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2021 Acura TLX A-Spec Long-Term Update | How's it handle?

A couple of months have passed since we took delivery of our new 2021 Acura TLX A-Spec long-term tester, and the miles are starting to pile on — the odometer just clicked past 6,000. I was particularly eager to get behind the wheel of our TLX, as my first go-round in AcuraÂ’s new sports sedan left me feeling good about where Acura was headed with this car. That said, I only spent about an hour in the saddle during my first drive experience, and that time was on unfamiliar roads. The stint I just completed was a full month, and in that time I treated the TLX as if I owned it. So much so, that I completed the same mini road trip with it that I took in my 2001 Acura Integra GS-R last fall. The destination was southern Indiana, an unexpected but heavenly place to test the handling of a car. Just go south or east from Bloomington, Ind., on the squiggly lines you see on Google Maps. I promise you wonÂ’t be disappointed. Photo evidence of both trips below, including my friendÂ’s Alfa Romeo Giulia(s). The TLX was an absolute peach on the hundreds of miles of winding pavement. Despite its BMW 5 Series size, the TLX handles like a compact car. Its chassis is rigid and unbending through every kind of corner. This isnÂ’t the Type S (nor is it an Advance trim with the adaptive dampers), but itÂ’s all the chassis you could want on a backroad. ThereÂ’s enough give from the dampers to smooth out the bad spots, but itÂ’s dialed in to provide unwavering stability in big weight transfers, too. Acura struck a happy balance. Credit for this carÂ’s poise under stress on less-than-ideal roads should also be given to the new independent double wishbone front suspension design. You can sense it sorting out dips and changes in the road as youÂ’re battling through a rough corner. The big 255-section-width tires stay confidently glued to the pavement, communicating grip levels through the wheel and chassis as you go. The super-quick steering ratio from the new electric rack does a decent job of simulating road feel, but the best part about it is the rackÂ’s sheer speed. Acura takes full advantage of this sedanÂ’s rigid chassis with that quick, precise turn-in. ItÂ’s not quite as fast as the Alfa Romeo GiuliaÂ’s energetic steering, but the end result is a car that changes direction the moment your brain decides it wants to. What really ties this carÂ’s handling together is AcuraÂ’s torque-vectoring SH-AWD system.

Acura aiming for Chinese production by 2016

Not wanting to be left out of the emerging luxury car bonanza in China, Automotive News is reporting that Acura could begin producing vehicles in the Asian country by 2016. Like Audi, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, Acura will reportedly build vehicles in China using a local partner - Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. in Acura's case - while Cadillac and Infiniti will build their own vehicles locally.
Guangzhou already produces Honda models in China, but the article says that the first Acura produced in that country could be a new compact model based on the Acura SUV-X Concept (shown above), a showcar revealed in April at the Shanghai Motor Show. China's luxury car market is expected to grow to 2.7 million units a year by the end of this decade, which would put it on pace to make it the largest premium car market in the world.

Acura NSX production delayed

Listeners of the Autoblog Podcast will be familiar with my opinions on the Acura NSX. While I love the idea of Acura building a halo car again, I've routinely joked on-air that the car will never, ever reach production and will continue being teased and previewed ad nauseam. So I'm chuckling at this news: the NSX is being delayed again. To be fair, while it sounds like a big deal – pushing the NSX back from model year 2016 to 2017 – this is a fairly minor delay in the grand scheme. Instead of starting production this fall, as previously announced, the new supercar will start rolling down the line at Honda's Marysville, OH factory in the spring. "Trial production" has already started, Honda says, while briefly acknowledging the delay in the attached press release. While Honda offered no reason for the delay in volume production, Automobile claims it's the fault of the move to fit two turbochargers to the V6, which was made midway through development. Fitting the two iron lungs meant rearranging the six-pot into a longitudinal layout. Here's hoping there are no further delays. Scroll on for a look at Honda's press release, which does its best to gloss over the NSX delay while talking about the company's new Performance Manufacturing Center in Marysville. Related Video: Performance Manufacturing Center: Precision Craftsmanship Aug 14, 2015 - CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA, Calif. The next-generation Acura NSX is produced at the new, dedicated Performance Manufacturing Center (PMC) in Marysville, Ohio, using domestic and globally sourced parts. With trial production already underway and production start-up scheduled for spring 2016, this world-class manufacturing facility employs groundbreaking techniques in weld, body construction, body painting, final assembly and quality confirmation to ensure the highest levels of precision and craftsmanship. More details on the unique and innovative manufacturing processes at the PMC will be rolled out over the months leading up to the start of production, but the following highlights of the new facility were shared during the 2015 Monterey Automotive Week: Innovative blend of people and technology: throughout the PMC, NSX production is centered around the skills of approximately 100 experienced engineers and technicians building the NSX to precise levels of quality and craftsmanship.