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The all-women Acura NSX team previews a way forward for racing

DAYTONA, Fla. — There is a team at the 24 Hours of Daytona that's just like any other team, with experienced drivers who rightly earned their spot in the top endurance racing series in America. They are prepared to run a full season in a competitive car, and they even set the fastest time in their class at the pre-season Roar Before the 24 test. The only difference between this team and any other is that its drivers happen to be women. We went to Daytona to talk to them about their journey to the race. The No. 57 Heinricher Racing with Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo team features a roster of talented, experienced drivers: Katherine Legge, Simona de Silvestro, Bia Figueiredo and Christina Nielsen. While there have been four other all-women lineups at Daytona before, the No. 57 team is the first to be considered truly competitive. Team founder Jackie Heinricher, a biotech CEO who has raced in Ferrari Challenge, Global Rallycross Lites and Lamborghini Super Trofeo, was coached by Legge. Two years ago, she had the idea to run a car full of women – and not just a token effort, but rather a car full of drivers who could win. "The car does not know your gender, and I feel as if this sort of professional effort legitimizes that in a way that's particularly important and inspirational outside of racing," Heinricher told Autoblog. Heinricher had seen Legge struggle to get the right funding for rides before, so she didn't want to limit this team to whoever could pay. So, she first lined up the funding, thanks largely to support from primary sponsor Caterpillar. It took awhile, though, as many companies simply told her that they were out of racing sponsorships entirely. "I think perseverance might be the most underrated human quality," Heinricher said. "I just didn't give up." After funding was in place, she found a competitive partner in the Meyer Shank Racing crew, whose owner Michael Shank has run a pair of factory-backed Acura NSX GT3s in IMSA's GTD class since 2017. The GT3 shares an engine and turbo with the road-going NSX but ditches the hybrid system, making it about 670 pounds lighter. The No. 57 car is an EVO variant, which Legge helped develop, and it features improved aerodynamics to better suit it to the mix of pro and amateur drivers who take shifts racing in the GTD class. Legge had been on Shank's NSX team for the past two years as well, so Heinricher reached out to her for help assembling women who truly had the ability to win.

Why Acura should build a hybrid Integra successor using NSX tech

Yes, it sounds like a heresy. Yes, the Honda CR-Z was not a good hybrid sports car. Yes, we know the RSX officially replaced the Integra here (but was called the Integra in Japan). But, no, we're not crazy. Well, maybe a little bit. But hear us out. At the moment Acura is a bit of an unfocused mess. Its line-up is thoroughly uninspiring, save for its $200,000 NSX supercar – a great mid-engined supercar with an impressive, performance-oriented hybrid AWD system. And yet few people would draw a line connecting Acura's other SH-AWD hybrids, the RLX Sport Hybrid and MDX Sport Hybrid, to the NSX. The first NSX told the world that Acura built cars with world-class technology and performance, and the Integra carried it to people with normal pocketbooks. Since the new NSX communicates a similar message as its forbearer, so too would a new Integra. Now making an entry-level sports car with hybrid technology is tricky business. As we already established, the Honda CR-Z was a colossal flop. It's balance was all off: heavy, expensive, and not very sporty – and it didn't even get very good fuel economy. However, Honda and Acura can learn from these mistakes. First, to keep costs in check, Acura can borrow from Honda's ever-improving parts bin. It would logical to borrow the excellent Civic coupe platform – something the old Integra did as well. It could also attach the proposed hybrid powertrain to the upcoming Si turbocharged four-cylinder. Some added cost will be unavoidable, since the batteries and motors will have to go somewhere. That will cost some engineering dollars, and inflate the price tag a bit. However, since Acura is a premium brand, it has some wiggle room to bump up the price without losing buyers. Weight is another potential issue this hypothetical hybrid will face, and was one of the chief complaints with the CR-Z. Looking at the RLX and the RLX Sport Hybrid, the hybrid bits weigh about an extra 340 pounds. That's not insignificant, but added to the turbocharged Civic EX-T coupe's 2,900 pound curb weight, you would have a car that would weigh 3,240 pounds. That's comparable to the very fun Mustang EcoBoost. As long as Acura keeps the weight under 3,500 pounds, the brand should have an entertaining coupe on its hands. The final piece of the puzzle is to make sure it isn't compromised. Every bit of hybrid tech in the NSX is there for performance. It helps eliminate turbo lag, and it improves acceleration and handling.

2021 Acura TLX First Drive | The mojo is returning

Buildup for the 2021 Acura TLX started more than a year ago when Acura released the stunning Type S Concept. It was long, low, wide and graced with gorgeous rear-drive proportions. Plus, it was slathered in some of the best blue paint we’ve ever seen. Acura could not have thought of a better way to say, “Hey, weÂ’re back!” ItÂ’s no surprise that the Type S Concept is a dead ringer for the production TLX. Acura designers told us the car was just about finished when the concept debuted. So yeah, the new TLX and TLX Type S were always going to look this good. The latter won't be arriving until next spring, but our first drive of this next-gen base TLX has us hopeful for the Type S and its 3.0-liter turbocharged V6. And maybe just a little nervous, too.  The bones are really good. Acura developed a new, unique platform for this TLX that was built with performance in mind from the get-go. It's not just an Accord in a fancy suit. With crossovers on the rise, Acura says its shrinking number of sedan buyers are more passionate about driving dynamics than crossover buyers, allowing them to focus on performance to an even greater degree. It makes sense. We heartily approve. The result of this performance focus is the most rigid body in any Acura not named NSX. YouÂ’ll find more advanced materials like aluminum and press-hardened steel in its makeup than any previous Acura sedan. It has a wider track (+1.2-inch front and +1.6-inch rear), a 2.2-inch wider body, a 3.7-inch longer wheelbase and a 0.5-inch shorter height. Lastly, the dash-to-axle dimension is 7.8 inches longer, giving it those sweet rear-drive proportions despite being a front-wheel-drive platform. 2021 Acura TLX Advance View 38 Photos If you're expecting more rear passenger and trunk space with the extended length, keep looking. Rear legroom is up 0.4 inch, and trunk space by 0.3 cubic-feet to 13.5 – paltry gains for how much larger the car got. The size growth benefitted style and body proportions more than it did functional considerations. Then, thereÂ’s the new suspension: double wishbones up front and a five-link rear. Acura previously used a MacPherson strut design in the front suspension and the move back to a double-wishbone design is great news for driving enthusiasts. Acura's well-regarded TL and TSX of the mid-2000s had double wishbones up front, as did many of Honda's greatest hits of yesteryear (Integra, Prelude, Civic Si, etc.).