Temple of VTEC Videos: Acura ILX and Accord Coupe Press Conference

Acura ILX Concept Video Up Close and Personal

Acura Debuts Three New Vehicles at the 2012 North American International Auto Show

New ILX compact sports sedan to feature Acura's first hybrid powertrain;All-new RDX sport utility vehicle features new engine and all-wheel-drive system; NSX Concept to be developed and built in America with new performance hybrid system

Representing the leading edge of a wave of new products and technologies, Acura today unveiled three new vehicles at the North American International Auto Show, including a concept version of the all-new gateway to the Acura brand, the ILX luxury compact sedan; a prototype of the 2013 RDX crossover sport utility vehicle; and the NSX Concept, which presages the direction for Acura's next-generation supercar.

Acura also announced that the next-generation NSX will feature Acura's innovative new Sport Hybrid SH-AWD® technology and that the vehicle will be developed by Honda R&D Americas and manufactured in Ohio.

"Over the next 24 months the Acura brand will unleash a series of new models that will remake our product lineup and shake up the luxury market," said Jeff Conrad, vice president and general manager of Acura. "Acura will once again defy conventional wisdom to become one of the top luxury brands by creating luxury vehicles based on our own unique values."

Debuting three new models in Detroit heralds the beginning of Acura's second 25 years as a premium luxury-performance automobile brand.

Acura ILX Concept

The Acura ILX Concept is the precursor to an all-new Acura luxury compact sedan scheduled for launch in Spring 2012. To be positioned as the gateway to the Acura brand, the ILX will feature three different powertrains, including Acura's first-ever gas-electric hybrid.

"First time luxury buyers place the highest value on exterior styling, affordability and environmental issues and that's a virtual definition of what we have created with the new Acura ILX," said Jon Ikeda, head of the Acura Design Studio. "The strategy behind this new model is to position ILX as the first opportunity for many young buyers to enter the luxury market."

Sleek, sporty and aerodynamically efficient, the exterior of the all-new Acura ILX combines luxury, performance and efficiency. A beautifully styled luxury sedan, the ILX Concept has a compact, yet formal proportion, targeting a very professional image. The Acura ILX delivers both, with a greenhouse that provides excellent visibility, an aerodynamic low and wide stance, the ILX is immediately recognizable as an Acura

The lineup of ILX models will include an entry-level model powered by a 2.0-liter inline 4-cylinder engine; a high-performance model with a 2.4-liter inline 4-cylinder engine paired with a six-speed manual transmission; and a 1.5-liter gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain, Acura's first-ever hybrid offering.

The ILX will feature a high–quality, well-appointed interior that is smart, spacious and sporty. It will offer a number of new, high-value features, including a smart entry keyless access system and pushbutton start, along with Pandora internet radio interface and SMS text message function for smart connectivity with the world.

As with all Acura models, the ILX will have a long list of standard features, different trim levels (that will include a Technology Package), multiple transmission choices, and excellent standard safety features— including Acura's acclaimed Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ body structure, front, side and side-curtain airbags, 4-channel anti-lock brakes and Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA™). Acura anticipates that the ILX will achieve top ratings in both NHTSA and IIHS crash safety testing.

The new ILX will be manufactured exclusively by Honda Manufacturing of Indiana, LLC, in its Greensburg, Ind. plant— one of only three plants in the world to receive J.D. Power and Associates' 2011 Platinum Award for outstanding quality.

Acura RDX

Shown as a prototype version of the 2013 RDX, the second generation of Acura's five-passenger crossover SUV will up the ante with a new approach to achieving both advanced performance and fuel efficiency via a new engine, transmission and all-wheel drive system.

The 2013 RDX, scheduled to launch in Spring 2012, will have as standard equipment a 3.5-liter V-6 engine that produces 273 horsepower— 33 more than the outgoing model. For even higher performance and improved fuel economy, the RDX makes use of a 6-speed automatic transmission with a new lock-up torque converter. The RDX also gets a new, lighter all-wheel-drive system that provides the required performance and safety with increased efficiency.

With anticipated EPA fuel economy ratings of 20 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway, front-wheel-drive models of the 2013 RDX are expected to offer the best fuel economy of any gasoline-powered luxury SUV in its class.

The RDX exterior incorporates a sleek, more aerodynamically efficient body, evolving RDX from a sporty, compact SUV to a more formal look with a longer, sculpted hood and styling that is more elegant and sophisticated to match the Acura philosophy of timeless, beautiful design. Chassis updates include a longer wheelbase and wider track, all-new Amplitude Reactive Dampers, and a new motion adaptive electronic power steering system.

