05 Acura Rsx S Type 2.0l 6 Speed Rare Special on 2040-cars

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Autoblog Podcast #407

Episode #407 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Steven Ewing, and Sebastian Blanco talk about the Michelin Challenge Bibendum, the Toyota Mirai, and the BMW 3 Series falling off the Car and Driver 10Best list. We start with what's in the Autoblog Garage and finish up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Check out the rundown below with times for topics, and you can follow along down below with our Q&A. Thanks for listening! Autoblog Podcast #407: The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience. Topics: Challenge Bibendum Toyota Mirai fuel cell 3 Series falls off Car and Driver 10Best list In The Autoblog Garage: 2015 Acura TLX 2015 Dodge Charger 392 Audi Prologue Concept Hosts: Dan Roth, Steven Ewing, Sebastian Blanco Runtime: 01:07:55 Rundown: Intro and Garage - 00:00 Challenge Bibendum - 18:32 Toyota Mirai - 28:20 C/D 10Best - 44:52 Q&A - 53:52 Get the podcast: [UStream] Listen live on Mondays at 10 PM Eastern at UStream [iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes [RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator [MP3] Download the MP3 directly Feedback: Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show in iTunes Podcasts Acura Audi BMW Dodge Toyota toyota mirai challenge bibendum

2021 Acura TLX Long-Term Update | Tuneful turbo-four soundtrack

I used to be enamored with the turbocharged 2.0-liter engine format. I owned a 2004 Subaru WRX, with its turbo boxer mill, and liked it quite a bit, rough though it could be. Then turbo-fours, often displacing the same 2.0 liters, began replacing heavier and thirstier naturally aspirated V6 powerplants across the industry, and I was on board. Since then, they’ve become much more refined and responsive, all while their often uninspiring soundtracks faded into the background as automakers worked to improve the experience inside the cabin. TheyÂ’ve also become so ubiquitous that, apart from certain standouts like the turbo boxer in the Porsche 718, they ceased to be as exciting to me. Then AutoblogÂ’s long-term 2021 Acura TLX arrived in my driveway, equipped with a 2.0-liter turbo I4. I was excited about the styling and the handling, but I didnÂ’t expect this four-pot to make a huge impression on me. The first time I opened her up under wide-open throttle, though, I was pleasantly surprised. This 2.0TÂ’s 272 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque are ample motivation for this sporty sedan, even with all-wheel drive and a 3,990-pound curb weight. It wonÂ’t knock your hat into the back seat, but itÂ’s quick enough, especially in Sport mode. The thing that really won me over with this 2.0T, though, is the sound. Ripping to this thing's 6,800-rpm redline produces a melodious song that sounds a lot more exciting and expressive than most other fours. The cherry on top is the punctuated hiss of the turbo releasing its pressure when you get off the throttle. The amplitude of the engine note is manipulated using AcuraÂ’s Active Sound Control. As an Acura spokesperson explained it: “Active Sound Control uses the TLXÂ’s speakers (whether audio is playing or not) to add sound (same-phase or reverse-phase) to the cabin that smooths the sound of the engine heard inside the cabin. Engine noise doesn't increase in a linear way with rising revs; instead there can be many resonances that create peaks and valleys in the sound pressure level and an uneven sound. The level of ASC is tailored to each drive mode (Comfort, Normal and Sport).” Put another way, ASC is basically an electronic filter that can deaden or amplify the sound and smoothen it out, similar to how active suspension damping adjusts to the situation and drive modes to either let in more or less road feel, while actively eliminating the harshest of vibrations.

The Acura Integra is coming back, but what exactly will it be?

Yep, the Acura Integra is back! Acura has offered limited information about the revival of its compact nameplate, and while we suspect it will replace the ILX outright when it debuts in 2022, Honda's luxury subsidiary has yet to cough up any more useful information. That's fine; it means we can fill the void with baseless speculation educated guesses as to what form the next-generation Integra will take.  While we're all excited about its resurrection, Autoblog is not a hive mind, and each of us has a different idea of what a new Integra could (or should) be. Here are our takes, for whatever they're worth, which could easily be absolutely nothing.  Associate Editor Byron Hurd: Yes, that's a photo of a CR-Z model at Honda's design studio. Bear with me here; I promise I'm going somewhere with this. Frankly, as cool as it would be to see Acura take the fight to the likes of the Audi A3, Mercedes-Benz CLA and BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe, I can't help but look at the (lack of) success of the ILX and wonder whether there's any hope for something so formulaic.  While I'm sure this will offend at least a few "purists," I'd love to see Honda leverage whatever equity the Integra nameplate has left to pivot its more mainstream cars toward electrification. Sure, an all-wheel-drive take on a Civic Si or Type-R sounds really cool, but how about an accessible fastback coupe or sedan with a scaled-down version of the NSX's powertrain, flipped front-to-back? Base it on a smaller (turbocharged?) ICE, stick the electrified axle in the rear, and voila. Ford has proven that hybrids don't have to be expensive; heck, even the CR-Z was cheap back in the day.  As bothersome as this idea may seem to the faithful, consider this: The ILX wasn't a bust because it was called "ILX." Small sedans just aren't worthwhile investments for automakers right now, so as abhorrent as hybridization or electrification may seem, the alternative could very well be a subtle crossoverification of the Integra nameplate. Does that sound more appealing? Because I sure don't think so.  News Editor Joel Stocksdale: So, just as was the case with the Integra and even the ILX, I have no doubt the new Integra will be based on the Honda Civic. And I think that will probably be a very good thing. The new 11th-generation Civic seems to be as good if not better than the outgoing one, so add some nicer interior pieces and some sound-deadening, and it should be a great, roomy entry-level luxury alternative.