Accord 2.0T 2018+

The 2018+ Honda Accord is more than just a family-friendly grocery-getter. We've been hammering this point home since we first laid eyes on Honda's tenth-generation mid-sized sedan. No matter if you're being propelled by the 1.5T or 2.0T, these new-fangled turbocharged Honda motors add the much-needed dash of spice into the daily commute. This platform rolls off the factory floor with loads of potential too. Just how much potential, you ask? Well, to find out, we ran a series of tests on our loaner 2.0T Accord Sport to collect baseline readings along with torture tests for our intercooler design.

Upgrading your intercooling system is all about keeping your intake air temperatures down. Like we've mentioned before, heat-soaking the intercooler is not very practical for your sporty sedan. Hotter air doesn't compress as well as cool, charged

Honda inadvertently morphed the Accord into an enthusiast car when the turbocharged variants took over. That means drivers are sure to push the 10th generation Accord to the limits in all walks of life. Whether you're picking up groceries, laying down lap times, or setting a new personal best time for your work commute, the turbo mounted to either engine variant adds a practical boost and economical speed to your family-oriented sedan. That is, of course, until the intercooler soaks with heat.

As we covered in our last posts, no matter your driving style, it's never practical for the intercooler to fill with heat. We covered why this happens with the stock cooler, and our plans to combat the issue. Now, those plans have come to life, and we're eager to show them off.

To many, Hondas are blank canvases. For years, enthusiasts of all kinds have found the Accord to be an ideal base for their unique brushstrokes of modification. Given the tenth generation's addition of forced induction, it comes as no surprise that this Accord is also popular among tuners. Every build starts with a vision, though, and our intercooler project is no exception. We might only be in the sketching phase of our next masterpiece, but we're eager to share the plans.

We have our work cut out for us to improve on the Accord's intercooler design. Specifically, the space available to us is extremely limited. In Honda's never-ending quest for driver safety and comfort, every Accord model comes with Honda Sensing as standard equipment. That's all well and good for the driving experience but less than ideal for us since the radar sensor is mounted very close to the OEM intercooler. In short, this sensor doesn't leave us much room to expand core thickness.

Practicality comes in many forms in the automotive world. From the towering full-size SUVs to the micro hatchbacks, there's a version of practicality that suits everyone. For most, the mid-sized sedan fits that vision, which is where the 2018+ Honda Accord shines. Not only does it deliver four doors, cavernous trunk space, and plenty of legroom, but also two potent turbocharged engines and the option to row through the gears manually. The 2018+ Accord provides practicality tailored to the enthusiast.

There is, however, one aspect that stifles the potential of both the 1.5T and 2.0T variants of the Accord: the intercooler. When it comes to squeezing every drop of power out of your L15B7 or K20C4, keeping intake air temperatures down while promoting flow is vital. But, the stock heat exchanger isn't quite up to the task, especially once the boost increases. We here at Mishimoto are already hard at work on our new intercooler design, but first, let's dive into the stock unit and why it's

A makeover is typically more about appearances. However, what's the use of all those cool new clothes, and the dramatic spin in the barbershop chair, if the subject in question is going around with the same dull attitude? It might be better if the general demeaner can meet and compliment the modern new look. The case is the same as with the 2.0T Accord. It recently received a fresh new look, with plenty of new gadgets, but was still a little too much on the comfortable side for some. This is supposed to be the bad boy of the Accord line, and we wanted to tease that out of the K20C4.

In our last post we left you off with the fresh new production sample, ready to go through the ringer on the dyno. However, as we started testing, we found that there was still

The more the 2.0T Accord visits our shop, the more it takes on a sort of sleeper agent persona. Under the skin of this mid-sized sedan's refined exterior lies hidden skills. It blends in. It's unsuspecting. Even this detuned version of the brash Civic Type R is enough to push you back against the seat, but we still want to stir up the Accord even more.

The James Bond films would have likely ended up being a lot less thrilling without the dramatic use of all those gadgets thanks to Q. Since our fresh new 2.0T intake kit's production sample just arrived, we'd like to assume the role of head gadgeteer in charge and take you on a tour of the updated system. In our last post, we were able to provide you with an in-depth preview of our intake kit design thanks to the magic of our 3D printers. This time, however, we can provide the real deal.

"It's an investment in the future" is a phrase that I'm sure everyone has heard at some point in their life. That statement could be used for your savings account, taking out a staggering amount in student loans, or even be said about that 2018+ 2.0T Honda Accord that's getting you around. With all of this future investment, what exactly is protecting it?

Before, just the name Accord was enough to suggest that this car would keep going. There's a reason we still see ancient Hondas cruising around today. We want to make sure that the latest version of your daily commuter stays up to those standards. If you take a look back to our last post, you'll see why the 2018+ Accords might have a little challenge with

Turning into a badass isn't something that happens overnight. It takes time to build up that sort of reputation. People like Chuck Norris or Bear Grylls seem to have always carried that persona, but it took so many seasons of roundhouse kicks  and survival stunts for them to be fully recognized. Honda has had 42 years to build up the Accord's reputation from everyday econo-box to subtle bad boy, and while some of that stigma lingers, we're doing our part to make the "Bad Boy" part less subtle.

Just like building up street cred can take some time, so does developing a performance intake. Luckily though, we have a plan in place to break the 2.0T Accord out of its shell. Before we can dive into what our new intake is going to look like under the hood, let's take a look at the master plan.

Big MAF

Every superhero has a weakness or villain thwarting them at every turn. Superman has those glowing alien rocks. Batman is constantly putting out fires both figuratively and literally set by some deranged clown, and the internal combustion engine has its respiratory system clogged up by its own lifeblood. Yes, we're talking about blow-by. Granted, carbon buildup from blow-by might not seem as serious as the threat of a supervillain, but it's an affliction that affects every engine out there, even your new Honda Accord.

The 2018 Honda Accord 2.0T might not be flying around Metropolis or Gotham punching criminals in the face, but this generation of Honda's full-sized sedan is taking the heroics of daily driving to a new level. Utilizing the K20C4 derived from the heavy-hitting Civic Type R, Honda ditched the V6