Touring, 6 Disc Changer, Awd, 3rd Row, Leather on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2014 Acura MDX [w/video]

Refinement Rather Than Revolution
Before we get into the meat and potatoes of the 2014 Acura MDX, let's pause for just a moment and talk about the current, still-sitting-at-dealerships 2013 model. It's a pretty good machine. Perhaps guilty only of falling to the backburners of our minds in recent years because, well, the old girl's not gotten any younger. But every time we drove this second-generation MDX, our thoughts were the same - good to drive, pleasant to sit in and a pretty decent value.
Acura's customers felt the same way, and so when it came time to design and engineer the third-generation MDX, the vehicle's formula wasn't shaken up at all. Despite the fact that it uses a brand-new platform and offers a host of upgrades, the key points addressed by the company's engineers were the specific requests of customers and shoppers in the segment - changes that amounted to nothing radical. After all, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

2016 Acura NSX grows into its updated styling for the 2015 Detroit Auto Show [w/videos]

It's not immediately clear at first glance, but the Acura NSX as it appears on the floor at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show is a far cry from the concept from the 2013 show. These days, the NSX packs a twin-turbo, longitudinally mounted V6 with over 550 horsepower on tap and nine-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Although, the three-motor hybrid setup remains with two units at the front and one for the rear axle. The numerous slashes and scoops make the design look much more aggressive than the earlier concept, but the changes go much deeper than the new skin. There's an inch of extra width and 3.1-inches more overall, including 0.8-inches extra length in the wheelbase. Underneath it all, is a carbon fiber floor and aluminum-intensive chassis to provide strength to harness all of its power. Unfortunately, Acura isn't specifically announcing engine output, the weight or the design's drag coefficienct yet, so there are still questions to answer. However production starts in fall 2015 with the order books opening in the summer. Pricing is among the factors that the Japanese brand isn't discussing, but it likely costs about $150,000 to park the company's latest supercar in your driveway. In the meantime, enjoy admiring this upcoming entry in the hybrid supercar market. Related Video:

Acura NSX to race in GT3 or GTE

Honda is reportedly planning to roll out a racing version of the new Acura NSX. It just hasn't decided yet on which class it wants to enter it into, to whose specifications it will build it, and which department will be tasked with the project. The original NSX competed principally in Japan's own Super GT series. So did the subsequent HSV-010 GT that was originally designed to be the NSX's replacement. But Acura's new supercar is as much an American vehicle as a Japanese one, and as such it looks more likely to compete on American soil. The options which Honda is considering boil down to GTE and GT3. What's the difference, you ask? Until just a few years ago, international sports car racing was split between GT1, GT2, GT3, and (to a lesser extent) GT4 classes. GT1 was phased out in 2009, GT2 was reformatted into GTE (with both Pro and Am categories), while both GT3 and GT4 carried on. Today GTE is run at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and its associated championships around the globe: the FIA World Endurance Championship, the European Le Mans Series, the Asian Le Mans Series, and the United SportsCar Championship. Meanwhile GT3 is run in series like the Blancpain Endurance Series and a growing number of regional championships. (GT4 is run in lower-level series for amateur racers.) Acura currently runs the TLX-GT in the Pirelli World Challenge here in America. But as the series moves to GT3 specifications as well, the company is facing the decision of either adapting the existing racer to the new regulations (and coming away with a potentially compromised package), or replace it entirely. The NSX could prove just the ticket, however the GTE class may ultimately give it more exposure. Whichever rulebook Acura opts to play by, it likely won't be running under hybrid power – an element which would add complication but not necessarily much benefit under current regulations. The automaker will also have to decide who will develop the new NSX racer, with both California-based Honda Performance Development (HPD) and Italian outfit JAS Motorsport (which fields Honda's WTCC team) eyed as potential candidates. Related Video: