Team Acura Parts Blog

Acura has a lot to smile about these days. Aside from being able to acquire a fourth entry for the ALMS series by having Gil De Ferran join their team, Acura has also been able to make waves during the speed testing conducted at the winter testing held in Sebring for the American Le Mans Series. It was during this testing that Acura sported its new prototype car, the Acura ARX-01b, on the course.

The speed testing for the Acura ARX-01b was done by a number of teams including the No. 26 XM Satellite Radio Acura team from Andretti Green Racing Team. The team is the current and defending Sebring champions in the LMP2 class. One of its drivers, Bryan Herta was able to hit the speed of 127.413 miles per hour during the speed testing while driving the Acura ARX-01b. It was the top speed recorded during the three-day testing.

Veteran race car driver Scott Sharp, who has established himself by competing in the IndyCar series, also joined in the testing by teaming up with David Brabham and Stefan Johansson. During the testing, the drivers were able to reach a speed of up to 126.139 miles per hour. All three drivers (Sharp, Brabham and Johansson) are part of the No. 9 Patron Spirits Acura team. Sharp and Brabham will join the 12-race ALMS campaign while Johansson will be campaigning at Sebring and Atlanta.

Another team that took the road using the Acura ARX-01b prototype car is the Lowe’s Fernandez team. The team comprises of racing vets Adrian Fernandez and Luis Diaz who campaigned in the Lola last year. During the team’s first test drive using the Acura ARX-01b race car, the drivers were able reach the speed of 125.877 miles per hour.

The speed testing will continue this February for the three Acura teams in order for them to gauge the modifications they would still need to make for the competition. The race will begin on March 15 starting with the 12 Hours of Sebring. The Acura Sports Car Challenge will take place afterwards in St. Petersburg on April 5 and will be followed by the Long Beach Grand Prix which will be held on April 19.

Yup, Acura has definitely a lot to smile about these days.

Sources: Buzztracker, SpeedTV

Automobile companies have been gearing up for a greener future. Most of the recent auto shows featured automobiles that make use of alternative fuels while some just use electricity. Aside from concept vehicles, performance auto parts are also showcased in these motor shows. In the ongoing North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), for example, Japanese automaker Acura introduced its latest find dubbed as the i-DTEC Clean Diesel Engine.

Honda Acura supports the fight against the leading environmental problem that is global warming. A big chunk that causes such is composed of automobiles. For that, it is only the responsibility of companies, like Acura, to come up with these green technologies to alleviate the state of global warming. According to Honda Acura, the vehicles, which also include the light-duty trucks, sold in the United States are all capable of meeting the strict emission standards of the 50 states.

“Now global warming is the number one environmental issue. For every company, increasing fuel efficiency to reduce CO2 emissions is the single most important challenge we face,” said Takeo Fukui, who is the president and chief executive officer of Honda Motor Company, at the NAIAS. “The new CAFE standards established by the U.S. government–I look at this challenge in the same way we approached the issue of clean air more than 40 years ago.”

The i-DTEC Clean Diesel Engine is set to be installed in Acura’s future model that will come out by 2009. What this part does is make the burning of fuel become more efficient compared to the regular engines. With that efficiency, more horsepower is produced minus the noxious exhaust emissions. Another benefit of this auto part is that fuel economy vastly improves, thus money is well spent for the Acura owner. With this engine intact, the vehicle, the environment, and the motorist benefit.

“We believe that by improving fuel efficiency, we can achieve something important for the future of life on this earth,” said Takeo. “So, the challenge to create the most fuel efficient products for our customers and the environment will continue as a central focus of our product development efforts.”

Source: Honda.

The Detroit-based North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) had a three-day press preview (January 13 to 15) of the participating vehicles and auto parts from several car brands. A turbocharged i-DTEC Clean Diesel Engine from Acura was one of new finds this year that is aimed to improve horsepower production and fuel efficiency, among others.

Two years from now, Acura will be installing this remarkable auto part in a still unnamed model. This is one of the green automobile technologies to look out for as it is said to give more power to the vehicle minus the harmful exhaust emissions. Moreover, such engine also promises to improve consumption of fuel, thus trips for refilling stations are lessened. The meticulously-designed and precision-engineered combustion block of the engine will also help achieve that smooth sound of the engine for a more noise-free drive.

Such features of the i-DETC engine are definite factors for the Acura model to meet the very strict U.S. EPA Tier II Bin 5 emission standards.

The Acura i-DTEC Clean Diesel Engine, along with other finds from other companies, are all set for the public viewing this Saturday, January 19. NAIAS, which is held at the COBO Center in Detroit, will run until January 27.

