2009 Acura Tl Base Sedan 4-door 3.5l Technology Package on 2040-cars

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Why Acura should build a hybrid Integra successor using NSX tech

Yes, it sounds like a heresy. Yes, the Honda CR-Z was not a good hybrid sports car. Yes, we know the RSX officially replaced the Integra here (but was called the Integra in Japan). But, no, we're not crazy. Well, maybe a little bit. But hear us out. At the moment Acura is a bit of an unfocused mess. Its line-up is thoroughly uninspiring, save for its $200,000 NSX supercar – a great mid-engined supercar with an impressive, performance-oriented hybrid AWD system. And yet few people would draw a line connecting Acura's other SH-AWD hybrids, the RLX Sport Hybrid and MDX Sport Hybrid, to the NSX. The first NSX told the world that Acura built cars with world-class technology and performance, and the Integra carried it to people with normal pocketbooks. Since the new NSX communicates a similar message as its forbearer, so too would a new Integra. Now making an entry-level sports car with hybrid technology is tricky business. As we already established, the Honda CR-Z was a colossal flop. It's balance was all off: heavy, expensive, and not very sporty – and it didn't even get very good fuel economy. However, Honda and Acura can learn from these mistakes. First, to keep costs in check, Acura can borrow from Honda's ever-improving parts bin. It would logical to borrow the excellent Civic coupe platform – something the old Integra did as well. It could also attach the proposed hybrid powertrain to the upcoming Si turbocharged four-cylinder. Some added cost will be unavoidable, since the batteries and motors will have to go somewhere. That will cost some engineering dollars, and inflate the price tag a bit. However, since Acura is a premium brand, it has some wiggle room to bump up the price without losing buyers. Weight is another potential issue this hypothetical hybrid will face, and was one of the chief complaints with the CR-Z. Looking at the RLX and the RLX Sport Hybrid, the hybrid bits weigh about an extra 340 pounds. That's not insignificant, but added to the turbocharged Civic EX-T coupe's 2,900 pound curb weight, you would have a car that would weigh 3,240 pounds. That's comparable to the very fun Mustang EcoBoost. As long as Acura keeps the weight under 3,500 pounds, the brand should have an entertaining coupe on its hands. The final piece of the puzzle is to make sure it isn't compromised. Every bit of hybrid tech in the NSX is there for performance. It helps eliminate turbo lag, and it improves acceleration and handling.

eBay Find of the Day: S.H.I.E.L.D. Acura TL from The Avengers

If you're a fan of The Avengers from 2012, then here's your chance at owning a piece of movie memorabilia. Following last year's auction of a Acura MDX from that movie, Scottsdale Motor Company is now listing another S.H.I.E.L.D. vehicle on eBay Motors - this time a 2012 Acura TL.
Unlike the MDX, this TL has fewer modifications limited to the custom front push bumper, matte-black paint job and the various LED emergency lights in the back window and in the front bumper, while the inside appears untouched with the exception of small auxiliary switches. The current auction price of this car $32,900 - compared to the $41,535 MSRP of a new TL with Advance Package back in 2012 - but this is a steal compared to the movie-prop Monroney that comes with the car listing the "palladium-powered" sedan at $227,085. The seller says that this car was only one of five built for the movie, and it only has 1,111 miles on the odometer.
After the S.H.I.E.L.D. MDX and TL, we can only hope that Scottsdale Motor Company will offer Tony Stark's Acura NSX Roadster as its next movie car auction.

Acura confirms more 2016 NSX details

Acura served up a slew of engineering details about the soon-to-launch 2016 NSX. Fittingly, they were explained at a dinner at the SAE International World Congress in Detroit, where morsels about the new Acura supercar were likely gobbled up quicker than the main course. Among the highlights: The NSX will mark Acura's first use of a multimaterial space frame, and it includes high-strength steel and aluminum. This will allow the NSX to hit its weight targets, while maintaining rigidity. The NSX uses a so-called "ablation" technology, which allows the ultra-rigid castings to be used within the car's crush zones. For more details on this, scroll through the press blast below. As expected, the NSX will pack a twin-turbo V6 engine, and Acura confirmed it will displace 3.5 liters. The unit will be mounted amidships and team with hybrid components to increase performance and efficiency. The supercar also features the most advanced evolution of Acura's Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive system, and it's capable of distributing more torque than any other setup the brand has used. The NSX has 10 air-cooled heat exchangers that will cool the powertrain, and the V6 alone will have three radiators. There are also twin intercoolers in the side air intakes that further cool the system. The next generation of the NSX was unveiled in January at the Detroit Auto Show, and production launches this fall in Ohio. Related Video: New Technical Details of the Next Generation Acura NSX Revealed at SAE 2015 World Congress and Exhibition . DETROIT, April 23, 2015 – In advance of the market launch of the highly anticipated next generation Acura NSX, the engineers leading the supercar's development shared new technical details and design strategies with the automotive engineering community at the April 22nd SAE Detroit Section dinner, held in conjunction with the SAE 2015 World Congress and Exhibition. Additional information about the team's efforts to achieve a true "New Sports Experience" included details of the NSX's world's first body construction process that helped create a multi-material space frame resulting in class-leading body rigidity, the advanced total airflow management system and an update on NSX's power unit specifications. Ted Klaus, chief engineer and global development leader of the new NSX, introduced key powertrain, body and dynamic performance engineers who shared new product and technical details in their related areas of the development.