Acura

If the latest reports prove to be accurate, the upcoming C8 Corvette -the first generation since 1953 with the engine in the middle- will come with a $169,900 starting price in one of its versions, probably the range-topping one. That is arguably a very serious -if not outrageous- amount of money, especially for a Corvette. Historically, the Corvette always offered one of the strongest values in the sports car world, featuring performance that’s comparable with much more expensive models, usually from the other side of the pond. But the arrival of the mid-engine Corvette will signify the beginning of a new era for the American icon, bringing -or at least expected to bring- supercar levels of performance to the table and as such, pricing must inevitably go up. Therefore the $170k price tag doesn’t sound so unreasonable, if of course is combined with the new range-topping twin-turbo V8 engine. Speaking of engines, the C8 Corvette is expected to be offered with three, or even … [Read more...] about If The Corvette C8 Costs $170,000, Then These Are Its Rivals

There’s any number of vehicles out there begging for an engine swap. But few, we’d argue, deserve it quite like the Honda S2000. And we’re not alone on that front. Just check put this roadster featured in the latest Build Biology video from The Hoonigans. Instead of the standard 2.0-liter straight four, this Schmuck (that’s actually his name) fitted the V6 from an Acura TL sedan. Not just any TL, either: this is the 3.2-liter J32A2 engine from the second-gen (circa 1999-2003) Type-S. And while he was at it, he bolted a couple of turbochargers on there, too. From the look of it (and owner/builder Jason Schmuck’s story), it wasn’t a simple job. And he didn’t take many shortcuts, either. There’s a swap kit available for these sixes, but there was still a lot of work to do – not least of which was building the six-inch-thick intercooler, the intake manifold, and the titanium exhaust, all from scratch. Putting the radiators in the back … [Read more...] about Swapping A Twin-Turbo V6 Into This Honda S2000 Was A Work Of Art

During our recent trip to check out the 2019 Acura ILX and NSX, we swung by the company’s Performance Manufacturing Center in Marysville, Ohio which is the exclusive home to NSX production. While Ohio sounds like an odd place to build a supercar, it’s actually not too surprising, as most of the company’s vehicles are made in the state. In fact, Acura can almost be considered an American luxury brand, as only model imported from Japan is the RLX – and the automaker sells less than 200 of those every month. Getting back to the NSX, the supercar is built in a unique plant that is optimized for low-volume production. While most factories have a moving assembly line and dozens of robots, the Performance Manufacturing Center is a largely open facility where cars are pushed between stations on rolling carts. The process of building the NSX starts with the vehicle’s multi-material space frame, which is built entirely in-house at the plant. While the assembly line … [Read more...] about We Witness How The New NSX Is Made In Acura’s Performance Manufacturing Center

It might not be the reality we want, but it’s the only reality we have. As car sales continue to dwindle (they’re down to roughly 30 percent of new vehicles sold), light trucks have picked up the torch at most brands, though some aren’t arriving fast enough to satisfy jittery executives in today’s stagnating market. At two premium Japanese brands, the arrival of two crossovers in the scorching compact segment had exactly the effect their creators hoped for. Acura and Infiniti, faced with declining sales in recent years, had reason to smile in October. The recipe is working. Acura’s third-generation RDX burst onto the scene this summer with a fairly aggressive level of content and a splashy launch that featured journalists getting tail-happy in the turbo, 10-speed ‘ute. This, plus the vehicle’s edgier design, clearly drew the attention of CUV-hungry buyers. In October, the RDX posted a sales increase of 75.3 percent, year over year, with volume … [Read more...] about Like the Saviors They Are, Two Compact Crossovers Lifted Their Struggling Brands in October

Sedan-based coupes from mainstream brands have largely gone out of favor with consumers and over the past few years we’ve seen a number of models get the axe. The last Nissan Altima Coupe rolled off the line in 2013, while the Honda Accord Coupe was killed when the tenth-generation model was introduced last year. While it’s unfortunate that these models have fallen by the wayside, we couldn’t pass up an opportunity to take a short spin in the 2003 Acura CL 3.2 Type-S during our trip to Ohio to check out the 2019 ILX and NSX. This is as new as it gets with just 388 miles on the odo! Loving taken care of by Acura, the 2003 CL Type-S looks like it just rolled off the assembly line. Logical as it had just 388 miles or 625 km on the odometer. The model is in such pristine condition, that it still features its original window sticker which reveals the model came fully loaded when it was built nearly 15 years ago. Styling trends have changed significantly since then and the … [Read more...] about We Drive A Brand New 2003 Acura CL 3.2 Type-S, A Fun Throwback To Sedan-Based Coupes