2022 Acura Mdx Advance on 2040-cars

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Acura NSX electric revival? 'I would bet on it'

This year marks the end of the Acura NSX as we know it. Its swan song, the 600-horsepower 2022 Type S, saw only 300 made for the U.S. market, and all of them sold out in 24 hours. It's barely disappeared over the horizon, but Acura's V.P. and brand officer is already previewing the NSX's third act. Speaking with Nikkei Asia, Jon Ikeda was asked whether a third generation NSX was forthcoming. "I would bet on it," he said. Ikeda also predicted that if the wager lands in his favor, "it's going to be [all-]electric." This falls in line with statements Ikeda made a year ago. At the time, he explained that the NSX emerges when parent company Honda wants to make a statement: The first generation was Honda's vision for an F1-derived petrol-powered supercar; the second generation arrived as an affordable hybrid halo car in the age of gasoline-electrics. He didn't elaborate on the third generation's powertrain back then, but this time Ikeda was more adamant about electric power.  Part of Ikeda's certainty, the article states, comes from global CEO Toshihiro Mibe's commitment to electrify Honda's lineup. Soon after taking the top job in April 2021, Mibe announced plans to convert Honda's entire lineup to EVs and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles by 2040. As for what kind of car an electric NSX would be, Ikeda has some ideas. "It won't be just about straight lines," he told Nikkei Asia. Blistering acceleration is already common in the electric supercar world, so Acura would need to bring something novel to the table. Ikeda wants the NSX to be a technological showcase for ultimate handling as well, something the outgoing NSX did with its driver-focused Super Handling AWD system.  We've long bemoaned how the new breed of electrified supercars have incredible specs on paper, but somehow don't feel as engaging to drive. That's a niche Acura could fill. In the often contentious give and take between American Honda and Honda Motor's engineering departments, the Japan mothership tends to win out. However, these days Honda barely sells anything beyond kei cars in Japan. It's up to leaders like Ikeda and those who understand the U.S. market to drag the company toward the performance-minded engineering philosophies Old Man Soichiro founded his business on. Related video:

Acura ARX-06 race car revealed with V6 hybrid powertrain

There’s a new Acura race car on the block, and itÂ’s called the ARX-06. It replaces the ARX-05, and Acura plans to race it in the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar GTP Championship. Unfortunately, Acura makes no mention of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in all of the details provided with the reveal. That said, it sure looks like a race car that could be made to meet all of the regulations to race in the new LMDh Hypercar class. Acura engineered a new 2.4-liter twin-turbo V6 engine that is paired up with a standardized electric system for hybridization. Acura says the 2.4-liter displacement is the smallest displacement engine the HPD team has made for endurance racing yet. It features a 90-degree V-angle, and itÂ’s designed to run on more sustainable low-carbon fuel. "We've gone in a new direction for HPD in the design of the ICE,” said Pierre Descamps, HPD's powertrain design leader for the ARX-06. “It is still a V6, which of course for Honda is well-known, but we have incorporated several new elements which we believe will make best use of the electric MGU and battery pack. Our new engine will rev to the maximum 10,000 rpm set by the rules, so it also makes a wonderful sound!" The new bodywork penned by the Acura Design Studio in Los Angeles sits on an ORECA chassis (one of the four chassis options required by IMSA and the WEC). Acura notes one big change versus the outgoing ARX-05 is found in the rearview mirrors. Designers were able to move them lower on the car, which improved both aerodynamic performance and visibility for the drivers. Similar to years past, these new ARX-06 race cars will be run by Wayne Taylor Racing and Meyer Shank Racing. TheyÂ’ll make their debut at the Rolex 24 at Daytona next year, where the Meyer Shank Racing team took first place earlier this year. Related video:

The cars that won't live to see 2015 [w/video]

Every year in the fast-paced automotive industry brings new models, but it also spells the end for some that have been less successful. This year will be no exception.
Japan's automakers make up the bulk of the list of discontinued models for the 2015 model year: Acura is replacing the TL and TSX with the new TLX sedan, Honda is bidding farewell to the Fit EV as the new Fit hatchback takes its place, and Nissan is saying goodbye to both the Cube and Murano CrossCabriolet. Both the Nissan Maxima and Mazda2 exit stage left before their upcoming replacements arrive, while Toyota is terminating the RAV4 EV and FJ Cruiser as well as the Scion xD, and Lexus IS C and IS F that are being effectively replaced by the new RC. Meanwhile Infiniti is finally discontinuing the G37 that was already replaced by the newer Q50.
From our own domestic automakers, Cadillac discontinues the CTS-V sedan and wagon as the new CTS rolls in, Chevy is canceling the mild-hybrid Eco versions of the Malibu and Impala sedans, and Chrysler is killing off the 200 convertible as the new 200 sedan arrives.