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MotorWeek remembers retro icons, Supra and NSX

It's easy to poke a joke here and there about John Davis, the long-time host of MotorWeek. His voice is so monotonous that, from time to time, if you closed your eyes, you may think it's generated via a computer. But you have to give him and the rest of the show a lot of credit. The program has been on the air for decades, giving people direct, straight-down-the middle automotive reviews.
MotorWeek's massive back catalog of reviews are slowly making their way onto YouTube, and they provide a fascinating chance to look back on how performance cars rank against their contemporaries from back in the day. Two recent additions include the show's old looks at the 1986 Toyota Supra, the dawn of the third-generation model, and the now-iconic 1991 Acura NSX.
Both reviews are interesting in their own way. These days you hear nary a negative word about the original NSX, but MotorWeek isn't afraid to point out a few flaws. And the Supra really shows the progress of suspension tuning in the intervening decades because it has some serious body roll in the corners. Scroll down to check out both videos and get a blast from the automotive past.

2024 Acura ZDX getting Google in its infotainment

Acura is joining a number of automakers (such as Polestar, Chevrolet and others) in integrating Google apps directly in its infotainment system, first on the 2024 ZDX electric SUV. The integration includes Google Maps, Google Assistant and other Google apps. Additionally, the infotainment will continue to support phone mirroring apps such as Apple CarPlay and Google's own Android Auto. Among those apps, perhaps the most useful will be Google Maps. The reason being that it will be able to plan routes that include charging stops and charging time estimates. In addition to the routing, Google Maps will be able to tell the car to start preconditioning the battery for the fastest possible charge times when going to a DC fast charger. Of course, other Google apps will let you sign in with your account so that you have access to them without connecting your phone. But fortunately, you can connect and mirror your phone. This is notable as the ZDX will be on the GM Ultium platform, like the Honda Prologue. And GM is removing Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support from its upcoming Ultium models. So if you do like those features and are interested in the Ultium electrics, you may want to consider the Acura and Honda models. Another interesting tidbit from the Acura infotainment announcement is the fact that the ZDX will feature a touchscreen for the infotainment system. Almost all of Acura's current gas-powered vehicles use an infotainment system built around a touchpad, which is the only way to interact with the system. The one exception so far has been the Integra, which simply lifted the Civic system wholesale. Acura didn't say if the touchpad would also be included in the ZDX, though the screenshot of the system seems touchscreen-focused. The ZDX is going on sale early next year, with a reveal presumably happening between now and then. As previously mentioned, it will be Ultium-based, and we're expecting it to be similar in size and performance to the Chevy Blazer EV. A high-performance Type S version will be offered, and we wouldn't be surprised if it gets something similar to the 557 horsepower of the Blazer EV SS. Related Video: Chevy Blazer EV SS makes 557 horsepower

Acura teases new performance EV for Monterey

Acura is headed to Monterey Car Week with what it's calling a "next generation" performance concept. While Honda's premium subsidiary offered up no details about the car itself, we were offered the above teaser photo. Acura says it will be a "segment defying" sport utility vehicle, but what we're seeing here looks awfully trunk-like. From this perspective, it's really anybody's guess, but one thing is obvious: Whatever this thing is, it's no mere ZDX offshoot. Here's Acura's announcement in its entirety, should you be interested in parsing it yourself: "Acura will once again take center stage during Monterey Car Week for the world debut of an exciting new concept vehicle. A segment defying sport utility vehicle, the dynamically styled concept previews the performance brand's next generation all-electric model – the first to be built in Ohio on the company's new dedicated EV platform." The most significant takeaway here is that last bit. Being on a new dedicated platform means that this car has nothing to do with the current Honda-Acura EV offerings, both of which are based on architecture shared with General Motors. Honda has already announced that it will migrate its mainstream EVs to a new, in-house "0 Series" platform in the coming years, with an initial focus on passenger vehicles followed by expansion into people-mover territory. We've yet to hear anything concrete about a parallel program at Acura, so this could very well be the first breadcrumbs to that effect.  For now, that's all Acura has to offer. Keep your ears to the ground during Car Week for more.