Auto blog

Acura teams with Galpin to sport-up the 2015 TLX

Acura used the SEMA Show this week to remind enthusiasts that it still considers itself a performance brand, teaming with Galpin Auto Sports to build a TLX that highlights Acura's sporting and racing heritage.
The TLX is painted a deep shade of blue, called Andaro, and the color will be used on the NSX supercar when it returns to the United States in 2015. It rolls on custom gray wheels with gunmetal and "liquid smoke" pieces, and they're wrapped in Pirelli P Zero rubber. The exterior design is punched up with a body kit that adds side skirts, a rear spoiler and new bumpers to create a more sinister look.
The TLX has a sport suspension kit with coilovers with 36-way adjustable damping. There's also brake upgrades and custom exhaust outlets.

Acura RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD set for LA debut

Acura has announced that it will be showing the production version of the RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show. You'll recall that the standard 3.5-liter V6-powered RLX has been on sale for some time, and that our review of Acura's flagship sedan was mixed. On paper, at least, the RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD should fare better.
Sporting a similar hybrid powertrain to the one expected to motivate the NSX supercar, the RLX uses a 3.5-liter V6 paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and a trio of electric motors to generate 377 horsepower, net a combined fuel economy of 30 miles per gallon and offer the security and performance of torque-vectoring all-wheel drive.
The RLX will hit the LA stand on November 20. Scroll down for the full press release from Acura.

Acura TL bursts into flames moments before being traded in at Ontario dealership [UPDATE]

Watching your car burst into flames before your eyes is never good news, and it's even worse when you're mere moments away from trading it in at the local dealership. This Car-B-Q blaze apparently erupted at Acura 2000, a dealer in Brampton, Ontario. As the video tells us, the unlucky customer saw his 2004-2008 Acura TL trade-in suddenly catch fire and go up in resale-value-killing smoke.
According to the hyped-up cameraman (who evidently works next door at Northwest Lexus) and his eccentric play-by-play commentary, this Acura owner is about to be left without a ride home and might want to consider switching to a Lexus instead.
Scroll down to watch video of the drama unfolding as fire fighters put out the mysterious blaze before anyone - except the car - was harmed.