Inside the 2013 RDX, new sweeping shapes, matte surface trim, and generous use of leather combine to give the RDX interior an upscale look and luxury feel that Acura customers have come to expect. Abundant use of sound deadening materials and Active Sound Control team to provide an exceptionally quiet cabin. Additional interior features, such as larger door openings, more passenger room, increased cargo volume and a power rear tailgate make the RDX interior even more accommodating and flexible.

As with the ILX, the 2013 RDX will receive a host of new technologies including Pandora internet radio interface, SMS text message feature, a smart entry keyless access system, pushbutton start, and a three view rear camera. An available Technology Package will provide a full complement of relevant technologies, including AcuraLink® Satellite Communication System, Acura Navigation System with Voice Recognition™, AcuraLink Real-Time Traffic with Traffic Rerouting™, and AcuraLink Real-Time Weather™ with radar image maps. New for 2013, the even more advanced navigation system utilizes a hard disk drive (HDD) with 60 gigabytes of storage capacity – including 15 gigabytes that can be allocated for music storage.
Acura anticipates that the RDX will achieve top ratings in both NHTSA and IIHS crash safety testing.

Production of the new RDX will move to the East Liberty, Ohio plant of Honda of America Mfg., Inc.— home to one of the four top assembly lines in North America in the J.D. Power and Associates' 2011 Initial Quality Study (IQS). The first generation RDX has been built at the Marysville, Ohio auto plant, an IQS award winner for both of its assembly lines.

Acura NSX Concept

The dynamically-styled NSX Concept gives an indication of the next great performance vehicle from the Acura brand. Making use of lightweight materials and a mid-mounted V-6 engine, the NSX Concept employs several new technologies for Acura, including application of Acura's innovative new Sport Hybrid SH-AWD® (Super Handling All Wheel Drive™) hybrid system.

Utilizing an unique 2 Electric Motor Drive Unit with a bilateral torque adjustable control system, the all-new hybrid all-wheel-drive system can instantly generate negative or positive torque to the front wheels during cornering. Acura anticipates the new Sport Hybrid SH-AWD® will deliver handling performance unmatched by previous AWD systems. In addition to the handling benefits of the Sport Hybrid SH-AWD® system, a powerful next-generation VTEC® V-6 engine with direct-injection works in concert with a dual clutch transmission with built-in electric motor to create supercar acceleration while offering outstanding efficiency.

"This Sport Hybrid SH-AWD system will make NSX the ultimate expression of Acura's idea to create synergy between man and machine," said Takanobu Ito, president and CEO of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. "The NSX will make the driver one with the car to enhance dynamic driving abilities without getting in the way."

While most supercars opt for brute force delivered from a large engine, the NSX Concept champions the true racing philosophy of an extremely favorable power-to-weight ratio.
"Like the first NSX, we will again express high performance through engineering efficiency," added Ito, who led the development of Acura's first NSX supercar. "In this new era, even as we focus on the fun to drive spirit of the NSX, I think a supercar must respond positively to environmental responsibilities."

The new Acura supercar, expected to debut in the next three years, will be developed by an engineering team led by Honda R&D Americas, Inc., and manufactured in Ohio, at a yet to be named facility.

About AcuraAcura offers a full line of technologically advanced performance luxury vehicles through a network of 272 dealers within the United States. The 2012 Acura lineup features six distinctive models including the RL luxury performance sedan, the TL performance luxury sedan, the TSX sports sedan and Sport Wagon, the turbocharged RDX crossover SUV, the MDX luxury SUV and the ZDX four-door sports coupe. For media information and high-resolution photos of Acura vehicles, please visit www.acuranews.com. For consumer information, please visit www.acura.com. To view a webcast of the unveiling all three new Acura vehicles from the North America International Auto Show in Detroit, visit http://acuranews.com/live/2012naias-acura.

Source;

http://www.hondanews.com/channels/corporate-headlines/releases/acura-debuts-three-new-vehicles-at-the-2012-north-american-international-auto-show/photos/2013-acura-rdx-prototype

Casey Shain Renders the Next Gen Acura NSX Based on Avengers Movie Car

The Acura NSX supercar could be back in three years. A concept version of the Ferrari-fighter will debut in Detroit next month with a compact V-6 engine and lithium ion hybrid system. Journalists were given a glimpse of the car, which provided details for this artist's rendering.

