![Man Builds Mustang Out Of Lamborghini, World Goes "Huh?"](http://cache-03.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/12/2010/02/126x100_stangallardo_1_01.jpg "Man Builds Mustang Out Of Lamborghini, World Goes "Huh?"")
Aug 21, 2007 10:30 AM
25,744
Enter your username and password.
Detroit, 2:19 AM
Wed Feb 10
27 posts in the last 24 hours
Late last night, the embargo doors on the 2008 Honda Accord were blown open and we gave you a first-look and first-dump of all the pictures and press info we had of the new-for-2008 model of the Accord. Now it's time to dig a bit deeper and take a look at both the sedan and the coupe in a bit more detail — and we're starting with the four-door. The Honda Accord sedan's become all grown-up over the years — but we don't mean in terms of build quality and dependability. The Accord long ago moved up from plucky little upstart to the benchmark by which other automakers measure their own mid-sized sedans. No, we actually mean that no longer will other automakers be able to use them as the mid-size benchmark — because the Accord four-door's no longer a mid-size. Yup, that's correct, the Accord's now moving from the EPA's "mid-size" category into the EPA's "large sedan" classification. But that's not the only place the Accord's movin' on up.
It's also moving on up in engine size — the new V6 gets a half liter more, moving up to a 3.5-liter i-VTEC V6 engine with 273 HP at 6,200 rpm and 250 lb-ft of torque at 5,000 rpm with a 5-speed slushbox. The new engine also introduces Honda's next-gen Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) technology to give the new Accord four-door a purported EPA City/Highway fuel economy of 19/29 mpg. We'll hopefully get a chance to see if those numbers actually match up on the V6.
The in-line four-cylinder comes in two flavors for the sedan — a standard 200-horsepower 2.4-liter engine is standard in the Accord Sedan EX, EX-L with a purported 21/31 mpg and a 180-hp version of the same capacity engine in the LX and LX-P with a purported 21/31 with the auto tranny and 22/31 with the manny tranny.
On the safety front the Accord's got kind of a cool marketing feature — there are no optional accessories. Everything from side-curtain airbags to 4-wheel anti-lock disc brakes and tire pressure monitoring system are all included. Not too shabby of an idea if you ask us.
As far as the trim — there's a few different "levels" to choose from with an interior benefiting from a redesign of the center console stack and the addition of a nav wheel that's being described as "nothing like the iDrive":
• LX and LX Premium (LX-P) trim levels are powered by a 2.4-liter, 180-hp four-cylinder i-VTEC engine with either a 5-speed manual or 5-speed automatic.
• EX and EX-L trim levels are powered by a 2.4-liter, 200-hp 4-cylinder i-VTEC engine with either a 5-speed manual or 5-speed automatic.
• The EX V-6 is powered by a 3.5-liter, SOHC, i-VTEC® V-6 engine with VCM and a 5-speed automatic transmission.
• The EX-L and EX V-6 are available with a Navigation system.
Contact information for this author is not available.
Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution.
Start a new discussion