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Acura NSX bodywork to be sheathed in zirconium e-coat, fewer paint layers

Automakers make halo cars to drum up excitement and show off what they can do, but there's more to it than that. Advanced platforms allow a company's engineers to experiment with all sorts of technologies. And in the case of the upcoming new Acura NSX, that includes new paint processes.
Speaking with Autoline in this video interview, Honda's North American Senior VP Jon Minto talked about an innovative zirconium e-coat which it's applying to the new NSX. Unlike some experimental paints developed for Formula One, however, this coating is not designed to minimize drag or enhance cooling: it's designed to be more environmentally friendly.
It's one of a few measures which Honda is implementing on the NSX before expanding it to more accessible models, along with another process that uses fewer coats to reduce energy consumption by 40 percent. Watch the interview with Autoline host John McElroy right here.

2014 Acura RLX replaces SH-AWD with P-AWS

After teasing us with the thinly veiled concept earlier this year, Acura has officially taken the wraps off its all-new flagship sedan, the 2014 Acura RLX. Aside from its huge step forward in terms of styling and luxury, the new RLX could very well be the most advanced Acura model ever.
While the previous RL could have been one of the blandest luxury sedans of its time, the RLX builds on stylish cues introduced this year on the ILX and RDX. One of the car's signature elements is its jewel-eyed LED headlights that could end up rivaling Audi for the most distinctive in the business. The rear view of the car isn't as unique as the front, but no less attractive with LED taillights that have a slight BMW vibe and odd, chrome-ringed reflectors at the bottom of the fascia. The interior is exactly what we've come to expect from Acura with its dual-brow instrument panel and a sporty three-spoke steering wheel.
On the technology front, the RLX debuts driving features such as Precision All-Wheel Steer (P-AWS), Adaptive Cruise Control with a low-speed follow feature and Agile Handling Assist while the interior gets a high-end Krell audio system, cloud-based AcuraLink and a multi-angle back camera. P-AWS allows the RLX actively and independently adjust the angle of the rear wheels for better agility and braking. Acura ended up cutting almost 275 pounds from the RLX's curb weight (compared to the RL) thanks to the use of high-strength steel and aluminum.

2022 Acura NSX Type S Track Drive | One lap of Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Stadium lights shine their bright white glow on the tarmac as I power out of the infield and up to the banking of NASCAR 1 at Daytona International Speedway in the 2022 Acura NSX Type S. The force of gravity quickly changes from normal to feeling like IÂ’m being shoved down by a compactor. I gingerly arc down from the top of DaytonaÂ’s steep 31-degree incline and settle into the middle, right pedal down and holding the wheel steady. That last part, I quickly learn, is unnecessary, as the banking holds the car in place without needing to exert much steering force. An immersive and sonorous note trumpets through the cabin as I stay in the throttle out of NASCAR 2. The Bus Stop Chicane (just renamed the Le Mans Chicane for this yearÂ’s Rolex 24) arrives quickly and with little warning when you have 600 horsepower hustling you there, and itÂ’s perhaps the worst-lit corner on the track — ironic, considering youÂ’re going as fast as anywhere at Daytona before having to apply the brakes. A loud, brap, brap, brap accompanies the slowdown. I smash over the rumble strips while exiting the chicane, and head back onto the oval for another go in the compactor for NASCAR 3 and 4. And then that's it, my one flying lap in the one-year-only NSX Type S is over. Rolling back into pit lane, IÂ’m attempting to process what just happened, but am reduced to one-word exclamations from the adrenaline rush. Piloting anything on-track at the Daytona road course at night is a bucket list, dream-come-true moment for a racing enthusiast, and I had just done it in AcuraÂ’s mid-engine supercar. Turns out, those hundreds of hours playing Gran Turismo and dreaming finally came in handy. This brief and high-speed track drive is our first go at the new-for-2022 NSX Type S. Acura says that more seat time is coming in the future, but weÂ’re to make do with this quick taste for the time being. That said, even if you wanted to at this point, the chances of buying a new NSX Type S are next to zero. The NSX swan song — yes, this is the NSXÂ’s last model year — sold out in mere minutes, and all thatÂ’s left is a waiting list. Acura is building 350 total, and 300 are allocated for the United States. There will be no “standard” NSXs for 2022 either, so itÂ’s either the $171,495 Type S or nothing. Despite the rarity and short life, it's surprising how much effort Acura put into enhancing the NSX's complex engine and three-motor hybrid system.