Acura RL to get V8 option within 18 months

Honda’s CEO Takeo Fukui has finally had the epiphany we’ve all been waiting for. He has confirmed plans for Honda to launch its first V8 in its luxury Acura brand. Fukui said that Acura sales are down 15.3 percent for the first nine months of this year and that its flagship RL sedan needs something extra.

“I don’t think that the Acura RL 3.7-liter is sufficient. We can’t compete with other premium brands,” said Fukui.

So when is it going to happen? Acura dealers are saying that they have been told Honda will offer a V8 option in the RL within 18 months. There is no word on output or torque figures as of yet but Fukui confirmed that the V8 will “be completely different from conventional, past-generation ones and have excellent fuel efficiency.”

Source;
http://www.egmcartech.com/2008/10/20/acura-rl-to-get-v8-option-within-18-months/

2010 Acura RL rumours

Looks like Honda is going to be listening to the critic's and will be adding a RWD V8 RL for 2010! Another rumour is that Honda is working on a 420-horsepower 4.8-liter V8 which will incorporate the Variable Cylinder Management System currently employed in the Honda Accord V6's, (VCM = Cylinder deactivation), to manage fuel better.

The car will supposedly feature an FR layout with SH-AWD, which is the setup that Honda says will underpin the next generation NSX.