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Acura TLX GT Racecar bringing the 'X factor' to Pirelli World Challenge

One doesn't normally think of Acura offering anything to mix it up with the SRT Viper, Lamborghini Gallardo, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, Nissan GT-R, Audi R8 and Ferrari 458 Italia (at least while the NSX is still off in the ether), but that's exactly what's about to happen. Honda's premium outpost is jumping into the top tier of the Pirelli World Challenge with this 2015 TLX GT.
The surprise reveal of this racecar at today's Detroit Auto Show will be campaigned by RealTime Racing, no stranger to racing Acuras, in the GT class (previously, the team had campaigned the series a rung down in GT-S).
The racecar is powered by a twin-turbo variant of the direct-injected V6 to be found in the production TLX sedan, right along with its Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive system. There's no word on how much power this HPD-massaged engine will put out in race trim, but we won't have to wait long to hear it fire up - the car is set to take to the track with team owner Peter Cunningham at the wheel in the next few weeks.

Is your new-car warranty good at the race track?

We've all heard the horror stories. Your buddy knows a girl that was dating a guy whose best friend's brother once broke his brand-new, recently purchased performance car while making runs at a drag strip or laps at a track day, and the manufacturer wouldn't cover the repair under warranty. True story? Urban legend? Complete crap? Yes, no, maybe. One thing's for sure: Automotive warranties have always come with caveats. In 1908, an ad in the Trenton Evening Times clearly stated: "All Ford Cars Guaranteed for One Year." Although it changed over time, by 1925 the Ford New Car Guarantee only covered 90 days on material and 30 days on labor, and it clearly stated that that there was "No guarantee whatever on Fan Belts, Glass, Bulbs, Wiring, Transmission, Bands, Hose Connections, Commutator Shells, Rollers, Spark Plugs or Gaskets." Whether or not Ol' Henry would pay to fix your Model T if you broke it shaving a tenth off your lap time at the local board track seems to be lost to history. We're guessing no. But what about today? Do new-car warranties in 2017 cover cars when they are driven on race tracks? We researched the warranties of 14 auto brands to find out, and the answer is yes, no, maybe, depending on the brand, in some cases the model, and whether or not your car is modified from stock. Acura has been out of the high-performance car game for a number of years, but jumps back into the party in 2017 with its hybrid-powered $173,000 NSX supercar. And Acura's warranty, as well as Honda's, clearly states that it does not cover "the use of the vehicle in competition or racing events." View 33 Photos So we asked Sage Marie, Senior Manager of Public Relations for Honda and Acura. "If the car is stock, the warranty covers it on a track just as it does on the street. No question," he told us. "However, if the car is modified, say with slick tires or other components that would put higher stresses on the vehicle's parts and systems, then we would have to investigate the circumstances further." Marie went on to say the same would be true for any Acura model or Honda vehicle, including the new 2017 Honda Civic Si. This became a common theme. Chevrolet actually started this practice with the fifth-generation Camaro on the high-performance ZL1 and Z/28 models.

2021 Acura TLX Type-S to be powered by 355-horsepower V6

The 2021 Acura TLX Type-S is on track to deliver 355 horsepower, Honda's luxury subsidiary said Thursday, floating the power figure in an announcement that a prototype of its new sport sedan will serve as the pace car for the 2020 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on August 30. The 3.0-liter V6 will also boast 354 pound-feet of torque, Acura said. These figures put it in the heart of the midsize performance sedan category, alongside the likes of the Cadillac CT5-V (360 horsepower) and Audi S4 (349 horsepower); BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Infiniti all offer more. The 2021 TLX sits on a new, stiffer platform and marks the return of a double-wishbone front suspension.  2021 Acura TLX to Make Racing Debut at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb "Racing is a key expression of Acura’s Precision Crafted Performance DNA. For the past nine years, Acura has utilized the grueling Pikes Peak hill climb as an opportunity to grow the skills of the companyÂ’s young engineers and as a test bed for future performance technologies in Acura production vehicles. The Acura Pikes Peak race team is comprised of a group of volunteer R&D engineers and is responsible for all aspects of the competition, including the development of vehicles, race prep, crew support and navigating race cars to the finish line," Acura's announcement said.  Acura will field two TLX race cars in the Exhibition class at Pikes Peak. Both will be powered by the base, 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. Based on the company's announcement, it appears that one will be front-wheel drive and the other equipped with Acura's Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD), which is standard on the Type S. This engine makes 272 hp in street tune, but the race cars have received upgrades. The SH-AWD model boasts a larger turbocharger and intercooler for additional power, while the front-wheel-drive model received a milder tune and some suspension tweaks. A Time Attack NSX piloted by James Robinson will accompany the sedans. The Type-S will serve only as a pace vehicle, not a competitive entry.  Related Video: