1987 Acura Integra Ls Hatchback 3-door 1.6l on 2040-cars

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2019 Acura NSX vs. 1991 Acura NSX | Respect your elders

A car that forces the competition to head back to the drawing board does not come around often, especially when that competition happens to be Ferrari. Honda achieved such a feat back in 1991 when the original NSX was set loose in the supercar world. Not only did the NSX smack its contemporaries down in terms of performance and technological prowess, it also forced the Italians to make supercars with some semblance of reliability and manners. Spend only a few moments in an original NSX, and its specialness is palpable. The lack of power steering is acutely noticeable at low speed as I roll over little cracks and dips in the road, while the sticky rubber chucks small rocks up into the wheel wells. A near 360-degree view is at my disposal with the bubble-like canopy, and the ground right in front of the nose is visible from my vantage point. This is what control feels like, and we haven't even gotten to the reverie-inducing VTEC noises getting piped right into our eardrums yet. There are no dials to change the throttle response, no buttons to make the steering artificially heavy, no shift paddles behind the wheel to tell a computer to swap cogs. To my right is a manual shifter that can legitimately be described as perfect. This is a 1991 Acura NSX, and it is glorious. For some of the reasons I've briefly described, and plenty more, this car has reached legend status amongst enthusiasts. In the early 2000s it was a sales disaster, outgunned by pretty much every other supercar in the space. Honda/Acura was only working with a 3.2-liter V6 making 290 horsepower when that car finally met its maker after the 2005 model year. As collectable modern classics, the relatively low power output doesn't seem to bother folks spending close to, and over, six digits on low-mileage examples of these cars. What changed? Well, the passage of time tends to be the biggest factor in these things. Also, there's a new NSX out there, reminding the world that the old one exists. And just like when Acura discontinued the original, the new one is mighty expensive, selling in extremely low numbers, and generally regarded as lesser than other options in its class. This time around it has to deal with standout cars like the 911 GT3, McLaren 570S and Audi R8 V10. But perhaps even worse than that, the new NSX must withstand comparisons to the original. Can you think of any other legendary Japanese car with a similar image problem today? Yeah, the Toyota Supra.

Acura Infotainment Review | Just give it some time

Acura’s True Touchpad infotainment system is a hot topic at Autoblog HQ. Some of us utterly detest its functionality. Others, myself included, will plead its case as a worthy alternative to normal infotainment systems. “ItÂ’s not that bad,” IÂ’ll say over and over. I had to eat my words to a certain extent when our long term 2021 Acura TLXÂ’s infotainment system broke recently due to bad wire connectors, but now that itÂ’s up and running again, itÂ’s time to give it a proper shake. The screen in this TLX is a high-resolution, 10.2-inch monitor that sits far from the driver on the carÂ’s dash top. ItÂ’s oriented horizontally in a widescreen format. The controversial bit I mentioned at the beginning is all to do with how you navigate the user interface using AcuraÂ’s unique touchpad. It uses something Acura calls absolute positioning technology, meaning that where your finger is on the touchpad corresponds to the same spot on the screen, allowing you to select whatever is in that location. Press down on the top right corner of the touchpad, and the square located in the top right corner of the screen is selected — no need to “swipe” over to it. This takes a considerable amount of time to adapt to. I didnÂ’t master it or get used to it overnight. In fact, itÂ’s really rather frustrating out of the gate. Virtually all touchpads in cars before this one are more intuitive at first. Just swipe around the pad, and your “cursor” swipes around with you. After a couple road trips, plenty of takeout runs and everything in between, IÂ’ve become a believer in AcuraÂ’s technology, though, with one major caveat IÂ’ll address later on. 2021 Acura TLX infotainment View 7 Photos Once you have enough time and practice to become fluent with AcuraÂ’s way of doing things (something our long-term Acura TLX has allowed us the rare opportunity to do), the absolute positioning strategy starts to make more sense. You can select an app like FM radio or Apple CarPlay in an instant — faster than any regular touchpad or scroll wheel will allow. ItÂ’s no wild speed demon, but you can navigate the main menu structure faster here than you can in most cars.  AcuraÂ’s user interface is tailored to fit its operation with big squares that are easily findable in your touchpad to press. It gets a little tougher once you get into an app like Navigation or Sirius XM, as it requires more precise positioning of your finger to get to the right spot.

2021 Acura TLX Type S First Drive Review | Adapting to a changed world

SALINAS, Calif. — A lot has changed since Acura offered its last Type S model over a decade ago. Tesla's EVs have plundered a sizable chunk of market share, Korean manufacturers have stormed the near-luxury and luxury segments, and Acura, in an effort to restore the luster of their once-revered nameplate, rebooted the legendary NSX as a hybrid-powered supercar halo with the hopes that desirability (and some hardware) will trickle down into the rest of the lineup.  That last part is key to understanding the mission of the new 2021 Acura TLX Type S. Though the premium sport sedan segment isnÂ’t necessarily hotly contested, the Type S still plays a critical role in bolstering the brandÂ’s credibility. Positioned as a step above the turbo four-cylinder-powered TLX ($39,500) and the better-equipped TLX A-Spec ($45,500), the TLX Type S starts at $53,325 and packs a number of performance upgrades that make it high-performance capable. Just don't expect it to be as track-worthy as a Honda Civic Type R. The Type S is built on AcuraÂ’s stiffest sedan chassis to date. Packing an all-new twin-scroll turbo 3.0-liter V6 under its flared hood, the Type S makes 355 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque. Despite gains of 83 hp and 74 lb-ft, combined fuel economy drops only 3 points to 21 mpg with the hotrod V6. Aiding the cause is a cylinder deactivation system and active vibration control to mask the transition between six and three cylinders.  Chassis updates include extra bracing for a 13% stiffer body, 40% stiffer front springs, thicker stabilizer bars, more aggressive shock valving, retuned steering, and larger four-piston Brembo brakes. Standard 20-inch wheels and tires are the largest yet for TLX, and Pirelli P Zero summer tires are available with an NSX-inspired design. Tying it all together are drive modes with a new Sport+ setup: Turn and hold the centrally positioned mode selector for 1 second, and throttle response, shifting, exhaust valve, steering effort, damping, torque vectoring, and even interior lighting take on a more aggressive calibration. To showcase these enhancements, Acura held the Type S first drive at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, hauling up a few historic vehicles for good measure including a first-gen NSX and a Honda S2000 CR. Old school Type S specimens included a 2001 CL, 2007 TL, and a 2007 RSX.