Acura: Mdx Sh-awd on 2040-cars

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2017 Acura NSX No. 1 just rolled off the line in Ohio

The 2017 Acura NSX is officially in production. NASCAR titan Rick Hendrick, who paid $1.2 million at auction for the first one, drove it off the line Tuesday at the NSX factory in Marysville, OH. VIN No. 1 wears Valencia red pearl paint. It is equipped with carbon-ceramic brake rotors, leather and Alcantara trim, and uses carbon fiber for the engine cover, roof, and rear spoiler. Top that off with upgraded wheels, and it has every available option. The NSX is powered by a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 that teams with three electric motors for a system output of 573 hp and 476 pound-feet of torque. It has a nine-speed dual-clutch transmission and all-wheel drive. The NSX will start at $157,800 and maxes out north of $205,000 for a fully loaded model like this one. Hendrick's heady price came from his winning bid at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Arizona in January, with proceeds going to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation and Camp Southern Ground. Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motor Sports and the Hendrick Automotive Group, has also paid hefty prices for the first 2015 Chevy Corvette Z06 and 2014 Chevy Camaro Z/28 in support of charities. The NSX launch is a milestone for American Honda, which has built cars in Ohio for more than 30 years. The NSX is assembled at the company's Performance Manufacturing Center, and the engines are hand-built at a nearby facility in Ohio. "Today marks the realization of a big dream here at the PMC and the culmination of more than 30 years of manufacturing experience and expertise here in Ohio," Clement D'Souza, engineering large project leader for the NSX, said in a statement. "Our world class team of expert technicians, through their passion, has realized major innovations in the design and manufacturing of a next-generation Acura supercar that truly delivers incredible precision-crafted performance." Related Video: Image Credit: Acura Design/Style Green Plants/Manufacturing Acura Coupe Hybrid Performance Supercars rick hendrick

Acura NSX production delayed

Listeners of the Autoblog Podcast will be familiar with my opinions on the Acura NSX. While I love the idea of Acura building a halo car again, I've routinely joked on-air that the car will never, ever reach production and will continue being teased and previewed ad nauseam. So I'm chuckling at this news: the NSX is being delayed again. To be fair, while it sounds like a big deal – pushing the NSX back from model year 2016 to 2017 – this is a fairly minor delay in the grand scheme. Instead of starting production this fall, as previously announced, the new supercar will start rolling down the line at Honda's Marysville, OH factory in the spring. "Trial production" has already started, Honda says, while briefly acknowledging the delay in the attached press release. While Honda offered no reason for the delay in volume production, Automobile claims it's the fault of the move to fit two turbochargers to the V6, which was made midway through development. Fitting the two iron lungs meant rearranging the six-pot into a longitudinal layout. Here's hoping there are no further delays. Scroll on for a look at Honda's press release, which does its best to gloss over the NSX delay while talking about the company's new Performance Manufacturing Center in Marysville. Related Video: Performance Manufacturing Center: Precision Craftsmanship Aug 14, 2015 - CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA, Calif. The next-generation Acura NSX is produced at the new, dedicated Performance Manufacturing Center (PMC) in Marysville, Ohio, using domestic and globally sourced parts. With trial production already underway and production start-up scheduled for spring 2016, this world-class manufacturing facility employs groundbreaking techniques in weld, body construction, body painting, final assembly and quality confirmation to ensure the highest levels of precision and craftsmanship. More details on the unique and innovative manufacturing processes at the PMC will be rolled out over the months leading up to the start of production, but the following highlights of the new facility were shared during the 2015 Monterey Automotive Week: Innovative blend of people and technology: throughout the PMC, NSX production is centered around the skills of approximately 100 experienced engineers and technicians building the NSX to precise levels of quality and craftsmanship.

Recharge Wrap-up: Volkswagen Sustainability Council meets, Zee.Aero flying car spotted?

The Volkswagen Sustainability Council held its inaugural meeting in Berlin. Made up of nine international experts, the council will advise VW and take action on its own as it sees fit. In the meeting, the council decided that in 2017 it will focus on tackling CO2 emissions, planning for post-2025 regulations, and assisting the automaker's "transformation from car manufacturer to mobility services provider," as VW Chairman Matthias Muller puts it. Volkswagen has approved 20 million euros (about $21.75 million) in funding for Sustainability Council projects for its first two years. "We are fully aware of the large transformation that lays ahead Volkswagen Group," says George Kell, Sustainability Council Chair and Founding Director of UN Global Compact. "We were invited to be part of this journey and are very much looking forward on being actively involved in the development of this journey." Read more at Green Car Congress, or from Volkswagen. Honda plans to ramp up its share of hybrids sold in the US. In response to increasingly strict emissions standards, the company wants electrified vehicles (including hybrid, plug-in hybrid, battery electric, and fuel cell vehicles) to make up two-thirds of Honda and Acura sales in US by 2030. Some analysts are skeptical, though. Christopher Richter of CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets says that dealers are telling Honda they don't want hybrids. "Unless there's a change in what dealers want, I don't think they are going to get there that fast," Richter says. Read more at Automotive News. Witnesses report spotting what could possibly be the Zee.Aero electric aircraft at Hollister Airport in California. Zee.Aero, a startup funded by Google cofounder Larry Page, has a hangar at that airport, where a photo was taken of the aircraft in question. The craft is said to be capable of vertical takeoff and landing and can fit in a one-car garage, earning it the "flying car" moniker. Eyewitness Saul Gomez described the aircraft as "quiet" and "hovering 20, 25 feet off the ground." Read more at Electrek, and watch the interview at Mercury News. Related Gallery 2017 Honda Accord Hybrid: First Drive View 26 Photos News Source: Green Car Congress, Volkswagen, Automotive News, Electrek, Mercury NewsImage Credit: Copyright 2016 Sebastian Blanco / AOL Auto News Green Acura Honda Volkswagen Green Automakers Electric Hybrid recharge wrapup