2011 Acura Tsx Base Sedan 4-door 2.4l on 2040-cars

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Mid-engine Honda sports car surfaces in EU patent drawings

Based on new patent drawings, Honda clearly isn't done with sports cars. The design you see above was registered and published by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and was first reported by AutoGuide. The drawings show a rakish, angular sports car design that is very clearly mid-engine. It could almost pass for a Lamborghini. But the name on the design is Honda Motor Company, and aside from the name, it bares a strikingly similar appearance to a mid-engine design found in a Honda patent two years ago. In fact, the only major difference between this car and the older one (seen below) is the lack of a windshield and top. The shape of the lights and the grille, as well as the front fender vent and character lines running from it, are reminiscent of the S660 kei roadster for Japan. The large, angular intakes look more related to the Acura NSX, though. View 6 Photos Unlike the previous patent renderings of the car, this one has an interior, and the inclusion of it may be why the top and windshield are absent. The interior also leads us to believe that this design is for an upcoming concept. The steering wheel is a small, rectangular piece similar to what you would find in an F1 car or Indy car. The seats also look like thin buckets designed to be as sporty and light as possible. A production version would probably have a bit more cushioning and a round wheel. It does look like there is a pushbutton transmission setup in the center console like current Acuras, though. So what does this mean? Honda is clearly still working on this design, and based on some of the more radical design choices for the interior, we're likely looking at a concept car that will show up in the next couple of years. Whether a concept will lead to a production car is tough to say. There's definitely room in Honda's global sports car roster between the S660 and NSX for something in between, and Honda has reported that it's getting pressure from dealers for sporty cars. The exterior design isn't so extreme it couldn't be tweaked for production, either. There have also been rumors that Honda is preparing a mid-engine hybrid sports car with the Type R's turbocharged four-cylinder. Honda also holds a trademark for the name "ZSX," which fits the naming scheme of the NSX and old RSX, but at least in Europe, Honda has held the trademark since 2009. We'll just have to wait and see what Honda does.

Best places to get your car maintained and repaired

In this era of rampant inflation and high interest rates, the challenges of acquiring a car or SUV have been well documented. And so it has never been more important to protect that expensive investment by maintaining it. In recent months, Autoblog has shared Consumer Reports' evaluation of the least and most expensive car brands to keep running, as well as tips to prolong a car’s useful life. Especially since the pandemic, a number of factors have impacted these costs: more complex vehicles, new materials and manufacturing methods, a shortage of qualified technicians and replacement parts. Since 2022, repairs costs have jumped each year by about 10 percent. This month, Consumer Reports is offering a useful primer on keeping your ride in great shape, suggesting what might be the best options for searching out a repair shop, depending, as CR says, “on your car and your situation.” Author Ben Preston identifies three basic types of repair facilities: dealership service departments, independently owned repair shops, and chain repair shops. Building up trust with a specific shop and feeling comfortable going there is important. Preston quotes John Ibbotson, chief mechanic at Consumer ReportsÂ’ Auto Test Center: "You might be able to save a few bucks by going to whichever shop offers the cheapest prices, but if you want consistent, reliable service, itÂ’s best to find a repair shop you trust and stick with it,” Ibbotson says. The story goes on to evaluate each type of service facility. HereÂ’s a breakdown of CRÂ’s findings: Dealerships These work well for owners of newer cars, especially for covered warranty work. But the disadvantage is the high labor rates common to dealer service. Satisfaction ratings for dealer service departments range from very good (Acura, Lexus, Mazda, and Volvo) to not-so-good (Jeep and Kia). Dealers are best for: Fixing infotainment system glitches: "If the screen in the center of your dash has a habit of freezing up, or the touchscreen-activated climate controls arenÂ’t working, the dealership is the most likely place to find someone with the know-how to fix problems that maybe only a factory-authorized technician can access," Ibbotson says. Safety system recalibration: "Anything from a crack in your windshield to a minor fender dent can upset the calibration of the sensors that make features like automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control work," says Ibbotson.

2024 Acura Integra Type S revealed as the luxurious foil to the Type R

The 2024 Acura Integra Type S is exactly what we imagined it might be. Acura took all the Civic Type R go-fast parts and shoved them into the Integra, but then added luxuries the Type R is missing and fettled with a few performance bits. Just as was teased ahead of time, the Integra Type S is fitted with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that produces 320 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque — thatÂ’s up five horses over the Type R. ItÂ’s fitted with a six-speed manual transmission (no auto available) and sends its power through the front wheels via a helical-type limited-slip differential. The same dual-axis front suspension design pioneered by the Type R to quell torque steer is on display here, so you should expect little to no torque steer from the Integra. Of course, all that extra power meant Acura needed much more cooling capability, leading them to design a much more aggressive and air-hungry front end for the Integra. In fact, every single body panel from the A-pillars forward is unique to the Type S. The larger top and lower grilles and vented hood improve airflow by 170% versus a standard Integra, Acura says. Look to the sides, and youÂ’ll see dramatic fender flares both in front and rear that accommodate the massive 265-section-width Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer tires that wrap around 19-inch wheels — the Type S is 2.8 inches wider than a standard Integra. For those wondering, yes, itÂ’s the same tire package as youÂ’ll find on a Type R. Out back, youÂ’ll notice substantial diffusers flanking a new triple-tipped center-mounted exhaust. Said exhaust is less restrictive than the Type R, features an active exhaust valve and adjusts depending on the drive mode. Acura says a special “pops and bangs” auditory experience presents itself in “Sport+” mode. The suspension tuning is another differentiator between the Integra Type S and Civic Type R. It uses the same adaptive damper system as the Civic, but Acura adjusted the tune for the Type S in its Comfort, Sport and Sport+ driving modes, presumably to be more street-friendly. Acura emphasizes that this car delivers “ultimate street performance” numerous times in its press release, suggesting that the Integra is set up as more of a daily driver, while the Civic Type R is very much designed to excel on the racetrack.