Team Acura Parts Blog

Repackaging of a product which has been in existence for a number of years is an approach that has been utilized by different companies. Part of the repackaging process may include the look of the company and its products or just products alone. This is done in order to attract a new and different client base and to be able to excite their old client base as well. Acura, a brand of Honda Motor Company, decided to follow this approach when it developed its all-new 2009 Acura TSX.

Set to be unveiled at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show this March, the 2009 Acura TSX will have two versions released in the market: the base version and the Type-S version. The base version of the car will be equipped with a 2.4L four-cylinder i-VTEC engine. The car’s engine will be able to give out 230 horsepower, which is a 20 to 30 increase in horsepower from the previous model. Aside from the improvement in the car’s engine, the 2009 Acura TSX base model will also come with either a six-speed manual transmission or a five-speed automatic transmission depending on the choice of the client. As for the Type-S version, Acura has installed it with a bigger turbocharged engine which can give out 260 horsepower. The engine used for the Type-S version is similar to the engine found in the Acura RDX series. Being branded as a sportier vehicle than its base model counterpart, the Type-S Acura TSX will be given six-speed auto/manual DSG gearbox and will be equipped with Honda’s Super Handling All Wheel Drive System.

Aside from the improvement in the engine department, the 2009 Acura TSX will also sport additional exterior accessories. It comes with a redesigned grille and a badge and chrome strip placed on top of the car. Plus, the overall design of the car was done in compliance with the new pedestrian impact standards.

The 2009 Acura TSX will start being produced by the end of the year and will most likely appear in showrooms by the spring of 2009. The car will also be marketed in Europe but will carry the Honda Accord name instead of the Acura TSX label.

Sources: Left Lane News, Top Honda News, MotorTrend, Jalopnik, Car And Driver, Wikipedia, Auto Blog Green

Next year, Honda will be releasing its first U.S diesel engine and it will be first equipped in the redesigned TSX sedan of its luxury brand, Acura.

Just recently, the Chief Executive Officer of Honda Motor Corporation, Takeo Fukui, announced that Honda’s first U.S diesel will be put first on an Acura. Although it was not disclosed which Acura vehicle will be equipped with the diesel engine, Honda sources are saying that the Acura TSX will be the one to get the diesel engine.

As a matter of fact and perhaps due to preparation for its having the diesel engine, the Acura TSX will be redesigned this coming spring. But initially, it may be powered by the turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the same one equipped in the RDX small crossover. And the diesel engine will only be put in the TSX by 2009.

Dick Coliver, the Executive Vice President of American Honda Corporation, said, “All along, we’ve said there would be a diesel in Acura. The whole direction is to separate Acura and Honda more. In five to six years, Acura will be a tier 1 luxury brand. The face of Acura will be totally different.”

The i-DTEC clean diesel engine of Honda which is a 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine which will be available in Europe this summer on the redesigned Honda Accord. The European Honda Accord is actually just like the Acura TSX.

By 2010, Honda will launch a V6 diesel engine and this will most likely be fitted into Acura’s mid-size sedan, Acura TL, and into the MDX crossover as well. Of course, other Honda vehicles will have this engine under their hood as well.

Although Acura’s sales last year 2007 were down by 10.5 percent to 180,104 units, Colliver remains hopeful that Acura sales this year will be up by at least 200,000 units.

Colliver said, “We get the TSX in the spring and the new TL in the fall. We knew going into 2007 that we were facing tough times because the product line was aging, and there was a lot of new competition. To compete with BMW, we must build cars in those segments. We need more crossovers and an image car.”

Colliver admitted that Acura’s top-of-the-line RL sedan “was the wrong car” as its sales only totaled to 6,262 in 2007. With regard to that, he said, “It is due to be replaced in 2010. Directionally, that car will change.”

However, despite the low performance of Acura’s sales last 2007, dealers of Acura still enjoyed record profits that year perhaps due to Honda’s move to cut Acura’s production by 20,000 units to control inventory.

The Acura TSX, which was launched in 2003, is an entry-level sedan designed to compete with other popular luxury cars. The Acura model, however, received complaints regarding the layout of its front wheel drive and power. That is why Acura recently came up with the 2009 Acura TSX carrying a number of upgrades to its predecessor.

The new generation Acura TSX has been brought to a test drive outside the Honda facility in the United States.

A big refinement made to the Acura TSX is the improvement in power. Based on the design of the 2005 SPORTS 4 concept car, the latest Acura car sports a more aggressive appearance than the present model. The 2009 version has a 2.4-liter, i-VTEC four-cylinder engine that generates 220 to 230 horsepower. The new TSX also includes a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic.

In addition, Acura will unveil a type-S model of the TSX, whose power will be sourced from the turbocharged engine like that of the Acura RDX. The engine, which can produce 260 horsepower, will be joined to a six-speed manual or a dual-clutch gearbox. The type-S will be enhanced by Honda’s most recent technology—the Super Handling All Wheel Drive.

