2015 Acura Tlx V6 Sh-awd Technology-edition(heavily Optioned) on 2040-cars

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100th Pikes Peak Hill Climb brings bad weather, heartbreak

Hill climb? Please. While Europeans spent the weekend driving up a nobleman's driveway at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, we in 'Murica got down and dirty with the 100th running up Pikes Peak. In a reversal of stereotypes, it is we who have understated. The "hill" climb ascends one of the tallest peaks in the Rockies, to a finish line that's 14,115 feet above sea level. To get there, it takes 156 turns over 12.42 miles, some of which just look like paved sky, because they have have no guardrails between the asphalt's edge and sheer dropoffs. In reality, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is even older than 100 years. The first event took place in 1916, but in 1917-19 and 1942-45, the so-called Race to the Clouds was put on hiatus due to a couple of world wars. This year's event was marked by damp weather that dashed the hopes of several teams' efforts to break new records. David Donner's Porsche 911 Turbo S Lightweight Package, for example, was widely expected to reclaim the production car record this year. Donner is a three-time PPIHC champ, and set the 2014 production car record in a 991-generation Turbo S.  A Bentley Continental GT piloted by Rhys Millen beat it in 2019, so Porsche was keen on taking it back. Donner broke the production qualifying time earlier in the week, but even the seasoned pro couldn't put his skills to tarmac due to moisture-laden surfaces and low-visibility from thick fog on race day. The result was 10:34.053, over 15 seconds slower than Millen's 10:18.488, still good enough to land the class's top spot and second overall. Acura arrived in Colorado to conduct its much-touted motorsports debut of the 2023 Integra. While the entry-level sports sedan, equipped with a stock engine but modified with a slew of HPD goodies, came in ninth in the production class, Acura didn't go home emptyhanded. A 2022 NSX Type S driven by Nick Robinson took the category's third spot. Taking second was Daijiro Yoshihara with a Tesla Model S. In recent years, electric cars have become a force to be reckoned with, especially since they are immune to high altitudes that negatively impact internal combustion cars. Poor conditions sent newcomer Levi Shirley's Ultra 4 buggy off course. Fortunately, it was near the lower sections, where there's still a significant amount of runoff past the pavement's end. Amazingly, Shirley landed wheels down in the video above, and simply continued driving through the pea soup haze.

2017 Acura NSX | 2017 Autoblog Technology of the Year Finalist

Like its iconic predecessor, the second-generation Acura NSX blazes trails. The old NSX proved that you could get reliability and daily use from an exotic car, and subsequently changed the automotive world. Acura's engineers pushed in a new direction for the prodigal successor: technology. And so the new NSX sets a new bar in the way technology is used to achieve speed. The highlight here is the Sport Hybrid SH-AWD system, which supplements the 500-horsepower twin-turbo V6 with three electric motors, making 573 peak ponies. The two front motors each act on a front wheel, doing all kinds of tricks to help the car corner faster, brake harder, and accelerate like the proverbial cannon shot. They help make the NSX more stable at high speed, and let you sneak up on unsuspecting video producers at low speed. Then there's the third motor sandwiched between the engine and nine-speed transmission, which never lets a shift go by without filling in the milliseconds with velvety torque. If the all-wheel-drive hybrid supercar sounds familiar, yes, Porsche did something similar with the 918 Spyder. But even when you load the options on the NSX (try not to, we dare you), it's never more than a fifth the price of the Porsche. Then there are the little details, like a new form of casting Honda engineers developed for the NSX's crash structure. Or the three-dimensional bend to the A-pillar and roof rail that makes it less obstructive to the driver and also stronger. Even the Marysville, Ohio factory gets some credit here, with 12 patents filed relating to the assembly process. There's only so much a driver can do with two hands and two feet. The NSX takes your inputs and figures out how to maximize the contribution from each individual wheel. This is a car that harnesses all the greatness of technology to change what's possible in a sports car.Related Video: 2017 Acura NSX | First Drive

Acura is getting back into the performance game

Acura has had a tough time over the last few years determining its identity, but it seems that the brand is now settling on providing performance. At the Detroit Auto Show, Acura announced an expansion of the A-Spec trim, the revival of the Type-S moniker, and a new engine. That new engine is particularly interesting since it's a turbocharged V6, and only Acura will be using it. So don't expect to see some sort of Accord Type R with a crazy V6. Acura also revealed the engine will only be used with the company's Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD). Type-S is another big deal, since no Acuras have worn the badge since the 2008 Acura TL Type-S. It will be a step above the current A-Spec trim, which is mildly sporty. Past Type-S models have always had the most powerful engines available. The company didn't give an estimate for when the Type-S trim will appear, nor what model will get it first. All new Acura models will have an A-Spec option in the future. The first new A-Spec addition will be the TLX with the 2.4-liter four-cylinder. The V6 version already has an A-Spec option. After that TLX, the new RDX will launch with an available A-Spec trim. The company already announced the RDX will have a version of the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder from the Civic Type R and the Honda Accord connected with a 10-speed automatic and SH-AWD. An Acura representative said that the engine has been reworked for the RDX, and it will make more power than the Accord with the 2.0-liter engine. Related Video: