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The future of Acura is coming to Detroit

What you're looking at here is a teaser of the Acura Precision Concept – a showcar that will introduce the new design language for the brand. Acura is determined to inject some a larger performance aura into its brand, and for now, it plans to do that with stronger design language. "The Acura Precision Concept will serve as the inspiration for the styling and proportion of the next-generation of Acura vehicles, especially for our sedans," says design director Dave Marek. We like what we see, too. The showcar has a long hood, short rear deck, and very strong character lines down the side. Those are classic rear-wheel-drive proportions, but as we know, that's kind of a long-shot for a new Acura. We'll see the full concept at the Detroit Auto Show in January. Here's hoping it looks awesome. Acura Precision Concept to Debut at 2016 North American International Auto ShowCreated by Acura's U.S. design team, Acura Precision Concept points to performance focus of future Acura design TORRANCE, Calif. (Dec. 18, 2015) – Acura will unveil the Acura Precision Concept at the 2016 North American International Auto Show in Detroit on January 12 at 8:00 am ET, the brand announced today. Created by the Acura Design Studio in California, the Acura Precision Concept will help set the direction for future Acura design; in particular, the next generation of performance-luxury sedans. "The Acura Precision Concept will signal the stronger and sharper focus of Acura styling on our core DNA we call 'precision crafted performance'," said Dave Marek, global creative director for the Acura brand. "It is our intention to more strongly express performance through design and the Acura Precision Concept will serve as the inspiration for the styling and proportion of the next-generation of Acura vehicles, especially for our sedans." Acura today also announced details of its launch plans for the next-generation NSX supercar, coming to market next spring. Acura is on track to post its fourth consecutive year of U.S. sales growth in 2015, and best sales since 2007, with sales up 6.9 percent through November.

The new Acura Integra was never meant to be a retro car

The new Acura Integra Prototype was never supposed to be a retro or nostalgic design process. It would be easy to assume it was, as Acura’s messaging leading up to the big reveal leaned heavily on the Integra nameplate's heritage. From the model name embossed in the bumpers, to videos of shifting the older modelÂ’s manual transmissions, Acura yanked fairly hard on our heartstrings. And then the cover came off last week, and while there are very subtle cues hinting at old Integras here and there, the new car doesnÂ’t look much like the old ones at all. Unlike designers of the new retro-tastic Nissan Z and Ford Bronco, Acura decided to create something altogether new and different. “So, admittedly, when we started planning this car, it was never to create a retro Integra,” Acura product planner, Jonathan Rivers, told Autoblog. “We actually looked at it from the viewpoint of say, if the Integra had never left the lineup, how would it have evolved? How would it have changed over the years? We think this is the result of that.” There was never going to be a two-door coupe model, because as Rivers points out to us, coupes just don't sell these days. However, sportbacks are popular — just look at the sheer number of them coming from Germany these days — and it suits the customers Acura is trying to capture with the Integra. “The target customer is a millennial with an active lifestyle, so they need space for their gear but they also want to have a great car to hit the canyon roads with every now and then,” Rivers says. “Once again, over the generations, the Integra is just that.” For any naysayers throwing their hands up about the Integra seemingly being a fancy Civic, we possess two points of refutation. One, thatÂ’s exactly what the Integra has always been. It was literally badged and sold as a Honda in many other countries, and its bones have always been Civic-based. ThatÂ’s the IntegraÂ’s history, and while Acura doesnÂ’t officially come out and say so, itÂ’s most certainly the same today. On the design front, maybe you think the photos make it look a little too close to the new 11th-gen Civic Hatchback? Well, pictures on the internet donÂ’t always tell the full story of a car design. “None of the sheetmetal is shared with either the four-door or the five-door Civic,” Rivers explains.

Acura NSX Concept is pretty on the inside, too [w/video]

The Acura NSX is still a couple years away from production (isn't it always?), but Acura has taken the dark window tint off last year's concept and opened the doors to show us what the interior of the car looks like. From what we can tell on the show-floor display, Acura's hybrid supercar will not only have a sexy exterior design, it will look great from the inside as well, but Acura pointed out that this is just "one possible direction" the interior could go. We suppose that means we can look forward to many more NSX concepts - you won't hear any complaints from us.
Building on Acura's latest tagline of "the synergy between man and machine," the NSX promises to provide a "human connected space" offering a simplified layout presumably chocked full of technology. Looking inside the concept reveals a cabin wrapped in maroon leather with sport bucket seats that will certainly provide plenty of support. We're sure there will be more information about the car and its interior at upcoming auto shows, but until then, scroll down for Acura's press release.