TOKYO -- It was the late 1990s, and Honda was desperately trying to nurture a luxury performance image. To many, the fix was a no-brainer: Honda needed a V-8, like everyone else.

But Koichi Amemiya, then CEO of American Honda Motor Co., wasnt convinced. When one dealers clamor reached a fever pitch, Amemiya silenced him with a shipment of V8 vegetable juice.

The V-8 engine was canned. And Hondas stubborn independence paid off. Today, virtually every carmaker is hurting from decisions to splurge on big engines, pickups and SUVs.

Now, Hondas go-it-alone streak is being tested anew -- in a green-car era when automakers are racing to crank up the miles per gallon. Like a decade ago, Honda is charting its own course. For instance, it has no interest in electric cars, despite the buzz for emissions-free driving.

Honda is doing it Hondas way, says Takaki Nakanishi, an auto analyst at JPMorgan Chase & Co.