1991 Acura Nsx on 2040-cars

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2019 Acura NSX Track Test Review | Exotic tech, exhilarating performance

EAST LIBERTY, Ohio — The 2019 Acura NSX makes sonorous noises behind my ear as the tachometer soars toward 7,500 rpm. My hands grip the squared-off steering wheel a bit too hard as I scrub off about 60 mph and dive into the first corner of the Transportation Research Center (TRC) dynamic handling course. There's 3,878 pounds of car beneath me, but the front tires do exactly what my hands tell them to, without hesitation, and I'm through the double apex corner without even thinking about the defiance of physics I just witnessed. On paper, a nearly 4,000-pound track car makes no sense. Yet in practice, it's just as tossable and eager to change direction as something much lighter. This is the NSX's party trick, thanks to some magic with the suspension and all-wheel drive system on this car. And while the new NSX is a very different vehicle than its predecessor, it was born of a similar spirit of innovation and forward thinking. The original Acura NSX hit the streets in 1991, establishing a new set of rules for every supercar released since. Constructed of an aluminum body — still an exotic material mainly used in competition vehicles — with curves that still drop jaws today, it was every bit as sophisticated as a Ferrari. But unlike Ferraris of the time, it was also reliable and easy to drive. Slide behind the wheel of a 1991 NSX, and you'll be transported back to a time when outward visibility was still in style. You can see the ground right in front of the nose. Turn around, and there's nothing blocking your view but a low wing. It's essentially a bubble canopy. Acura knows owners of the original NSX, your author included, absolutely love this about their cars. The effort to make the cockpit of the NSX similar is appreciated, even if modern crash standards prevent a perfect implementation. There are other subtle throwbacks. Every original NSX made a distinctive intake whine when winding it up to 8,000 rpm, and the new NSX has real intake noise physically pumped into the cabin to replicate this sweet sound all the way through the rev band. Another echo of the original is the simplified, sedate dash layout — eminently usable and likely to age well. A simplified version of the new RDX infotainment system would have fit the bill, too, but sadly it's not present. Under way, however, the generational similarities cease. Our time on this trip in the 2019 model was spent solely on track at TRC, and it was a wholly different experience from the old car.

Acura introduces a sleeker self-driving test car

As we creep ever closer to an autonomous-car future, one thing is for certain, most of the driverless cars we see being tested look hideous thanks to all the sensors strapped to the roof. Today Acura introduced its second generation Automated Acura RLX Development Vehicle with updated sensors and a more pleasing aesthetic. Gone is the spinning LIDAR system replaced with a more compact and robust version of the light detection and ranging technology. It's also got updated RADAR, camera, GPS and higher performance GPUs and CPUs as well as what Acura is calling "more intelligent software algorithms to support more complex testing scenarios." Acura and its parent company Honda have been testing autonomous cars at its GoMentum Station in the Bay Area since last year with a specially outfitted RLX (shown in the video above with the spinning LIDAR system). This new car will replace that vehicle. This article by Roberto Baldwin originally ran on Engadget, the definitive guide to this connected life. Green Acura Honda Transportation Alternatives Technology Emerging Technologies Autonomous Vehicles Videos Sedan transportation gear

2022 Acura MDX Type S specs boast 355-hp turbo V6, air suspension

Details have finally emerged about the new 2022 Acura MDX Type S. Positioned as the performance-oriented member of the MDX range, the midsize luxury SUV gains a turbocharged V6, Brembo brakes, an air suspension, and a longer list of standard features. Acura takes the heritage-laced "Type S" designation seriously; the badge also appears on the NSX and on the TLX. While we love the thought of an NSX-powered MDX, it's the TLX that was asked to provide its engine. Power comes from a new 3.0-liter V6 that's turbocharged to 355 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque. Acura points out these figures make the MDX Type S the most powerful crossover or SUV it has ever released. The six-cylinder spins all four wheels via a 10-speed automatic transmission that has been redesigned to provide quicker shifts, and a Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive (SH-AWD) system programmed to send up to 70% of the engine's torque to the rear wheels. And, as always for Acura's SH-AWD, 100% of that torque can be sent to the left or the right wheel (aka torque vectoring). Acura's first air suspension system appears on the MDX Type S. Adaptive and adjustable, the setup relies on data sent by an armada of sensors and on user input to make the ride sporty, comfortable, or anything in between. Using air springs also allowed Acura to give the Type S a lift mode, which increases the ground clearance by about 2 inches when users need to drive in deep snow or on rough terrain. Next, engineers turned their attention to the brakes. Brembo provided four-piston front calipers designed to work with rotors that are about half an inch bigger than the standard MDX's, and Acura points out that it tuned the electric-servo system to give the Type S a pedal stroke that's similar to the NSX's. The red calipers fitted to both axles are visible through 21-inch wheels wrapped by Continental ContiSeal self-sealing tires. Painting the calipers red was purely an aesthetic decision, but many of the other design changes that help the Type S stand out from the regular MDX serve a purpose. For example, the engine bay receives about 10% more air thanks to a redesigned grille. And, the vents on either side of the front bumper direct cooling air to a pair of sub-radiators mounted on either side of the engine bay. Some of these functional changes aren't immediately visible: Acura went as far as relocating the battery to the trunk to improve weight distribution.