Team Acura Parts Blog

Acura is right on top of the SUV-inspired bandwagon with its release of the RDX model this 2007. As it is, manufacturers of luxury cars seem to be united in engineering the ideal high-end sports utility vehicle. Pioneering this trend was BMW X3 and Land Rover’s Freelander last 2004, then followed by the Acura this year. Sources say that the Audi Q5 and Land Rover LR2 are also trying to beat their respective deadlines sometime this year.

When asked on the growing automaker interest and market popularity for luxury car brands to design their own Sports-utility model, Lonnie Miller, Senior Analyst at R.L. Polk & Co., has this to say: “Automakers pursue customers for this type of body style because it offers what is fundamentally sought from an SUV.”

“They certainly provide a nice touch with their design cues, interior styling and, more importantly, the reputation of the core brand,” Miller continued.

Further reiterating the advantage is Ryan Robinson, an automotive analyst at PricewaterhouseCoopers: “It offers you an opportunity to get into an Acura or a Lexus without having to go full bore into their core luxury products.”

Handling is one feature Acura is proud, especially now that they feature Super Handling All Wheel Drive or commonly called SH-AWD in their vehicles. Honda Motor Company describes it as “A world’s first, the SH-AWD system combines front-rear torque distribution control with independently regulated torque distribution to the left and right rear wheels to freely distribute the optimum amount of torque to all four wheels in accordance with driving conditions”. It was first developed for the 1997 Honda Prelude Type SH.

Components of the SH-AWD system were developed by BorgWarner. It primarily is a set of clutch packs in a T shaped differential at the rear of the vehicle. There is no center differential, rather, the vehicle’s have transverse mounted engine’s with power take off units going to the T shaped rear differential/clutch packs. The three clutch packs can engage for the right rear wheel, the left rear wheel, or near the base of the T.

SH-AWD tackles understeer, or the plowing of the front tires, during hard cornering. Acura’s SH-AWD is primarily front-wheel drive, and during regular driving torque will split more toward the front wheels, maintaining the feel of a front-wheel-drive vehicle. On the Acura RL sedan, the default torque split is 70 percent to the front wheels and 30 percent to the rears, but torque split will differ depending on the vehicle; SH-AWD is also available on the MDX and RDX.

Automotive critics say that one of the unique features of Acura’s SH-AWD is its ability to make the outer rear wheel spin faster than the front wheels in hard cornering on dry roads, which is called overdriving the wheel. Overdriving the outer rear wheel helps reduce understeer, and up to 100 percent of the engine’s torque can be sent to that outer real wheel in the right circumstance.

In this season’s American Le Mans Series, Acura’s Lowe’s Fernandez Racing made their most concerted effort to secure their maiden LMP2 victory but were nonetheless pleased with their fourth place finish overall.

With the great combination of  Adrian Fernandez and Luis Diaz put them in the third. They have put the Penske Porsches under the pressure for the first half of the race, even claiming the lead on lap 89 to put the Acura powered Lola into a strong position.

In the end the Mexican outfit found themselves caught out by the call by Porsche to take on fresh tires and fuel in the latter stages, Fernandez and Diaz slipping back to fourth by the race’s conclusion as their rubber waned.

For Fernandez’s team,  it is their best result since the Sebring season opener and the first time they have finished as the leading Acura runner.

“We were strong all weekend and gave our all to get the Porsches but in the end we didn’t make it. Luis had a good first stint. I jumped in and had a great battle with [Ryan] Briscoe. I passed him then he passed me. Traffic really was a factor in this race. We decided to not take tyres on our last pit stop to try and win the race and it just didn’t play out in our favour.

“We bounced back well from the last race [Lime Rock where the team retired with its first mechanical problem of the season] and I am very proud of the guys. We just have to keep working hard to try to get to the front.”

Car enthusiasts may have to wait for some time before they can drive the new Acura NSX. After Honda unveiled a preview earlier this year, motoring world was expecting to see a production version of the vehicle at the Tokyo Motorshow in October.

According to company CEO Takyo Fukei, original plans to unveil the NSX have been scrapped and we may not see it until 2010.

Reports have come out that the reason behind this set-back is the delay in the launch of the Acura brand, which will be Honda’s sport scar wing in Japan.

Fukei cited instability in Japanese financial markets as the main reason for delaying the brand launch of Acura, rather than any problems with the development of the NSX.

Now it could be 2012 before the new NSX would be available.

As some may know, the first generation of the NSX had a mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout, an all-aluminum body and chassis and a V6 gasoline engine featuring Honda’s VTEC system.

“NSX” is actually an acronym for “New Sportscar eXperimental”.

In 1984 Honda commissioned Pininfarina to design the HP-X (Honda Pininfarina Xperimental), which had a mid-mounted 2.0L V6 configuration.

