2022 Acura Ilx on 2040-cars

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New Acura Integra teased, and it looks good

We've been expecting a number of big announcements and debuts this week, like the two-row Jeep Grand Cherokee and Rolls-Royce's "historic" announcement about electrification, both happening tomorrow. What we weren't expecting was Acura to shock us again with another Integra tease. Honda's luxury arm posted a seven-second clip to Twitter flashing the new Integra's rear-three-quarter. That tweet came with a link to a landing page at Acura's site with the image you see above.  Although the ILX features the same design language, the switch to a hatch gives us late-model Hyundai Genesis Coupe vibes. That's not a ding on the Integra, and we have faith in what's to come. Other than realizing the teased Integra tailgate has a completely different shutline to the 2022 Honda Civic hatchback, the only info we have on the car came in the caption above the image: "Integra Returns In 2022. The fifth-generation Integra will be a premium sport compact with a striking five-door design. More details about the all-new Integra will be available closer to its 2022 introduction." Most of this we already knew from the first teaser that dropped in August. The single new addition to our knowledge is the word "sport." An icon, resurrected. #ReturnOfIntegrahttps://t.co/gfMmNbE298 pic.twitter.com/0tyLyOFZlK — Acura (@Acura) September 28, 2021 This is a fertile time for reborn nameplates, although not every attempt has stuck the landing — looking at you, Acura NSX and Lamborghini Countach. When the Autoblog staff mooted ideas for what they'd like a new Integra to be, this writer liked Road Test Editor and Integra owner Zac Palmer's wish for "a small, affordable car directed toward enthusiasts," the kind Acura hasn't had for a while. A commenter's note on that line suggested "The first-gen TSX could probably be considered that car." The first-gen TSX was special, and offered a manual transmission. We'd be happy with a return of the original Integra and TSX philosophies with modern underpinnings. Whatever we get, we hope Acura gets it bang on this time. It can't be that hard to re-create a legendary nameplate that lasted 21 years and still compels pining and lust, can it? Until the next digital hint drops, we'll go back to pretending not to wait for a surprise from Japan. Related video: 2021 Acura TLX 2.0-liter turbo-four soundtrack | Autoblog

2020 Acura NSX Suspension Deep Dive

The Acura NSX has been a special car as long as I’ve been in the business. The first one came out in 1990, the same year I started my career in automotive engineering. I vividly remember driving one briefly back then when we brought one in for benchmarking. I'd drive it again 22 years later when my previous employer bought a used 1991 example for a long-term test. Reader interest was sky-high and the car was still gorgeous, but the march of time and automotive engineering had clearly left it behind. Then, in 2016, a second-generation NSX emerged, and it was packed with bleeding-edge thinking. It has a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6, but this new NSX is a hybrid with an electric motor-generator sandwiched between the engine and its nine-speed DCT transmission. Two more electric motors – one for each wheel – power the front axle. There they can add traction, regenerate electricity under braking and dole out hyper-accurate levels of torque vectoring. The carÂ’s tire package was changed from Continental SportContact 5 to SportContact 6 tires in 2019, and numerous suspension re-tuning tweaks came along with them. The result is a lively and well-balanced car that is relentless when driven hard and a pussycat around town. LetÂ’s see what theyÂ’ve got going on under there.   At first glance the 2020 Acura NSX appears to have dual wishbone front suspension. But we canÂ’t tell for sure because that big two-piece brake rotor is in the way. The coil-over shock looks obvious, but a few odd details are apparent even from here.   This view also seems to indicate double wishbone suspension. But the pivot axis (green arrow) between the upper and lower ball joints looks wrong – itÂ’s far too vertical. WeÂ’re missing something. But I would be remiss if I failed to point out a few other things before we moved on. For one, the front drive axle confirms this to be an all-wheel-drive machine. Second, the forged aluminum damper mounting fork (yellow) that envelops the axle is mounted to the lower arm about 75% out from the armÂ’s inner pivot. The spring and damper motion ratio would be 0.75-to-1 relative to wheel movement, with a tiny reduction due to its lean angle. Lastly, just look at the huge cast aluminum upright (white). Beautiful. Normally these are called hub carriers or steering knuckles, and I use the terms interchangeably. But the motorsports-derived term upright is normally applied when the piece is tall and, well, upright like this one.   This explains everything.

2023 Acura RDX gains convenience features, costs $750 more

The 2023 Acura RDX has made it to dealer lots boasting a couple of new add-ons and a higher MSRP. Honda's luxury arm rejigged the equipment list for the 2022 model year, addressing the omissions that many, including us, griped about. Beyond the styling tweaks, the RDX got a quieter cabin, reworked drive modes and a retuned active suspension, standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Amazon Alexa compatibility, and a USB-C charging port. Enhanced convenience and safety gear counted blind-spot warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, and chassis reinforcements to improve crash performance. For 2023, Acura has made three years of AcuraLink and two years of the Acura Maintenance Package standard. AcuraLink includes the Security and Remote Packages. The former notifies a help center in case of a collision or emergency, and provides "enhanced roadside assistance." The latter gives owners smartphone control of the vehicle from a distance so they can start and stop the engine, lock and unlock the doors, find their vehicle whether it's simply been parked or if it's been stolen, and geofence a driving area. The maintenance package takes care of scheduled care for two years or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first. The 2023 version of the two-row crossover starts at $750 more than it did in 2022. This isn't bad considering AcuraLink runs $359 for a three-year commitment and a maintenance package would easily cost a few hundred more — or about the price of a bag of groceries lately. MSRPs for the 2023 RDX range after the $1,195 destination charge are: RDX: $42,545 RDX with Technology Package: $45,195 RDX A-Spec: $48,195 RDX with Advance Package (AWD only): $52,545 RDX A-Spec with Advance Package (AWD only): $54,545 Adding AWD to the three lower trims costs $2,200. Every RDX gets powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 272 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, shifted through a ten-speed automatic. Related video: