Honda-Tech Rendering: Why Not an Accord Type R?
We offer a take at what a hot version of the new Accord might look like and where it might fit Honda’s lineup.
Honda has taken the wraps off the 2018 Accord. With the top trims ditching the Accord V6 for the same turbocharged 2.0-liter engine as the Civic Type R — albeit detuned to 252 horsepower— we started to wonder what an Accord Type R would look like.
We wondered so much, in fact, that we combined some impressions of the Civic Type R with the recently revealed ‘18 Accord. These represent only Honda-Tech’s renderings of what we think an Accord Type R would look like. Pretty snazzy, eh?
Call us crazy, but we’d love to see Honda build an affordable mid-size sedan with the Civic’s gutsy 306-horsepower (or maybe even more) engine and a proper stick-shift. Nothing really fits in that niche of the Accord’s segment these days aside from maybe the Cadillac ATS. And that Caddy would start north of $40,000 for something comparable to an Accord Type R.
So what does the Accord have going for it that would merit a hot version? The Civic Type R’s engine is the obvious starting point along with the available six-speed manual gearbox. More importantly, the new Accord sheds more than 100 pounds from the previous model, and adds an adaptive damper system.
A lighter chassis and adaptive damper system make for a good start on an Accord Type R. We’re not sure anyone cross-shops Accord Type Rs with BMW M3s, but if Honda wants to steal a customer or two from German sport sedans, they’ll need to build an accommodating cabin, too.
All of this performance would pay homage to the late 1990s Accords of Euro R and Type R fame, neither of which were sold stateside, unfortunately. A highly strung version of the H22 powered those Accord Rs with 209 or 217 horsepower, depending on the version. Even by today’s standards, that’s a healthy dose of power from a naturally aspirated 2.2-liter four-cylinder.
While the Accord Euro R/Type R never caught on the way the Civic Type R did, Honda certainly crafted its providence. The Super Touring versions of the Accord remain some of the most iconic touring cars ever built. As for the hot Accord’s legacy, the body-kitted versions of the street car remain some of the handsomest Accords ever built.
We’re not sure what a Accord Type R’s MSRP would look like, but we would guess likely fall somewhere between the Civic Type R ($34,775) and that of the 2.0-liter Cadillac ATS with a Performance Package ($41,285). Even so, borrowing the Civic’s engine would give the Accord 34 more horsepower than the ATS.
Of course, all this might come at the expense of the Acura TLX A-Spec, but we’re here to wonder what the Accord Type R would look like, not make a definite business case for it. And we think it sure looks like a winner.