Rumours of an impending Honda/Acura V8 are certainly nothing new, but while we previously predicted that such an engine would make its production debut as early as 2010, word on the street is that the projected launch date could be 2015 at the earliest.

The next generation of Honda Legend/Acura RL will supposedly carry on with the same SH-AWD underpinnings and transverse engine layout of the current models, with the generation after that being the recipient of the hotly-anticipated bent-eight and an all-new RWD architecture.

It’s a massive departure from Honda tradition, but it’s one that will no doubt do Honda a great deal of good at the top end of the market - particularly considering much of the German and Japanese competition couple big engines with RWD drivetrains.

But is 2015 too late? Will the V8 be seen as outmoded and archaic in a world of high fuel prices and stringent emissions standards? Will consumers have moved onto quad-flux capacitors or some other kind of exotic power source by then? Will there even be any petrol left to pump out of the ground?

These are all big unknowns, and Honda’s taking a big gamble by delaying the debut of its V8 mill until 2015. If there was ever a time for the V8 to have its last hurrah, then that time is most likely right now.