2007 Acura Mdx Sport Utility Trades Welcome on 2040-cars

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Acura Integra to capstone combustion era as EV transition begins

The recent launch of the resurrected Integra nameplate is just part of a larger shift in mission at Acura. Its leaders have repeatedly said they want Acura to be the performance brand of Honda, where driving fun and dynamics come first. However, in a new report, Acura says it plans to go big on fully electric vehicles, at even greater speed than its parent company, by skipping the hybrid step altogether. According to Acura assistant VP of sales Emile Korkor, the Integra was a capstone to the internal combustion era at Acura. It marked a sort of homecoming to the marque's performance pedigree, and once Integra is launched, the brand will move forward with electrifying its lineup. The company's plans were revealed in an Automotive News interview, where Korkor said, "We're going to bypass hybrids altogether. So our shift is going very rapidly into BEV. That's our main focus." At first blush, that seems to be at odds with brand boss Jon Ikeda's public statements about Acura. As recently as a couple of weeks ago, Ikeda was saying that he wanted to take the Integra racing, as something of a mascot for the "fun" brand at Honda. Perhaps we've been desensitized to automakers making big proclamations about EV transitions a la Jaguar, Land Rover, Bentley, and Infiniti, but typically the green messaging has not been about performance in the traditional sense. Says Korkor, "We're not just dipping our toe in the water with electric at Acura, we are jumping all in. And that's not just because we need to. It's because we want to. Acura is really focused on performance, and electrification is one of the greatest ways we can augment that performance." While electrification and performance are not mutually exclusive, we have yet to drive an EV that connects to the road as beautifully as a 1990s Integra or NSX did. Acuras have never been about power and torque. Yet they were still compelling performance cars thanks to brilliant steering and driving dynamics. Then there's the issue of what Acura represents. Back in February, Ikeda said that Acura was purposefully holding off on an EV strategy because it needed to re-establish its performance bona fides. Now, Korkor says, "The benefit of returning to the Integra right now is that it's going to help shepherd a new generation of customers and build loyalty as we move into a new era." The problem is, the Integra alone isn't enough to establish that performance cred.

2023 Acura TLX Type S PMC Edition adds NSX colors to the palette

The 2023 Acura TLX Type S is getting a PMC Edition with some extra-pretty color options derived from the Acura NSX.  Per usual with Acura’s PMC Edition cars, the TLX Type S PMC Edition is hand-built at the same Performance Manufacturing Center in Ohio as the NSX is. The regular TLX Type S is right down the road in Marysville, Ohio, so while itÂ’s not a massive location change, the environment in which the PMC cars are built in is entirely different from AcuraÂ’s typical assembly lines. As for the new colors, youÂ’ll be able to choose between Long Beach Blue, Curva Red and 130R White — all of those shades were previously offered on the NSX. In addition to the main shade, all PMC Edition cars will get a Berlina Black (also an NSX shade) painted roof, antenna and door handles. The quad exhaust will also be finished in black chrome instead of the bright chrome that comes standard. You get the same Y-spoke 20-inch wheels as the regular Type S has, but these are finished in a copper paint, and they sure do stand out. Other exterior changes include a carbon fiber lip spoiler and rear diffuser alongside glossy black side sill garnish and model badging. On the inside, Acura uses carbon fiber trim and adds illuminated side sills and unique Type S-badged floor mats. Each exterior color is paired with a single interior option. The Curve Red car gets an Ebony black interior with red stitching. All Long Beach Blue cars get an Orchid (cream) interior with blue stitching. And finally, the 130R White cars will get a red interior. All PMC Edition cars get a serialized plaque on the center console, as well. Similar to other Acura PMC cars of the past, this one is put through the same quality control checks as the NSX, including a dyno check, rough road simulation and paint inspection. TheyÂ’re also given special coverings for transport to the dealer and delivered via fully enclosed single-car carriers. Yes, you should expect the paint to be utterly perfect upon first inspection. Pricing for the PMC Edition isnÂ’t out yet, but expect it to be available when Acura releases pricing for the full lineup of 2023 TLX models. Related video:

A look inside Honda’s “Safety For Everyone” research and development operation

RAYMOND, Ohio—As part of its long-running “Safety for Everyone” campaign, Honda has established the audacious goal of what it calls a “zero-collision society.” But rather than making big claims about developing a fully-autonomous vehicle, which Honda hasnÂ’t done, the company is trying to chip away at the more than 37,000 vehicle-related fatalities that occurred in the U.S. in 2017 with a multi-pronged approach. Here in central Ohio, engineers are working with state-of-the-art facilities and equipment to boost active safety systems like its HondaSensing suite of safety technology with old fashioned passive systems like structural steel frames or new airbag designs that protect passengers in a crash. Honda provided members of the press with a rare tour inside its Honda R&D Americas headquarters this week. Honda officials say that increasingly, safety — and specifically, third-party ratings from the likes of the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety — figure into the top three factors consumers weigh when purchasing a vehicle. Honda and Acura have 10, 2019 models that have earned IIHSÂ’s Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ ratings, and all 15, 2019 model-year Honda and Acura vehicles that have undergone NHTSA crash testing have earned a 5-star overall rating. And Honda prides itself on its growing list of safety firsts, including the first upward-deploying front passenger airbag, in 1990 in the Acura Legend; first omni-directional crash-test facility, in 2000; and the first autonomous braking system, in the 2006 Acura RL. It hopes its new three-chamber airbag goes industry-wide and joins that list. “ItÂ’s part of our companyÂ’s culture,” said Art St. Cyr, business head unit and vice president of auto operations for American Honda Motor Co. “We have a philosophy at Honda that we want to be a company that society wants to exist. That means we have to protect our customers. ThatÂ’s part of the whole mantra of doing this.” Opened in 1984, the 1.6 million square-foot Honda R&D Americas facility, located in the countryside about 45 miles northwest of Columbus, employs around 1,600 people and is HondaÂ’s largest research-and-development facility outside of Japan. Its Advanced Safety Research facility opened in 2003.