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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.

Honda integrating Siri into select models

Honda has partnered up with Apple to bring Siri to the Accord, Acura RDX and ILX. Owners who have an iPhone running iOS 6 will be able to ask the software to perform a number of tasks via voice command using the vehicle's on board microphone and speaker systems. What's more, the tech will put the iPhone into an "eyes free" mode, which turns the screen off to help reduce distraction while driving. Honda says it has reworked its Bluetooth and HandsFreeLink systems to accommodate the Siri functionality. While the tech will only be available on three of the company's models right now, we imagine it won't be long before it shows up elsewhere.
As you may recall, Chevrolet integrated Siri into its products with vehicles like the Spark and Sonic, but Mercedes-Benz and Chrysler have also toyed with the tech to varying degrees. The seamless voice command seems to be light years ahead of the tech manufacturers are currently playing with. Check out the full press release from Honda below for more information.

2013 Acura ILX Hybrid

This Is Not The Acura You're Looking For
Mid-level luxury brands have always had to do a bit of leg work to distance themselves from their more common cousins. Thanks to generation after generation of pervasive badge engineering (much of it from the Big Three), buyers can't be blamed for looking at brands like Buick, Lincoln, Infiniti, Lexus and yes, Acura as tarted up versions of Chevrolet, Ford, Nissan, Toyota and Honda products. For much of its lifetime in the automotive landscape, however, Acura has excelled at putting distance between its offerings and that of its parent company thanks to cars with superior driving dynamics, quieter cabins and clean, attractive aesthetics.
Yes, outliers and dull spots can be found in the company's recent track record, but by and large, Acura products remain situated well above the Honda rabble. When the brand announced it was getting serious about the luxury small car game with the ILX, those of us with a set of the company's keys in our past couldn't help but envision an honest successor to the long-dead Integra. Turns out, that wasn't what Acura had in mind.