Ace spy photographer Chris Doane happened upon a very lightly disguised 2008 Honda Accord sedan development vehicle doing some hot weather testing, and fortunately for us had his camera on him (we think he sleeps with a Canon under his pillow). The Accord is certainly one of Honda's most important products, and we can see from these shots that the sedan will look similar but not identical to the Accord coupe that was unveiled as a concept last January in Detroit and has already been spotted out in the wild. Brenda Priddy & Co. notes the sedan is lacking the honeycomb grille from the coupe and certain lines of the body are different. In our estimation, it's a fairly vanilla design, which is in keeping with this car's purpose of appealing to the largest demographic possible in the midsize sedan segment.

While this mule was likely a four-cylinder model, we expect a new 3.5L V6 from Honda for the Accord with at least 270 horsepower when the car debuts later this year. Expect lower emissions, however, and tricks like cylinder deactivation to increase the car's fuel economy at the same time. The four-cylinder, meanwhile, will likely have around 180 horsepower. Production of the new Accord should start in September or October with deliveries to dealerships arriving not long after.

Check out higher resolution spy shots of the 2008 Honda Accord sedan from various angles by viewing the gallery. For reference, also check out the high-res gallery of the Accord Coupe Concept by clicking here.