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Acura's MDX SEMA concept took the wrong parts from the NSX GT3

When it comes to SEMA show cars, the more absurd the better, such as with the 1,040-horsepower Bisimoto Hyundai Santa Fe. That's not the case with Acura's custom MDX. This crossover was designed to match the NSX GT3 racecar, and gets a custom trailer to tow it. However, instead of doing something awesome like dropping in the NSX's twin-turbo V6, Acura decided the defining characteristics of the race car were the paint, splitter, and wing. So that's what the MDX and trailer got. In addition to a matching white paint scheme with orange and black accents, the SUV wears a massive front splitter that looks like a shelf stuck close to the ground. It's the only aero modification on the vehicle, and it just looks silly, what with the massive gap between the base of the bumper and the splitter itself. There aren't any performance modifications on this SUV either, except the lowered suspension, so the only thing the splitter is likely to do is break off on the first mildly steep driveway it comes across. To complement the MDX's dubious aero aid, the custom trailer gets a "wing" at the back. Actually, it looks like Acura slapped some endplates on the back to give it a wing look. The trailer also gets running boards that extend the splitter along the side. Maybe it all works together to keep the trailering rig planted. But probably not. If Acura wants suggestions for next time, we suggest a mid-engined MDX, or perhaps one with a wild hybrid system. We'll call this a missed opportunity. Related Video: Featured Gallery Acura MDX with custom NSX GT3 Trailer: SEMA 2016 View 11 Photos Related Gallery 2017 Acura MDX SEMA concept Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2016 Drew Phillips / Autoblog Design/Style SEMA Show Acura Crossover Racing Vehicles acura mdx acura nsx gt3

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.

2020 Acura TLX PMC Edition will be hand-built alongside the NSX

At next week's 2019 New York International Auto Show, Acura will reveal a pair of new models, the 2020 TLX PMC Edition and MDX PMC Edition Prototype. The duo will be limited-run models that get final assembly at Honda's Performance Manufacturing Center (PMC) in Marysville, Ohio, along the same production line as the Acura NSX. The TLX PMC Edition goes on sale this summer with a starting price of around $50,000. Production will be limited to just 360 models hand-assembled over a six-month period. The production version of the MDX PMC Edition will be built sometime after the TLX PMC run is complete. Think of the TLX PMC as an A-Spec performance model with features available with the Advance Package like a surround-view camera, heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel and power folding mirrors. Currently, the two packages are mutually exclusive. There are no performance upgrades beyond what the A-Spec already offers. Power from the 290-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 is sent to all-four wheels through a nine-speed automatic. The TLX PMC uses Acura's Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) to manage the power at each wheel. It also gets the A-Spec's stiffer dampers and quicker steering ratio. 2020 Acura TLX PMC Edition View 11 Photos The exterior design, too, is based on the TLX A-Spec, with a restyled front bumper, dark chrome trim, larger exhaust tips and a black spoiler. Likewise, the interior is based on the A-Spec trim, with heated and ventilated front sport seats, leather and Alcantara seating, a black leather steering wheel, a black headliner, a red instrument cluster and red accent lighting. Black 19-inch 10-spoke wheels and Valencia Red Pearl paint are exclusive to the TLX PMC. The paint uses mica, metal flake and super-high transparency nano pigments to give it a richer color and was previously only available on the NSX. The roof panel, door handles, grille and lower bumper are also gloss black. What makes the TLX PMC Edition (as well as the future MDX PMC) truly special is the hand assembly. Basically, the body-in-white (a basic unfinished unibody) will move from the main assembly plant in Marysville to the nearby Performance Manufacturing Center. There, workers will install the drivetrain, suspension, wiring harnesses and electronics. The car then goes to the paint booth before the interior is installed.