2002 Acura Rsx Type-s Coupe 2-door 2.0l on 2040-cars

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Acura product roadmap leak points to 'compact Type S' and MDX Type S

The Type S moniker is back along with the 2021 Acura TLX Type S sedan. And today, the internet has sprouted some more Acura Type S news. We caught wind of a forum post on Acurazine through a thread on Reddit that includes a link to a video allegedly shown during Acura’s 2020 dealer meeting webcast. That video doesnÂ’t appear to be live anymore, but an enterprising individual happened to screenshot the most important slide from the video: AcuraÂ’s product roadmap to 2022. HereÂ’s the link youÂ’re looking for. Take this information with a grain of salt. ThereÂ’s a good chance that this intel is correct, but plans change. Most imminent is a redesigned Acura MDX with a Type S variant. We expect an MDX Type S to follow the same formula as the TLX Type S. AcuraÂ’s new 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 would be a fine candidate for this duty. With that powerplant (horsepower unknown, but likely around 400 ponies), it could punch up against SUVs like the Mercedes-AMG GLE 53, or punch down to the Ford Explorer ST. tuned suspension, plenty of appearance add-ons and sportier interior would also likely be along for the ride. ItÂ’s placed directly after the TLX on the chart timewise, so thereÂ’s a good chance that we see a new MDX soon. Next up is the one that weÂ’re especially excited about. A new Type S “compact sedan” is on the way. Acura neglected to give this one a name, which is odd, unless thereÂ’s a big secret it wants to keep. Right now, AcuraÂ’s small sedan is called the ILX. In past (and better) years, Acura named its small cars Integra and RSX. Might we see the return of the Integra name? Or perhaps RSX? ThereÂ’s precedent for an RSX Type S, and this small Acura appears to be getting the Type S treatment.  So, what might a small Acura Type S look like? The car could borrow hardware from the Civic Si, or it could borrow from the Civic Type R. A more luxurious Civic Type R with AcuraÂ’s delightful and sharp styling would be splendid. ItÂ’d be dialed back to fit the Type S name, but nearly anything would be better than the ILX wallowing at the bottom of AcuraÂ’s lineup today. WeÂ’re left to guess at the details for now, but the roadmap shows that car arriving by 2022. There are two other small nuggets of info weÂ’ll point out on this roadmap. Acura doesnÂ’t list an RDX Type S anywhere on it. That could be because the RDX was recently redesigned, so itÂ’s not one of the completely new vehicles listed in the step ladder of new product.

Is the Acura Legend coming back?

Great news for fans of the Acura Legend: Honda has applied for a trademark in Europe for the word "Legend," pertaining to "Vehicles; Apparatus for locomotion by land; Apparatus for locomotion by air; Apparatus for locomotion by water; Parts and fittings for land vehicles; Parts and fittings for air and space vehicles; Parts and fittings for water vehicles." This trademark was first spotted by AutoGuide.com, and gives more credence to our speculation from a couple months ago about the possibility of the Legend nameplate returning to the Acura lineup in the States. If you were reading closely before, you'll notice that it was actually Honda that applied for the trademark, not Acura. The Legend was sold with a Honda badge on it in Europe back in the day, so this trademark filing in Europe makes perfect sense. In our previous report, we put forth the idea that Acura could bring the Legend name back with a successor to the RLX flagship sedan. Specifically, we were thinking that Acura would use the four-door coupe form previewed by the Acura Precision concept. That story also suggested a new Legend flagship could debut during Monterey Car Week. The 1986 Legend sedan was one of Acura's first two vehicles when the brand launched (the other being the Integra). It had a smooth 2.5-liter V6 that made all of 151 horsepower at the time. A sweet-looking coupe soon followed the sedan. The name Legend would be applied to a second-generation, which is arguably the one best-remembered. The coupe in particular has lived up to its name. Much of that legendary status, though, is the result of what followed: the Legend name and coupe body style dying for 1996 in favor of the RL, a four-door sedan as bland as its name. Acura's flagship has never recovered. We'll be quite pleased if Acura ultimately decides to reveal a totally new Legend to blow us away in Monterey. The return to actual names for the lineup would also be lovely. It's certainly working for Lincoln. Now if they'd only trademark "Integra" ...

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.