The production NSX was designed by a team led by Chief Designer Ken Okuyama and Executive Chief Engineer Shigeru Uehara, who was also in charge of the S2000 project. Its first public appearances as the NS-X were at the Chicago Auto Show in February 1989, and at the Tokyo Motor Show in October 1989.

Japanese Formula One driver Saotoru Nakajima was involved with the NSX’s development, performing many duties related to chassis tuning. Brazilian Formula One driver Ayrton Senna and American Bobby Rahal also participated in the car’s development. Senna was given an NSX by Honda, although details of this car and its fate are unclear.

SUVs are now a trend in the automotive world, with every car companies releasing new and innovative vehicles. There family value and modern gizmos make them a prime candidate for soccer moms, nature lovers and gadget geek. Acura also jumped in the bandwagon as in release its sporty RDX.

It has a great turbocharged engine with 240 horsepower and a considerable 260 foot-pounds of torque available. According to one automobile critic, “the RDX engine is sewing-machine-like smooth.”

All Acura RDX comes with all-wheel drive. Although it is great for outdoor driving, “the RDX is no off-road wonder despite its all-wheel-drive system.” The SUV lacks the low gearing and protective underbody hardware for rock-crawling. Nor does it have anything like a typical truck-based SUV’s towing capacity, as said by the critic.

The SUV has great handling as well; there are no problems with taking on curves. There’s minimal body roll and the steering is reasonably quick. The five-speed automatic transmission also comes with paddle-shifters on the steering wheel so you can manually upshift or downshift the gears.

Acura’s ride quality might have been affected by the sport-tuned suspension and the big 18-inch tires. Inside, it is also very spacious. “The RDX leather- and aluminum-trimmed interior is just as you’d expect of a premium vehicle: handsome, upscale and beautifully put together,” says the critic.

One optional upgrade is the $3,500 “Technology Package” includes an upgraded audio system; a navigation system, rearview camera, Bluetooth hands-free phone interface and real-time traffic info displayed on the navigation screen.

The RDX is a great crossover, with abase price of $33,665.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) announced that the Acura RDX and MDX both scored the top rating of ‘GOOD’ for their rear-end collision protection.

According to the IIHS, rear-end collisions are very common, and often result in neck injuries. The Acura MDX and RDX are both equipped with standard active front head restraints which help minimize the potential for the driver or front passenger to suffer a neck injury during a rear-end collision. During in a crash test, head restraints are measured as to how much protection they can give in a rear-end collisions.

“In stop and go commuter traffic, you’re more likely to get in a rear-end collision than any other crash type,” says David Zuby, senior vice president of the Institute’s Vehicle Research Center.

Passenger safety is definitely one of the features that the RDX and MDX boast about. By being equipped with an array of standard safety technologies for protection in a variety of crashes, both vehicles also received the top IIHS rating in both the frontal offset and side impact tests. The RDX and MDX are the ‘TOP SAFETY PICKS’ of IIHS after garnering ‘GOOD’ ratings in each of the IIHS safety tests. Also, the two Acura vehicles have received five-stars, the highest possible rating, from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in both frontal and side impact crash tests through the government’s New Car Assessment Program.

Safety equipments and features installed in both RDX and MDX are the dual stage front airbags, front side airbags with passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS), side curtain airbags for front and rear outboard seats, ABS and Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA).

The exterior styling of its redesigned MDX sport wagon was inspired by high-end yachts, like the Wally Boat, as Acura stated.

The MDX has been completely redesigned as a cutting-edge performance machine, with macho styling and packed with electronic and telematic equipment. The vehicle still comes with a V6, but the new 3.7-liter engine is not bad, for it can produce 300 horsepower. A dual-stage intake manifold and unusually high 11.0:1 compression ratio give the MDX’s engine the punch of a V8 while sipping fuel like a V6.  The MDX  still comes with a five-speed automatic that can be shifted like a manual.

This year, power is delivered as needed to each wheel through Acura’s Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive system, wherein the outside wheels can rotate faster to facilitate cornering. The racetrack-tuned suspension offers switchable sport and comfort settings. A magnetic shock-absorber system, included with the optional Sport package, includes two-mode active dampers that increase stability and body control in hard maneuvers without ill effects on the ride.

Standard safety equipment includes front air bags, side air bags mounted in the front seats, full-length side curtain bags, active front head restraints, stability control with a stabilizing feature for towing, tire-pressure monitors and antilock disc brakes with brake assist.

The MDX has grown to seven-passenger capacity, with three rows of seats; leather is standard on all MDXs.  When the second- and third-row seats all up, cargo space measures 15 cubic feet, but the hold grows to 83.5 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. A small storage compartment is hidden under the rear floor.

The base MDX is $40,665. The Technology package brings the price up to $44,165 and includes a navigation system, surround-sound audio system and Bluetooth wireless phone connectivity. The Sport package adds the active-damper handling system and sport seats, pushing the price to $46,265. The $2,200 Entertainment package has a second-row DVD video system, heated second row seats and power liftgate. Fully loaded, our test vehicle topped out at a sobering $48,465, including destination.

