Stock 2007 Acura TL Type-S on Dyno

With a aluminum-alloy SOHC VTEC V-6 and a displacement of 3.5 liters, the TL Type-S is rated at 286 @ 6200 rpm and 256 @ 5000 rpm.



"With a crank rating of 286hp, the TL Type-S' 250+whp results are pretty impressive." - ToV

[Click Here] For the dyno plot of the 2007 TL Type-S vs. 2004 TL

European Accord Sport GT

Honda UK has added a new mode to its range with the introduction of the Accord Sport GT, a new trim/equipment package based on the existing Euro Accord. The European Honda Accord is basically the Acura TSX here in the States. The Sport GT version gets a sport suspension, Graphite-finish alloys (17" for the sedan, 16" for the wagon -- a.k.a. Tourer) and several appearance and convenience upgrades. Those include the Premium White Pear finish shown above, dark chrome grille and door handles, red gauges, carbon fiber-look inlays on the dash and center console, a decklid spoiler, premium audio, nav, Bluetooth, and a few other items.



The Accord Sport GT is powered by Honda's 2.2L i-CDTi turbodiesel, which delivers 140 horsepower at 4000 rpm and 250 lb-ft of torque at 2000 rpm. Combined cycle fuel economy is right around 42.8 mpg (US).



[Source] AutoBlog.com

The car looks pretty good. I especially like the rims better than the current style on the refreshed (2006 & after) Acura TSX. I wonder if we're going to see a "Sport GT" version for the Acura TSX anytime soon, however It's more likely that we'll be seeing a "Type-S" version from Acura.

[Related] A TSX that gets more MPG than a Prius!

How Long to Make a Car?

According to the latest Harbour Report, Toyota needs only 29.93 hours to make a car. Nissan came next with 29.97 hours, and Honda third at 31.63 hours. Those numbers cover stamping, engine and transmission production, and car assembly. GM takes 32.36 hours to make a car, which was a 2.5% improvement over the year before.

To be expected, although the domestics put up solid productivity numbers, profit-per-vehicle still lagged. Toyota and Honda made, on average, $1,200 pre-tax profit on each car sold in the US. The Big Three lost anywhere from $1,072 to $5,234 last year on every vehicle sold. Health care and pension liabilities and incentives were to blame.

[A Look into the Past] Ayrton Senna in NSX at Suzuka

The legendary F1 driver tackles Suzuka in loafers! Senna is what made the original NSX the respected supercar it is today.

Here is video of Senna's "last lap."



ESPN's coverage of the fatal crash:



Here his crash is being analyzed:

On lap 7, from the onboard camera of Michael Schumacher's Benetton, Senna's car was seen to break traction twice at the rear, go off the track at Tamburello corner and strike an unprotected concrete barrier. Telemetry shows he left the track at 310 km/h (193 mph) and was able to slow the car down to 218 km/h (135 mph) in less than two seconds before hitting the wall.

A National Geographic documentary concluded that that if Senna's reactions had actually been slower, he might have survived the crash.

The irony of the on board video available from Senna's car is that the final seconds of footage are missing. The approximately 1.5 seconds of remaining video which would have provided a definite answer as to the cause of Senna's death were lost in an act of astounding coincidence when the TV race director decided to switch camera signals at the very instant the Williams started to leave the track. Perhaps unsurprisingly, numerous rumours abound that the remaining 1.5 seconds are not lost and reportedly show Senna's steering wheel clearly coming off in his hands as his car is leaving the track.- Wikipedia.com

Below you can see the changes made to circuit in response to the deaths of Senna and Ratzenberger.


Ayrton Senna's body was flown home, and on 5 May about half a million people watched the coffin pass by in a state funeral in Sao Paolo.

R.I.P. Ayrton Senna.

[A Look into the Past] RD-X Concept Video

2002 Acura RD-X Concept Pictures

For more Acura Concepts

Drawing of original NSX

Click here for more NSX entries.

[Video] Koni Challenge Daytona 2007

Highlights from the Kensai Acura TSX #75 of Beau Buisson and Travis Walker.

TSX wins Koni Challenge at Laguna Seca!

Karl Thomson and Billy Johnson co-drove to their second 2007 win in four races this season and retook the championship lead with a victory in the No. 76 Kensai Racing/Compass360.com Acura TSX in Saturday's Grand-Am KONI Challenge (ST) Street Tuner Monterey 200 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The duo also combined to win the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway in January. [Source]





Here's an in-car and nose cam, from Billy Johnson in practice. The day before he won the Grand Am Koni Challenge ST race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Famous Geek drives Acura TSX?

