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Acura's MDX SEMA concept took the wrong parts from the NSX GT3

When it comes to SEMA show cars, the more absurd the better, such as with the 1,040-horsepower Bisimoto Hyundai Santa Fe. That's not the case with Acura's custom MDX. This crossover was designed to match the NSX GT3 racecar, and gets a custom trailer to tow it. However, instead of doing something awesome like dropping in the NSX's twin-turbo V6, Acura decided the defining characteristics of the race car were the paint, splitter, and wing. So that's what the MDX and trailer got. In addition to a matching white paint scheme with orange and black accents, the SUV wears a massive front splitter that looks like a shelf stuck close to the ground. It's the only aero modification on the vehicle, and it just looks silly, what with the massive gap between the base of the bumper and the splitter itself. There aren't any performance modifications on this SUV either, except the lowered suspension, so the only thing the splitter is likely to do is break off on the first mildly steep driveway it comes across. To complement the MDX's dubious aero aid, the custom trailer gets a "wing" at the back. Actually, it looks like Acura slapped some endplates on the back to give it a wing look. The trailer also gets running boards that extend the splitter along the side. Maybe it all works together to keep the trailering rig planted. But probably not. If Acura wants suggestions for next time, we suggest a mid-engined MDX, or perhaps one with a wild hybrid system. We'll call this a missed opportunity. Related Video: Featured Gallery Acura MDX with custom NSX GT3 Trailer: SEMA 2016 View 11 Photos Related Gallery 2017 Acura MDX SEMA concept Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2016 Drew Phillips / Autoblog Design/Style SEMA Show Acura Crossover Racing Vehicles acura mdx acura nsx gt3

Nice car seeks Millennials | 2018 Acura TLX First Drive

The Acura TLX has a new face. And a rear diffuser. There's also a new A-Spec version with stiffer dampers, quicker steering, a snarlier engine, and snazzy red leather. Plus, every TLX has a revised touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. That pretty much sums up the refreshed 2018 Acura TLX entry-level luxury sedan, which didn't exactly drop into the market with a splash when it launched originally. Is all of that enough to make a difference? Probably not. After a day driving it around southern Indiana and the outskirts of Louisville, Kentucky, the TLX continues to be a perfectly nice car. It's refined and the cabin is well built, but otherwise the sedan is unremarkable. Ah, but there's more going on here than just a mid-cycle refresh. The 2018 TLX is Acura's latest effort following the revised MDX to recast itself as the maker of "precision-crafted performance" cars, inspired by both the NSX and the Precision Concept car shown at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show. It's a top-to-bottom, R&D-to-marketing attempt to better appeal to today's holy grail of customer: the Millennial. To do that, it goes beyond the cars themselves. New Acura commercials are a far cry from an authoritative James Spader rationally extolling the virtues of this and that. There are fast cuts and three images perpetually on screen. There's pulse-pumping music, bright colors, and words like "Geek + Chic" and "Super + Sonic." There are many not-exactly-subliminal images of the NSX. There's a red Power Ranger. It's hip! It's young! It's Millennial! It's also a marketing campaign that has apparently connected with its target generation – well, at least in focus group ratings. "If you look at what the other brands are doing, and particularly the luxury brands, it's so serious," said Jon Ikeda, Acura vice president and general manager. "We're trying to make it more inclusive, not intimidating, more youthful, more optimistic, and more fun. We want to have fun with it. "[The commercials] are trying to set the tone of Acura in general, to make people go, 'OK, I'm interested in that, I want to go drive that.' Now it's up to us to make sure the product reflects that." And Ikeda is actually in a position to make that happen. He's not a business guy or a Mad Men marketing sort – he's moved upstairs after spending decades in design, a tenure that included penning the third-generation TL, the best-selling Acura model of all time and one of the best-looking.

2024 Acura ZDX getting Google in its infotainment

Acura is joining a number of automakers (such as Polestar, Chevrolet and others) in integrating Google apps directly in its infotainment system, first on the 2024 ZDX electric SUV. The integration includes Google Maps, Google Assistant and other Google apps. Additionally, the infotainment will continue to support phone mirroring apps such as Apple CarPlay and Google's own Android Auto. Among those apps, perhaps the most useful will be Google Maps. The reason being that it will be able to plan routes that include charging stops and charging time estimates. In addition to the routing, Google Maps will be able to tell the car to start preconditioning the battery for the fastest possible charge times when going to a DC fast charger. Of course, other Google apps will let you sign in with your account so that you have access to them without connecting your phone. But fortunately, you can connect and mirror your phone. This is notable as the ZDX will be on the GM Ultium platform, like the Honda Prologue. And GM is removing Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support from its upcoming Ultium models. So if you do like those features and are interested in the Ultium electrics, you may want to consider the Acura and Honda models. Another interesting tidbit from the Acura infotainment announcement is the fact that the ZDX will feature a touchscreen for the infotainment system. Almost all of Acura's current gas-powered vehicles use an infotainment system built around a touchpad, which is the only way to interact with the system. The one exception so far has been the Integra, which simply lifted the Civic system wholesale. Acura didn't say if the touchpad would also be included in the ZDX, though the screenshot of the system seems touchscreen-focused. The ZDX is going on sale early next year, with a reveal presumably happening between now and then. As previously mentioned, it will be Ultium-based, and we're expecting it to be similar in size and performance to the Chevy Blazer EV. A high-performance Type S version will be offered, and we wouldn't be surprised if it gets something similar to the 557 horsepower of the Blazer EV SS. Related Video: Chevy Blazer EV SS makes 557 horsepower