Referrals
Acura wants to distance itself from Honda Division. The company is building a separate design center for the brand in Torrance, Calif. The marque wants to create an image similar to that of BMW, stressing performance and technology.
RSX: The entry-level model is being killed at the end of the 2006 model year because the division is beginning to move farther upscale.
TSX: The 2009 version is slated for a redesign. Sources expect it will be equipped with a turbo engine and all-wheel drive. A convertible model may be in the works.
TL: The TL will be freshened for the 2007 model year. A redesign is scheduled for the 2009 model year, when awd will be available.
RL: U.S. dealers will be able to order a decontented model for the 2007 model year. Consumers balked at paying nearly $50,000 for a loaded awd model powered by a 290-hp, 3.5-liter V-6.
The specific equipment has yet to be announced. Dealers in Hawaii and Alaska already offer decontented models without such standard equipment as navigation systems and satellite radio.
The RL will be redesigned for the 2010 or 2011 model year. It may be equipped with a V-10 and share a chassis with the redesigned NSX.
NSX: The redesigned sports car is expected to hit the market for the 2008 or 2009 model year. Acura has said it will be powered by a V-10 engine, but there have been few other details. Sources say the company is testing front- and midengine configurations. A hybrid version may be offered.
RDX: Acura's new small crossover went on sale this month. This is Acura's first vehicle with a turbocharged engine. The 240-hp, 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine produces 260 pounds-feet of torque. Standard equipment includes the RL's high-tech awd system and 18-inch wheels.
The interior can accommodate two 19-inch bicycles sitting upright. A 300-watt, seven-speaker audio system with a six-disc CD changer and XM satellite radio is standard.
MDX: Acura's MDX crossover is redesigned for the 2007 model year. It is wider and longer than the current model and will offer more cargo space. It also will sit lower.
The six-cylinder engine will produce close to 300 hp, up from 253. Displacement may be increased to 3.8 liters vs. the current 3.5.
As chief engineer of the 2007 Acura RDX, Gary Evert did not always see eye to eye with his Japanese colleagues.
Evert, 41, was the lone American on the RDX development team that began work in the United States and shifted to Japan for two years.
Evert recalls some spirited debates with his teammates, particularly about the sound and performance characteristics of the new turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
The RDX crossover is, after all, the first Honda or Acura model to be outfitted with a turbocharger in the United States. It goes on sale Aug. 10.
Evert, an 18-year Honda veteran, felt the team could not properly develop the turbocharged engine driving in Japan. So Evert returned to America last year with a dozen of his Japanese colleagues to test and tweak the engine on the streets of Los Angeles.
They spent two weeks riding around the city, usually after midnight to avoid the curious, to define the sound and characteristics of the engine.
They modified a gray Accord wagon to accommodate the new turbocharged, 2.3-liter engine complete with a huge hood scoop, Evert says.