LAS VEGAS -- Honda will overhaul and reposition its Acura lineup over the next 18 months and abandon its long pursuit of top-tier luxury-car status for the brand.

After years of trying to propel Acura into the front ranks with Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Lexus, Honda says it will settle for offering mid-level premium vehicles that favor fuel economy over performance.

With one exception: At the Detroit auto show next month, Honda will bring back the Ferrari-fighting Acura NSX -- a new version of the mid-engine supercar that disappeared in 2005 after a 15-year run. But instead of a monster engine, the NSX will have a compact, direct-injection V-6 teamed with a lithium ion battery pack. Another key to recalibrating Acura is the rollout of three new or redesigned sedans in the next 18 months, including a smaller compact and a bigger flagship.

"We are not satisfied with Acura's current positioning," Honda Motor Co. CEO Takanobu Ito said this month at the Tokyo Motor Show. "We want to showcase interesting and fun technologies and show excellent environmental performance."

In the works for Acura:
-- The ILX compact sedan will arrive in spring, using Honda's global Civic platform. It replaces the tired TSX that used the bones of the European Accord.
-- A redesigned RL flagship that is larger than the current version is due next fall.
-- A redesigned mid-sized TL sedan follows in the spring of 2013.

"Our sedans haven't been doing the job for the brand," said Vicki Poponi, American Honda assistant vice president for product planning, at a briefing here for dealers and the media.
Poponi said the TSX, TL and RL were cannibalizing sales because they were too close in footprint and interior size. The new models will create a bigger spread in the lineup.

Changes in the crossover categories also are coming, with a redesigned RDX compact arriving next spring and the next MDX in 2013.

In using the Civic as the basis for the ILX, Acura is traveling the same platform-sharing course it did with its Integra and RSX coupes in the 1980s and 1990s. But Poponi said the ILX will bear no resemblance to the Civic or the Canadian-market Acura CSX, which has been derided as a rebadged Civic.

"All the suspension settings will be tuned to be Acura," Poponi said. "Consider it as different as the TL is from the Accord or the MDX is from the Pilot."

The ILX will be available with a choice of a 2.0-liter direct-injection four-cylinder engine with automatic transmission, a 2.4-liter engine with a six-speed manual transmission or a 1.5-liter hybrid powertrain. Features will include push-button start, rearview camera, Pandora link and SMS with text-to-voice capability.

Acura hopes that sales of the ILX, to be priced "well below $30,000," will be about 40,000 units annually. The current-generation TSX peaked at 31,998 sales in 2008.

Next up is the flagship RL, which has had little success competing in the $50,000 sedan segment against the likes of the Mercedes-Benz E class, BMW 5 series and Lexus GS. Critics have called it overweight and underpowered, and the interior is cramped.

Poponi said the redesigned version will have more cabin space, with rear legroom going from worst-in-class to the best-in-class.

"It will have [BMW] 7 series cabin space with the agility of a 5 series," Poponi said. "Our sedans need to instill passion and emotion. The new flagship establishes that, and sets the ceiling for premium pricing. Once we have set that, then our SUVs can come into the market and leverage that prestige."

The RL will debut in April at the New York auto show and go on sale next fall.

As for the RDX, the previous generation has been criticized for the jerkiness of its turbocharged four-cylinder engine. The new RDX will have a V-6 with "top-class fuel economy," Poponi said.

The RDX also will use the Honda CR-V's simpler electric power steering and all-wheel-drive systems, rather than the pricier Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system of the old RDX. Poponi says it will be "quieter, roomier and more comfortable."

Then there is the NSX that arrives in concept form next month in Detroit. The original V-6-powered NSX was decked out with astonishing technology when it debuted in 1990. It was the first car without turbos to deliver 100 hp per liter of engine displacement. It also was the first major project for body engineer Takanobu Ito, now Honda's CEO.

Ito killed a previous NSX concept after the autumn 2008 Lehman Brothers meltdown destroyed Honda's desire to re-enter the segment. The project has been revived, but Ito has changed the concept.

"Our approach is efficiency and a strong power-to-weight ratio," said Acura sales boss Jeff Conrad. "The original NSX did this. But the proposed successor went into the classic world of a heavy vehicle, requiring a V-10 engine and other technologies to be a performance car."

Conrad adds: "That is not Acura DNA. If we are thinking about being sporty, we need to do it with the machine's efficiency. That's the thing we can do. The way we achieve it will be unique to Acura."

