2006 Acura Tl on 2040-cars

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2019 Acura NSX vs. 1991 Acura NSX | Respect your elders

A car that forces the competition to head back to the drawing board does not come around often, especially when that competition happens to be Ferrari. Honda achieved such a feat back in 1991 when the original NSX was set loose in the supercar world. Not only did the NSX smack its contemporaries down in terms of performance and technological prowess, it also forced the Italians to make supercars with some semblance of reliability and manners. Spend only a few moments in an original NSX, and its specialness is palpable. The lack of power steering is acutely noticeable at low speed as I roll over little cracks and dips in the road, while the sticky rubber chucks small rocks up into the wheel wells. A near 360-degree view is at my disposal with the bubble-like canopy, and the ground right in front of the nose is visible from my vantage point. This is what control feels like, and we haven't even gotten to the reverie-inducing VTEC noises getting piped right into our eardrums yet. There are no dials to change the throttle response, no buttons to make the steering artificially heavy, no shift paddles behind the wheel to tell a computer to swap cogs. To my right is a manual shifter that can legitimately be described as perfect. This is a 1991 Acura NSX, and it is glorious. For some of the reasons I've briefly described, and plenty more, this car has reached legend status amongst enthusiasts. In the early 2000s it was a sales disaster, outgunned by pretty much every other supercar in the space. Honda/Acura was only working with a 3.2-liter V6 making 290 horsepower when that car finally met its maker after the 2005 model year. As collectable modern classics, the relatively low power output doesn't seem to bother folks spending close to, and over, six digits on low-mileage examples of these cars. What changed? Well, the passage of time tends to be the biggest factor in these things. Also, there's a new NSX out there, reminding the world that the old one exists. And just like when Acura discontinued the original, the new one is mighty expensive, selling in extremely low numbers, and generally regarded as lesser than other options in its class. This time around it has to deal with standout cars like the 911 GT3, McLaren 570S and Audi R8 V10. But perhaps even worse than that, the new NSX must withstand comparisons to the original. Can you think of any other legendary Japanese car with a similar image problem today? Yeah, the Toyota Supra.

Acura product roadmap leak points to 'compact Type S' and MDX Type S

The Type S moniker is back along with the 2021 Acura TLX Type S sedan. And today, the internet has sprouted some more Acura Type S news. We caught wind of a forum post on Acurazine through a thread on Reddit that includes a link to a video allegedly shown during Acura’s 2020 dealer meeting webcast. That video doesnÂ’t appear to be live anymore, but an enterprising individual happened to screenshot the most important slide from the video: AcuraÂ’s product roadmap to 2022. HereÂ’s the link youÂ’re looking for. Take this information with a grain of salt. ThereÂ’s a good chance that this intel is correct, but plans change. Most imminent is a redesigned Acura MDX with a Type S variant. We expect an MDX Type S to follow the same formula as the TLX Type S. AcuraÂ’s new 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 would be a fine candidate for this duty. With that powerplant (horsepower unknown, but likely around 400 ponies), it could punch up against SUVs like the Mercedes-AMG GLE 53, or punch down to the Ford Explorer ST. tuned suspension, plenty of appearance add-ons and sportier interior would also likely be along for the ride. ItÂ’s placed directly after the TLX on the chart timewise, so thereÂ’s a good chance that we see a new MDX soon. Next up is the one that weÂ’re especially excited about. A new Type S “compact sedan” is on the way. Acura neglected to give this one a name, which is odd, unless thereÂ’s a big secret it wants to keep. Right now, AcuraÂ’s small sedan is called the ILX. In past (and better) years, Acura named its small cars Integra and RSX. Might we see the return of the Integra name? Or perhaps RSX? ThereÂ’s precedent for an RSX Type S, and this small Acura appears to be getting the Type S treatment.  So, what might a small Acura Type S look like? The car could borrow hardware from the Civic Si, or it could borrow from the Civic Type R. A more luxurious Civic Type R with AcuraÂ’s delightful and sharp styling would be splendid. ItÂ’d be dialed back to fit the Type S name, but nearly anything would be better than the ILX wallowing at the bottom of AcuraÂ’s lineup today. WeÂ’re left to guess at the details for now, but the roadmap shows that car arriving by 2022. There are two other small nuggets of info weÂ’ll point out on this roadmap. Acura doesnÂ’t list an RDX Type S anywhere on it. That could be because the RDX was recently redesigned, so itÂ’s not one of the completely new vehicles listed in the step ladder of new product.

Honda delays JDM Legend over quality concerns

Honda has been having some quality issues lately, to say the least. Most of those have revolved around the airbags supplied by Takata, but not exclusively. The new Fit Hybrid, for example, has been subject to five consecutive recalls in the year since it launched. And now the Japanese automaker is reportedly delaying the launch of its new Legend sedan. The Legend, for those unfamiliar, is what Honda calls the Acura RLX in the Japanese Domestic Market – a model that has been subject to a handful of recalls in the United States, affecting components ranging from headlights to seatbelts to suspension bolts. Such quality control issues have prompted Honda to delay the introduction of its flagship sedan in its home market, pushing its arrival in Japanese showrooms back from the fall (when the model was revealed) initially to January 22 and now to February 20, according to the report from Bloomberg. The extra time is earmarked the give Honda engineers the opportunity to look into potential problems with the vehicle's radar safety system and its advanced hybrid powertrain, before introducing it to the local market. Hopefully further recalls can be avoided once deliveries have commenced.