2005 Acura Tl W/navigation on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Acura RDX Prototype to debut at 2018 Detroit Auto Show

Crossovers make money, plain and simple. Nearly every mainstream automaker sells or is planning to sell some sort of SUV. At the 2018 Detroit Auto Show, Acura will debut the third-generation RDX Prototype. This sleek concept isn't the final production version, but it is a good preview of what we'll see coming down the pipe from Honda's premium brand. Acura says this is the most extensive redesign in more than a decade, indicating that this is a ground-up redesign rather than an overhaul of the model that's been on sale since 2013. While the current model uses a 3.5-liter V6, the new RDX will likely use a turbocharged inline-four, just like the first-gen RDX. That 2007 model was a huge oddball in Honda's naturally aspirated lineup, though turbocharging is far more prevalent today. Look for a variant of Honda's 1.5-liter turbo-four under the hood and some variant of Acura's all-wheel drive system. The teaser video gives us a brief glimpse of the car, and there's more than a little TLX buried inside. Gone is the "beak," replace by the soon-to-be ubiquitous shield grille. All of Acura's current design was previewed with the Precision Concept that showed its face nearly two years ago. We don't have many other details, but we won't have to wait too much longer. Related Video: Design/Style Detroit Auto Show Acura Crossover SUV Luxury acura rdx

Honda's Acura NSX masterstroke: building the factory in Ohio

When Honda announced it was going to build its NSX supercar in Ohio instead of Japan, it caught everybody in the industry by surprise. No one expected this proud Japanese company to build its most technologically advanced sports car anywhere but in its home country. Now Honda has a supercar production facility in rural Ohio that would be the envy of any Formula One team. The people at Honda call it the PMC, but its official name is the Performance Manufacturing Center. It's a building that started out as a shipping facility for suppliers, but Honda invested $70 million to transform it into a showcase facility that will build the NSX. Honda benchmarked the assembly operations at Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, and Bentley before work began on its facility. The 200,000 square-foot building will also double as a customer reception center – Honda will open the doors for customers to come see their car being built. It's also going to offer them high-speed test drives at the gigantic Transportation Research Center just down the road. No one expected this proud Japanese company to build its most technologically advanced sports car anywhere but in its home country. Inside, the layout is wide open and well lit. There are no stripes or lines on the floor and none of the different departments are walled off. This creates a more welcoming appearance and lets you get a comprehensive view of the entire process at a glance. And with an eye towards future lessons learned, most of the equipment is of a modular design that can be easily reconfigured or moved. The body shop and paint shop are enclosed by glass walls so that anyone can see what's going on inside. And while you'll see some automation here and there, the idea was to achieve a blend between man and machine, not to try and automate everything. This is a low-volume facility with production targeted at only eight to ten cars a day. The plant runs four days a week with one ten-hour shift. Don't expect to see rows of new NSXs parked on any dealer's lot. The car will only be built to order. Honda is obsessed with ensuring the NSX is built to the most exacting quality standards. The plant people pored over the JD Power Appeal study to determine what supercar customers care about the most, then looked at which aspects of that directly tie into manufacturing. They developed their quality control strategy with three goals in mind. First, they wanted to build everything right the first time with no adjustments.

Acura organizes new business division to confront falling sedan sales

Honda and Acura North America have announced a major restructuring of operations in hopes of turning around Acura's flagging business. For 2013, sales for Acura's sedans dropped 10.4 percent, while its CUV sales grew by 21 percent. The newly formed Acura Business Planning Office will attempt to right the ship.
As part of the restructuring, Acura is promoting Erik Berkman from President of Honda R&D Americas to lead a new division called the Acura Business Planning Office. Berkman has been with Honda since 1982 and led development of the 2006 Accord. He was also the first US engineer to head North American research and development and has been head of Honda Performance Development since 2008. "Erik's appointment to the new Acura Business Planning Office is a clear indication of the high priority we place on Acura," said Honda spokesperson Jeffrey Smith to Automotive News.
American Honda Motor President and CEO Tetsuo Iwamura is also going to be working to improve the business. He has been elected chairman of American Honda's board, and has simultaneously taken the new position of Corporate Brand Officer to improve the management of the company's brands.