2012 Acura Tl W/ Tech Pkg! Navigation! Dvd! Back-up Camera! Only 27k Miles! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Cody Loveland's Corvette-powered NSX claimed by Pikes Peak

Let there be no doubt - racing automobiles can be very dangerous. This unfortunate fact of life has been proven once again today by Cody Loveland, owner of LoveFab, who crashed his Corvette-powered tube-frame Acura NSX on the second turn of the Pikes Peak hill climb course, apparently after a rear upper control arm failed. Cody hit a wall of boulders at high speed, after which the racecar caught fire.
Cody was able to escape the blaze unhurt - minus some missing hair that was singed off in the fire - but the car appears to be a complete mess, as you can see from the image above. The LoveFab Motorsports team has vowed to do its very best to rebuilt the car in time for the competition, but we'd be awfully surprised (and impressed) if that burnt-up hulk were ready for racing with just a few days to rebuild.
We're happy to hear that Cody got away safely, and here's hoping the rest of the competitors get up the hill without incident, or, like Cody, are at least able to walk away uninjured if they don't.

Acura MDX teaser photos show an upscale interior

After teasing us with an exterior image of the fourth-generation Acura MDX a week ago, Acura has now followed up with images of the interior. The exterior teaser was done up in "Tron" style, but these interior shots go beyond outlines to reveal some details that are much less obscured. Acura promises the MDX will be the "most premium and performance-focused" version of the SUV yet and has earned "elevated status" as the brand's flagship. (Only about 1,000 of the RLX were sold in North America last year, vs. 52,000 of the MDX, so it seems the big sedan got demoted as flagship. Aw.) The MDX's instrument panel is lower and wider, Acura says, and the interior is trimmed out in real open-pore wood. The leather dash is "hand-wrapped" with French seams. All three rows of seating surfaces are quilted, with perforations done in a gradated design, and there is contrasting piping and stitching. Massaging front seats add to the premium experience. Acura promises a variety of new technologies in the cabin, including what it calls the Acura Precision Cockpit, along with a mighty wide-looking HD infotainment screen and Acura's dynamic ELS Studio 3D sound system with 25 speakers. (Where do they put them all?) After Acura did great things with the RDX and the new 2021 TLX, we expect the MDX redesign will follow suit in reinvigorating the brand. The MDX will likely offer the same engines as in the TLX: a 272-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder as the base engine, and a 355-horsepower turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine as an option. But we should know more about all of the above when the prototype Acura MDX — albeit a very-near-production prototype — will be revealed next Wednesday, Oct. 14.  Related Video:

2014 Acura RLX

Good. But Good Enough?
Spoiler alert: The 2014 Acura RLX is a good car. But that shouldn't come as a surprise. Despite the fact that Acura is subject to a lot of criticism for things like its odd positioning in the automotive landscape, questionable styling choices in recent years, and the fact that, more or less, its products feel like lux'd-up Hondas rather than something truly unique, the cars have always been inherently good - decent to drive, nice to sit in and reliable to own. That's what happens when you ride that sort of "affordable luxury" line.
Because Acura's sedans don't really fit into any one definable segment, the brand hopes it can draw customers from a broader range who aren't necessarily dedicated to a certain marque. And while there's certainly rhyme to that reason on the more entry-level end of the spectrum, that proposition makes less sense as you move toward higher price points. (Have a gander at the Hyundai Equus, if you will.) On the other hand, Acura pulled data from a 2012 Strategic Vision survey that showed the number one purchase decision for luxury buyers last year was value for the money, with manufacturer reputation coming in at a close second.