.

 

Actually

Honda To Cancel RWD Acura, New V8 Engine, S2000,
http://www.themotorreport.com.au/163...2000-and-more/
V-10 postponed until 2015
http://www.leftlanenews.com/acura-po...8-to-2015.html

Which has been posted before. Look even if they finally get a V-8, who the hell cares? Its not like everyone else doesn't offer one or a few. Lexus has what 4 or 5, hell Jaguar offers 4 versions of a V-8 in the XR. Kia has one, Ford has a few, Chevy has a few, Hyundai has one in the Genesis and will have a 5.0 in the Equus, Volvo, Infiniti, EVERYONE offers it. So even if they do finally catch up to 1960 and make one, big freaking deal. Hyundai for crying out loud beat them to it!!!

Quite frankly talk of a V-8 Acura is only for Honda fans with low expectations used to mediocrity. They should have had one over a DECADE ago.

 

V8 doesn't help if the car isn't attractive to most buyers. Look at what happened to the Q45. It has all the V8 and RWD you ask for, yet it isn't appealing.

 

The Q45 didn't have a V8 and AWD.....the RL will. Even the Lexus LS, which far outsold the Q, was forced to add the AWD option for the latest generation.

 

Good point. There is much more to selling a true flagship or even a mid-size luxury car than RWD/V-8. Will people feel the car is WORTH the money? The RL has a MSRP of 48k now and about 52k plus loaded. After the first year 6-8 discounts are the norm. Acura has done much of nothing to elevate itself and its rarely mentioned in luxury circles. Sadly, its not even ON the radar.

Do you now think people want to pay 55-65k for a V-8 RL? With a new E class here, a new 5 coming, a new GS/M37/50 coming, a Volvo S80 selling 1k a month and the wonderful new Jag XF?

Successful people want to be associated with successful brands. The RL has literally FAILED since 1996 when the Legend name was dropped.

Is it a bad car? No, its a very good car. Its clear good doesn't cut it in this class.

 

It will be interesting to see what happens to V8s, though, in about 5-6 years, when the 35-MPG standard takes effect. I don't know of a single one, including the cylinder-shutdown Chrysler Hemi or even Lexus Hybrid V8s, that can currently meet that standard.

Of course, if automakers can build and sell enough high-mileage cars with small or hybrid engines, they may (?) be allowed to keep some big engines to compensate. The 35 MPG standard, as I understand it, is a fleet average, not a standard for every single vehicle.

 

Oh people will pay for them. They have since cars were created. People love V-8s, the sound, the torque the prestige of a V-8. Luxury carmakers will continue to build them and sell them and V-10s and V-12s etc. They will have small 4 cylinders and other small engines/hybrids to offset the MPG to meet the average.

That and technology is fantastic. For example the new IS-F with a 5.0 V-8 with 416hp gets as much MPG as my old 4.3 GS 430 with 300hp!

We have already discussed Acura is basically full of crap in regards to MPG. Their V-6s are old and inefficient, getting the MPG of a V-8. The RL gets overall WORSE MPG than the IS-F and LS 460. THink about that.

If the company decides to build a top notch engine (along with other car merits) they can build a pretty efficient V-8. We know the Corvettes get 28 MPG on the highway!

 

damn! i think you're right 1sicklex, my article is tad older than yours... mines Nov 2008.

 

Probably the 8 gears in the IS-F's transmission. The upper gears were obviously designed for the German Autobahn, and their tall ratios in 7th and 8th will probably make the engine lug and turn too slow at American cruising speeds.

The RL's mileage problem is probably more the result of AWD than the V6 itself. AWD usually saps both power and mileage.


True, but the reason for that (though with fewer gears in the transmission than the Lexus 8-speed) is that its big V8, in the upper gears, barely turns over unless you downshift or are approaching the century mark on the speedometer. And 28 MPG is not 35.

That is one of the main reasons why the forced 1-4 skip-shift feature on the manual transmissions that older Corvettes, Camaros, and Firebirds had drew so many complaints from owners, and why an aftermarket kit was sold to reprogram it.

 

Its cool. Hell the damn factories Honda had decided to build a V-8 Legend in 2010 (our RL) were also canned, Ogawa and Yorii.

Again, its a good car but the market is just overcrowded with great ones and much better established brands where people pony up to pay for what they feel is a superior car (even if the RL is as good/better in some aspects).

