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Acura MDX design lead details the crossover from beginning to today

Catalin Matei, principal designer at Acura, was the exterior design lead for the original 2001 MDX and had the same job for the new MDX Prototype. That’s just plain cool, and it makes him the MDX person of record when it comes to design.  Thankfully, Acura put him in front of a camera with the original and the new Prototype to talk design. That video is at the top of this post. MateiÂ’s background gives him a unique perspective on how MDX design has changed throughout the years. In the video, he walks us through his and AcuraÂ’s thinking and rationale for the three-row crossoverÂ’s design both then and now. ItÂ’s a great watch, as you learn how AcuraÂ’s crossover design philosophy has changed over the years. Where the original design tried to be elegant and clean, the new MDX takes a stab at sportiness and performance. This line of thinking is in tune with all of AcuraÂ’s most recent designs following the “Precision Crafted Performance” mantra. 2001 Acura MDX View 11 Photos Specifics on how the carÂ’s design has changed are called out by Matei. For example, grille design — itÂ’s much bigger now! The character line that wrapped around the original MDX has moved upward in the new MDX. This gives the new crossover a broad-shouldered and strong look that the old MDX just didnÂ’t have. And you probably wouldÂ’ve never guessed this, but the bodyside sculpting was inspired by the rocks in the Antelope Canyon. WeÂ’re not totally convinced.  One downside from the slick and “sporty” design may be unintentionally called out. The third row of seats is almost entirely shrouded by the body, as opposed to the massive windows in the original MDX. Those in the rearmost seats will have a much more claustrophobic experience than everybody else in the car. If you want all the details we know about the upcoming next-gen MDX, check out our reveal post here. Also, bookmark this page. WeÂ’ll check back in with Matei 20 years from now for the 2040 Acura MDX reveal. Related gallery: MDX Prototype View 35 Photos

Acura builds 345-horsepower RDX A-Spec for SEMA

The 2019 Acura RDX is great — a return to form for the sporty compact luxury crossover. So there's no real harm in giving one the SEMA treatment, especially since it entails a real motorsport tie-in and some legitimate performance parts. As for the giant graphics, well, it's SEMA after all. Graham Rahal races for Honda in the IndyCar series, and he also has his own performance parts company — named, sensibly enough, Graham Rahal Performance — which he started in 2017. They sell some private-label bits manufactured by other companies to their spec, some off-the-shelf parts, and they do tuning and installation work on customer cars. Acura gave the job of building the SEMA RDX to Rahal. There's a fair bit going on under the hood to get the RDX to 345 horsepower from the factory 272 ponies. The 2.0-liter turbo engine gets a bunch of enhancements. The turbo, intake, exhaust manifolds, downpipe, and cat-back (a GRP design) are all aftermarket. There's a customer intercooler, too. KTuning did the ECU with a custom map. On the handling front, the RDX wears Eibach springs, StopTech brakes, HRE wheels at 21 inches, and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. The RDX started life as an A-Spec model in Apex Blue Pearl, and from there GRP applied carbon fiber garnish to the mirrors, grille accents, and lower fascia. Troy Lee Designs did the exterior graphics, and inside there's more carbon fiber and a custom steering wheel (courtesy of Max Papis's MPI Innovations shop). The RDX will be on the show floor if you'd like to check out the Rahal shop's handiwork. Related Video:

The 2024 Acura Integra Type S will have 320 horsepower

The 2024 Acura Integra Type S is launching this summer, but the teaser and information drip campaign is officially in full swing.  Acura just let on that the Integra Type S will produce 320 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque from its 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. For reference, that’s 5 horsepower more than what the Honda Civic Type R makes — its 310 pound-feet of torque figure is the same as the Type R. We make such a comparison, as all the information Acura has dribbled out so far about the Integra Type S has us thinking that itÂ’s going to be very similar to the Type R. The second bit of information Acura revealed today is an approximate reveal window. The final car and all the specs we want are expected to drop at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. The race takes place over the April 14-16 weekend, and while we donÂ’t know exactly what day the Type S will be revealed yet, our bet would be for Friday or earlier that week, so Acura can show off the car in person to race fans all weekend long. The teaser photos and teaser video (see directly above) give us a little design and sound preview for the Type S. Just like the camouflaged car, the undisguised version is rocking massive fender flares in both front and rear. These will allow Acura to fit the big 265-section-width tires it has in store for the Type S in addition to giving it a super-aggressive look. The photos also show off a carbon fiber rear lip spoiler, carbon mirror caps, a glimpse at the large rear diffuser and a prominent Type S badge on the front fender.  As for the sound preview, the Integra Type S breathes through a triple-outlet exhaust and sounds far more menacing than the Civic Type R does from the factory. There are even some loud pops and bangs on the overrun that you can hear. For those going frame-by-frame on the video, youÂ’ll also notice the car is painted in AcuraÂ’s Tiger Eye Pearl paint. WeÂ’ve seen this shade on both the TLX Type S and MDX Type S, so it looks like the trend is continuing for Type S models. Look out for more teasers as we approach the final reveal for the Integra Type S, but you wonÂ’t have to wait long because the reveal is well under a month away now. Related video: