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The original Acura NSX: Development history and driving the icon

The original NSX, introduced in production form in 1990 by Honda and to the United States market under the Acura brand in 1991, is now officially 25 plus years old. Generations of car enthusiasts grew to love the original NSX over the 15 years it was in production and beyond, but as an fan and owner, I think it's important to fully realize just how monumental a shift the introduction of the NSX was in the art of making cars. So, retold 25 years later, this is the abridged story of the NSX, Honda's supercar. The Idea The NSX was an extremely risky project for Honda, a company that in the late 1980's was nowhere near the corporate juggernaut that it is today. Honda's eponymous founder, Soichiro Honda, was still involved in decision-making at the company during this time under the role of "Supreme Advisor," and it is debatable whether the NSX project in its infancy would have gone forward at all had he not still been pushing the company towards the spirit of technical achievement it had been known for in the prior decades. Mr. Honda was still so involved during this period, in fact, that when the first batch of 300 production NSXs were made with a version of the Acura badge he didn't like, he ordered all of the cars stopped at port in the USA, the new badges applied, and the offending incorrect badges sent back to Japan to be systematically destroyed. This was clearly a man who paid attention to the details, but I digress. Honda as a company devoted $140 million dollars to the NSX project ($250 million in today's money), half of which would go to developing the car, and the remainder of which would go to building a new state-of-the-art factory to assemble it. Honda's own goals for the NSX were actually exactly as most media stories portray the car today: to build a bona-fide exotic supercar, but one without the ergonomic and reliability penalties associated with that type of car. They didn't want to sacrifice the needs of the driver to the supposed demands of performance, demands that they felt didn't have to be there in making a truly top-level performance machine. The R&D team wanted a car that could hang with heavyweight exotics in a straight line, play with smaller and more lightweight sports cars in the curves, and cruise in serenity on the freeway. Essentially, they wanted it all, and the brief was to have a car that could do everything without compromise.

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. 

2021 Acura TLX revealed, finally looks like a credible luxury sports sedan

We've been given our first official glimpse into the brand-new 2021 Acura TLX sedan, and so far we like what we see. It's clear that Acura wants to be considered a brand that focuses on performance, boosting power with two turbocharged engine options and the return of the Type S variant after a decade-long absence. Acura stuck close to the well-received Type S concept when styling the new TLX, which means the sedan boasts crisp lines, aggressively creased sheetmetal and a low, wide stance. An angular grille is flanked by Acura's Jewel Eye headlights and Chicane LED running lights to create an expressive face, and similarly shaped taillights at the back end finish off a cohesive design. An A-Spec sport package adds darkened elements along with a unique set of 19-inch wheels and a rear spoiler. The 2021 Acura TLX Type S goes several steps past the A-Spec with a so-called Diamond Pentagon grille and larger side air intakes. A front splitter and rear diffuser join the requisite rear spoiler to round out the aero package. Quad exhaust tips and 20-inch wheels are also included as part of the package. But the big news is underhood, with a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 serving as the headliner. Acura hasn't yet released power figures for the Type S, but promises it will be much more powerful than the outgoing 3.5-liter V6 with "a more than 50-percent increase in low-end torque."   Related: 2021 Acura TLX vs. luxury sedans: How they compare on paper   Standard TLX models will get a new 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces 272 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. That's 66 hp and 98 lb-ft more than the previous naturally aspirated 2.4-liter engine, and Acura says there are 123 additional lb-ft at 1,500 rpm. Both engines will send their ponies through a 10-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard, and Acura's fourth-generation torque vectoring Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system will be standard on the Type S and optional on other TLX models. Inside, all TLXs get a tech-rich cabin that features a centrally mounted 10.2-inch display and Acura's latest True Touchpad Interface. A 7-inch digital screen in the gauge cluster is standard, and a 10.5-inch head-up display is optional. Acura's Integrated Dynamics System is controlled via a prominent silver dial, and it now offers a customizable Individual mode.