Well, it looks like you can always count on the TOV reader network to come through in a pinch. We hadn't been able to get a 6MT Accord V6 on the dyno up till now, so TOV reader Rae volunteered to bring us his brand new V6 Coupe for testing as soon as it was broken in. After 1000 gentle miles, Nov 3rd was the day and he showed up bright and early with his beautiful Belize Blue Pearl example at the Church Automotive Testing dyno facility in Wilmington, CA.

Given the relatively disappointing results from Jeff's testing of the 5AT V6 Sedan, both Rae and I had some trepidation about what the results would be. On the other hand, Jeff had reported from his test drive of the 6MT Coupe that it felt nearly as strong as the new TL-S. Rae had also owned a previous generation V6 Accord and stated that the new one felt much, much stronger. So, we decided to stop guessing and do some testing.

After carefully removing the Accord's elegant 18" alloys, we bolted up the Dynapack and let her fly (Video Coming Soon). The numbers came up and I blinked in astonishment. So we ran another run - it repeated within 1 hp. So we ran another one, and it was within 2 hp. The numbers were legit. 268 hp and 248 lbs-ft of torque - at the hubs!

Now, for comparison purposes, the current TL (formerly rated at 270 hp and now at 258 hp), puts down 235-240 hub hp. Even my 286 hp (298 hp old rating) Infiniti G35 only puts down 265 hp. Here are a few comparison plots for you to peruse.

Rae was also kind enough to let me spend a half and hour driving his car and I was very impressed. The new Accord suspension has a well damped, but long legged feel usually associated with fine European cars. It absorbs bumps adroitly in mid-corner, while delivering a controlled ride. Our testing time was limited, but we did return a peak cornering force reading of 0.94g with an average of 0.88g. Not bad for all-season tires. Those same all-season tires were a bit of a hinderance in acceleration. Despite having close to 400 lbs of people in the car, the Accord would still start to spin its tires at the top of first gear, no matter how gently it was launched. Furthermore, any sort of aggressiveness on the 1-2 shift would result in another 10-20 ft of wheelspin. Nonetheless, we were able to record a 5-60 time of 6.2 seconds. 0-60 was also capped at 6.2 seconds due to our inability to put down a good launch. Once we get acceleration tester par excellance Jeff Palmer behind the wheel sans your author's extra mass, I suspect we'll see 5-60 times in the 6 second flat range, with 0-60 times dipping into the 5's, only limited by traction.

Beyond the hard numbers, the Accord V6 has a powertrain that feels exceptionally lively. As Jeff had previously noted, it feels very much like the TL-S, only without the traction of the LSD. The response to throttle inputs is almost electric, with huge midrange urge. When I got back into my modified G35 (280 hub hp and 270 lbs-ft of torque), it actually felt a bit slower because the response to the throttle seemed far more muted than in the Accord. Perhaps Honda's engineers have finally figured out how to use an electronic throttle to improve the driving experience rather than hinder it (TSX, Si).

We'll post video and more graphs soon enough, but the 6MT driveline is a definite winner. In fact, the entire Coupe is an outstanding vehicle. It is a shame, however, that this engine (and tranny too) didn't make it into the sedan.