2004 Acura Tl on 2040-cars

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2002 Acura NSX fondly remembered in MotorWeek's retro clip

After a long wait, the new Acura NSX is finally here, but so far the latest generation is proving polarizing among enthusiasts. Whether it's complaints about the styling, the nearly $200,000 price, or the switch to hybrid power, nearly everyone seems to have a critique about the new sports coupe. That said, nostalgia for the original NSX remains strong, and the latest MotorWeek Retro Review of the 2002 model reminds us how different the new NSX is from the original. The 2002 model year marked the NSX's transition from pop-up headlights to fixed units, and it also features less noticeable styling tweaks along the sides and at the rear. Behind the driver, there is a 3.2-liter V6 with 290 horsepower and 224 pound-feet of torque, and it routes through a six-speed manual to get the coupe to 60 miles per hour in five seconds. There was also an available automatic gearbox with a 3.0-liter V6 that made 252 hp and 210 lb-ft. MotorWeek's review lavishes praise on the way the NSX drives by calling it "almost unflappable" and saying "body roll was almost nonexistent." With traction control off, the coupe changes character by becoming more twitchy and requiring that drivers use a careful balance of throttle and steering. Sounds perfect. Easily the best part of the review is when MotorWeek claims that a second-generation NSX is on the way. Over a decade later, that vehicle is finally, almost, on sale. Will it live up to the red-hot NSX standard of yore? We're about to find out. If you need any more nostalgia, the show previously remembered the '91 NSX, too. Related Video:

Acura recalls 2013-2014 ILX, ILX Hybrid over fire-prone headlamps

The Acura ILX just can't seem to catch a break. The Japanese automaker recently decided that the ILX Hybrid would no longer be offered in the US for the 2015 model year. Now, a possibility for fires has also cropped up in the compact luxury sedan. Acura has announced a recall of 14,078 examples from the 2013 and 2014 model years because the headlights could overheat and ignite the car. The company also issued a stop-sale for examples still at dealers until they can be repaired.
The campaign covers ILX and ILX Hybrid models with halogen projector headlights from specific build dates. The problem is that the headlights aren't cooled sufficiently when the cars aren't moving. After several hours of sitting with them on, it's possible for the lights to build up so much heat that they melt and potentially cause a fire.
To Acura's knowledge, there was only one case of an ILX actually catching fire due to this problem, though. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration defect notice, a car was idling at a dealer for about two hours when the model went up in flames. The automaker brought the vehicle in for a detailed investigation to find what caused the blaze.

Acura ILX headed for Civic-like early upgrades

The not-yet-ready-for-primetime 2012 Honda Civic saw it quickly returned to sender for refurbishment, now the Acura ILX is headed in the same direction in its very first year. Automotive News reports that the small, Civic-based sedan from Honda's luxury brand isn't meeting sales expectations, with an annualized rate of 22,000 to 24,000 sales instead of the 30,000 the company is after. More telling is that the ILX "is being outsold by the Buick Verano, Volkswagen CC and Audi A4," and, except for two months since it launched, it has also been outdone by the Acura TSX it is meant to replace.
Part of the cause has been the 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine: its 150 horsepower to motivate a sedan that can weigh up to 2,970 pounds doesn't offer the kind of performance or value experience that buyers in the segment respond to. Another big issue is that the top-level 2.4-liter engine is only offered with a six-speed manual even though most buyers of the highest trim don't really want to shift their own gears. Lastly, the ILX might not put enough space between it and its frugal underpinnings - our first drive review pegged it as "the world's nicest Honda Civic."
An automatic transmission is on the way for the 2.4-liter, but it isn't clear when. And while Honda admits that the 2.0-liter is underpowered and Automotive News says it's on the way out, the company hasn't yet said how that situation will be corrected.