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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.

2019 Acura NSX vs. 1991 Acura NSX | Respect your elders

A car that forces the competition to head back to the drawing board does not come around often, especially when that competition happens to be Ferrari. Honda achieved such a feat back in 1991 when the original NSX was set loose in the supercar world. Not only did the NSX smack its contemporaries down in terms of performance and technological prowess, it also forced the Italians to make supercars with some semblance of reliability and manners. Spend only a few moments in an original NSX, and its specialness is palpable. The lack of power steering is acutely noticeable at low speed as I roll over little cracks and dips in the road, while the sticky rubber chucks small rocks up into the wheel wells. A near 360-degree view is at my disposal with the bubble-like canopy, and the ground right in front of the nose is visible from my vantage point. This is what control feels like, and we haven't even gotten to the reverie-inducing VTEC noises getting piped right into our eardrums yet. There are no dials to change the throttle response, no buttons to make the steering artificially heavy, no shift paddles behind the wheel to tell a computer to swap cogs. To my right is a manual shifter that can legitimately be described as perfect. This is a 1991 Acura NSX, and it is glorious. For some of the reasons I've briefly described, and plenty more, this car has reached legend status amongst enthusiasts. In the early 2000s it was a sales disaster, outgunned by pretty much every other supercar in the space. Honda/Acura was only working with a 3.2-liter V6 making 290 horsepower when that car finally met its maker after the 2005 model year. As collectable modern classics, the relatively low power output doesn't seem to bother folks spending close to, and over, six digits on low-mileage examples of these cars. What changed? Well, the passage of time tends to be the biggest factor in these things. Also, there's a new NSX out there, reminding the world that the old one exists. And just like when Acura discontinued the original, the new one is mighty expensive, selling in extremely low numbers, and generally regarded as lesser than other options in its class. This time around it has to deal with standout cars like the 911 GT3, McLaren 570S and Audi R8 V10. But perhaps even worse than that, the new NSX must withstand comparisons to the original. Can you think of any other legendary Japanese car with a similar image problem today? Yeah, the Toyota Supra.

Honda trademarks 'CDX' nameplate

Less than two weeks ago, we discussed the possibility of an Acura-badged version of the sure-to-be popular Honda HR-V. Now, Acura has gone ahead and registered a new trademark that fits in perfectly with its two other crossovers, the RDX and MDX. Our friends at Auto Guide report the company has reserved the name "CDX" with the US Patent and Trademark Office, with the trademark covering "automobiles and their structural parts." While it's true that these kinds of trademarks are filed regularly, the timing in this case is indicative of something more than simply covering bases. After all, it seems very, very unlikely that we'd have comments from Acura on a premium version of the HR-V on February 5 and a trademark filing for a name that fits the brand's CUV nomenclature less than two weeks later, only for it to not go ahead and build an actual vehicle. Adding to that logic is the simple fact that the compact CUV market, both on the premium and mainstream level, is arguably the hottest in the auto industry right now, and it seems like a virtual guarantee that we'll see an HR-V wearing the Acura CDX name in the not-so-distant future. Should that come to pass, look for the CDX to challenge the near-premium Buick Encore, as well as a potential compact CUV from Infiniti. Featured Gallery 2016 Honda HR-V View 25 Photos News Source: Auto GuideImage Credit: Honda Government/Legal Acura Honda Crossover Economy Cars Luxury trademark honda hr-v