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2021 Acura TLX Type S Road Test Review | Golden and glorious

After spending an entire month with our long-term 2021 Acura TLX A-Spec, I had high hopes for the new TLX Type S. When you start from a good base, that means things can only get better, right? The chassis underneath the base TLX’s flashy sheetmetal is a thing of brilliance. This four-door is taut and responsive the way you expect a high-performance German sport sedan to be, and the SH-AWD system is one of the best in the business, hugely aiding its agility. But not everything about the TLX A-Spec with its 2.0-turbo four-cylinder is perfect in the fun-to-drive column. The 10-speed transmission is mediocre at best, and while the engine makes a good noise, an Accord with its 2.0-turbo can outrun it in a straight line. ThereÂ’s enough thrust to keep things lively, but itÂ’s not going to raise your pulse. Enter the TLX Type S. It marks AcuraÂ’s mighty return to performance cars (beyond the NSX), and itÂ’s a chance for Acura to address our issues with the standard TLX. LetÂ’s get into it. The Type S boots out the four-cylinder in favor of AcuraÂ’s totally new 3.0-liter turbocharged V6. This engine is exclusive to the Type S for the time being, and itÂ’s a winner. DonÂ’t expect a high-revving classic Honda experience, though. Instead, just like the new turbocharged Civic Type R, this V6 is a torque monster. The peak 354 pound-feet hits low in the rev band at 1,400 rpm then carries on up to 5,000. Its peak 355 horsepower is made at 5,500 rpm, and redline comes shortly thereafter at 6,200. Acura still found a way to make this relatively low-revving V6 sound more frenzied than it actually is. The trip up to redline in Sport and Sport+ (which opens the active exhaust valves) is music to the ears. ItÂ’s not punishingly loud, but the pitch increases with revs to a much higher note than you might suspect. Open the windows, and youÂ’ll also get some turbo-spooling noises for even more drama. The personality and character level of this engine is off the charts compared to the standard 2.0T. Only BMWÂ’s inline-six — in the M340i — offers up a similarly enticing noise. The pull from this engine matches the sound it makes, too. Good luck finding a dead spot or weak point anywhere, because it doesnÂ’t exist. ThereÂ’s no cliff of torque at the end of the meaty rev band, and while the Type S might not win every stoplight drag race — Acura estimates an approximately 5-second trip to 60 mph — itÂ’s plenty quick enough to have a hell of a good time in.

Acura bringing full-EV NSX and two hybrids to Pikes Peak

Acura is bringing two 2017 NSX hybrids to run up Pikes Peak in a few weeks. As exciting as this is in itself, the line that really caught our attention in the PR announcement is that there will be third vehicle, an all-electric one, making the climb alongside its hybrid brethren. The EV is not an NSX per se, but,"a new NSX-inspired, all-electric 4-motor SH-AWD Concept." First announced back in March, the new EV will run in the Electric Modified Class, and features, "a further evolution of the experimental all-electric, four-motor Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) powertrain that won last year's Pikes Peak Challenge Exhibition class." All-electric vehicles have been speeding up the mountain track for years now, with Mitsubishi EVs winning their division in 2014. A Tesla Model S will make the climb this year. Back to the standard NSX hybrids. They will be driven in the Time Attack 1 and 2 classes by brothers James and Nick Robinson. The vehicles are different, but both use the standard NSX's three-motor hybrid powertrain. TA1 has a lighter chassis and a modified racing exhaust, while TA2 is a standard NSX with some required safety equipment Last year, an NSX was the pace car at Pikes Peak. Related Video: 2017 Acura NSX Supercar to Make its North American Racing Debut at 2016 Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Jun 9, 2016 - TORRANCE, Calif. Two Acura NSX supercars and a new NSX-inspired, all-electric 4-motor SH-AWD Concept will compete in the 100th anniversary of Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Acura NSX, MDX and TLX will serve as official pace cars Acura will field a pair of 2017 Acura NSX supercars in the 100th Anniversary of the running of the Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on June 26, marking the North American racing debut of Acura's next-generation NSX: the pinnacle expression of Acura Precision Crafted Performance and the only supercar made in America. The two Acura NSX supercars will compete in the Time Attack 1 and 2 classes and will be piloted by brothers James and Nick Robinson, respectively, both from the company's North American engineering team. In addition, Acura will campaign an NSX-inspired prototype vehicle in the Electric Modified Class, featuring a further evolution of the experimental all-electric, 4-motor Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) powertrain that won last year's Pikes Peak Challenge Exhibition class.

1997 Acura SLX gets 350 actual Acura horsepower for Radwood

For the Radwood Orange County, Calif., car show, a show themed around 1980s and 1990s cars, Acura is bringing a variety of its original models including a 1991 NSX and a 1986 Integra. The company is also bringing something obscure, a 1997 Acura SLX, the brand's first SUV, offered from model years 1996 to 1999. In some ways, it's something Acura might not want to highlight, since it's really a rebadged Isuzu Trooper, just as the original Honda Passport was a rebadged Isuzu Rodeo. But this SLX is special; it has real Acura power under the hood. The project was led by Acura engineers and Pikes Peak racing drivers James Robinson, Paul Hubers and Jordan Guitar, and the frame and body restoration as well as the powertrain swap was done entirely in-house at Honda R&D in Ohio, according to Acura rep Andrew Quillin. The team pulled out the original naturally aspirated 3.2-liter V6 that made just 190 horsepower and 188 pound-feet of torque, and dropped in a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four from a new Acura RDX. That engine also received a new intake, exhaust, turbo and ECU tune, which brought power up to an estimated 350 horsepower and 340 pound-feet of torque, similar to the Graham Rahal Performance RDX. Not only that, but the old-school four-wheel-drive system and live rear axle were dropped in favor of the RDX's indpendent suspension and torque vectoring "Super Handling All-Wheel Drive." "Dropped in" is a mischaracterization, though, as Acura had to weld new subframes front and rear to the existing frame to get the transverse engine and modern suspension to fit. Acura was careful to keep the SLX looking as close to the original as possible. On the outside, Acura repainted the SLX in a modern red paint available on the RDX, but retained the champagne lower moldings. The stock wheels were replaced with 17-inch Fifteen52 wheels, but they have a very similar design and finish to the original wheels. A hard-shell spare tire cover was added, and a simple "SH-AWD" badge on the back is the only hint at what's under the body. The interior was restored at the company's L.A. design studio, where the upholstery was redone in a gray "gathered" leather like you would have seen when it was new. A bit of gray wood trim updates the interior slightly. The RDX's push-button starter and shifter buttons have been added to the center console, shift paddles behind the original steering wheel, and an aftermarket instrument cluster mounted to the steering column.