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Honda delays JDM Legend over quality concerns

Honda has been having some quality issues lately, to say the least. Most of those have revolved around the airbags supplied by Takata, but not exclusively. The new Fit Hybrid, for example, has been subject to five consecutive recalls in the year since it launched. And now the Japanese automaker is reportedly delaying the launch of its new Legend sedan. The Legend, for those unfamiliar, is what Honda calls the Acura RLX in the Japanese Domestic Market – a model that has been subject to a handful of recalls in the United States, affecting components ranging from headlights to seatbelts to suspension bolts. Such quality control issues have prompted Honda to delay the introduction of its flagship sedan in its home market, pushing its arrival in Japanese showrooms back from the fall (when the model was revealed) initially to January 22 and now to February 20, according to the report from Bloomberg. The extra time is earmarked the give Honda engineers the opportunity to look into potential problems with the vehicle's radar safety system and its advanced hybrid powertrain, before introducing it to the local market. Hopefully further recalls can be avoided once deliveries have commenced.

Acura TLX Type S PMC Edition gets the NSX's Gotham Gray Matte paint

Acura made three NSX-sourced colors available on the TLX Type S PMC Edition in 2022. Giving the sedan distinctive supercar flair must have struck a chord with enthusiasts, because the Honda-owned company added a fourth color called Gotham Gray Matte to the palette. If the name sounds familiar, it's likely because Gotham Gray Matte was also available on 50 units of the NSX Type S. The flat-gray paint is complemented by Berlina Black paint on the door handles, the side skirts, and the 20-inch wheels, a carbon fiber spoiler on the trunk lid, and a carbon fiber rear diffuser. Black exterior emblems add a touch of contrast to the design. But Acura painted the roof in the same color as the body, whereas the first batch of TLX Type S PMC Edition models announced in 2022 featured a Berlina Black-painted roof panel. Inside, the TLX Type S PMC Edition gains Milano Red leather upholstery, Ultrasuede inserts, black contrast stitching, carbon fiber trim, Type S-branded floor mats, and illuminated sill plates. The center console also features a metal plate that displays the car's serial number. Acura will build 50 units of the TLX Type S PMC Edition painted in Gotham Gray Matte. The sedan will enter production in April 2023, and it will be built by hand in the Performance Manufacturing Center that the company operates in Ohio; it's the same facility that built the now-retired NSX. Pricing starts at $66,995 including a $1,995 destination charge. In comparison, the standard TLX Type S costs $56,745.

Acura to climb Pikes Peak with Integra Type S and wildly modified NSX

This year marks the 101st anniversary of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, one of the oldest motorsports events in the world. As has been the custom for the past 13 years, Acura will head to the Colorado summit with a fleet of specially prepped cars based on production models. This year, their team consists of two new Integras in regular and Type S flavor, a modified NSX Type S, and a TLX Type S pace car. Of the Integras, the HPD-prepped Type S will be the most eye-catching, as it's wrapped in an anime-style livery. It's an extension of the company's "Chiaki's Journey" web series whose second chapter was released to coincide with the Integra Type S's launch. The second installment features the Pikes Peak race as part of its story line.  The real-world Chiaki is Lori Unser, a fourth-generation driver in the Unser racing dynasty. Her father Johnny raced at the Indianapolis 500, and if you count her extended family of Al, Bobby, and Al Jr., the clan has nine Indy championships under its collective belt. The family also has a history of racing at Pikes Peak, with Louis and Joe Unser competing in the hillclimb way back in 1926. In the Time Attack I division Acura is fielding a wild-looking NSX Type S called the Active Aero Study. We prefer its nickname, Yamabiko, which means "echo" in Japanese but is also the name of a spirit from Japanese folklore that lives in the mountains.  The NSX wears an enormous carbon fiber front splitter and rear diffuser, which by the looks of them extend the length of the car by two to three feet. The one-off aero bits include an active aero rear wing that can be electronically moved to reduce drag on high-speed sections of the course, or deployed as an air brake. At the same time, enough has been stripped out to reduce weight by 200 pounds. More powerful turbos have been fitted to the twin-turbo V6 and the engine software re-written, but Acura did not reveal how much over the stock Type S's 600 horsepower Yamabiko's output might be. The NSX was built specifically to tackle the hillclimb by Crazy New, the skunkworks team of Honda employees that brought us the 800-horsepower CR-V Hybrid. It'll be driven by Honda engineer James Robinson, who holds the current Hybrid class record of 10:01.913, which he set with an NSX in 2020. With Yokohama Tires' trademark Advan black and red livery and lightweight HRE forged wheels wrapped in Advan A005s, it certainly looks the part of a purpose-built Pikes Peak racer.