2017 HFP Equipped Honda Accord EX-L V6 6 MT Coupe Excites

I spend a week in the seat of Honda’s grown up hot rod coupe. And frankly, this HFP equipped V6 manually shifted Accord Coupe brings the kid out in me.

Say what you will about fuel efficient direct injected, turbocharged, 4 cylinder engines -- CVT transmissions, and near-autonomous driving safety technology, all good. 2017 Honda Accord EX-L V6 6 MT coupe offers none of these, and I love driving it -- for the pure pleasure of driver-to-car performance engagement! This Honda takes you back to performance driving basics, without sacrificing comfort and refinement. Did I mention, It’s quick as heck!

Instant-on in-your-face pedal response While I won’t claim to outshift Honda CVT technology, or even an old-school 5 or 6-speed automatic transmission, there’s something special about the connectivity between car and driver, with a measurable sense of infinate gear-shift-torque-curve hold, when it comes to manually shifted torque transference to the road. I just can’t get enough seat time in this coupe. And truly, for a larger-than-average Honda fan, Accord Coupe wears large! Tons of leg, elbow and headroom. And then there’s the way the torque comes on in the midrange. For those of you that don’t wish to manually shift gears.

In the case of Honda’s grown-up Hot Rod, while not the hottest car in Honda’s arsonal (that honor goes to this car) as to horsepower and torque output, (278 horsepower@6500 RPM/ 251-lb-ft torque@5300) will do it for this Accord Coupe. This HFP equipped sled is arguably the best looking, and ‘coolest’ coupe in Accord history. And, for those of us that prefer a midsize car offering to a compact performance sedan or coupe, 2017 Honda Accord Coupe answers the call.

Our Honda Factory Performance Accord Coupe turns heads everywhere it goes This is my second factory customized Honda Accord Coupe drive experience for 2016, I love driving this car. While not the most civilized Accord in Honda's stable,(this one is) there’s nothing else quite like grabbing a handful of gears, dropping the hammer to the floorboards, a going for it! Our 2017 EX-L came factory equipped with suspension modifications, 19 inch alloy wheels, shod in low profile sidewall allweather Continental radial tires.

Price as tested $36,900. Not cheap but worth it! While the race-mod suspension presents a slightly “stiffer” ride, it’s not jarring, and absolutely performs in the twisties. And, thanks to Accord’s electronic noise cancellation, when not pushing the port injected 3.5 Liter V6 to it’s 6800 RPM rev limiter (yes, I found it!) Honda’s performance Accord is downright civilized, quiet, comfortable, and mind-blowingly fun to drive. I’ll follow up later in the week with a full drive review. Cheers!

Written by David McCant.