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Acura touts full-line Top Safety Pick+ achievement in new ad

When a vehicle scores a Top Safety Pick+ in Insurance Institute for Highway Safety testing or a five-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, it's a darn big deal. But when an automaker's entire lineup earns the TSP+ honor and gets top marks from NHTSA it's a, um, well, it's never happened before. So congratulations, Acura. The premium Japanese brand is the first automaker to score top marks on the latest IIHS testing while also earning five-star NHTSA ratings across its entire range of vehicle. This, of course, is not the first time it's earned such a distinction – in 2009, and well before TSP+ existed, Acura was the first automaker to boast a lineup filled with TSP and five-star vehicles. With this new, five-vehicle lineup of TSP+ and five stars, Acura certainly has something worth crowing about. That's why it's preparing a new marketing campaign to crow about super-safe ILX sedans and MDX crossovers. Expect to see it on your TV starting on October 18. If you simply can't wait to see what Acura's up to, though, we've got a 60-second spot that features some very disturbing crash-test "dummies." Take a look at the top of the page, and then scroll down for the official press release on Acura's lineup.Related Video: Acura Underscores Industry-leading Safety Performance with Emotional New Marketing Campaign • Acura is the first and only automotive brand to earn 5-star Overall Vehicle Score from the NHTSA and TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating from the IIHS across its model line • High impact and emotional national advertising campaign brings to life Acura's dedication to safety performance • The brand's first-of-its-kind campaign launches digitally on Oct. 15 and on national broadcast television on Oct. 18 TORRANCE, Calif. (Oct. 15, 2015) – Acura has taken a safety leadership position as the only automotive brand to earn a 5-star Overall Vehicle Score in the NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) and a TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) across its entire model line . Based on the brand's commitment to the latest safety design and implementation of advanced safety and driver-assistive technology, Acura earned top overall safety ratings from the U.S. government and the IIHS across its model line. Acura will showcase its leadership in a new high impact and emotional national advertising campaign highlighting the brand's dedication to safety performance.

Why Acura should build a hybrid Integra successor using NSX tech

Yes, it sounds like a heresy. Yes, the Honda CR-Z was not a good hybrid sports car. Yes, we know the RSX officially replaced the Integra here (but was called the Integra in Japan). But, no, we're not crazy. Well, maybe a little bit. But hear us out. At the moment Acura is a bit of an unfocused mess. Its line-up is thoroughly uninspiring, save for its $200,000 NSX supercar – a great mid-engined supercar with an impressive, performance-oriented hybrid AWD system. And yet few people would draw a line connecting Acura's other SH-AWD hybrids, the RLX Sport Hybrid and MDX Sport Hybrid, to the NSX. The first NSX told the world that Acura built cars with world-class technology and performance, and the Integra carried it to people with normal pocketbooks. Since the new NSX communicates a similar message as its forbearer, so too would a new Integra. Now making an entry-level sports car with hybrid technology is tricky business. As we already established, the Honda CR-Z was a colossal flop. It's balance was all off: heavy, expensive, and not very sporty – and it didn't even get very good fuel economy. However, Honda and Acura can learn from these mistakes. First, to keep costs in check, Acura can borrow from Honda's ever-improving parts bin. It would logical to borrow the excellent Civic coupe platform – something the old Integra did as well. It could also attach the proposed hybrid powertrain to the upcoming Si turbocharged four-cylinder. Some added cost will be unavoidable, since the batteries and motors will have to go somewhere. That will cost some engineering dollars, and inflate the price tag a bit. However, since Acura is a premium brand, it has some wiggle room to bump up the price without losing buyers. Weight is another potential issue this hypothetical hybrid will face, and was one of the chief complaints with the CR-Z. Looking at the RLX and the RLX Sport Hybrid, the hybrid bits weigh about an extra 340 pounds. That's not insignificant, but added to the turbocharged Civic EX-T coupe's 2,900 pound curb weight, you would have a car that would weigh 3,240 pounds. That's comparable to the very fun Mustang EcoBoost. As long as Acura keeps the weight under 3,500 pounds, the brand should have an entertaining coupe on its hands. The final piece of the puzzle is to make sure it isn't compromised. Every bit of hybrid tech in the NSX is there for performance. It helps eliminate turbo lag, and it improves acceleration and handling.

2017 Acura NSX production launches in April

After a decade of waiting and a few false starts, the new Acura NSX will finally start rolling out of its Marysville, OH, factory in late April. Customer deliveries won't be too far behind. We can't wait to hear whether buyers find the supercar as fast and comfortable as we did during the First Drive. Trial production is already underway at the NSX's bespoke factory called the Performance Manufacturing Center. The plant is specifically for production of low-volume vehicles with cutting-edge tech. The site employs 100 people to construct, paint, and check the quality of the new supercar, and they need 14 hours to build each one. Robots take care of some of the more intricate tasks like MIG welding the space frame. View 6 Photos It also takes workers six hours to build each NSX's 3.5-liter V6 by hand at the nearby engine plant in Anna, OH. They machine balance every one and run the powerplant through a 150-mile break-in procedure. While the supercar isn't at dealers yet, you can already build your own 2017 NSX online. Prices start at $157,800 (after $1,800 for destination), but the first examples only come with carbon-ceramic brakes, which add at least $9,900 to the price. When Autoblog editors optioned them out, the cheapest we managed was $172,700. Related Video: ACURA ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR START OF SERIAL PRODUCTION OF THE 2017 ACURA NSX Performance Manufacturing Center is exclusive global production home for Acura NSX with serial production to begin late April World-class facility boasts quality, craftsmanship and technological innovation Mar 17, 2016 - MARYSVILLE, Ohio -- Acura today announced that the all-new Performance Manufacturing Center will begin serial production of the next-generation Acura NSX supercar in late April, with customer deliveries to commence thereafter. The new Performance Manufacturing Center (PMC) is the exclusive global manufacturing facility for the all-new Acura NSX supercar and is structured around an innovative blend of people and technology. Combining human craftsmanship and technological innovation, the PMC utilizes new approaches to vehicle construction, paint, assembly and quality confirmation to deliver on the Acura brand DNA of Precision Crafted Performance.