2020 Acura Mdx 3.5l on 2040-cars

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2023 Acura Integra revealed with Civic Si power at $30,000

It's been a couple of decades, but the storied Acura Integra nameplate is returning to the road as a 2023 model. The Civic-based Acura sedan borrows the sporty Si's 1.5-liter, turbocharged 4-cylinder and 6-speed manual transmission with its limited-slip differential, though the exact specs still remain up in the air.  The prototype was shown in a new color dubbed "Indy Yellow," which pays homage to the iconic Phoenix Yellow finish offered on the Integra Type R. It rides on 19-inch five-spoke wheels over Brembo brakes.  “The Integra is one of the most iconic models in Acura's history,” said Jon Ikeda, vice president and Acura brand officer. “This new Integra will continue to deliver on the original's unique aspirational yet attainable market position, with emotional performance and style, combined with the versatility and utility sought after by today's buyers.” While the powertrain may be borrowed from the Civic, it will likely be tuned slightly differently. It produces a nice, round 200 horsepower in the Si, and since Acura noted that it will be a "high-output" engine, we're expecting them to squeeze a little extra something out. Don't expect miracles, however; the Civic Type-R gets a 2.0-liter mill for a reason. Beyond that, Acura is being tight-lipped for now, but a product planner told Autoblog that the Integra won't share a single body panel with the Civic. It's a couple inches longer than the Civic sedan. He suggested that we'd see a performance model eventually, and maybe it would be Type S, but no hard confirmation. The planner also said that, as far as the trend toward retro design in models like the Toyota Supra or Nissan Z, Acura did not set out to design something retro. Instead, they wanted to make something that looked like what the Integra would have evolved into today, had it never been discontinued. The grille sports the new look we can expect to see across the Acura product lineup, slightly refined from the existing look, and frameless. Acura says the Integra will go into production in 2022 at its Marysville, Ohio, facility. 

Lexus gets top brand marks from Consumer Reports; Ford, Jeep hit hard

Consumer Reports has released its 2014 Car Brand Report Cards, with Lexus again reigning at the top and doing so with the same industry-topping score of 79 that it registered in last year's Report Cards. This year, the institute credited its lineup for being "usually quiet, comfortable, and fuel-efficient," noting it's the only brand on the list "to achieve an excellent average overall reliability score." The Car Brand Report Cars list is meant to rank the best all-around vehicles based on CR testing and reliability results tallied by subscribers it surveyed. Each brand included must have sufficient test and reliability data for at least three models, a standard which left out 11 marques including Fiat, Jaguar, Land Rover and Porsche.
This 2014 Brand Report Cars edition is the first of a new format in which sub-brands have been broken out from their parent brands, with Acura using this year to move up the leaderboard into second place with a score of 75 for its "reliable, well-finished and somewhat sporty models." The top three was rounded out by Audi, climbing from eighth to third by scoring a 74 for "well-crafted interiors, nice handling and good gas mileage." Audi scored highest in the road-test portion, its improved reliability aiding its rise. The top nine was completed by Subaru, Toyota, Mazda, Honda, Infiniti and Mercedes-Benz.
Ford and Jeep weighed in at the other end of the rankings, Jeep taking the lowest overall score in the road tests and hampered by "a mix of spotty reliability." Ford was sunk by reliability issues with its MyFord Touch infotainment system which consumers found troublesome enough to negate its cars earning "solid test scores" for being "very nice to drive." Perhaps the rumored switch from Microsoft to Blackberry's QNX for the next generation SYNC will help them out. Cadillac's score also took a hit for infotainment reasons after it was the leading US brand last year, the CUE system in the XTS dragging Cadillac to the bottom of all General Motors brands.

2022 Acura NSX Type S is revealed as the most powerful NSX ever

The 2022 Acura NSX Type S is here, and it's the most impressive NSX the company has created. It now makes 600 horsepower and 492 pound-feet of torque, increases of 27 ponies and 16 pound-feet. But that's only the tip of the many little changes Acura has done to make this the ultimate NSX. Gaining that extra power involved quite a few little changes. The engine now gets larger turbochargers borrowed from the GT3 race car. The various intakes have been changed for improved cooling and airflow. The main front grille has been enlarged to allow more air into the radiators, and the outboard grilles now feature ducting for air curtains that help direct air to the side intakes. Those intakes feed more efficient intercoolers. The batteries even feature greater capacity. Power isn't the only area to receive upgrades. The Type S gets a carbon fiber roof for slightly less weight and a lower center of gravity. The aerodynamics have been tweaked with a new carbon fiber splitter, side skirts, rear spoiler and a GT3 race car-inspired rear diffuser, all of which help with downforce. The adjustable suspension, all-wheel-drive system and transmission have all been retuned for sportier driving. The latter shifts faster now and has a Rapid Downshift mode that allows you to shift to the lowest possible gear with one half-second paddle pull. Even the tires are stickier Pirelli P-Zeroes designed specifically for the NSX Type S. All of these improvements mean that the Type S is a full two seconds faster around Suzuka than a regular NSX. And if you need just that little bit more in the performance department, there is a Lightweight Package. It costs an extra $13,000 and adds carbon ceramic brakes, a carbon fiber engine cover and carbon fiber interior parts. Total weight savings is 58 pounds. Acura did pay some attention to styling, too. On top of the more aggressive aerodynamic bits, the grille has a new shape that has hints of the corporate pentagonal grille. The grille mesh is even steel instead of plastic now. The lights get dark lenses, and all the badging, mirrors and door handles are finished in black. Type S decals adorn the rear fenders. Inside, there's an Alcantara headliner and NSX and Type S logos embroidered in the seats and dashboard. One of the cars in the gallery at top is painted in an exclusive Gotham Gray matte metallic color, which will only be applied to 70 cars.