I predicted as soon as we saw this car in 2005 and got the specs that it would fail horribly. I was stoned by a lot of people. Well I was right once again.

Do you know you can find them for UNDER 20 grand? One one hand I feel awful for people who bought it new and how it continues to put an awful stigma on the brand. On the other hand, that is a FABULOUS car to pick up for 20 grand. I mean superb! Thats less than a newer IS or G35 or 3 series etc.

Mike that is Acura's problem. No one told a supposed luxury brand to keep selling old *** 5 speeds. Everyone has at least a 6 speed, Ford, GM let alone luxury brands with 7 and 8. Hell Hyundai will have 8 next year.


No its average *** engineering. The AWD GS and 5 series get much better MPG. Even Lincoln squeezes out 1 more MPG on the highway and its am much bigger car in the MKS. No one told them sell one model.


Mike fanboys want to paint Acura as some sort of engineering company. Acura ads advertise "Acura Advance". Its not my problem to figure out why they don't offer it. Its their problem they DON'T and have NEVER offered it.

Mike they had from 2006-2004 to see how awful their RL was received and sold. It was literally a laughingstock, not even included in reviews. So after 8+ years, they BEST they could come up with with ANOTHER bland same size RL with one engine with the same 5 speeds BUT with AWD with a ricer name? SH-AWD? Have they spoken to ANYONE in this market? They have to tell someone "yeah it has super handling AWD". WTF? Who made up that name, the project lead from the Civic?

Lets look in comparison the 2 other Japanese companies.
Lexus focked up with the 1st gen GS. Like the RL, only one I-6 here but at least with RWD and beautiful Italian Styling from a famed studio. AFter the first year sold like crap. Well Lexus learned QUICK and the GS 300/400 came and the rest is history, its still THE Japanese mid size sedan.
Infiniti bless them, came with the WTF J30 which again at least was RWD with a 3.0 V-6 from the 300ZX and was discontinued as it was a complete miss. They then decided to play musical letters and take the "M" name from a coupe, teh M30 and slap it on a M45. It was one engine only but AT LEAST a big V-8 with RWD. It did sell like crap and did poor in reviews but Infiniti at least partically figured it out. The M35/45 then debuted off teh Z platform with 2 engines and we know its the magazine favorite and really did well for Inifiniti. It offers V-6, V-8, RWD AND AWD. Hell they offer a V-8 and AWD M45 to their credit.

Acura is a joke. Period. A long running joke. While they have had their head up their *** with the RL, the new E is out, the 5 series has turbos now, the GS has a hybrid and the Jag XF is here and EVEN VOLVO has a V-8.

Not sure what is beat up the most, the Acura dead horse or RL sales

 

Nationally, I agree, it was somewhat of a sales flop, but not so here in the D.C. area, where, though not extremely popular, it has sold decently.



I have a feeling that the value of older ones will rise and more and more potential Acura buyers get turned off by the styling ugliness of the latest models. They may (?) increase demand for older ones, thus upping their value.

(That's not Gospel, just a hunch on my part)

 

You are hilarious....I have skipped every other members post to only read yours. The anger you have toward Acura is unbelievable....I am starting to think that maybe they are doing things right...seeing that whatever Acura does really seems to bother you...the TL turns heads better than any Lexus every has.

Anyways...keep it up!

 

I am going to warn you and everyone once. Keep this on the topic or its another Acura thread closed.

If you read my response its very well thought out with solid reasons and facts with an outcome I PREDICTED in 2005.

You're nucking futs about the TL, it turns heads for the WRONG reasons.

 

That's exactly what I was thinking about when reading this thread. These cars are going to be mighty appealing to me on the used car market.

Everytime I walk by a '05-present RL I look inside of it. That interior is beautiful!

I always hear this discussion about Acura and how it needs to catch up. I feel that they will in their own time. Acura products have been pretty lame on paper, but I still think they have something going for them. They have above average quality/reliability. That has to mean something. Sure they aren't king of the hill, but has Acura EVER aimed to be the king of the hill? Sure they could get up there, but maybe that's not their main concern? Should that be their main concern? That's the question that will decide Acura's future.

If the Acura fanboyness has come out yet, then let me just mention that I'm a Acura fanboy, lol. I know that there's something wrong with Acura's competitiveness in terms of making cars, but they are still great cars that can be very rewarding to own. Deep down inside I too hope that Acura will release something worthy, but until then I'm still rooting for Acura!