The MDX made its debut as a 2001 mode. It hit the streets with stellar build quality, which quickly built a reliability record to match and gained immediate respect.

People remembered the Acura TL as being elegant when it was first launched in 1996. Today, showing a more upgraded TL packed with leading edge and trendy technologies Acura is setting another trend in elegance. Add to that a Type-S that will bolster an already improved TL that has been revised inside and out.

The base TL harnesses a 3.2-liter VTEC V-6 engine that produces 258 hp at 6200 rpm and 233 lb/ft of torque at 5000 rpm.

Focusing on the Type-S model, has a 5-liter VTEC V-6 engine, virtually the same engine as in the bigger brother RL, harnesses 286 hp at 6200 rpm with a beefier torque curve of 256 lb/ft at 5,000 rpm. One could also choose to pair it with either a new five-speed automatic that features F1-style paddle shifters on the steering wheel or a close-ratio six-speed manual transmission.

The TL is slated for a major re-design by 2008 or 2009, and the new model will probably adopt the SH-AWD (Super Handling, All-Wheel Drive) system now offered in the RL. Along with other improvements, there is the possibly of a 3.7-liter engine. There are even rumors of a TL Coupe.

Going back to the Type-S which has an excellent handling supported by great suspension. The model also has a tire pressure monitoring system, four-piston Brembo front brakes, four-wheel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist and Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) with Traction Control.

The TL Type-S includes power seats for both the driver and front passenger, and keyless entry with a new One Touch Start system on models with an automatic transmission.

The Acura Satellite-Linked Navigation System comes standard in the Type-S and recognizes up to 600 verbal commands in both official Canadian languages, even taking into account regional accents and comes with a choice of real-time directions by voice or guiding map display. The HandsFreeLink Bluetooth technology allows drivers to synchronize their cell phone and its address book with the car’s phone system.

The standard 225-watt Acura/ELS Surround Premium eight-speaker Sound System is a six-disc CD, DVD-Audio system. The added sound dimensions of this audio system blew me away when it broke ground as the first standard application of DVD-Audio in a production vehicle at the launch of the 2004 TL. For 2007, it is updated to play discs encoded with WMA and MP3 music files and features Dolby Pro Logic II and speed-sensitive volume compensation. The audio system also integrates the Active Noise Cancellation, a wavelength that reduces cabin noise while cruising.

The Acura TL Type-S is complete with the latest gizmos and gadgets to make a child push every button to try them all out.

The introduction of the Acura brand to Japan is said to be delayed by at least two years according to Honda. The company originally planned to bring Acura to its home market in 2008, but is turning to target the year 2010 or 2011 as their release date. Honda did not mention any specific reason regarding the change, they did said that, “[the decision was] based on a comprehensive evaluation of the current market environment.”

Both Lexus and Acura were started as premium brands in the US. Toyota introduced Lexus to the Japanese market in 2005 but sales were not become very good until the LS was released late last year. Acura has no such super-premium model and will have to compete in the tough small-to-mid size market along with the German marques.

The fact that Acura had already begun a sales strategy and had started recruiting dealerships or the 2008 launch shows that the decision to delay the brand’s introduction wasn’t taken lightly.

Acura combines luxury and power in the RL, their flagship sedan. The RL receive a lot of cutting-edge performance and safety technology, Despite RL’s V6 engine, it is surely not lacking in power.

Noticeable in the vehicle’s back end is the “SH-AWD” badge, which refers to Acura’s Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive technology. The said technology sends increased torque to the outside rear wheel when powering through a curve. The altered dynamics help push the car around a turn rather than through it. Critics say that the RL handles very well as a high-end sports sedan.

The RL has a 3.5 liter V6 engine that is supported by four 17-inch wheels to deliver optimum performance. Thanks to its DOHC, 24-valve VTEC design, it smoothly spins out 290 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 256 pound-feet of torque at 5,000 rpm. Critics have also said that in terms of fuel efficiency, the RL is more in line with an economical V6.

Drivetrain refinement isn’t limited to the RL’s engine. Its five-speed automatic transmission only powers up the V6 engine. When the occasion calls it, Acura’s Sequential Sportshift paddle shifters, modeled after Formula 1 technology, enable greater driver input.

RL styling is attractive, but its drivetrain is inspiring for its nicely-weighted, responsive steering. One critic views the Acura flagship as an optimal blend of ride comfort and handling ability, matching his “real world” driving preference. The critic also found the cabin comfort of the sedan outstanding with some problems on manipulating the complex electronic controls. Nonetheless, Acura RL should not be overlooked for it can go side by side with more-expensive Europeans and similarly-priced domestics in the premium sedan market.