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Honda insiders push for Acura NSX Type R sans hybrid tech

With 500 horsepower on tap from a sophisticated hybrid powertrain, there's plenty to love about the new Acura NSX. If the more performance-oriented elements within the Japanese automaker get their way, it could get even better. Speaking with one of the NSX project's chief engineers Nick Robinson at the launch of the new supercar, Autocar reports that there's an effort underway to develop an NSX Type R. Following a much-loved formula, the more extreme variant would pack even more power than the existing version, unburdened by excess weight. A big part of the targeted weight savings would come from ditching some of the heavier components from the hybrid system. The electric motor at the rear could stay to serve as alternator, starter motor, and flywheel. But the electric motors at the front would go, helping to shed a few hundred pounds. Throw in some lightweight materials and we'd be looking at a considerable weight reduction. It could even integrate some active aerodynamic elements that were excluded from the NSX on the road to production. Though the project may still be a ways off from getting the green light, but Robinson and some of his colleagues are working on prototypes ostensibly to make the case. He and his brother James (a powertrain engineer at Honda) will be driving a pair of NSXs at Pikes Peak this year – one that's as close to showroom stock as the regulations will allow, but the other will be closer to what they have in mind for a Type R. It'll ditch the hybrid system and put an electric compressor in its place to eliminate any turbo lag and produce even more power than the existing model. Now if they can only get the go-ahead from the higher-ups at Honda. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2014 Honda NSX Concept-GT News Source: Autocar Green Acura Honda Coupe Hybrid Performance Supercars honda nsx acura nsx type r

Acura ILX headed for Civic-like early upgrades

The not-yet-ready-for-primetime 2012 Honda Civic saw it quickly returned to sender for refurbishment, now the Acura ILX is headed in the same direction in its very first year. Automotive News reports that the small, Civic-based sedan from Honda's luxury brand isn't meeting sales expectations, with an annualized rate of 22,000 to 24,000 sales instead of the 30,000 the company is after. More telling is that the ILX "is being outsold by the Buick Verano, Volkswagen CC and Audi A4," and, except for two months since it launched, it has also been outdone by the Acura TSX it is meant to replace.
Part of the cause has been the 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine: its 150 horsepower to motivate a sedan that can weigh up to 2,970 pounds doesn't offer the kind of performance or value experience that buyers in the segment respond to. Another big issue is that the top-level 2.4-liter engine is only offered with a six-speed manual even though most buyers of the highest trim don't really want to shift their own gears. Lastly, the ILX might not put enough space between it and its frugal underpinnings - our first drive review pegged it as "the world's nicest Honda Civic."
An automatic transmission is on the way for the 2.4-liter, but it isn't clear when. And while Honda admits that the 2.0-liter is underpowered and Automotive News says it's on the way out, the company hasn't yet said how that situation will be corrected.

2019 Acura RDX named a Top Safety Pick+ by IIHS

To the accolades being heaped on the all-new 2019 Acura RDX, the automaker can now add another: a Top Safety Pick+ designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the organization's coveted top rating. IIHS cites the SUV's good crashworthiness ratings, standard front crash prevention technology and even the availability of "good"-rated headlights, which has become perhaps the group's most daunting hurdle. To qualify for IIHS's top award, a vehicle must earn "good" ratings in the driver-side small overlap front crash test, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests and an "acceptable" or "good" rating in passenger-side small overlap test. The RDX earns "good" ratings across the board. IIHS also rated the standard AcuraWatch safety technology as "superior," saying it avoided collisions at 12 and 25 mph, and it rated the base LED headlights as "good" and the curve-adapted headlights on the top-of-the-line Advance trim as "acceptable." Autoblog recently learned that 40 vehicle models earned good enough crash ratings to qualify for IIHS' Top Safety Pick rating but fall short because they don't meet the organization's criteria for good headlights. Acura says the 2019 RDX features the newest generation of its Advanced Compatibility Engineering body structure, plus new high-strength steel door stiffener rings and eight airbags. The AcuraWatch suite of safety technologies includes collision mitigation braking, adaptive cruise control and road departure mitigation, all standard. The RDX is powered by a 2.0-liter turbo-four engine that makes 272 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque and comes with a 10-speed automatic. The compact luxury crossover went on sale June 1 and set monthly sales records in both June and July. You can find Autoblog's driving review of the 2019 RDX here. Related Video: