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2014 Acura RLX gets trick hybrid all-wheel drive system for LA

Acura has endured a year of mixed reviews and middling sales for its new RLX flagship. Meanwhile, the Japanese automaker has been readying what may be the very best version of the car for its debut. Now the wait is almost over, as Acura will show its 2014 RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD at this year's LA Auto Show.
When it comes to dealerships in the spring of 2014, the RLX Hybrid will be the most powerful production car Acura has ever sold. The combination of a 3.5-liter V6 and three electric motors - a 35-kilowatt motor pushing torque to the front wheels and two 27-kW units feeding the rears - creates a total system output of 377 horsepower.
Those rear-end electric motors do more than just add power, they also drive the rear wheels without a traditional rear drive shaft and differential. This newest iteration of the Super Handling-All Wheel Drive calls upon the two rear motors to both drive and brake the rear wheels, vectoring torque in cornering situations for additional grip. All three electric motors make use of regenerative braking to feed electricity back into the system's 260-volt lithium-ion battery pack.

Acura NSX is industry's first supercar with a female design lead

Michelle Christensen. Unless you've been casting about the web for some behind-the-scenes takes on recent exotic car launches or were unusually curious during the early days of the sport crossover trend, her name probably means nothing to you. She grew up in Northern California, where her family drag-raced. Venerables like the 1932 Ford, Plymouth GTX, and Dodge Super Bee rolled through her family garage. And Christensen grew up designing prom dresses for friends and dreaming of working in a pit crew. In fact, she didn't even realize car design was a real profession until junior high, when her father pointed out Chip Foose at a car show. After that, she was hooked, so she went to Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, where she reimagined the Plymouth Barracuda as her senior project. Today, Christensen can add the title of lead exterior designer on the 2016 Acura NSX to her resume. The first woman to lead the shape of a supercar, Christensen actually opened up her "First!" account with Acura in 2005 when the company swooped her up the night of graduation and she became its first female exterior car designer. Her first sketch on the job was a concept for the ZDX, and the bigwigs chose her design for production. She joined the NSX team after the mid-engined concept was introduced at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, replacing the front-engined V10 concept (we encourage you to go back and look at what was versus what is). Christensen thereafter led a crew of eight through a rework of the sheetmetal, with the focus being to keep the "emotional, 3-D kind of feeling." Reminiscing about her family's utterly unadorned '32 Ford hot rod, she said the NSX team was committed to keeping the design simple and light. Wind tunnel work led to larger bumper, hood and side intakes for better airflow on the production model. That, along with a switch in engine position, gave them a chance to go aggressive and to not only "punch more holes in it and make it more exotic," but also "take it to the gym and beef it up." In line with its decidedly un-retro rebirth, the third brake light that runs across the decklid is about the only nod to its predecessor. At age 34, we're certain we haven't seen the last of Christensen or her designs. Related Video:  

Acura TLX Type S PMC Edition gets the NSX's Gotham Gray Matte paint

Acura made three NSX-sourced colors available on the TLX Type S PMC Edition in 2022. Giving the sedan distinctive supercar flair must have struck a chord with enthusiasts, because the Honda-owned company added a fourth color called Gotham Gray Matte to the palette. If the name sounds familiar, it's likely because Gotham Gray Matte was also available on 50 units of the NSX Type S. The flat-gray paint is complemented by Berlina Black paint on the door handles, the side skirts, and the 20-inch wheels, a carbon fiber spoiler on the trunk lid, and a carbon fiber rear diffuser. Black exterior emblems add a touch of contrast to the design. But Acura painted the roof in the same color as the body, whereas the first batch of TLX Type S PMC Edition models announced in 2022 featured a Berlina Black-painted roof panel. Inside, the TLX Type S PMC Edition gains Milano Red leather upholstery, Ultrasuede inserts, black contrast stitching, carbon fiber trim, Type S-branded floor mats, and illuminated sill plates. The center console also features a metal plate that displays the car's serial number. Acura will build 50 units of the TLX Type S PMC Edition painted in Gotham Gray Matte. The sedan will enter production in April 2023, and it will be built by hand in the Performance Manufacturing Center that the company operates in Ohio; it's the same facility that built the now-retired NSX. Pricing starts at $66,995 including a $1,995 destination charge. In comparison, the standard TLX Type S costs $56,745.