2012 Acura Tsx Special Edition on 2040-cars

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Clarion Builds 1991 Acura NSX Review | Restored to greatness

Few automobiles garner as much mystique as the original Acura NSX. I worshiped this car from afar, consigned to the fact that the closest I was ever going to get to the steering wheel was a Playstation controller. When I got the email inviting me to drive Clarion Builds' restored and tuned 1991 NSX, I thought it was spam, a chain email with some generic header sent to a dozen or so people to garner some press coverage. Surely this wasn't a real invite where I get to drive a real NSX using my real hands and feet. Some people say don't meet your heroes. Some people are wrong. I knew the car by reputation. In roughly 10 months, Clarion Builds, a division of the Japanese electronics company mostly known for high-end audio systems, worked with partners like AEM and AutoWave to transform a '91 NSX with nearly a quarter-million miles on the clock into what you see here. Everything, from the engine to the bodywork to the leather on the seats, has been upgraded and restored with a mix of both OEM and aftermarket parts. The final product is a stunner. It's tuned, but not slammed, stanced or any other adjective that describes a car with compromised performance and questionable looks. It's simply a tastefully tuned NSX. The NSX, especially an early car with pop-up headlights, is one of the all-time great car designs. There are no unnecessary lines or curves. It's all purposeful. As expected with something with 230,000 miles, this NSX had a number of dings and dents. Clarion Builds has fixed those, replacing the hood and spoiler with carbon-fiber parts from an NSX-R. The fenders are slightly wider than stock, helping cover the staggered Rays Engineering VOLK ZE40 wheels, 18-inch up front and 19-inch out back. After seeing it in the flesh with the blue paint, black roof and bronze wheels, I don't think there is a better fit for this car. The original but tired 3.0-liter V6 and five-speed manual have been swapped for a 3.2-liter V6 and six-speed manual from a 2004 NSX. Stock, this engine is a wonderful ode to the internal combustion engine. It sings a sweet song all the way to a sky-high 8,200 rpm redline. Still, it wasn't enough. The engine now wears a Whipple-style supercharger, pushing roughly 9 psi of boost. Other modifications include a one-off carbon-fiber intake, a hand-built exhaust and a new ECU, all from AEM. All in, Clarion Builds says this NSX makes 403 horsepower and 296 pound-feet of torque at the wheels. God, it feels good to push this thing.

Acura doubles CPO non-powertrain warranty to 2 years

On the same day Acura dropped a scintillating teaser for its upcoming Type S Concept, it also quietly announced some less exciting (unless you're in the market for a used Acura) news: It's improving the warranty that comes with its certified preowned (CPO) vehicles. Non-powertrain coverage is doubling from one year to two years, while powertrain coverage remains the same at seven years. Starting this year, Acura's Certified Preowned Vehicle Limited Warranty, which begins after the New Vehicle Limited Warranty, will be two years or 100,000 miles for non-powertrain coverage, a significant improvement from the previous guidelines of one year or 12,000 miles. Powertrain coverage is seven years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first. In addition to the better warranty, Acura will offer new CPO customers a complimentary dealership maintenance service, which includes a check or change on the oil and oil filter, air intake filter, cabin air filter, rear differential fluid, brake fluid, and a tire rotation. Furthermore, CPO customers will get three free months of AcuraLink on a trial basis. Under warranty like in previous years, Acura will continue to offer "Motor Club Benefits," which includes emergency towing, flat-tire change, battery boost, emergency fuel delivery, and lockout assistance. Acura has strict rules for what can be considered for its CPO program. The car must be six model years or newer, so between 2014-2020, and it must have less than 80,000 miles on the dial.

Acura files for Integra Type S trademark

It's only been a couple of weeks since Acura dropped the news bomb that it was bringing back the Integra. In that time, though, the company has quickly applied to trademark the name "Integra Type S" with the US Patent and Trademark Office. The filing, discovered by CarBuzz, was submitted on Aug. 20, a little less than a week after the Integra revival was announced. Curiously, it's under the category of "Apparel and headwear, namely, caps, hats, T-shirts, shirts, sweatshirts, knit shirts, polo shirts, jackets and vests," rather than automobiles.   It seems unlikely, though, that Acura would trademark Integra Type S for shirts and hats if it didn't plan on building a car to go along with it. So the Integra may come in standard and hotted up versions. The last time Acura offered an Type S in North America, it wasn't officially called that. During Acura's switch to an alphanumeric naming convention, the Integra name was dropped in favor of RSX, built from 2002-06. There, the Type S moniker, while not as hard-core as the previous-generation Integra Type R, still meant a considerable bump in performance. Regular RSX models had 160 horsepower, but the RSX Type S cranked out 200 to 210, depending on the year. The Type S was also available exclusively with a manual transmission, and had improved suspension and brakes. While a similar improvement in hardware would be more than welcome on an Integra Type S, we don't want to get too excited over what could just be a logo on a T-shirt. The wouldn't be the first time in recent memory a carmaker trademarked a familiar name for swag. Earlier this year Nissan trademarked Fairlady Z — the original name for the Nissan Z-car — for usage on anything from cuff links to wall clocks. Meanwhile, Ford stepped in and trademarked the name Skyline for the category of cars and trucks. So Acura should probably just go ahead and get the trademark for cars, even if it doesn't plan on offering it at all.