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Clarion Builds 1991 Acura NSX Review | Restored to greatness

Few automobiles garner as much mystique as the original Acura NSX. I worshiped this car from afar, consigned to the fact that the closest I was ever going to get to the steering wheel was a Playstation controller. When I got the email inviting me to drive Clarion Builds' restored and tuned 1991 NSX, I thought it was spam, a chain email with some generic header sent to a dozen or so people to garner some press coverage. Surely this wasn't a real invite where I get to drive a real NSX using my real hands and feet. Some people say don't meet your heroes. Some people are wrong. I knew the car by reputation. In roughly 10 months, Clarion Builds, a division of the Japanese electronics company mostly known for high-end audio systems, worked with partners like AEM and AutoWave to transform a '91 NSX with nearly a quarter-million miles on the clock into what you see here. Everything, from the engine to the bodywork to the leather on the seats, has been upgraded and restored with a mix of both OEM and aftermarket parts. The final product is a stunner. It's tuned, but not slammed, stanced or any other adjective that describes a car with compromised performance and questionable looks. It's simply a tastefully tuned NSX. The NSX, especially an early car with pop-up headlights, is one of the all-time great car designs. There are no unnecessary lines or curves. It's all purposeful. As expected with something with 230,000 miles, this NSX had a number of dings and dents. Clarion Builds has fixed those, replacing the hood and spoiler with carbon-fiber parts from an NSX-R. The fenders are slightly wider than stock, helping cover the staggered Rays Engineering VOLK ZE40 wheels, 18-inch up front and 19-inch out back. After seeing it in the flesh with the blue paint, black roof and bronze wheels, I don't think there is a better fit for this car. The original but tired 3.0-liter V6 and five-speed manual have been swapped for a 3.2-liter V6 and six-speed manual from a 2004 NSX. Stock, this engine is a wonderful ode to the internal combustion engine. It sings a sweet song all the way to a sky-high 8,200 rpm redline. Still, it wasn't enough. The engine now wears a Whipple-style supercharger, pushing roughly 9 psi of boost. Other modifications include a one-off carbon-fiber intake, a hand-built exhaust and a new ECU, all from AEM. All in, Clarion Builds says this NSX makes 403 horsepower and 296 pound-feet of torque at the wheels. God, it feels good to push this thing.

Acura reveals Ludacris' restored Legend, Galpin ILX at SEMA

Acura gave us a hint couple of weeks ago at what it had in store for the SEMA show this year. The Japanese luxury marque has detailed the full extent of its presence at this year's tuner expo, but the main act under the Acura tent (oddly enough) isn't a new vehicle. The star of the show is a 1993 luxury sedan with celebrity provenance. The Legend belongs to rapper-turned-actor Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, of hip-hop and Fast & Furious fame. The automaker has thoroughly restored and modernized the vehicle that featured on the cover of his ninth studio album Ludaversal. At the end of a two-month project, the sedan has been refinished in a custom shade of Warm Cashmere with Ice Pearl. It now rides on 18-inch Rays alloys with Bridgestone Potenza rubber, fitted to a suspension lowered by two inches with H&R springs and Eibach camber kit. It has upgraded brakes with six-piston calipers up front and four-pots at back, and a Pioneer audio system with Alpine subwoofers and Apple CarPlay integration. To complement the Legend, Galpin worked up a 2016 Acura ILX. It has an aero kit, fog lights, custom exhaust, coilover suspension, Borla exhaust, and 19-inch wheels with Pirelli P Zero rubber. The body's been repainted in Sunburst Yellow with gray accents, and sports an interior with perforated leather and gold trim. There'll be another ILX on display with Acura Genuine Accessory parts as well. But the Japanese automaker won't miss the chance to display its new NSX. The supercar's being showcased in a new shade called Nouvelle Blue Pearl. Watch this space for live photos from the show floor, and scope out the details in the press release below in the meantime. Related Video: Acura Showcases Passion for Performance at 2015 SEMA Show Highlights include restored 1993 "Ludacris Legend", a sport-modified 2016 Acura ILX Sports Sedan, next-generation Acura NSX supercar and 2016 ILX with Acura Genuine Accessory package LAS VEGAS, NV. (Nov. 3, 2015) – Acura today thrilled the 2015 SEMA Show with multiple innovative expressions of the brand's performance-crafted DNA – past, present and future – including the debut of the meticulously restored 1993 "Ludacris Legend" sedan, a sport-modified 2016 Acura ILX by Galpin Auto Sports, and the next-generation Acura NSX supercar, slated for its U.S. launch next spring. The Acura exhibit also features a 2016 Acura ILX with the Acura Genuine Accessory Package in Slate Silver Metallic.

Acura ILX Type S could get 300-hp turbo four

There's good news and bad news when it comes to the new Honda Civic Type R. The good news is that after more than a year of prototypes and concepts, the Japanese automaker's new hot hatch is about to make its production debut next month. The bad news is that it's not coming here, but there is a silver lining in even that dark rain cloud – namely, that Honda plans on slotting its 2.0-liter VTEC turbo four into something that it will actually offer Stateside. Earlier rumors suggested the US donor vehicle would also be a Civic, but the latest intel indicates it could be something different, albeit related. According to Car and Driver, which spoke recently with Acura product planning manager Gary Robinson, Honda's luxury division could be gearing up to shoehorn the engine into the recently updated ILX – which itself is based on the Civic. "Acura is always going to get the best engines Honda makes," said Robinson. "Obviously a 2.0-liter turbo is more of a must-have in the luxury world than it is in the mainstream" market, suggesting that an ILX Type S could be in the works with upwards of 300 horsepower. Getting it to fit, though, could prove a rather large challenge – and could mean the engine swap would have to wait until the next-generation model comes around. Considering that the ILX was just updated for 2016, C/D doesn't expect the full redesign to come until 2018 at the earliest. Here's hoping that if it takes that long, Honda will slot the engine into something else for US showrooms in the meantime. The revival of the Type S badge in and of itself, however, makes for an enticing prospect. The last time we saw it used was on the larger TL sedan, which upgraded the 3.2-liter V6 from the 225 horsepower to 260. Before that, the RSX jumped from 160 horsepower in the base model to 200 in the first Type S, 210 in the second and 217 in the ultimate Type R. As it stands, the new ILX (after dropping the hybrid and base 2.0 models, is powered exclusively by a 2.4-liter inline four with 201 hp on tap.