In addition to the NSX's compact V-6, the lithium ion battery-powered Sport Hybrid All-Wheel Drive system uses two integrated drive units at the rear wheels connected to a motor-generator that delivers power.

Regenerative brakes will capture electricity and deliver torque to the outside wheel -- while absorbing negative torque from the inside wheel -- as the car goes through a corner.

American Honda President Tetsuo Iwamura did not set a date for the NSX's launch, saying: "We hope within three years. ... As soon as possible."

Too much machine
Despite the NSX's go-fast ambitions, a major part of Acura's new philosophy will be dialing back on performance in exchange for fuel economy. Executives say that today's luxury cars have more power than they need, and that premium-vehicle buyers now care more about mpg than mph.

Conrad said Acura has returned to its original philosophy of elegant engineering and top-of-class fuel economy, and has stopped chasing the elite of the luxury segment. The new slogan: "Smart luxury."

Mike Accavitti, the former head of Dodge who became American Honda's vice president of marketing in August, describes the current luxury market as "too much machine and not enough humanity."

Said Accavitti: "Our overweight bodies require overweight engines and more safety systems to protect them. Some of these cars the average driver just can't control. We have been increasing performance beyond the ability of the driver, or we have complicated the driving process."

Poponi said of Acura's previous batch of products: "Our engineering ego was getting in the way."

Peaks and valleys
American Honda hopes this philosophy can stabilize Acura's sales, which have peaked twice -- once in the early 1990s and again in setting a brand record in 2005, at 209,610 units. But each time things fell apart because of ill-conceived products and faulty marketing -- not to mention the recent recession. This year, sales through November were down 7 percent to 110,170. Honda says short supplies caused by the March earthquake in Japan were a factor.

For a new crop of customers, Honda is looking at Generation Y. The leading edge of that generation is turning 30, and Honda says the generation's top priorities are exterior styling, price and environmental friendliness.

"A good sound system" finished fifth in its research, and less than 20 percent care about high performance, Honda says.

"Technology is only as good as the driver," said Gary Evert, division director for advanced automotive planning at Acura r&d. "The vehicle almost always has more capability than the driver can handle. Anything outside the customer's understanding is waste.

Source;

http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20111212/OEM03/312129953/1115/FRONTPAGE

Acura RL Replacement Coming in April, TL or TSX To Get Axed

Acura’s replacement for the aged RL will greet the public in April at the New York auto show. The model is desperately needed for the brand, which has struggled on the periphery of the luxury world since its birth as the first upscale Japanese nameplate 25 years ago.

The next flagship sedan—the company’s trepidation at calling it the RL gives us naive hope it’ll be named the Legend—is meant to embody the brand’s identity. A rendering we saw looked a lot like a bloated TL. So, uh, what exactly is the Acura brand identity?

According to the company’s execs, the flagship sedan will be relatively lightweight, nimble, and economical. It also will feature Honda’s new hybrid Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system, which uses a V-6 to power the front wheels and two electric motors for the rears. (You can read more about how the system works, and our drive of a car with a prototype of the system, here.)

Acura says that creating a spacious interior was a very high priority. As opposed to the new Honda Civic–based ILX, which will be pitched to younger buyers, the flagship sedan is meant to appeal to slightly older customers. As such, Acura’s engineers and designers focused on creating a car that would comfortably take a second couple out to dinner, and has a large-enough trunk to handle larger parcels. A product planner says that interior space will be comparable to that of a BMW 7-series, even though the vehicle’s exterior dimensions will be more like a 5er’s.

The flagship will sit atop a three-sedan product line. Currently, the company offers the TSX, the TL, and the RL. With the addition of the ILX and the confirmation of a replacement for the RL, that makes it likely that either the TSX or TL is on the chopping block. An alternative scenario sees the RL name dying off, with the new flagship wearing TL badging. In that case, the TSX—which is derived from the European Honda Accord—could hang around, with the ILX serving as a gateway to the brand.

The latter approach makes a little more sense—TL and TSX are arguably the most recognizable names in the Acura car family—but it strikes us as a little confusing. The ILX is being introduced as a low-cost entryway to the Acura brand; wasn’t that the point of the TSX when it originally launched? The first-gen car, having been bred to compete with the Ford Mondeo and lesser BMW 3-series models in Europe, was a precise handler and perfectly sized. Had this generation of TSX/Euro Accord not grown, there wouldn’t be a need for something smaller. But it did grow—into something a bit disappointing.

