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2019 Acura NSX quick spin review | Japan takes on the world, again

I drove the 2019 Acura NSX on track a while back, and it's an absolute freight train. But now that I've driven it in the snow and the rain and our pothole-riddled streets around Southeast Michigan, I can tell you about what it's like to live with the Japanese supercar. Our tester was painted in gorgeous Casino White pearl. It's a stunner in this color, highlighting the NSX's proper supercar styling – impressions were reinforced by the constant stares and craned necks over a cold November weekend. All $21,600 of carbon fiber exterior parts (several carbon packages combined) probably didn't contribute a whole lot to this, but man does it look cool up close. Updates to the 2019 car consist mostly of more suspension and tire to give it the edge it was missing before. Stiffer stabilizer bars, rear toe link bushings and re-tuned magnetorheological dampers do the bulk of the work. A complete recalibration of the steering and SH-AWD system ties it all together, and boy does it work wonders. Of course, I spent most of my time inside the NSX, which, just like before the 2019 update is the most controversial part of this car. Acura likes to say it has "excellent ergonomics" and "simple driver interfaces presented with elegant materials." Critics say it looks like any other Acura, giving the nearly $200,000 supercar a cheap vibe. I think there's a disconnect between what Acura thinks is a perfect supercar interior – a focus on superb visibility and ease of use so you can focus on driving – and what enthusiasts are hardwired to believe a supercar interior should be – wild, at times nonsensical, and exotic. I find myself on Acura's side in this debate, more so after spending so much time in the cabin. The skinny A-pillars, long windows and excellent view out the rear make driving this car through rush-hour traffic a calming adventure. Our car's blue/black leather and suede interior combination looks the business and feels luxurious — the $3,800 carbon fiber interior package helps it feel exotic. I spent plenty of hours in the saddle over a long weekend and was never fatigued or sore from the seat. The car is downright approachable to drive for anybody, partly thanks to the straightforward interior. The only part that ever frustrated me was the lack of a volume knob, an annoyance carried over from Honda. One knob you will end up using often is the giant Dynamic Mode control knob. I did most of my commuting in either Quiet or Sport mode.

Acura races into anime with 'Chiaki's Journey' web series

For the twelfth year in a row, Acura is a presenting sponsor and the official vehicle of the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Acura created a four-part anime series called Chiaki's Journey combining the medium Sundance celebrates, Japanese anime, the automaker's fuller Type-S lineup, and the new Acura Integra hatch. Unlike most of the films at the festival, however, Chiaki's Journey runs a total of four minutes and 12 seconds, each episode lasting just over a minute. The story centers on Chiaki, a young Japanese woman from a family of racers who knows how to hustle a car around a track, but who has a temper that runs faster than her vintage Integra can rev. The villain is Erich Kang, the same rich and insufferably arrogant hotshot from every video game and car movie, piloting a non-descript blue hot rod. He's clearly the guy everyone would like to beat, and he knows he's that guy. When Chiaki gets behind the wheel to teach Kang a lesson in lap times, her uncle Noboru steps in to teach her the lessons she'll need to need to win.  Being so condensed, each installment plays like a trailer for a longer episode. Acura managed to fit in all the cars, though: Spot the 2022 MDX Type S, NSX Type S, TLX Type S, and 2023 Integra. The car brand got the obligatory Japanese rock anime intro as well, thanks to the all-female metal band NEMOPHILA doing the song "Raitei.” You can see the first episode above and the rest at Acura's dedicated Type S site.  Related video:

2023 Acura Integra w/ CVT starts just under $32,000

Pricing for the 2023 Acura Integra is out, and it's unsurprisingly a fair bit more expensive than the Civic it's based on. The base model starts at $31,895 including the $1,095 destination charge. The base version comes only with a CVT, as does the next highest A-Spec trim. To get a manual transmission, you'll have to fork over $36,895 for the top A-Spec with Technology. Fortunately, the manual isn't any more expensive than the CVT version. The full pricing breakdown is below. Integra: $31,895 Integra A-Spec: $33,895 Integra A-Spec with Technology Package: $36,895 The base model comes well equipped. Standard features include LED lighting, a sunroof, heated seats with power adjustment on the driver side, an eight-speaker sound system, 10.2-inch instrument display, 7-inch infotainment screen and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The standard safety feature list is quite good with adaptive cruise control with lane-keep assist and stop-and-go (the latter on CVT only), blind-spot monitoring and automatic emergency braking. And all Integras come with the same turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder making 200 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque. They also have two years of free scheduled maintenance (oil changes, tire rotations and inspections). The A-Spec model mainly adds the sporty A-Spec appearance package, while the A-Spec with Technology Package adds quite a few more features. It includes adaptive suspension with adjustable stiffness, a larger 9-inch infotainment screen, ambient interior lighting, leatherette and faux suede upholstery, power adjustment on both front seats, a 16-speaker sound system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charging and more USB ports. And of course that top trim is available with a six-speed manual, which also adds a mechanical limited-slip differential like in the Honda Civic Si. Related Video: 1999 Honda Civic Si | Retro Review