According to automotoportal.com's article: What Cars Do Famous Geeks Drive? Chris Pirillo drives a 2006 Acura TSX. Here's what automotoportal.com had to say:

Chris Pirillo is an Internet entrepreneur, book author, ex-TV show host and technology enthusiast. He is addicted to computer hardware and software -and the Acura TSX. According to him, the 2006 TSX is about as geeky as today’s cars can get. This car has an audio in jack, live traffic reports, Bluetooth connectivity, Zagat ratings and an excellent navigation system with voice recognition.

The car also has handsfreelink, keyless access system with driver recognition. The sound system in the Acura is a 360-watt system with AM/FM stereo, 6 disc in dash CD changer and eight speakers. There is also an XM satellite radio, MP3/auxillary input jack and home link. Other accessories include a dual zone automatic climate control system and heated front seats, theft deterrent system with an electronic immobilizer. The exterior temperature indicator lets you know what the temperature is outside.

Now it's time to take out the red pen teachers use to correct student's work:
1) The TSX does NOT have live traffic reports,
2) the picture automotoportal.com has up for the 2006 Acura TSX is actually a pre-2006 model (this is noted because of the lacking integrated fog lights), &
3) Chris Pirillo no longer drives a TSX, but instead drives an Acura RL.

I don't know what automotoprotal.com was doing, but it sure wasn't research. Here is the entry from Chris Pirillo when he was thinking of "upgrading" his Acura TSX. Being a TSX owner myself, I actually left a comment on that entry in September of last year. At that time, I had no idea Mr. Pirillo was "famous."

Some Upclose Photos of Concept cars from Acura Design Studio

IGN.com posted some pictures from their visit to the new Acura Design Studio.


The highly talked about 1995 Acura CL-X Concept.


Side view of the CL-X.


The rear end of the CL-X.


Acura RDX Concept.


Acura MDX Concept.


A photo of the Acura Sedan Concept.


Acura Sports Car Concept.

No Longer a 1995 Acura Integra

I first read about this mod on Acurazine.com. Garo set out to build his dream-car. Which was a vehicle with a 2005 Acura TL front and 2005 Infiniti G35 2DR coupe for the back. If you need to stop and re-read that sentence again, I'll wait. *pauses for a second* Well anyway, on to the pictures!


Photoshop image of the "dream-car."



Before an after (so far) - front.


Before an after (so far).



Before an after (so far) - back.



Before and after (so far) - rear lights.



Before and after (so far) - side view.



Old hood opened.


Door opened - front view.


Just posing...


Hood and doors opened.



Current interior picture.

If you want to see more pictures of this project and the owner, click here. I hope he does some kind of engine swap too. That's a lot of car for a 4 cylinder engine to haul around.

[Update Photo - June 19, 2007]

Starting to look pretty sharp!

More on Honda R&D Americas (HRA)

Established in Torrance, California in 1975 to conduct local market research and design activities, today Honda R&D Americas (HRA) has the capability of "complete product creation" - developing all-new vehicles starting from market and technology research and design styling through engineering design, fabrication and testing, local parts procurement and mass production preparation. Formally incorporated in 1984, HRA over the past 30 years has steadily expanded the size and scope of its operations to encompass the full range of research, design and development activities for Honda and Acura automobiles as well as Honda motorcycles and Honda power equipment products.

Major U.S. R&D facilities:

Los Angeles Center (Torrance, CA) - established in January 1975, the Los Angeles Center is responsible for market research, concept creation and styling design through three separate studios. The center is also playing a critical role in the development of alternative fuel technologies and operates two of the world's most advanced hydrogen fueling stations.

• Honda Design Studio (Torrance, CA) - plays a leading role in market research, concept creation and vehicle design of future Honda automobile and motorcycle/ATV models.
• Acura Design Studio (Torrance, CA) - plays a leading role in market research, concept creation and vehicle design of future Acura models.
• Advanced design Studio (Pasadena, CA) - focused on the conception and creation of future design concepts.

Ohio Center (Raymond, OH) - established in July 1985, the Ohio Center is responsible for technology research and complete vehicle design and development including body, chassis, interior, electrical, engine application and safety engineering, as well as support of North American and global manufacturing operations and component suppliers. It also operates one of the industry's most sophisticated Automotive Safety Research facilities, established in October, 2003.

