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How the Autoblog staff would configure the 2017 Acura NSX

The configurator for the 2017 Acura NSX is now online, and it finally lets people spec this long-delayed supercar. Technically prices start at $157,800 (after $1,800 for destination), but you can't actually get one like that yet. The iron brake rotors aren't available until late 2016, which means the carbon-ceramic rotors with black calipers are the least expensive choice at $9,900. The cost ticks up to $10,600 if you want calipers in silver or red. The build process inspired so much conversation among the Autoblog staff that we decided to share our choices with you and explain why we picked them. Let us know what you think in the comments. MICHAEL AUSTIN - $198,950: Mine's expensive, but I figure another 15 percent or so is irrelevant when the car already costs so much. I love the blue - it's alluring without being too flashy. Saddle leather is a must for me; it's definitely the best interior color. I skipped the carbon-fiber exterior sport package, just because I like the cleaner look of the standard body. Otherwise, carbon-fiber overkill: roof, rear spoiler, interior trim, and engine cover. If I had to cut costs I could sacrifice the $10,600 carbon ceramic brakes, which are probably unnecessary – but I'd have to wait until later this year. My only question is: where are the optional Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires I loved during our First Drive? CHRIS BRUCE - $180,700: I tried not to go too wild when speccing mine, but some upgrades seemed necessary. The standard black leather was too dark, so I opted for the Saddle and Alcantara, which added $1,500 to the price. I also picked with the matching black Alcantara headliner for $1,300 and the upgraded audio system for $2,800. For the outside, I loved the Nord Gray Paint, which has a little green in it, and I splurged for the $6,000 carbon fiber roof. To finish things off, I went with the silver calipers on the carbon-ceramic brakes for $10,600. STEVEN EWING - $172,700: I'm not the extravagant type. I don't want flashy colors, red calipers, or unnecessary carbon fiber crap on the outside. Give me something that flies under the radar, with the only the options I need. Plus, the NSX hardly feels like a $200,000 supercar to me. ALEX KIERSTEIN - $176,500: Japanese cars tend to look best in classic white, so I went with that for the exterior. I like a dark interior, but I also love Alcantara – so that goes on the headliner. The carbon-fiber roof is a bit of an extravagance, but this is all fantasy, right?

Honda spinning off Acura as stand-alone division in bid to wake up brand

Every major automaker has a different way of relating between its various divisions and brands. At Volkswagen, for example, the individual brands seem to operate with a large degree of autonomy. Under the Renault-Nissan Alliance, the two units share a common chief executive, but little else. The relationship between Honda and its luxury division Acura has always been rather close, but that's all about to change.
American Honda Motor Company has always handled sales and marketing in the North American market for both the Honda and Acura divisions, but new reorganization plans call for the two units to be separated under their own direction. Leading the Acura division will be Michael Accavitti, who moves into the position from his role as Senior Vice President for Auto Operations at American Honda. The Honda division will meanwhile be taken over by the current head of Acura sales, Jeff Conrad.
Both will report to John Mendel, the current executive vice president of the Automobile Sales Division that is being rebranded as the American Honda Auto Division. Unlike rivals Lexus and Infiniti - two brands that Acura beat to the market - Honda barely markets its luxury brand outside of North America. Its overseas presence is felt only in China, though we've yet to receive word on how the reorganization might effect that market - or for that matter, any potential of expanding into others.

Acura NSX bodywork to be sheathed in zirconium e-coat, fewer paint layers

Automakers make halo cars to drum up excitement and show off what they can do, but there's more to it than that. Advanced platforms allow a company's engineers to experiment with all sorts of technologies. And in the case of the upcoming new Acura NSX, that includes new paint processes.
Speaking with Autoline in this video interview, Honda's North American Senior VP Jon Minto talked about an innovative zirconium e-coat which it's applying to the new NSX. Unlike some experimental paints developed for Formula One, however, this coating is not designed to minimize drag or enhance cooling: it's designed to be more environmentally friendly.
It's one of a few measures which Honda is implementing on the NSX before expanding it to more accessible models, along with another process that uses fewer coats to reduce energy consumption by 40 percent. Watch the interview with Autoline host John McElroy right here.