Acura will start manufacturing TSX vehicles by the end of 2008. It will be available on sale in Europe as the Honda Accord.

Sources:
Cardomain.com
Mobile Magazine

What cars are the most appealing to female drivers?

In a recent survey on vehicles with the highest share of female ownership, 10 luxury vehicles are being tagged as the popular choice. Acura accounts for two of the 10 most female-owned luxury cars, according to the study conducted by the JD Power’s Power Information Network. The study was published in the September 20 issue of BusinessWeek.

The Acura TSX, which was launched four years ago, has been bought by 47.3 percent of the female market. Based on the European edition of the Honda Accord, the Acura TSX is a sedan designed to compete in the entry-level luxury sedan market. The TSX has a 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine that produces 205 horsepower. It is described as a sporty sedan and is the least expensive among Acura’s sedans.

The Acura TSX

It is the relative affordability of the TSX that makes it appealing to female consumers. “The lower-priced segment is high-female. If you have a brand that is dominated by that segment, you’re going to see a lot of female owners, and Acura is one of the lower-priced luxury brands,” according to Tom Libby of J.D. Power’s Power Information Network, quoted in the same BusinessWeek article.

On the other hand, the Acura RDX is owned by 45.3 percent of all female vehicle buyers. Designed as a sports utility vehicle (SUV), the Acura RDX is a small luxury crossover sedan. Its 2008 model carries the first turbocharged engine of Honda, the automobile company that manufactures Acura vehicles. The RDX has a 2.3-liter, four cylinder engine that produces 240 horsepower.

The Acura RDX

According to the study, women purchased 37.3 percent of new vehicles in 2007 (until August). The results of the survey also show that not a single sports car made it to the least—strongly implying the gender difference when it comes to choosing cars to own. The lineup of the 10 most popular luxury cars also suggests that women tend to choose entry-level cars and small SUVs that prioritize safety, quality, reliability, and value. This is in stark contrast to male car buyers who mostly prefer sports cars over luxury cars, and speed and power over safety and comfort.

Source: BusinessWeek

Team i-MOTO drivers Nick Wittmer and Kuno Wittmers, who were driving an Acura TSX, dominated the Grand Prix De Trois-Rivieres race from the beginning down to the last stretch yesterday.

The no.31 Acura TSX remained in the driver’s seat of the speed battle held in the French-speaking province of Quebec in Canada. The Wittmers enjoyed the first lap advantage with a 30-second cushion over other participants. Piloting the Honda-produced Acura TSX, the duo almost fell behind because of the periodical scheduled pit stops, but the Wittmers still managed to steer the vehicle into the winning column. The Acura TSX crossed the finish line and clocked in at 28.446 seconds and left behind its wheels the Billy Johnson and Karl Thomson-driven no.76 Kensai Racing Acura TSX. Taking the last podium slot was the no. 95 Turner Motorsport BMW 330i which was driven by Adam Burrows and Trevor Hopwood. One of the not so fortunate racers are Koni Challenge-staple Tom Long and team owner Glenn Bocchino, who were behind another Acura TSX under no. 32, as the duo settled for a decent 10th place finish.

Team i-MOTO’s future looks brighter with the win. Not only that, Nick Wittmer bagged the third spot, while Bocchino took the fifth in the Driver’s point’s standings. The Acura vehicles, on the other hand, were given the highest place in the Manufacturer point’s standings, thanks to these vehicles high-performing parts.

With only two speed battles left this season, the i-MOTO racing team has a brighter future ahead. The team will sure to see a lot of action in another racing event that will be held at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah this coming September 14.

Kuno Wittmer, of Montreal, Quebec, in the series’s first visit to the Steelback Grand Prix of Toronto  made the most of his former track experience at Exhibition Place to take the lead in the practice held for Round Six of the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Championship. Ian Baas of Noblesville, Ind., and Roberto Santos, of Monterrey, Mexico, came in second and third fastest, respectively.

It was the already the sixth time that Wittmer would be racing on the streets of Toronto in the entire length of his career. He climbed to the top of scoring monitors shortly after the first of two red flags in the 30-minute session. The flag was displayed for the No. 29 Global Motorsports Group BMW 325Ci of James Sofronas who is from Newport Beach, Calif. and whose engine died down on him on the first lap and literally stopped dead on its tracks on course in Turn Six.

Wittmer continued to take a leading role in the session while concomittantly improving his time. The No. 44 Acura Certified Pre-Owned pilot finished up the session with a fast lap of 1:21.603 (77.423 mph) on his final tour around the street course that was 1.755 in miles.

“I definitely have the most experience here,” Wittmer was heard saying. “But at this level of racing, it’s so competitive and it’s only a matter of time before the other guys come up to speed. I think in qualifying I’ll be getting a lot more pressure, especially from my teammates, because they’ll be right there with me in speed.

