[hip]

Honda's next hybrid is coming - and the Accord with the gas-electric powertrain will look like this picture released Monday by American Honda. The 2005 Accord V-6 Hybrid, Honda promises, will have a next-gen hybrid powertrain that will put out enough performance to best the current 240-hp Accord V-6 but will achieve fuel economy closer to that of the four-cylinder Civic compact. The Accord will not only feature hybrid power but also will have Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) technology, which shuts off three of the engine's six cylinders under lighter power use to save more fuel. The hybrid Accord goes on sale in the fall.

http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=7274&sid=173&n=156

 

[Joker]

Thank you Hip! Great find :thumbsup:

 

[ChinchillaX]

Thank you Hip! Great find :thumbsup:

werd...this Accord Hybrid looks like something worth looking into. V6 power, but with fuel efficiency of a Civic, very nice! Though I wish Honda comes out with a TSX hybrid.:thumbsup.

 

[hip]

Everything old is new again... they say there aren't any really new ideas, only recycled projects. With that in mind, I still can recall nightmares of 1981 Cadillacs with their V8-6-4 system or cylinder deactivation causing cars to stall in intersections and along highways.

In case anyone is interested in a little history, Cadillac's V8-6-4 was an 8 cylinder engine that ran on four, six, or eight cylinders as needed. The goal of course was fuel conservation.

A microprocessor determined which cylinders weren't necessary based on driving conditions. A solenoid-actuated blocker plate shifted to permit the rocker arm to pivot at a different point.

As a result, specific intake and exhaust valves would stay closed rather than operate normally. The valve lifters and pushrods continued to travel up-and-down, but deactivated valve pairs remained idle.

Eight cylinders were for max power such as acceleration or hill climbing; six cylinders for moderate acceleration, a full load or slight inclines and four cylinders for highway cruising at max effeciency.

At the time Cady introduced it, it was a complex system that brought more trouble than benefits and didn't last long. While it lasted a year the limos kept it longer.

That said, I am hopeful this is where the similarity ends. With advances in technology and far superior engineering (IMO), Honda will most definitely succeed where Caddy "fell flat." :nod: