Honda Pickup????

montanafan

Diamond Member
Nov 7, 1999
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A friend told me that Honda will have a pickup truck on the lots this October, but I just checked the site and there's nothing about it. Has anyone heard anything about this?

I'm thinking of buying a new Toyota Double Cab or a Nissan Crew Cab soon, but if Honda's coming out with something, I'd wait.
 

geno

Lifer
Dec 26, 1999
25,074
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I saw some pics a while ago of a Honda V8, that's most likely going into this truck if it ever comes around.
 

NFS4

No Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
72,636
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<< I saw some pics a while ago of a Honda V8, that's most likely going into this truck if it ever comes around. >>


The Honda V8 is going in the next Acura NSX, not a pickup. Besides, high-revving V8's based off of CART/F1 technology DON'T make good truck engines.
 

geno

Lifer
Dec 26, 1999
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Like I said, I only saw pics. No info whatsoever. Toyota has no problem putting the same V8s into their cars as well as trucks, so I thought Honda was following suit :)
 

NFS4

No Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
72,636
47
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<< Toyota has no problem putting the same V8s into their cars as well as trucks >>


That's b/c Toyota's V8's produce decent amounts of horsepower backed up with loads of bottom-end torque (which is needed in pickups). The V8 in the Acura NSX will NOT be a torque monster. The V8 in the NSX will be along the lines of the 3.6 liter V8 in the Modena which produces 274 lb-ft @ 4750 RPM. It's peak of 400HP doesn't come until 8500RPM. That doesn't cut it for truck duty.
 

Ornery

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
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That new Toyota truck looks like a winner. Why would you prefer Honda over it? Price maybe?
 

geno

Lifer
Dec 26, 1999
25,074
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Obviously you'll want a tourqey engine for a truck, that's common knowledge. I just saw that Honda was showcasing a new V8, and with rumors around of a Honda pickup, I just assumed that it was going in there (ala Toyota). But apparently this is more of a racebred engine, so any ideas of what they're putting in the pickup for an engine?
 

NFS4

No Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
72,636
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I can't even imagine a Honda pickup. They have NO experience. Hell, the Passport SUV isn't even theirs, it's an Isuzu. Toyota has been doing trucks for years.
 

geno

Lifer
Dec 26, 1999
25,074
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There's a first time for everything. Honda is a smart company, but they might create their first flop in a long time.
 

montanafan

Diamond Member
Nov 7, 1999
3,551
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Hey Ornery, I've looked at the Toyota Tacoma Double Cab and I love it, but they're hard to find around here and if they have anything at all in the way of options they sticker for over $26,000. Dealers won't do much for you in bringing down the price because they know someone will come along and pay it, they're just so popular. I saw one at the closest dealership. It was silver, loaded, just beautiful. They wouldn't take a thing off the sticker and offered me the minimum blue book on my trade-in. A couple of hours later someone bought it under the same sort of conditions.

I'd prefer the Honda because I've had a couple of them and there's just not a more reliable and low-maintenance vehicle made, as far as I'm concerned. I have heard good things about the Toyota trucks though.

I ended up test-driving a Ford Sport Trac and a Nissan Crew Cab today. I liked them both, but I think I liked the Nissan a litle more.
 

BigLance

Golden Member
Dec 20, 2000
1,206
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A Honda pickup would be cool, although Nissan's Supercharged Frontier w/220 HP or whatever is pretty damn phat !
 

KameLeon

Golden Member
Dec 5, 2000
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Oh man! I test drove the Toyota Tundra V8. It's one hell of a truck! But I already have a Nissan Frontier 2000 v4. :eek:
 

dcdomain

Diamond Member
Jan 30, 2000
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No experience with SUVs? How about the Acura MDX? They should be getting rid of the Isuzu Rodeo/Passport soon replacing it with a Honda version of the MDX. Anyway, do you have links to the pics of the pickup? I figure since they are pouring their resources into the NSX, and probably the Honda pickup, Honda would be stretching their R&amp;D to include a pickup in the near future.

Anyway, I heard that the MDX engine is actually the same engine as the CL/TL engine, just tweaked to get more power at a lower rpm and more torque. If they are able to do this with that engine, why wouldn't they be able to do that with the V8 NSX/RL engine? Besides, search for the thread I started about the new NSX. I had my friend translate some of the Japanese in the article and it stated that Honda was going to try to go for more torque in that engine.
 

NFS4

No Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
72,636
47
91


<< No experience with SUVs? How about the Acura MDX? >>


If I'm not mistaken, the MDX is based on the Odyssey MINIVAN chassis...hardly a true, SUV.
 

dcdomain

Diamond Member
Jan 30, 2000
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True, but it obviously gets enough done to be rated number 1 in that SUV test conducted by MotorTrend (or was it Car and Driver?). Most people today will never truly need the capabilities of a real SUV.

A pickup is a different matter, they'll probably have to have a dedicated chassis for that sort of truck, which will hardly make much economic sense. Honda is a small company, and if they can't get more than one use out of one of their designs, they'll wait...

I think they obviously have the engine, if they have enough resources, they should be able to put out a quality truck. Perhaps not at the first go around, but in later generations.
 

Ferocious

Diamond Member
Feb 16, 2000
4,584
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I haven't read anything about Honda building a new truck plant in N. America.

And since Honda probably couldn't compete with a Japanese made truck (considering this particular market)...I wouldn't expect one soon.

Unless they have someone else build it for them, which I doubt. Isuzu, Mazda, and Nissan all have trucks built by other N. American companies.

Toyota built a new plant for the Tundra. But I just haven't heard anything about a new Honda truck plant.