Friday, January 17, 2014

RIP Acura ZDX

Although you still can configure a ZDX on Acura.com, 2013 was the last year for the crossover vehicle. The Acura ZDX Prototype debuted at the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) in 2009. The model was killed because it wasn't making sales and only lived for about 4 years. Nice try Acura, rest in peace ZDX.


For more details please see Acura's press release from last year.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Acura Plans To Move Up To GT Category In Pirelli World Challenge Championship

Acura Motorsports today pulled the wraps off the new 2015 Acura TLX GT Race Car at the North American International Auto Show, announcing plans to move up to the GT category of the growing and highly competitive Pirelli World Challenge Championship.

To be campaigned by long time Acura Motorsports partner RealTime Racing, the new TLX GT will move Acura into the top category of the Pirelli World Challenge, facing competition that includes the Audi R8 LMS, Cadillac CTS-V, Chevrolet Corvette, Dodge Viper, Lamborghini Gallardo, Mercedes SLS, Nissan GTR, Porsche 911 and Ferrari 458.

Developed from the production 2015 Acura TLX by HPD, the racing arm of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., the Acura TLX GT Race Car will feature HPD chassis and aerodynamic performance parts approved for Pirelli World Challenge competition, and will be powered by a direct-injected, twin-turbocharged V6 engine, developed by HPD from the normally aspirated, production TLX luxury sport sedan. It will utilize all-wheel drive, as found in Acura's Super-Handling All Wheel Drive™ (SH-AWD™).

HPD was founded in 1993 as the performance arm of American Honda, to spearhead the company's entry into Indy car racing. No other manufacturer has matched Honda's success in Indy cars, which includes 204 race victories, 15 drivers' championships, six manufacturers' championships and nine consecutive Indianapolis 500 victories. In 2013, Honda powered veteran Scott Dixon to four race wins and the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series championship; and Tristan Vautier to series Rookie of the Year honors.



HPD's prototype racing efforts have resulted in more than 60 victories and multiple American Le Mans Series championships. The company's sports car racing debut in 2007 at the 12 Hours of Sebring marked the first win for HPD's LM-V8 engine; and the first for a Honda racing engine designed and developed outside of Japan. HPD won the LMP2 title in the inaugural 2012 World Endurance Championship and has twice won the LMP2 category at the 24 Hours of Le Mans since 2010. In 2013, HPD and Honda again swept the LMP1 and LMP2 manufacturers', engine, team and drivers' championships in the American Le Mans Series; while HPD-equipped Strakka Racing claimed the LMP1 class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for private team entries.

HPD participates in competition on both two wheels and four. The company offers a complete line of race engines for cars from grass roots to pinnacle; for professional, amateur and entry-level racers.

The Acura TLX GT Race Car will be campaigned by Wisconsin-based RealTime Racing, the most successful team in Pirelli World Challenge history. Established in 1987 by owner/driver Peter Cunningham, RTR has raced and won with both Honda and Acura products. Since entering the Sports Car Club of America Pro Racing-sanctioned World Challenge series in 1993, the team has scored a record 85 race victories on its way to 14 Manufacturers' Championships and 14 Drivers' Championships.


Don't forget to check out the Acura TLX Debut.

2015 Acura TLX Prototype

Acura today unveiled the 2015 Acura TLX Prototype showcasing the design and performance direction for the all-new 2015 TLX performance-luxury sedan launching mid-year at Acura dealerships nationwide. The TLX was developed around the theme"Red Carpet Athlete" to deliver a compelling blend of luxury refinement and sports-sedan athleticism, with exhilarating performance enhanced by next-generation Acura powertrain and dynamic handling technologies. The TLX will join the ILX compact luxury sedan and the RLX luxury performance sedan as the third vehicle in Acura's sedan lineup. The new TLX replaces both the TSX and TL sedans.




Car highlights include:
  • Jewel Eye LED
  • Dimensionally, the overall length is 3.8 inches shorter than the current TL, yet rides the same 109.3 inch wheelbase as the TL. The prototype's right-sized dimensions place the new TLX neatly in between the smaller ILX and larger RLX sedans.
  • Two-wheel drive and all-wheel drive versions.
    • Two-wheel drive with either the 2.4 or 3.5 liter engines
    • TLX SH-AWD is exclusively for the 3.5 liter V6 engine with 9-speed transmission.
  • Two new engines
    • 2.4-liter 16-valve inline 4-cylinder with direct-injection.
    • 3.5-liter SOHC V6 with direct injection
  • Two new transmissions.
    • 8-speed dual clutch transmission (DCT) with torque converter is mated with the new 4 cylinder engine.
    • 9-speed automatic transmission is mated with the V6 engine


The TLX was designed and developed in the United States by Acura engineers working in the company's Los Angeles design studio and Raymond, Ohio new-vehicle development center. The new TLX will be produced using domestic and globally sourced parts at the company's award-winning Marysville, Ohio auto plant, which presently manufactures the 2014 Acura TL performance-luxury sedan.




Acura Reveals TLX Prototype at 2014 NAIAS in Detroit Video:


For more details, please see the Acura TLX Press Release.

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