Inspire

The first Inspire debuted in 1990 as the Accord Inspire, a sister nameplate to the Honda Vigor, then exported to the US as the Acura Vigor. They were the same car headed for different retail channels in Japan. This Vigor was a departure in itself; whereas 1980s Vigors were badge-engineered Accords, from this generation on the Vigor moved upmarket and received its own platform, in which the engine sits longitudinally like the Generation II Acura Legend. In Japan there would be four sedans between the Civic and the Legend: the Honda Accord and Honda Ascot with 4-cylinder engines mounted transversely, and the Vigor and Inspire with 5-cylinder engines mounted longitudinally.

In 1995 the Inspire was replaced by a new model, exported to the US as the Acura TL, while the Vigor nameplate was dropped altogether. The longitudinal engine layout remained, but a 3.2-liter V6 became available for the first time.

In 1999 these cars were replaced by a new TL that was based on the Accord platform, and largely designed and engineered in the US by Honda R&D Americas, InC. in Raymond, Ohio. Manufactured in the US, these were imported into Japan as the new Inspire and Saber.