2003 Acura Tl Type-s Sedan 4-door 3.2l on 2040-cars

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No S660 for US, but Honda wants sporty cars

Honda, best known lately for being a mainstream player rather than the brand that brought us the CRX Si, NSX, Integra Type-R, and S2000, apparently wants to builds sporty cars for the US again. With that in mind (or not), Honda has ruled out bringing the tiny, sporty S660 roadster across the Pacific. "I wouldn't put my chips on [the S660]," American Honda Executive Vice President John Mendel told Automotive News. At nearly 11.1 feet long, the S660 slots in between the 12.8-foot Mazda MX-5 Miata and the 8.8-foot Smart ForTwo. Yet Mendel says the tiny two-seater wouldn't work here. "When the practicalities of the market come in, and the car only so big, that might not be the best car for the US market," Mendel said. "It might be better for India or China or somewhere else." Honda is considering its options here in the US, though. As AN reports, after his takeover earlier this year, new CEO Takahiro Hachigo promised more sporting models, like the new, US-bound, 300-horsepower Civic Type R. And while it's no secret that Honda has filed patent drawings for a mid-engine model, Mendel offered little to indicate that it'd become a reality. Calling the project from Honda's Silicon Valley research and design facility a "design study," Mendel wouldn't answer AN when it asked whether this new model was successor to the S2000 or a more attainable, lower-powered NSX. He did, however, say his company was getting pressure from dealers over the lack of verve in the company's lineup. "They want anything in the sports car world," Mendel told AN. "They're going, 'Gimme a sports car.' They want a retractable hardtop; they want a high-horsepower $20,000 sports car. Because that's the nature of what they do." There you are, Honda. Your dealers want it, which means your consumers are probably are asking for it, and your CEO wants it, too. Make something happen.

2017 Acura NSX No. 1 just rolled off the line in Ohio

The 2017 Acura NSX is officially in production. NASCAR titan Rick Hendrick, who paid $1.2 million at auction for the first one, drove it off the line Tuesday at the NSX factory in Marysville, OH. VIN No. 1 wears Valencia red pearl paint. It is equipped with carbon-ceramic brake rotors, leather and Alcantara trim, and uses carbon fiber for the engine cover, roof, and rear spoiler. Top that off with upgraded wheels, and it has every available option. The NSX is powered by a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 that teams with three electric motors for a system output of 573 hp and 476 pound-feet of torque. It has a nine-speed dual-clutch transmission and all-wheel drive. The NSX will start at $157,800 and maxes out north of $205,000 for a fully loaded model like this one. Hendrick's heady price came from his winning bid at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Arizona in January, with proceeds going to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation and Camp Southern Ground. Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motor Sports and the Hendrick Automotive Group, has also paid hefty prices for the first 2015 Chevy Corvette Z06 and 2014 Chevy Camaro Z/28 in support of charities. The NSX launch is a milestone for American Honda, which has built cars in Ohio for more than 30 years. The NSX is assembled at the company's Performance Manufacturing Center, and the engines are hand-built at a nearby facility in Ohio. "Today marks the realization of a big dream here at the PMC and the culmination of more than 30 years of manufacturing experience and expertise here in Ohio," Clement D'Souza, engineering large project leader for the NSX, said in a statement. "Our world class team of expert technicians, through their passion, has realized major innovations in the design and manufacturing of a next-generation Acura supercar that truly delivers incredible precision-crafted performance." Related Video: Image Credit: Acura Design/Style Green Plants/Manufacturing Acura Coupe Hybrid Performance Supercars rick hendrick

2020 Acura TLX PMC Edition Driveway Test | Shine bright like a ... ruby

Valencia Red Pearl. That’s the story with the 2020 Acura TLX PMC Edition. We got to see this limited edition TLX sedan at the New York Auto Show last year, but now itÂ’s in my driveway. The show lights donÂ’t do this paint justice. The setting sun reflecting off the deep and vibrant red ... now that's how this car is meant to be gazed upon. Like I mentioned in the video walkaround above, the TLX PMC Edition is hand-assembled at the Performance Manufacturing Center in Ohio. The body-in-white is trundled across town to the NSX supercar factory where those technicians do the rest to make it road-worthy. All 360 of them are being wrapped in their own special car covers and delivered to dealers on an enclosed truck to make sure it arrives without a single exterior flaw. About that paint Valencia Red Pearl is a $6,000 paint option on the Acura NSX. On the TLX PMC, itÂ’s $0. The paint process itself is time consuming and intensive. Acura says the vibrancy and high-color saturation is thanks to nano pigment technology.  “Engineered using mica, metal flake and super-high transparency nano pigments, the paint is applied using PMC's advanced robotic paint system in multiple base coats to enhance color intensity. This is followed by two clear coats to increase the paint's luster,” AcuraÂ’s description reads. 2020 Acura TLX PMC Edition View 43 Photos The five-day process is well worth it. IÂ’ve tried my best to illustrate it through photos and video, but itÂ’s still not representative enough of this red paint. It has a depth and shimmer to it, as if the body panels were a swimming pool, awaiting a cannonball dive into the deep end. This car being an exclusive, special edition vehicle hasnÂ’t destroyed the value proposition either. In actuality, the TLX PMC is the one to buy if you want a fully-loaded TLX. Acura doesnÂ’t allow you to option the A-Spec and Advance packages together with the standard TLX, but both of those are included with the PMC Edition. If you were able to combine all those packages, the final price would ring up to $50,650. The final price on our test car is $50,945, including the $1,995 destination charge on the sticker. Basically, youÂ’re getting every option in the book at around list price, plus all of the special PMC Edition extras for next to nothing. Why yes, of course weÂ’ll have the PMC Edition. It drives just like the TLX A-Spec — check out our full review of that car here.