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Acura preps ILX for endurance racing challenge

Acura has used the occasion of this year's SEMA show to unveil a 2013 ILX that is remarkably different from the road-going car that we are familiar with. A far distance from the rather mildly performing street car, this ILX Endurance Racer is actually prepped to race at the grueling 25 Hours of Thunderhill in Willows, California.
The ILX racers (Team Honda Research has prepped two of them for the race) have actually each been constructed using two donor ILX sedans: one body-in-white chassis and one full production-spec car that donates powertrain, interior and electronic components. Overall, increasing the performance of the car was done mostly through extensive weight reduction rather than bumps in power. No figures have been given for the output of the ILX's K24Z7 engine, though we are told that a custom intake and exhaust have been fitted, as well as a racing flywheel.
A prominent LED lighting system dominates the front fascia of the ILX, along with a huge front splitter, while a massive wing speaks to the intentions of the car.

Buy a new NSX and you can put the badges on as it rolls off the line in Ohio

Acura announced today that new NSX owners now have an opportunity to see their cars being built at the Performance Manufacturing Center (PMC) in Marysville, Ohio. At the starting price of $2,700, owners can participate in the "NSX Insider Experience" in which they'll tour the factory, as well as the Honda Heritage Center. The latter of which houses a HondaJet, an iteration of ASIMO, Honda's famous humanoid robot, and other pieces of Honda history. Owners on the tour also have the chance to talk with people on the assembly line about how it all comes together, and can even install the badges on their very own cars. If that's not enough, Honda offers a few other optional extras to make the trip special. They can add a tour of the factory in Anna, Ohio, where the NSX engines are made, as well as sign up for a performance driving experience in a new NSX. The driving portion is available in two- and four-hour sessions, and it takes place at the Transportation Research Center, which doubles as Acura's NSX proving grounds. Of course these extras will add to the cost, as will bringing guests. Honda even offers help with travel planning through Acura Concierge. The service can book your flight and other travel arrangements. It will also allow you to stay at the special NSX suite at the Joseph Hotel in Columbus, Ohio. Acura didn't go into detail as to what makes the suite specific to the NSX, but we're sure it's a nice place nonetheless. NSX owners interested in the program should check out the program's website, here. For people without the means to buy an NSX, you can still get a look into the factory by checking out our visit to the facility. Related Video: Featured Gallery Acura NSX Insider Experience Image Credit: Acura Green Plants/Manufacturing Acura Coupe Hybrid Supercars

IIHS says these are the safest cars of 2013

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has revealed its annual list of Top Safety Picks, an award that highlights automobiles it says offer "superior crash protection." A new and still more significant award, the Top Safety Pick+ honor, is given to those vehicles that earn good ratings for occupant protection in four out of five areas of measure. And while some 117 vehicles were given the TSP seal of approval for 2013, just 13 passed muster for TSP+.
To be fair, IIHS only evaluated 29 vehicles with its new testing procedures for TSP+ (we'd expect that the number of qualified cars will rise substantially for 2014). Luxury and Near Luxury midsize cars were the first groups evaluated, followed by midsizers in the Moderately Priced Cars category - unsurprisingly, it's only midsize cars that you'll find among the class this year.
Only two luxury sedans made the list of 13 for 2013: the Acura TL and Volvo S60. The other 11 cars on the list included entries from domestic, Japanese and German car makers: Dodge Avenger, Chrysler 200, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord (sedan and coupe), Kia Optima (but not its close kin, the Hyundai Sonata, strangely), Nissan Altima, Subaru Legacy and Outback, Suzuki Kizashi and the Volkswagen Passat all made the grade.