The TL has succeeded as Acura’s mainstay sedan for more than a decade in spite of having a forgettable alphanumeric name. It really is the modern-day Legend, and it seems like a mistake to cancel one of your better-known products. But it’s large, quite powerful, and offers all-wheel drive; with the new, bigger flagship on the way, what’s the point of keeping it?

In explaining the too-close positioning of the present-day RL and TL, an Acura product planner told us, “We made the same mistake twice.” (The first being the overlap of the Vigor and Legend in the 1990s.) Let’s hope the current sedan restructuring isn’t a third time.

Source;
http://blog.caranddriver.com/acura-rl-replacement-coming-in-april-tl-or-tsx-to-get-axed/

New Acura Sedan to be Built at Award-winning Plant in Greensburg

12/12/2011 - GREENSBURG, Ind.
Honda Manufacturing of Indiana, LLC (HMIN) today announced that it will be the exclusive manufacturer of the Acura ILX, an all-new luxury sedan going into mass production in Indiana in the spring of 2012. The new Acura ILX sedan will be positioned at the gateway to the Acura lineup and will be offered with both gasoline and gas-electric hybrid powertrain options. The new Acura ILX will be Acura's first-ever hybrid model, as well as the first Acura model to be produced in Indiana.

"Building this all-new Acura vehicle as the exclusive global source is a big responsibility for our associates," said HMIN President Jun Nishimoto. "I am very proud of what our Indiana team has accomplished in such a short time, and we have great confidence in our ability to produce a world-class luxury vehicle that exceeds the expectations of Acura customers."

The Acura ILX will join the TL sedan, ZDX crossover vehicle, and the MDX and RDX sport-utility vehicles as the fifth Acura model produced exclusively in North America. Acura finished second among all luxury brands in the J.D. Power and Associates' 2011 Initial Quality Study.

HMIN was recognized earlier this year for its outstanding quality as one of only three automobile plants globally to earn a Platinum Award for outstanding quality based on the results of J.D. Power and Associates' 2011 Initial Quality Survey℠ (IQS). The plant recently added nearly 1,000 associates to support the move to two-shift production, which started on Oct. 24, 2011, doubling the plant's capacity to 200,000 vehicles per year. The Acura ILX will be the first hybrid vehicle to be made in America at a Honda plant. Gasoline engines for the new Acura ILX will be produced at the Anna, Ohio, engine plant of Honda of America Mfg., Inc.

Acura will unveil a concept version of the new ILX sedan at the 2012 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit during media preview days, Jan. 9-10, 2012. Acura also will debut a new RDX sport-utility vehicle and a concept version of the next-generation Acura NSX supercar at the show, as it moves to further strengthen its product lineup with new products, new technologies and a sharper brand focus.

Source;
http://www.hondanews.com/channels/corporate-headlines/releases/new-acura-sedan-to-be-built-at-award-winning-plant-in-greensburg

Acura to Debut Three New Vehicles at the 2012 North American International Auto Show

12/11/2011 - TORRANCE, Calif.
Acura announced today that it will unveil three all-new vehicles at the 2012 North American International Auto Show including an all-new compact sports sedan, a redesigned RDX crossover sport utility vehicle, and a concept version of the next generation Acura NSX super car.

The Acura ILX Concept is a styling study of an all-new luxury compact sedan scheduled for launch in spring 2012. To be positioned at the gateway to the Acura lineup, the ILX will feature three powertrains including Acura's first-ever gas-electric hybrid. Acura also will unveil a prototype of the 2013 RDX, the second generation of Acura's five-passenger SUV. Finally, Acura will debut the NSX Concept, which represents the styling direction for the next generation of Acura's super sports car.

"Acura has a steady cadence of exciting new models coming to market and it will all begin in Detroit," said Jeff Conrad, vice president and general manager of Acura sales and service. "From the all-new Acura ILX at the gateway of the lineup to the pinnacle of performance with the Acura NSX Concept, Acura vehicles are being created for luxury customers who aspire to the highest levels of quality and value, with beautiful styling and the right balance of technology, performance and environmental responsibility."

All three vehicles will be introduced at the North America International Auto Show on January 9, 2012. The press conference will be webcast live on www.acuranews.com.

Source;
http://www.hondanews.com/channels/corporate-headlines/releases/acura-to-debut-three-new-vehicles-at-the-2012-north-american-international-auto-show