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.
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.
Since its inception in 1976, the Honda Accord hasn't exactly screamed performance. In fact, for the longest time it has carried the stigma as the typical family sedan. That image has started to fade in recent years as the Accord developed somewhat of an attitude with the 8th and 9th generation, especially when it comes to the Sport trim V6 models. In fact, Road and Track made the bold claim that the 9th generation was the last true American muscle car. While the Accord is improving on its bad boy image, there is still work to be done toward injecting some more attitude into the 2.0T powered grocery-getter.
The V6 Accord might be a piece of Honda's history,