North Carolina Center (Swepsonville, NC) - established in August 1993, the North Carolina Center is responsible for design, testing and prototype development and supplier support for Honda power equipment products made in North Carolina.

Transportation Research Center (East Liberty, OH) - purchased by Honda in January 1988, TRC was an existing vehicle research and testing facility originally developed by the state of Ohio. Comprehensive vehicle testing is conducted at the facility's laboratories and test courses including a 7.5-mile banked oval, numerous on-road and off-road dynamic test tracks.

Honda Proving Center of California (Mojave Desert, CA) - established in June 1990, HPCC is responsible for comprehensive vehicle testing including a 7.5-mile oval track and numerous on-road and off-road test courses.

HRA Vehicle Development History:

Vehicle	Model Detail
1989 Honda Accord SEi	HRA performed design styling and local parts procurement for many of the exclusive components of the "Special Edition" vehicle
1991 Accord Wagon	First HRA developed "derivative model". Based on the 1990 Accord Sedan for North America and export to Japan and Europe
1993 Civic Coupe	First Civic Coupe. A "derivative" model based on the 1992 Civic hatchback.
1994 Accord Wagon	First HRA simultaneously developed "derivative model" based on the 1994 Accord Sedan.
1997 Acura CL 2.2 (Coupe)	First all-new vehicle development by HRA and the first to be led by an American engineer
1997 Acura CL 3.0 (Coupe)	First vehicle to receive all new high-output V6 engine
1997 Acura 1.6EL	New Acura model developed exclusively for Canadian market.
1998 Accord Coupe	First Accord Coupe with exclusive exterior styling
1999 Acura 3.2TL	Second all-new Acura model development by HRA.
2001 Acura 3.2CL	Third all-new Acura model with application of new 6-speed manual transmission for V6 engine
2001 Acura MDX	Acura's first original SUV - 2001 Motor Trend SUV of the Year and North American Truck of the Year.
2001 Civic Coupe	First small car to earn NHTSA five-star safety rating in frontal and side impact (NCAP) crash test ratings
2002 Acura TL	Introduction of high performance TL "Type-S" model
2003 Honda Pilot	Honda's best-selling SUV - five-time Car and Driver 5 Best Truck.
2003 Honda Element	Innovative SUV with flat cargo floor and 'B-pillarless' wide-opening side doors.
2004 Acura TL	America's best selling luxury sedan 2004 and 2005.
2006 Honda Ridgeline	Honda's first-ever and highly innovative pickup truck. 2006 Motor Trend, North American and Canadian Truck of the Year
2006 Accord Sedan and Coupe	Mid-model refresh of 2003 Accord. First time HRA is responsible for global launch of new model including coordination of production launch in 8 plants worldwide
2006 Civic Coupe and Civic Si	Sporty 2-door coupe and high-performance Si versions of 8th generation Civic - 2006 North American, Canadian and Motor Trend Car of the Year
2007 Acura MDX	Track-tuned at the famed Nurburgring racetrack in Germany, this 2nd generation MDX features bold styling, cutting-edge technology and ample SUV utility, to skillfully balance performance with functionality

Today, approximately 30 percent of all Honda and Acura vehicles sold in America and 50 percent of all U.S. light truck sales are products researched, designed and developed in America. These include some of the company's most innovative and trend-setting cars and light trucks including the Acura MDX and Acura TL, and the Honda Pilot, Element, Ridgeline truck and Civic Coupe and Si.

I thought the RDX is also a HRA product?

[Source] AcuraNews

[Video] Next NSX (?) in action!

But why an S2000 mule? Simple. Honda/Acura is restyling its supercar. One source close to Honda states that reaction to the exterior styling has been "merely lukewarm," and as a result, the company is in the process of redesigning the car from the ground up. Another aspect of this coupe that's still up in the air is its official name. While NSX is still the name that's getting thrown around, Honda wants to distance this front-engine supercar from the midengine NSX with a new name that expresses this car's new mission as a grand tourer. Think of it as a Honda DB9 or an Acura M6.

According to Takeo Fukui, CEO of Honda, the car will sit on a brand-new platform and employ a new V10 engine. Supposedly, the engine will displace 5.5 liters and generate upward of 550 horsepower, making it Japan's most powerful road-going car ever. With good fuel economy and cleaner emissions striking an ever-stronger chord among potential customers, sources state that Honda engineers have covered their bases by creating a fuel-efficient V10 engine that effectively shuts down five cylinders depending on the circumstances. the Honda V10 will also incorporate a revised version of the company's new SH-AWD four-wheel-drive technology first seen on the Acura RL.

