The Anna plant — which Honda calls the “largest engine plant in the world” ― began production of a turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 engine powering the return of Acura Type S models.
“The latest in an incredible line of high performance powertrains built exclusively in Ohio, the new engine debuted in the 2021 Acura TLX Type S, which went on sale this week at Acura dealerships nationwide,” Honda said.
Earlier this month, Honda’s Marysville plant began mass production of the 2021 Acura TLX Type S, the first in a new generation of Type S performance variants.
The new 3.0-liter dual overhead cam (DOHC) V-6 turbo engine incorporates technologies from the famed twin-turbo NSX supercar to produce 355 horsepower and 354 foot-pounds of torque, “making the TLX Type S the best performing Acura sedan ever,” the automaker said.
The Anna plant began engine production in 1985 and has produced more than 28 million engines over the past 35 years. The Shelby County plant grew from 100 workers into Honda’s second largest Ohio operation, employing more than 2,800 people, the automaker has said in the past.
Also this week, Cars.com threw its spotlight on Honda automobiles assembled in Ohio.
Among the top-ranked vehicles on Cars.com’s new 2021 American-Made Index were the 2021 Honda Accord, made in Marysville (ranked at 17th place), and the 2021 Acura RDX (12th place) with the Acura (13th place), both assembled in East Liberty.
Over 99% of all Acura models sold in the U.S. last year were made in Ohio and, beginning this year, 100% of all Acura vehicles are built in Ohio.
More than two-thirds of the Honda vehicles sold in the U.S. last year were made at Honda plants in Ohio, Indiana and Alabama, the second-highest percentage of any automaker for the share of vehicles that were built and sold in America, according to Honda.
The Cars.com list explores just how “American” American-made vehicles really are. Cars.com assesses several factors for its index: location of final assembly; percentage of U.S. and Canadian parts; country of origin for available engines; country of origin for available transmissions; and U.S. manufacturing employees relative to the automaker’s footprint.
Before the pandemic, Honda had some 13,000 workers in Ohio. The pandemic forced the shutdown of auto assembly plants across the U.S. and the world last year. For the first time since Honda sunk roots in Ohio in the late 1970s, the automaker was forced to lay off Ohio employees last year.
Honda gradually resumed Ohio production in May 2020.
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