2006 Acura Tl Base Sedan 4-door 3.2l 6 Speed Manual Transmission W/ Navigations on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Acura NSX bodywork to be sheathed in zirconium e-coat, fewer paint layers

Automakers make halo cars to drum up excitement and show off what they can do, but there's more to it than that. Advanced platforms allow a company's engineers to experiment with all sorts of technologies. And in the case of the upcoming new Acura NSX, that includes new paint processes.
Speaking with Autoline in this video interview, Honda's North American Senior VP Jon Minto talked about an innovative zirconium e-coat which it's applying to the new NSX. Unlike some experimental paints developed for Formula One, however, this coating is not designed to minimize drag or enhance cooling: it's designed to be more environmentally friendly.
It's one of a few measures which Honda is implementing on the NSX before expanding it to more accessible models, along with another process that uses fewer coats to reduce energy consumption by 40 percent. Watch the interview with Autoline host John McElroy right here.

2018 Acura RLX refresh packs a new face and NSX DNA

The redesigned 2018 Acura RLX is here, and it's the fastest and most capable sedan the company has ever built. While not all new, there's a host of changes both inside and out, through the two powertrains carry over unchanged. The RLX Sport Hybrid packs a bit of NSX DNA to go along with the new family face. The car will make its full reveal next week at Pebble Beach before it hits showrooms later this year. The first Acura RLX debuted in 2013 as a replacement for the range-topping RL sedan. Sales have been slow, though a slimmed down lineup may help that. Powertrains remain the same, but refreshed styling and the removal of the controversial "beak" grille may help bring in some new blood to Acura dealers. The car comes in two variants, the 310 horsepower RLX with Precision All-Wheel Steer (P-AWS) and the 377 horsepower RLX Sport Hybrid with Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD). That's a lot of acronyms, but there's a lot of tech behind those names. Both models use a 3.5-liter direct-injected V6, though the Sport Hybrid backs that up with three electric motors. It's a similar setup to the Acura MDX Sport Hybrid that we drove in the spring. The RLX P-AWS now sends power to the front wheels through a new 10-speed automatic. Both models get new styling, following on the heels of the updated Acura TLX. The beak is gone, replaced by what Acura dubs the "diamond pentagon" grille. It's handsome and sure to be less divisive than before. In addition to the grille, the RLX gets a new hood, new wheels, and new lighting, with a sea of LEDs lighting up the face. The 2018 model gets three new paint colors to go along with the new bodywork. The RLX Sport Hybrid sits atop the Acura sedan range. As such, standard features include a Krell Audio System, surround view cameras, parking sensors, LED fog lights, remote engine start, ventilated and heated front seats, and heated rear seats and steering wheel. The RLX is available with the AcuraWatch suite of active safety technology. Similar to HondaSense, AcuraWatch comes with automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, lane departure warnings, forward collision warnings, adaptive cruise control, and low-speed follow. Unique to AcuraWatch is traffic jam assist. This system works with the adaptive cruise and low speed follow to keep the vehicle moving and following at a set distance in heavy traffic. Look for more photos and pricing later this year.

MotorWeek remembers retro icons, Supra and NSX

It's easy to poke a joke here and there about John Davis, the long-time host of MotorWeek. His voice is so monotonous that, from time to time, if you closed your eyes, you may think it's generated via a computer. But you have to give him and the rest of the show a lot of credit. The program has been on the air for decades, giving people direct, straight-down-the middle automotive reviews.
MotorWeek's massive back catalog of reviews are slowly making their way onto YouTube, and they provide a fascinating chance to look back on how performance cars rank against their contemporaries from back in the day. Two recent additions include the show's old looks at the 1986 Toyota Supra, the dawn of the third-generation model, and the now-iconic 1991 Acura NSX.
Both reviews are interesting in their own way. These days you hear nary a negative word about the original NSX, but MotorWeek isn't afraid to point out a few flaws. And the Supra really shows the progress of suspension tuning in the intervening decades because it has some serious body roll in the corners. Scroll down to check out both videos and get a blast from the automotive past.