Expected to have a top speed of over 200 mph and the ability to sprint to 60 mph in about 3.5 seconds, the NSX successor will undergo rigorous testing in Japan and at the Nürburgring, and we'll see a restyled concept at the Tokyo Motor Show in October.

[Source] Autoblog

This supercar sounds fine and dandy, but with a $150k+ pricetag, will it really sell?

Acura Design Center Opens

The new $15 million Acura Design Studio officially opened its doors today, assuming a key role in the development of new concepts and designs that will lead directly to future Acura products. With state-of-the-art design technologies and a work layout focused on improving collaboration, the new design studio represents the next step in the advance of the Acura brand.



Designed to achieve a high level of energy efficiency, the studio also is expected to be certified as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). A number of measures were adopted in the design and construction of the studio, with the goal of achieving LEED gold certification.



"This Acura Design Studio will help conceive and design the future of Acura," said Toshihiko Nonaka, president of Honda R&D Americas (HRA). "Our goal here is to create emotional designs that create a strong and distinct image for Acura products."



A number of Acura models, including the Acura MDX luxury sport utility vehicle and Acura TL luxury performance sedan, have been designed, developed and engineered by HRA. Moving Acura design activities into a state-of-the-art independent studio provides a more clear focus to advance the unique character of the Acura brand.

"The Acura Design Studio will be critical in our efforts to deliver products at the right times and ahead of the competition."

"Acura is no longer a large moon circling the Honda planet," said Jon Ikeda, manager of the new studio. "We now have established our own orbit as an independent Acura planet."

Key technologies in the Acura Design Studio include a computer-generated virtual simulator that enables design stylists to display virtual vehicles in a one-to-one ratio. Other features in the facility design include the parallel arrangement of the interior and exterior design areas on the styling floor to better enable collaboration of designers involved in a new vehicle.



A celebratory groundbreaking for the Acura Design Studio was conducted March 27, 2006, marking the 20th anniversary of the creation of the Acura brand. Acura was the world's first Japanese luxury nameplate and the first Japanese luxury automaker to design, develop and manufacturer its vehicles in North America. Today, nearly two-thirds of all Acura vehicles sold in America are researched, designed, developed and assembled exclusively in North America.



In the effort to achieve a Gold rating by the USGBC, the Acura Design Studio includes many energy-saving attributes such as an Energy Star reflective roof to reduce heat gain and lower air conditioning requirements; reclaimed water used for landscaping; and an intelligent lighting system that makes greater use of natural light. Honda has other LEED gold certified facilities in Gresham, Oregon and Raymond, Ohio.



With the addition of the Acura Design Studio, the company operates 13 major R&D facilities in North America with more than 1,200 designers, engineers and support personnel engaged in the development of automobiles, motorcycles and power equipment products for North America and global markets. HRA's major centers include the Los Angeles Center (Torrance, CA) responsible for market research, concept development and styling design; the Ohio Center (Raymond, OH) responsible for complete product development, testing and support of North American supplier development; and two dynamic test facilities in California and Ohio; and the North Carolina Center (Swepsonville, NC) responsible for power equipment R&D.


[Source] AcuraNews

[Rumor] More Photos of 2009 Acura NSX Mule?

More pictures of the "test mule" from LeftLaneNews.com.














MotorTrend.com's article











Front engine vs. mid-engine layout and NSX vs. S2000 replacement seem to be the debates about this test mule. What do you think?

Don't forget to take a look at the previous post.

[Rumor] 2009 (or 2010) Acura NSX Spy photos?

I read this off Autoblog, which links to Straightline for the photos.





"It was over a year ago when Honda officials confirmed a V10 engine for the next-generation NSX, but since then all we've heard or seen out of Japan was the Sports Car Concept shown in Detroit. " - Straightline

I don't know what Straightline is thinking, but the Acura Advanced Sports Car Concept (ASCC) was not designed in Japan. From my understanding, it was something that came out of Acura's design center in the United States. I remember reading how the top people at Honda in Japan don't like the new ASCC design and want something else.

Anyway, Straightline is reporting that this heavily modded Honda S2000 with 4 tailpipes was found in Nurburgring, German is a signal that Honda/Acura hasn't stopped working on the next generation NSX. There's speculation that Honda is using this mutated S2000 for drivetrain and chassis development. Don't look at me, I'm just reporting what I read.