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Motorweek goes retro with '80s hot hatch shootout

Motorweek's decades of history on television make it the perfect medium to look back into the automotive past and see how things are different now. It recently added old road test videos to its YouTube channel of the Acura NSX and Toyota Supra, as well as the Ferrari F40. For one of its newest flashback clips, Motorweek has exhumed an affordable five-car challenge of 1986's premiere hot hatches.
By today's standards, this is an eclectic field that features fondly remembered classics like the Volkswagen GTI 16-valve and Acura Integra. However, it also throws in some nearly forgotten contenders like the Dodge Colt Turbo and Ford Escort GT. The angular Toyota Corolla FX16 GT-S rounds out the group.
It's fascinating to watch Motorweek run the quintet through the slalom, down the drag strip and on various roads. What's most striking in this clip is the difference in the definition of a performance car between then and now. With its 16-valve, 1.8-liter four-cylinder, the GTI is the burliest of the contenders with 123 horsepower, but it still takes 8.8 seconds to reach 60 miles per hour. By today's standards, that would make it a plain-jane economy car, and not even a particularly quick one.

Acura MDX PMC priced at $63,745

The 2020 Acura MDX PMC edition, first unveiled as a prototype at the 2019 New York Auto Show last spring and later shown in production form at the L.A. Auto Show this past fall, is finally arriving in showrooms. And that means we now have actual pricing: $63,745. That includes a hefty $1,995 destination fee, which is $970 more than the charge for a regular MDX and equals that of the NSX supercar. The total represents a $4,470 upcharge over the now-penultimate MDX Advance, at $59,275. What does $4,470 worth of extra specialness buy you? Let us review: Like the previous PMC version of the TLX sedan, the MDX wears trim-exclusive Valencia Red Pearl nano pigment paint, applied with a multi-stage process at the NSX factory. It's set off with gloss-black exterior elements including 20-inch 10-spoke wheels, roof panel, grille and surround, side mirrors, door handles, and antenna, with black-chrome exhaust tips. Inside, the seats are upholstered in black Milano leather with Alcantara inserts and red contrast stitching. Red stitching also appears on the steering wheel, door panels, center console and armrest, and headrests. Floor mats have A Spec logos, and metal shift paddles are also included. Besides the PMC-specific visuals, the model includes a full raft of features, including navigation, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats and steering wheels, adaptive dampers, LED exterior lighting, ELS Studio premium audio, second-row captain's chairs, surround-view camera system, and more.  Beyond the content, what makes the PMC edition unique is that it's partially assembled at the brand's Performance Manufacturing Center (thus, "PMC"), where the NSX is built. Production is limited to 300 units for the U.S. market, with another 30 for Canada. Related video: Acura NSX Factory Tour

Turbo Honda S2000 could battle Miata and 124 Abarth

Rumors are again swirling that Honda could have a new sports car under development to slot below the forthcoming NSX. Autocar claims the model would revive the S2000 name, but offer 1.5- and 2.0-liter turbocharged units at the front to drive the rear wheels. Autocar alleges this info comes from unnamed "company insiders," and asserts the new S2000 could have a base model with a 1.5-liter turbo that makes about 180 hp – almost 60 hp down from the original convertible. However, a hotter version – possibly with Type R badging – would reportedly have a detuned form of the 306-hp 2.0-liter in the Civic Type R. Both trims would have a six-speed manual. Competing rumors contend that Honda could be developing two different performance models. Patent images suggest the company might have a smaller version of the NSX under consideration in addition to the rumored S200 revival. The mid-engine coupe would allegedly use a hybrid powertrain based on the Civic Type R's engine to make a total of about 400 hp. However, Autocar claims the S2000 successor has the higher priority of the pair, but it doesn't mention where the info comes from. The Honda S660 kei car on sale in Japan shows that the brand is willing to dabble in new sports cars, but that convertible isn't practical for the US market, according to the automaker's bosses. Dealers meanwhile continue to beg a performance model in the lineup, so it's possible one of these rumored projects eventually could arrive in showrooms. Related Video: