1993 Acura Legend L Sedan 4-door 3.2l, No Reserve on 2040-cars

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Autoblog Minute: VW finds CO2 'irregularities', Takata dropped by automakers, SEMA recap

Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal gets a new wrinkle, US regulators hit Takata Corporation with a substantial fine, and we head to Las Vegas for a look at tuner paradise at the 2015 SEMA show. Autoblog senior editor Greg Migliore reports on this edition of Autoblog Minute Weekly Recap. Show full video transcript text [00:00:00] Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal gets a new wrinkle. US regulators issue a significant fine to Takata Corporation. And we take a peek inside tuner paradise at the 2015 SEMA show. I'm senior editor Greg Migliore and this is your Autoblog Minute Weekly Recap. The VW diesel emissions scandal, first brought to light in September, gets a new wrinkle, as an internal investigation by the German automaker revealed [00:00:30] irregularities in CO2 emissions that could affect approximately 800,000 vehicles. VW estimates the issue could pose a 2-billion euro economic risk. VW claims that most of the vehicles affected have diesel engines, but industry analysts say a 1.4-liter gas engine is also affected. VW says that fuel consumption figures were set too low during the CO2 certification process. During all of this, sales of some diesel-powered Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche models [00:01:00] have been halted. Takata Corporation is back in the news in connection with its deadly airbag scandal. Federal regulators fined Takata $70 million. If the parts supplier does not comply, the fine could balloon to $200 million. Takata was also dropped this week by its biggest customer, Honda. And now, Toyota and Mazda will be following Honda's lead in dropping Takata. We're also hearing that Mitsubishi and Subaru are considering a switch in air-bag inflator suppliers. SEMA 2015 [00:01:30] came and went. We saw offerings from Mopar, like the AWD Challenger concept. Honda unveiled a Ridgeline that it will race at the Baja 1000, which gives us a hint at what future production model could look like. The celebrity presence was also felt in Vegas as it always is. Kid Rock brought a Duramax Diesel Chevy Silverado, and Acura restored and presented Ludacris with his now famous 1993 Acura Legend. Those are the highlights from the week that was. Be sure to come back on Saturday for my full recap, [00:02:00] where I'll have some added insight into Hyundai's foray into the luxury sector. For Autoblog, I'm Greg Migliore. Autoblog Minute is a short-form video news series reporting on all things automotive.

Acura organizes new business division to confront falling sedan sales

Honda and Acura North America have announced a major restructuring of operations in hopes of turning around Acura's flagging business. For 2013, sales for Acura's sedans dropped 10.4 percent, while its CUV sales grew by 21 percent. The newly formed Acura Business Planning Office will attempt to right the ship.
As part of the restructuring, Acura is promoting Erik Berkman from President of Honda R&D Americas to lead a new division called the Acura Business Planning Office. Berkman has been with Honda since 1982 and led development of the 2006 Accord. He was also the first US engineer to head North American research and development and has been head of Honda Performance Development since 2008. "Erik's appointment to the new Acura Business Planning Office is a clear indication of the high priority we place on Acura," said Honda spokesperson Jeffrey Smith to Automotive News.
American Honda Motor President and CEO Tetsuo Iwamura is also going to be working to improve the business. He has been elected chairman of American Honda's board, and has simultaneously taken the new position of Corporate Brand Officer to improve the management of the company's brands.

Acura gives us a peek at 'Type S' concept debuting at Monterey Car Week

We’ve known that Acura is bringing the Type S moniker back since the Detroit Auto Show in 2018. Spy shots have shown what may be Type S versions of current Acuras out testing in heavy camouflage, but we still arenÂ’t sure what the first new Type S will be after the long drought. What weÂ’re getting today is a teaser for an Acura Type S Concept slated to debut at Monterey Car Week. The car is shrouded in plenty of shadows and darkness, but a body shape emerges from the teaser video. Just like the stunning Acura Precision Concept, the Type S Concept is going to take the form of a four-door coupe. A report from earlier this year pegged this show car to be a near production-ready vehicle in the likes of the Precision Concept. Looking at the silhouette tells us that prediction was on to something. Acura says that this conceptÂ’s purpose will be to “set the design direction for the return of Type S variants to the Acura lineup in the years ahead.” WeÂ’ll be seeing it in an event Aug. 15. Folks will be able to check it out at The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering the following day or at the actual Pebble Beach Concours dÂ’Elegance on that Sunday. The one teaser image Acura provided shows a rather striking taillight element and an assumed quad exhaust design. ThereÂ’s an aggressive-looking diffuser and a prominent spoiler gracing the rear-end. It also proudly displays the Type S badge on the trunk lid. We get some hints at the new Type S direction here, but weÂ’ll reserve judgment for seeing the car as a whole. You'll find a quick teaser video at the bottom of this post, too. WeÂ’re sure youÂ’re all as excited as we are about the return of Type S. Acura made some pretty sweet Type S variants over the years, our favorite most likely being the sporty RSX Type S. There were other even more intriguing S-badged Honda vehicles overseas, too. It was never sold in America, but the original NSX received both Type S and Type S Zero variants in Japan. ItÂ’ll be interesting to see which current models Acura decides are worthy of the Type S badge this time around. Our bet is on the TLX and RDX to begin with. However, what weÂ’d really love to see is a return to the hot compact car segment. Honda has done such an impressive job with the Civic Type R at its relatively low price point. Why not spread some love to a small, sporty Acura, because the ILX in its current form just doesnÂ’t cut it when your history is full of fun-to-drive Integras.