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2015 Acura TLX configurator ready to spec your 'red carpet athlete'

When Acura launched the new TLX sedan as a prototype at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show it promised that the car would be a "red carpet athlete." Presumably that meant it would mix photogenic looks with an engaging drive. Now, it's your chance to dress up the vehicle for the festivities with its new configurator that's just hitting the Web.
Prices start at $30,995* for the basic 2.4-liter four-cylinder with 206 horsepower and an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic or $35,220 for the least expensive 3.5-liter V6 with 290 hp with a nine-speed auto, but the bill goes all the way up to $44,700 for a V6 with all-wheel drive and the Advance Package (*plus a $895 destination and handling charge for them). Only the six-cylinder can be optioned with all-wheel drive, but all front-wheel-drive models get Acura's slick P-AWS system that steers the rear wheels.
Outside of the available Technology and Advance packages, the options are kept pretty slim. The range of colors is fairly subdued too with shades of black, white and silver, plus dark blue, dark red and a deep brown called Black Copper Pearl. Upholstery options are limited to a few choices for each exterior color.

Recharge Wrap-up: Volkswagen Sustainability Council meets, Zee.Aero flying car spotted?

The Volkswagen Sustainability Council held its inaugural meeting in Berlin. Made up of nine international experts, the council will advise VW and take action on its own as it sees fit. In the meeting, the council decided that in 2017 it will focus on tackling CO2 emissions, planning for post-2025 regulations, and assisting the automaker's "transformation from car manufacturer to mobility services provider," as VW Chairman Matthias Muller puts it. Volkswagen has approved 20 million euros (about $21.75 million) in funding for Sustainability Council projects for its first two years. "We are fully aware of the large transformation that lays ahead Volkswagen Group," says George Kell, Sustainability Council Chair and Founding Director of UN Global Compact. "We were invited to be part of this journey and are very much looking forward on being actively involved in the development of this journey." Read more at Green Car Congress, or from Volkswagen. Honda plans to ramp up its share of hybrids sold in the US. In response to increasingly strict emissions standards, the company wants electrified vehicles (including hybrid, plug-in hybrid, battery electric, and fuel cell vehicles) to make up two-thirds of Honda and Acura sales in US by 2030. Some analysts are skeptical, though. Christopher Richter of CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets says that dealers are telling Honda they don't want hybrids. "Unless there's a change in what dealers want, I don't think they are going to get there that fast," Richter says. Read more at Automotive News. Witnesses report spotting what could possibly be the Zee.Aero electric aircraft at Hollister Airport in California. Zee.Aero, a startup funded by Google cofounder Larry Page, has a hangar at that airport, where a photo was taken of the aircraft in question. The craft is said to be capable of vertical takeoff and landing and can fit in a one-car garage, earning it the "flying car" moniker. Eyewitness Saul Gomez described the aircraft as "quiet" and "hovering 20, 25 feet off the ground." Read more at Electrek, and watch the interview at Mercury News. Related Gallery 2017 Honda Accord Hybrid: First Drive View 26 Photos News Source: Green Car Congress, Volkswagen, Automotive News, Electrek, Mercury NewsImage Credit: Copyright 2016 Sebastian Blanco / AOL Auto News Green Acura Honda Volkswagen Green Automakers Electric Hybrid recharge wrapup

Acura RDX Prototype to debut at 2018 Detroit Auto Show

Crossovers make money, plain and simple. Nearly every mainstream automaker sells or is planning to sell some sort of SUV. At the 2018 Detroit Auto Show, Acura will debut the third-generation RDX Prototype. This sleek concept isn't the final production version, but it is a good preview of what we'll see coming down the pipe from Honda's premium brand. Acura says this is the most extensive redesign in more than a decade, indicating that this is a ground-up redesign rather than an overhaul of the model that's been on sale since 2013. While the current model uses a 3.5-liter V6, the new RDX will likely use a turbocharged inline-four, just like the first-gen RDX. That 2007 model was a huge oddball in Honda's naturally aspirated lineup, though turbocharging is far more prevalent today. Look for a variant of Honda's 1.5-liter turbo-four under the hood and some variant of Acura's all-wheel drive system. The teaser video gives us a brief glimpse of the car, and there's more than a little TLX buried inside. Gone is the "beak," replace by the soon-to-be ubiquitous shield grille. All of Acura's current design was previewed with the Precision Concept that showed its face nearly two years ago. We don't have many other details, but we won't have to wait too much longer. Related Video: Design/Style Detroit Auto Show Acura Crossover SUV Luxury acura rdx