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A smoother operator | 2017 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid First Drive

There's a lot to unpack when trying to understand the 2017 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid. Acura is billing it as a three-row crossover infused with NSX technology via a sport-oriented hybrid drivetrain. So it's a hybrid crossover, sure. But it doesn't comport itself like a traditional crossover, nor is it a conventional hybrid. What it is, underneath, is an intentionally subtle blend of impressive technologies doing their best to appear transparent – and it's too subtle, I fear, to be appreciated by those who'd like it the most. This is a lot of foreshadowing, but if you're not familiar with the MDX Sport Hybrid's powertrain, let's fill you in. The MDX Sport Hybrid uses the same basic system as the 2014 RLX Sport Hybrid, with some newer NSX battery tech sprinkled in, packaged neatly into the refreshed third-generation MDX platform. The system improves handling and efficiency – but more important, it smoothes out the harshness of shifts and engine stop-starts. We do need to examine the system in some detail to understand how all this affects the MDX as a whole, so let's go toe to tail. Up front is a transversely-mounted 3.0-liter V6 making 257 horsepower and 218 pound-feet of torque, as well as featuring i-VTEC and cylinder deactivation. It's slightly smaller than the 3.5-liter V6 found in the conventional MDX and many other Honda and Acura products. Attached alongside is a Honda-produced 7-speed dual-clutch transmission that has a 47 hp, 109 lb-ft electric motor-generator stuffed inside. Amidships are the battery pack and the electronics to control it, and stretching aft from there are large cables feeding power to a pair of electric motors that reside in single housing, one for each wheel. Together, they produce electron witchcraft and torque-delivery wizardry – and add 72 hp and 108 lb-ft of torque to the mix. The total system output is 321 hp and 289 lb-ft of torque – a gain of 31 hp and 22 lb-ft over the conventional MDX SH-AWD. Beyond the raw numbers, there's the remarkable subjective benefit of the Sport Hybrid's drivetrain. Engine start-stop events are quiet and smooth, nearly imperceptible when under way – in stark contrast to the too-perceptible shudder of competing engines kicking on. The electric motors (mainly the one residing in the transmission) add in power to make up for the lull during a shift, making shifts up or down seamless, as well as providing regenerative capacity.

Acura NSX hybrid wins Time Attack 2 division at Pikes Peak

Acura sent three NSX supercars up the PIkes Peak Hill Climb and one of them - the TA2 that was a standard NSX with some additional safety equipment - beat out its competition in the Time Attack 2 class by over 11 seconds with a time of 10:28.820. Nick Robinson was the driver. This was not his first time atop the podium, as he won the PP250 motorcycle class last year. The EV concept NSX came in second in the Electric Modified class with a time of 9:06.015. That's good enough for third place overall. Acura says that the TA1 NSX - which had a lighter chassis and a modified racing exhaust – "also campaigned." Both the TA1 and TA2 NSX vehicles used the car's standard three-motor hybrid powertrain. Related Video: 2017 Acura NSX Supercar Claims Class Victory in North American Racing Debut at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Jun 26, 2016 - PIKES PEAK, Colo. Acura NSX wins its North American racing debut by more than 11 seconds American-built NSX wins Time Attack 2 class at 100th running of the Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb NSX-inspired Acura 4-Motor EV Concept finishes second in the Electric Modified Class The recently-launched 2017 Acura NSX claimed victory today in its North American racing competition debut, climbing the 14,115-foot pinnacle of Pikes Peak and clinching first place in the Time Attack 2 class at the 2016 Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, the 100th anniversary of the running of America's second oldest race. The production-based Acura NSX is powered by Acura's revolutionary three-motor Sport Hybrid Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive™ powertrain (Sport Hybrid SH-AWD®), the first electrified torque vectoring powertrain in the world of exotic sports cars. With added required safety equipment for competition, the NSX negotiated the 12.42-mile course in a time of 10:28.820 to win the Time Attack 2 class of the Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Nick Robinson, North American R&D team member and engineer in charge of the next-generation supercar's dynamic performance, drove the production-based Acura NSX to victory. Nick is also the reigning PP250 winner from the 2015 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. "I'm incredibly happy to have won the Production Class with the new NSX!" Robinson reported.

Autoblog's guilty pleasure cars

Guilty pleasures are part of life – don't even try to pretend like you don't have one (or two, or six). In the non-automotive space, this could come down to that secret playlist in your iPhone of songs you'll only listen to when you're alone; or think of that one TV show you really do love, but won't admit to your friends. I've got plenty, and so do you. Going back to cars, here's a particularly juicy one for me: several years ago, I had a mad crush on the very last iteration of the Cadillac DTS. Oh yes, the front-wheel-drive, Northstar V8-powered sofa-on-wheels that was the last remaining shred of the elderly-swooning days of Cadillac's past. Every time I had the chance to drive one, I was secretly giddy. Don't hate me, okay? These days, the DTS is gone, but I've still got a mess of other cars that hold a special place in my heart. And in the spirit of camaraderie, I've asked my other Autoblog editors to tell me some of their guilty pleasure cars, as well – Seyth Miersma, as you can see above, has a few choice emotions to share about the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. Read on to find out what cars make us secretly happy. Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG This decadent convertible is the epitome of the guilty pleasure. It's big, powerful, fairly heavy and it's richly appointed inside and out. It's a chocolate eclair with the three-pointed star on the hood. Given my druthers, I'd take the SL65 AMG, which delivers 621 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. That output is borderline absurd for this laid-back convertible. I don't care. You don't need dessert. Sometimes you just crave it. The SL line is about the feel you get on the road. The roof is open. The air, sun and engine sounds all embrace you. It's the same dynamic you could have experienced in a Mercedes a century ago, yet the SL gives you the most modern of luxuries. An Airscarf feature that warms my neck and shoulders through a vent embedded in the seat? Yes, please. Sure, it's an old-guy car. Mr. Burns and Lord Grantham are probably too young and hip for an SL65. I don't care. This is my guilty pleasure. Release the hounds. – Greg Migliore Senior Editor Ford Flex I drove my first Flex in 2009 when my mother let me borrow hers for the summer while I was away at college. The incredibly spacious interior made moving twice that summer a breeze, and the 200-mile trips up north were quite comfortable.