Source: Auto Spectator.

The anticipated debut of the Acura Advance Sports Car Concept, which is being produced by Honda, was introduced earlier this year in the North American International Auto Show and later this month, the Acura Advance Sports car will likely be patterned from the phased out Acura NSX.

Geared with high-performing Acura parts, the sports car concept has been crafted in such a way that the technology it has is up a notch compared to other sport cars in the automobile industry. For starters, the Acura Advance Sports Car Concept has been equipped with a V-10 front-mounted engine and an improved Acura trademark, which is the Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) technology. The new Acura V-10 engine, which had its debut in the Honda Formula One circuits, will be geared in this anticipated sports car. The Japanese automotive ingenuity will surely show in the Acura Advance Sports Car Concept’s V-10 engine which is expected to produce much power, beefed up performance, and top-caliber design.

Any high-powered engine has to be complemented with other auto parts such as the wheels, the brake parts, an aerodynamic body kit, and exhaust. The future sports car will have a 108.8-inch wheelbase with low clearance to the ground. Not only does this Acura four-wheel machine powerful, but it will surely look good with the shiny 19-inch aluminum wheels in the front and 20-inch wheels for the back. For the slowing down and stopping power, this Acura model has utilized a very responsive air-cooled carbon ceramic brake discs on all of its wheels. Moreover, the vehicle’s body kit has been well-blended to achieve the best air flow. The cabin compartment of the Acura has been slung low in order to reduce the height and the door handles has been flushed with the surface. These styling will be able to provide a cleaner and smoother aerodynamic feel for the future Acura sports car. Lastly, four huge exhaust pipes have been fitted at the rear portion with diffusers.

This upcoming Advance Sports Car is set to capture the sports car enthusiasts in the US with the remarkable features. Further refinements and modifications, however, could still happen since the vehicle is still underway.

The very first Japanese luxury brand Acura had its 2008 model introduction in a close by place in Detroit in connection with the recently concluded Detroit Sports Car Challenge, where the team finished third, held at the street of Belle Isle. The Acura team is really all over the place as it was also present in other weekend races such as the American Le Mans Series and IRL Race. Aside from the skilled and seasoned drivers for Acura, the performance parts equipped in every vehicle are big factors for such feat.

For the next months, Jack Spurney of Honda Performance Development (HPD) has given a rundown of the activities for Acura development team. Debuting this year in the speed wars are the Acura LMP2 cars and these are enjoying a spot behind the leading Porsche RS Spyders in the manufacturer standings. As a sport luxury brand, Acura has decided to go against the tech-driven and competitive American Le Mans Series (ALMS) rivals such as Porsche, Audi, and Mitsubishi.

The Acura vehicles will be geared with an ALMS V-8 engine, which was designed and engineered completely at the HPD headquarters with no outsiders involved. To date, this engine is the first Honda race engine that was crafted outside of Acura’s homeland. The development, design, and final touch-ups were done in solely in the California-based HPD. Moreover, other Acura parts such as the chassis will also be designed and made in the HPD headquarters. The original Courage LC75 chassis will no longer be utilized by Acura racing vehicles because this chassis did not meet the needs of the Acura vehicles. As a replacement, HPD developed the ARX-01 Acura chassis.

For next year, HPD is also planning a chassis overhaul in order to further improve the performance of the car as well as its serviceability. The present car has encountered difficulties in repairing during race propers.

For over two decades, the very first Japanese luxury line of Acura has been establishing the quality design and engineering, which are evident in its models. A company cannot last this long if not for the well-crafted vehicles it can offer. Behind the remarkable vehicles of Acura are well-researched concepts especially for the Acura vehicle’s parts.

As the first Japan-made luxury vehicle sold in the United States, Acura has to sustain its consistency especially in the performance of every model it manufactures. The steadiness of every Acura vehicle truly exudes what Japanese ingenuity is all about. A year after its debut in the industry, the Japanese performance brand has already won several awards including Import Car of the Year given by Motor Trend. On that same year, the model Acura Integra pocketed the Car and Driver’s Ten Best List title.

The luxury line goes beyond the exterior as the innermost parts are all beefed up starting from the engine. All Acura models have been geared with the VTEC engine. This technology unique to this brand is responsible in the high-performing Acura engines. Aside from the powerful engine, the VTEC technology enhances fuel efficiency of the engine and still manages to produce remarkable energy outputs at higher velocities.

Acura vehicles are also geared with other supplemental finds such as the Drive-by-Wire Throttle System which are usually race cars staples. There is also the Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system. Another important innovation of Acura is the safety features like the Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE). The ACE technology is directly installed in the frame of the vehicle and improves car protection.