The Honda Accord has been on sale since 1976, and has been a best selling car in the U.S. for nearly 20 years. The Accord has been made available in many different body styles and versions, depending on the country.

The fourth generation Accord was based on the CB chassis, now a little larger, but still within the compact size limits. This version also featured big engineering design improvements. The U.S models sported a new 2.2 liter 16 valve electronic fuel injected engine. Also unique was the all aluminum power train, formerly only found in luxury vehicles, as well as electronic engine mounts. The 4th. gen. was available with 4-AT or 5-MT mission.

The fifth generation, released in 1994, was once again enlarged, but shrunk in length, to better bit the american market and regulations, this however moved it out of the favorable tax bracket in Japan. The EX spec model featured a 2.2-liter 4-cylinder 145 hp VTEC engine. '95 saw a 2.7 L C27 V6 engine introduced in the USDM, sporting dual-outlet exhaust and a 4AT transmission.

In '98 the sixth generation Accord was released. In Japan, the Accord was narrowed to make it appeal to the domestic market, putting it back in the favorable size 5 tax bracket. The CL1 Euro R released in 2000 featured a H22a7 engine producing 220 hp, and the CF4 SiR-T released in 98 was powered by a 2.0 liter F-Series (F20B), outputting 200 hp. The DX model was fitted with a 2.3 liter, 130 hp- 4 cylinder engine, while the LX and EX model trims sported a 2.3 liter, 150 hp, 4-cylinder- VTEC engine. All V6 models now featured new 3.0 liter, 200 hp (150 kW)/195 lb/ft (264 N/m) torque SOHC VTEC engines.

The seventh gen. Accord first rolled off the Honda factory in 2003, The Accord Euro CL7. It was called the CL7 in those markets where both the American version, and JDM / Europe version were available. The CL7 featured a 220 horsepower 2.0L K20A engine with 6MT transmission. The North American Accord featured several engines, a 4-cylinder engine from the new K-series, and the 6-cylinder was returning from the previous generation. Some improvements had however, been made to the V6, adding an additional 40 hp, bringing it to 240 hp. The 7th. gen. also marked the first sports accord released for the tuning community in the US, adding a sports suspension and the 6MT transmission from the Acura CL, to the V6 Accord Coupe.

The 8th gen. Accord was released in 2008, and is available with a wide range of drive-train setups. The Euro and JDM version, called the CU2, was available with either a 2.0-litre, or a 2.4-litre i-VTEC petrol engine. A diesel option was also available, the 2.2-litre i-DTEC diesel engine, came only with a 6MT. The Accord again grew in physical size, and featured an array of new safety features. The North American version is quite different, and is sold as the Honda Inspire in Japan. The North American version also grew substantially in size, making it a full size car. The USDM 8.th gen. most notably featured a V6 engine, with a new Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) system, allowing better fuel economy from big engine cars. The Accord Coupe 3.5L VTEC V6, however, uses a 6MT transmission, but does not feature the VCM system. Big safety changes were also implemented in the USDM version, most notably vehicle stability assist (VSA), traction control, anti-lock brakes with brake assist, electronic brake force distribution, tire pressure monitoring system, and active front head restraints for all models.

The Accord is a popular tuning base for Grip racers and USDM Spo-Com style car enthusiasts in Japan. There are many examples of F&F movie/Spo-Com influenced Accords as well as rarely seen performance themed builds rolling around. Popular upgrades to the the Accord includes swapping out the engine for a larger replacement, replacing the stock engine components for high performance replacements parts (cams, pistons etc.), or bolting on a turbocharger. There are many Honda-dedicated tuning garages around Japan such as M&M Honda and Spoon. Aero, Exhaust, Engine Parts, Suspension and more can be found to increase the power and handling abilities of your Accord.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Accord

Accord