96 Acura Integra on 2040-cars

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The all-women Acura NSX team previews a way forward for racing

DAYTONA, Fla. — There is a team at the 24 Hours of Daytona that's just like any other team, with experienced drivers who rightly earned their spot in the top endurance racing series in America. They are prepared to run a full season in a competitive car, and they even set the fastest time in their class at the pre-season Roar Before the 24 test. The only difference between this team and any other is that its drivers happen to be women. We went to Daytona to talk to them about their journey to the race. The No. 57 Heinricher Racing with Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo team features a roster of talented, experienced drivers: Katherine Legge, Simona de Silvestro, Bia Figueiredo and Christina Nielsen. While there have been four other all-women lineups at Daytona before, the No. 57 team is the first to be considered truly competitive. Team founder Jackie Heinricher, a biotech CEO who has raced in Ferrari Challenge, Global Rallycross Lites and Lamborghini Super Trofeo, was coached by Legge. Two years ago, she had the idea to run a car full of women – and not just a token effort, but rather a car full of drivers who could win. "The car does not know your gender, and I feel as if this sort of professional effort legitimizes that in a way that's particularly important and inspirational outside of racing," Heinricher told Autoblog. Heinricher had seen Legge struggle to get the right funding for rides before, so she didn't want to limit this team to whoever could pay. So, she first lined up the funding, thanks largely to support from primary sponsor Caterpillar. It took awhile, though, as many companies simply told her that they were out of racing sponsorships entirely. "I think perseverance might be the most underrated human quality," Heinricher said. "I just didn't give up." After funding was in place, she found a competitive partner in the Meyer Shank Racing crew, whose owner Michael Shank has run a pair of factory-backed Acura NSX GT3s in IMSA's GTD class since 2017. The GT3 shares an engine and turbo with the road-going NSX but ditches the hybrid system, making it about 670 pounds lighter. The No. 57 car is an EVO variant, which Legge helped develop, and it features improved aerodynamics to better suit it to the mix of pro and amateur drivers who take shifts racing in the GTD class. Legge had been on Shank's NSX team for the past two years as well, so Heinricher reached out to her for help assembling women who truly had the ability to win.

2014 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year finalists announced [w/poll]

The 2014 North American International Auto Show is right around the corner, which means it's high time we found out which cars and trucks would be finalists for the prestigious North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year awards.
The finalists - three in cars and three in three trucks/utilities - are dominated by American brands, with two-thirds of the finalists hailing from either General Motors or Chrysler (don't worry Ford, there's always next year), while outliers from Mazda and Acura can be found in each contest. Here now is the list of finalists for the big prizes:
2014 North American Car of the Year:

Acura Integra Prototype will be revealed next Thursday, Nov. 11

The Acura Integra Prototype’s world reveal is officially set for next week on Thursday, Nov. 11. Those who are impatiently waiting to see the car can finally mark a time on their calendars, as itÂ’s coming to you via a livestream event at 8:35 p.m. ET (5:35 p.m. PT) that day. The reveal is taking place in Los Angeles, the week before the L.A. Auto Show begins. Do note that Acura specified that this is the reveal for the Integra “Prototype,” not the final production car. If history is any indication, though, this Integra Prototype will closely resemble the production car in both exterior and interior design. Plus, thereÂ’s a chance Acura reveals a number of vital specs in addition to the design. Ever since Acura announced the return of the Integra name at this yearÂ’s Monterey Car Week, itÂ’s been teasing us with small bits of info. The first hint came that same day with a photo of the carÂ’s headlight and “Integra” stamped into the bumper. Then came a photo from the rear three-quarter, revealing that it would be a four-door hatchback. Finally, Acura emphatically announced (with a sweet shift-banging video) that the Integra would offer a six-speed manual transmission. Hurrah! Next Thursday will see the reveal of much, much more, so make sure you tune in to see everything Acura has to show. WeÂ’ll be on the ground in L.A., and will also have the livestream waiting for you to watch when itÂ’s reveal time. Related video: