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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.

Acura ARX-06 race car revealed with V6 hybrid powertrain

There’s a new Acura race car on the block, and itÂ’s called the ARX-06. It replaces the ARX-05, and Acura plans to race it in the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar GTP Championship. Unfortunately, Acura makes no mention of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in all of the details provided with the reveal. That said, it sure looks like a race car that could be made to meet all of the regulations to race in the new LMDh Hypercar class. Acura engineered a new 2.4-liter twin-turbo V6 engine that is paired up with a standardized electric system for hybridization. Acura says the 2.4-liter displacement is the smallest displacement engine the HPD team has made for endurance racing yet. It features a 90-degree V-angle, and itÂ’s designed to run on more sustainable low-carbon fuel. "We've gone in a new direction for HPD in the design of the ICE,” said Pierre Descamps, HPD's powertrain design leader for the ARX-06. “It is still a V6, which of course for Honda is well-known, but we have incorporated several new elements which we believe will make best use of the electric MGU and battery pack. Our new engine will rev to the maximum 10,000 rpm set by the rules, so it also makes a wonderful sound!" The new bodywork penned by the Acura Design Studio in Los Angeles sits on an ORECA chassis (one of the four chassis options required by IMSA and the WEC). Acura notes one big change versus the outgoing ARX-05 is found in the rearview mirrors. Designers were able to move them lower on the car, which improved both aerodynamic performance and visibility for the drivers. Similar to years past, these new ARX-06 race cars will be run by Wayne Taylor Racing and Meyer Shank Racing. TheyÂ’ll make their debut at the Rolex 24 at Daytona next year, where the Meyer Shank Racing team took first place earlier this year. Related video:

Honda and Acura render their future visions for Shanghai

With the Shanghai Motor Show coming up later this month, Honda has released a couple of teaser sketches for two concept vehicles that will be making global debuts. Aside from the renderings, there is no information about either the Honda or Acura concept vehicles, but we can tell that both are some sort of utility vehicle, be they of crossover or people-mover variety.
The text for both images indicates that both concepts show future products that will be launched in China, but there is no mention as to what other markets the automaker has planned for these vehicles. In addition to these two concepts, the NSX Concept and 2014 RLX from Acura will make their Chinese debuts, and Honda says it "will display models substantially identical to the mass-production version of the Concept C and Concept S." The Concept C is will be a "middle-class" sedan built for China, and the Concept S, an MPV that will primarily serve China as well.