2003 Acura Mdx V-6 Auto Leather Sunroof Runs New Super Clean No Reserve Auction on 2040-cars

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Acura NSX is industry's first supercar with a female design lead

Michelle Christensen. Unless you've been casting about the web for some behind-the-scenes takes on recent exotic car launches or were unusually curious during the early days of the sport crossover trend, her name probably means nothing to you. She grew up in Northern California, where her family drag-raced. Venerables like the 1932 Ford, Plymouth GTX, and Dodge Super Bee rolled through her family garage. And Christensen grew up designing prom dresses for friends and dreaming of working in a pit crew. In fact, she didn't even realize car design was a real profession until junior high, when her father pointed out Chip Foose at a car show. After that, she was hooked, so she went to Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, where she reimagined the Plymouth Barracuda as her senior project. Today, Christensen can add the title of lead exterior designer on the 2016 Acura NSX to her resume. The first woman to lead the shape of a supercar, Christensen actually opened up her "First!" account with Acura in 2005 when the company swooped her up the night of graduation and she became its first female exterior car designer. Her first sketch on the job was a concept for the ZDX, and the bigwigs chose her design for production. She joined the NSX team after the mid-engined concept was introduced at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, replacing the front-engined V10 concept (we encourage you to go back and look at what was versus what is). Christensen thereafter led a crew of eight through a rework of the sheetmetal, with the focus being to keep the "emotional, 3-D kind of feeling." Reminiscing about her family's utterly unadorned '32 Ford hot rod, she said the NSX team was committed to keeping the design simple and light. Wind tunnel work led to larger bumper, hood and side intakes for better airflow on the production model. That, along with a switch in engine position, gave them a chance to go aggressive and to not only "punch more holes in it and make it more exotic," but also "take it to the gym and beef it up." In line with its decidedly un-retro rebirth, the third brake light that runs across the decklid is about the only nod to its predecessor. At age 34, we're certain we haven't seen the last of Christensen or her designs. Related Video:  

Junkyard Gem: 1988 Acura Integra LS Liftback Sedan

Years before Toyota and Nissan brought the Lexus and Infiniti brands to North America, Honda created its Acura luxury division. When the first Acuras showed up here in 1986, there were two models: the Legend midsize luxury sedan, developed in partnership with Rover, and the Civic-based Integra. Today's Junkyard Gem is one of those first-generation Integras, found in a Northern California self-service yard recently. The 1986-1989 Integra was available here as a liftback with two or four doors (Japanese buyers of the Honda Integra could get a sedan version). It was based on the fourth-generation Civic chassis but got a more powerful engine and snazzier interior. The U.S.-market 1988 Integra got a 1.6-liter DOHC engine rated at 113 horsepower and 99 pound-feet. This was eight more horses and one more pound-foot than the most powerful new Civic available here that year. The first-generation Integra was quick for its time, especially with the base five-speed manual transmission. This car appears to have been bought as a comfortable commuter machine, however, because it has the four-speed automatic. Note the Hondamatic-inspired D4/D3/2 shifter positions. The emissions sticker tells us that this is a "49-state" car, not originally sold in the Golden State. It drove 293,237 miles during its career, which is decent for a late-1980s Honda but nowhere near as good as others I've found from the same era. At the moment, the highest odometer reading I've found in a discarded Honda product was 626,472 miles in a 1988 Accord. The highest-mile Acura-badged Junkyard Gem so far is a 1995 Integra with 342,768 miles. This car is a high-zoot LS model, and its MSRP with the automatic transmission would have been $13,144 (about $34,966 in 2023 dollars). The 1988 Civic LX sedan with automatic listed at $10,205 ($27,148), and it had the same excellent build quality. The Integra got a bunch of standard comfort and convenience options that cost extra on the Civic, however, and of course the 1988 Civic sedan had a trunk instead of a hatch. Air conditioning was not base equipment in this car, but the original purchaser opted for it. That was a wise move for those long Central Valley commutes during summer. Formula 1 technology… aaaand it's street-legal. Soichiro Honda's love of racing paid off in the showrooms. Not bad for a guy whose first couple of factories were destroyed by B-29s and an earthquake. It was known as the Honda Quint Integra in Japan, at first. Michael J.

Acura teases tougher looking 2017 MDX for New York

Acura is teasing its redesigned 2017 MDX with this orange-tinged rendering ahead of the three-row SUV's reveal at the 2016 New York Auto Show on March 23. The luxury automaker promises big changes for the latest model, including "substantial design enhancements, added luxury comfort and convenience features, and advanced new powertrain technology." Unfortunately, the company doesn't offer further details about those general promises. The folks at the Acura Design Studio in Torrance, CA, have much bolder styling ready for the 2017 MDX. While these lines aren't as razor-sharp as the Acura Precision Concept from the 2016 Detroit Auto Show, this SUV subtly evokes the sedan's honed look. For example, the chiseled shapes around the hood and grille are crisp, and the front and rear fenders are highly sculpted, which gives the MDX a tough demeanor. This teaser image makes the lower fascia appear a little busy because there's so much happening down there, but we're withholding judgment until the real thing debuts. We're also curious about the additional powertrain advancements Acura promises because the automaker just updated the MDX last year with its nine-speed automatic gearbox and twin-clutch Super Handling All-Wheel Drive. The company also added expanded availability of its AcuraWatch active safety suite to the 2016 model. Related Video: Redesigned and Reengineered 2017 Acura MDX to Debut at 2016 New York International Auto Show America's best-selling three-row luxury SUV to receive substantial design changes, new features and new powertrain technology TORRANCE, Calif. (Feb. 24, 2016) – Acura will unveil the redesigned and reengineered 2017 MDX luxury SUV at the 2016 New York International Auto Show on March 23. The 2017 MDX will boast substantial design enhancements, added luxury comfort and convenience features, and advanced new powertrain technology, in concert with the Acura brand's focus on Precision Crafted Performance. "We are sharpening our focus on the Precision Crafted Performance DNA of the Acura brand and the 2017 MDX will integrate new styling elements and powertrain technology that takes us another step in that direction," said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. The Acura MDX is the best-selling three-row luxury SUV of all time and Acura's best-selling SUV, with sales topping 50,000 units in each of the past three years. The 2017 MDX was designed by the Acura Design Studio in Torrance, Calif.