Honda Has Finally Built a V8 Engine–For a Boat
New Honda BF350 is indeed a V8 and a rather impressive one, but it’s also an outboard motor intended for use in larger boats – not cars.
For the most part, Honda fans are obviously happy with the automaker’s array of four- and six-cylinder engines, and in all honestly, it has built quite a few great ones. There’s something truly satisfying about driving a four-banger capable of outrunning bigger V8s and American muscle, maximizing efficiency and playing the role of David versus all the Goliaths out there, after all. However, we won’t lie – we’ve always secretly wished Honda made a V8 of some sort, and now, they do – sort of.
We say that because Honda recently revealed its new V8 engine, a 302 cubic-inch unit dubbed the BF350, but it isn’t something that you’ll be swapping in your Civic, because, well, it’s an outboard motor designed for boats. That may be a bit of a shame, but if you’re a water-going type of person with a vessel that’s 25 feet in length or longer, it’s actually pretty great news – after all, Honda is known for producing some pretty fantastic engines, as well as ones that are incredibly reliable.
In a world where boat quite literally stands for “bust out another thousand,” that’s obviously welcome news. Honda designed the BF350 for folks that have larger boats and want to be able to travel further away from shore and go exploring, and this particular outboard accomplishes that by offering up a stout 350 horsepower at 5,500 rpm on 86 octane fuel, along with what the automaker says is impressive fuel economy that reduces operating costs versus the competition by 20 percent.
There are lots of nifty features here worth pointing out as well, including the fact that the BF350 has VTEC variable timing with a single cam, a BLAST (Boosted Low Speed Torque) system that provides instant acceleration at low speeds, cruise control, Multi-port Programmed Fuel Injection, automatic tilt, as well as a 30-degree offset crankshaft built using the same alloy and tested to the same strength specifications as the road-going NSX.
While it may not quite be the Honda V8 we’ve long been pining for, the BF350 is an impressive piece, regardless, though the automaker hasn’t yet revealed pricing for this new powerplant. Regardless, we have no doubt that more than a few boating enthusiasts will line up to take a closer look at it – and perhaps we’ll be seeing it in action on our next summer trip down the river next summer.
Photos: Honda
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