1998 Acura 2.3 Cl Manual 5 Speed on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Acura Street Performance ILX had an unfortunate smelting accident

There's a fun cliche for all-black cars based on an old Chevrolet Impala SS advertisement - "Lord Vader, your car is ready." It's been reproduced seemingly every time an automaker comes out with a menacing, black car. This Acura Street Performance ILX is for a different movie villain, though. Its advertisement should read, "Goldmember, your car is ready."
Yes, this is a matte gold car, and would probably be lusted after by that freaky deeky Dutch villain. And while it's easy to poke fun at the car's paint job, we're actually quite impressed with what Acura and MAD Industries have done with the car's mechanicals. The 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine has been boosted to 250 horsepower at the front wheels, thanks to a CT Engineering supercharger and an ECU reflash. A CT Engineering intake adds to the grunt, as does a new, prototype Greddy exhaust.
The car rides on 19-inch Nitto NT05 Max tires and TSW Max wheels, while Tein Super Street coilovers and a Stoptech big brake kit make the compact Acura a bit more controllable. Outside the car, an Acura Accessories body kit has been fitted, while the cabin sports a CT Engineering short shift kit, and a few other items from the Acura catalog.

Editors' Picks March 2024: Refreshed Acura TLX, the Mazda CX-90 and more

This month, a wide variety of body styles and powertrain propositions earn Editors' Picks status. The brand-new Mazda CX-90 has impressed us in many forms, but that comes as no surprise. The Tonale from Alfa may not be a super-hot performance SUV like the Stelvio Quadrifoglio, but it's still captured our love. And for those wishing to remain lower to the ground, the V60/V60 Cross Country bring style to the limited pie that is the wagon market. Lastly, Acura updates its TLX, and the package only gets better. In case you missed previous Editors' Picks posts, here’s a quick refresher on whatÂ’s going on here. We rate all the new cars we drive with a 1-10 score. Cars that are exemplary in their respective segments get an EditorsÂ’ Pick designation. Those are the ones weÂ’d recommend to our friends, family and anybody whoÂ’s curious and asks the question. You'll find the entire list of Editors' Picks at this link here, which we keep updated as cars are either added or dropped from the list. The vehicles youÂ’ll find below consist of every car we rated in March that earned an EditorsÂ’ Pick. 2024 Mazda CX-90 2024 Mazda CX-90 PHEV Premium Plus View 70 Photos Quick take: The driver's three-row SUV. Enthusiasts who need space should seek out the CX-90. It translates Mazda's enthusiast DNA into a people hauler. Score: 8 What it competes with: Honda Pilot, Kia Telluride, Jeep Grand Cherokee L, Chevy Traverse, Subaru Ascent, Ford Explorer, Toyota Highlander, Mazda CX-9, Kia Sorento, Buick Enclave, Nissan Pathfinder, VW Atlas Pros: Lovely to drive inline-six; premium interior; will make you forget you're driving a family hauler Cons: Limited third-row and cargo space for the segment; PHEV is rough around the edges From the editors: News Editor Joel Stocksdale — "With excellent driving dynamics, classy interiors, strong powertrains and good value, the CX-90 should be high on anyone's shopping list, whether they're looking at mainstream or upscale brands. It's a strong competitor in a big field. The available interiors put it on par with some real upscale brands. It's not perfect, but it's very good, and it's a good sign for future Mazdas." Road Test Editor Zac Palmer — "There's little doubt that the CX-90 is the affordable three-row SUV for enthusiasts, and I think the inline-six is likely your best bet.

Alonso wants an NSX, but did Honda block him from Le Mans?

One of the biggest changes in store for the 2015 Formula One World Championship will see Fernando Alonso moving back to McLaren. That means he'll be driving under Honda power for the first time, after spending the bulk of his career driving for Renault and Ferrari. And being Honda's new poster child, as the two-time World Champion is fast discovering, has its advantages and its drawbacks. According to the latest reports, Alonso had been negotiating a clause in his contract with McLaren that could have seen him driving a Porsche 919 Hybrid at Le Mans this year, but Honda reportedly stepped in at the last minute and scuttled the plan. The drive would have been Alonso's first in the famous 24-hour race, after having had the honor of waving the flag at La Sarthe last summer. In one of the wilder rumors that emerged during the prolonged silence over his move for this season, the Spaniard was also linked to a potential return for Ferrari to Le Mans. That prospect came to naught, and now the Porsche deal has been wheeled into the garage, as well. The upcoming F1 season is expected to be one of transition, adjustment and development for McLaren and Honda, but the Japanese automaker's involvement in his hiring may not be all bad news for Alonso. Following the reveal of the new Acura NSX, Alonso tweeted "You still don't know, but one day we will be together..." followed by a series of heart-eyed smiley-face emoticons and accompanies by images of Honda's new supercar. The implication is that the two-time World Champion is expecting to get his talented hands on an NSX of his own, and we can certainly see how Honda would appreciate the imagery of Fernando driving around in its flagship. Even if it doesn't, though, we're sure McLaren would be glad to hook him up with a company car of its own – though Lewis Hamilton encountered some trouble securing (a very specific) one for himself. Even discounting the front-running F1 machinery he's been tasked with piloting on track to an impressive 32 career wins, Alonso has had some lustworthy company cars at his disposal over the years. At Renault, he had a Megane RS to drive, and during his last stint at McLaren, he had an SLR 722. But since signing with Ferrari, he's been given the keys to FCA models as varied as a Ferrari FF, a special 599 GTO, a Maserati GranCabrio, a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT and an Abarth 695... and those are just the ones we know about.