Still, Wittmer has already garnered considerable success at Exhibition Place before, when he won the Honda Challenge race here in 2005 on his way to taking the series Championship. But the Canadian entertains no grand illusions of a clean sweep at Toronto for the week to come.

“I’ve always liked street courses. I think my car is suited pretty good to this track and I’ve had a pretty good history on street courses as far as driving goes. I like this track, it has a good flow to it. The last three corners, the way you build up momentum is fun, so I’ve got nothing negative to say about this track.”

“Starting qualifying in seventh, because I’m seventh in the points, might be a little bit of a problem, especially since the front guys aren’t up to speed yet. It’s not their fault, it’s just a matter of learning the track and we didn’t get much time in today’s practice. I think I’m going to just keep a gap and then go on my own, maybe get two or three laps.”

In his best form so far all throughout the season, Baas put his No. 18 PFAFF/STaSIS/Clear Capital Audi A4 second on the time sheets. Fresh from a Rolex GT race at Daytona Thursday night, Baas made a time of 1:21.868 (77.173 mph).

For other notables, the four-time World Challenge Champion Peter Cunningham of Grafton, Wis., finished as the fourth fastest with a lap of 1:22.434 (76.643 mph) in his No. 42 Acura Certified Pre-Owned Acura TSX. Lime Rock race winner Chip Herr, of Lititz, Pa., completed the top five in his No. 17 PFAFF/STaSIS/Clear Capital Audi A4 with a time of 1:22.443 (76.634 mph).

(continued from Part I)

Since Acura is a Honda brand, knowing of Honda’s ever-present consciousness of green technology as well as considering the company’s persistence in bringing green technology as an alternative to mainstream automotive systems, the TSX certainly qualifies as a Low Emission Vehicle. The Green  Vehicle Guide of the EPA’s gives this a rating of 6 on their Air Pollution score. However, the EPA does split the Greenhouse Gas score by transmission. The five-speed automatic has a 7, while the sixspeed manual, while it admittedly entails more fun, gets a 6. The EPA gives the car a 22/31 mpg City/ Highway rating.

When it comes to matters of style, the TSX enjoys sleek as well as clean lines. The nose of the car is outfitted with the pentagonal grille that is widely associated with the Acura brand since it is a special brand trait. In addition, the big calipers logo in the grille makes brand recall incredibly easy. There is no other like it. Acura, in this particular series, aptly expands the area of the grille sides in order to include a pair of wraparound headlight pods that taper up to slits. The headlight pods are also designed to wrap round the sides of the car. The car’s back design continues these slim looks, with the rear panel line cuts down nattily from the taillight to the wheelwell, in much the same way as a county highway on a map does. The car’s overall appearance connotes a pleasant and entirely modernistic in taste.

Inside the Acura TSX one can see that sheer effort the company had put in rendering the car’s interiors. Bolstered leather seats as well outlets that allow for multiple electrical adjustments, leather-wrapped steering wheel, power windows along with locks and mirrors—one can easily tell that Acura took great pains to afford drivers and passengers alike with a number of conveniences otherwise impossible. The car also has a power mooonroof along with keyless entry. These are simply among the comforts the Acura TSX holds in store for car consumers.

The car even comes with a sound system that exhibits 360-watts along with its eight speakers and six-disc in-dash. Those wishing to jack in their iPODs for a bit of charging may do so with the input jack inside the car.

For tasks other than selecting a transmission, the factory supplies the car with a navigation system. Voice commands operate the controls so drivers won’t have to look elsewhere, trying to push a button or two on the dashboard. The voice commands are over 560, with the system fully stocked with points of interest that’s more than 7 million in figure. The voice recognition feature can also identify 1.7 million cities and street names.

The TSX, of course, does not skimp on its features as well. With dual-stage passenger airbags that employs a series of sensors to ensure that kids along with small adults are not accidentally impaired by the very airbag put there to guard their safety. The TSX also has a standard tire pressure monitoring system.

Honda has made quite a remarkable name for itself in the automotive industry for producing cars that have satisfied the vast consumer public with their reliability, excellence and style throughout the years. Not only do Honda cars enjoy renowned recognition based on these qualities, these vehicles are also known for being well within reasonable price queues. Cars of the Acura brand testify to the truth of the matter.

Acura affords consumers with a selection of top-quality cars that can compete with those priced at a higher queue. Thus, the TSX sedan offers a compelling alternative to BMW intenders who have place particular emphasis on ideas of economy as well as dependability—two qualities that Honda is quite known for in the market.

As a test car, the TSX has a lot toofer consumers, particularly those looking to acquire a great car with a reasonable price tag. Like a number of BMW models, it packs  four cylinder engines that can provide striking performances on the road. One can actually experience 205 horsepower from the powerplant. Consumers can also have a say in how the horsepower will make its way to the tires. One can pull this off either by selecting a six-speed manual or a five-speed automatic. Both of which share the same price or if they happen to be different, will be off by only a wee bit of amount, more or less. The five speed automatic offers a sequential SportShif that allows one to choose a variety of gears without a clutch.