Honda Doesn't Use Its V8 Engine In A Car, But It Does In Something Else

Honda first started selling cars in America in the very late 1960s, providing a solution to cash-strapped citizens who needed something a little more efficient than the homegrown eight-cylinder efforts. Since then, Honda has developed a comprehensive range of models, tailoring to almost every segment on the market.

While the Japanese automaker clearly knows a thing or two about how to manufacture an SUV, or compact hatch, it's also proven time and time again that it's a seriously competent engine manufacturer. From the high-revving F20C inline-four that powered the beloved S2000 to the boosted unit in Max Verstappen's championship-winning Formula One car, Honda has proven its engine-building prowess more than once.

Strangely enough, though, one engine which Honda has never developed for any production car is the mighty V8. The lesser-spotted Honda Crossroad doesn't count, as it was nothing more than a Land Rover Discovery with an "H" stuck to the front — and Honda didn't have anything to do with the engine's development. As it happens, though, Honda does currently make a V8 engine with 350 horsepower and an abundance of torque. Don't go scrolling through Honda's configurator, though, as you won't find this V8 in any of its cars. Instead, Honda's production V8 engine is an outboard motor, and the brand's flagship option when it comes to power out at sea.

Much like the small-block lumps that powered Ford's Boss Mustang and Chevy's Z/28 Camaro, Honda's V8 outboard motor boasts a capacity of 302 cubic inches. The output is similar to old-school V8 engines, too, with 350 horsepower on tap, although the similarities end there.

Gearheads might love the choppy rumble of a V8 engine, but Honda clearly thinks boat owners prefer a more sophisticated product. Honda boasts that the BF350 offers quiet operation, minimal vibrations, and best-in-class fuel economy — not traits many would usually associate with a high-performance V8 engine. Keen to make life easy for BF350 owners, Honda also claims that engine maintenance is straightforward, as is using the engine, too, thanks to a built-in cruise control function. Honda has also implemented its legendary VTEC system within the V8. 

In the automotive world, the largest Honda lump to sport the variable valve timing system is the 3.7-liter V6 found under the hood of Acura models such as the TL SH-AWD. At just shy of five liters, the BF350 eclipses this by some margin.

Available in both Aquamarine Silver and Grand Prix White, Honda's first production V8 motor makes for a stylish addition to any boat. Perhaps not any boat, though — Honda suggests the BF350 is best suited to large boats, such as pontoon boats and those meant for offshore use. Even though this is one of the most powerful outboard motors out there, there's no need to worry if 350 horsepower might not be enough to give your boat the oomph it needs. Honda's drive-by-wire throttle system supports twin, triple, and even quad engine applications, meaning you can attach to 1,400 BF350-flavored horses to the back of your boat. 

Honda is keen to highlight its confidence in the BF350's reliability too, providing a transferable five-year warranty, advanced anti-corrosion measures, and features such as an easy-lift cover that makes maintenance nice and easy. Owners can boast a distant Ayrton Senna connection, too, as the BF350's crankshaft is manufactured with the same materials and tested to the same standards as the crankshaft within the iconic Acura NSX's engine.