Auto blog

Why the 2015 Detroit Auto Show will be the best since The Crisis

The Detroit Auto Show clearly has its swagger back, and the 2015 edition will be a veritable feast for the enthusiast senses. We're talking serious performance, and it will be exhibited in a variety of forms. Sports cars. Supercars. Muscle-bound luxury cars. They're all set for splashy debuts in January in the Motor City. It's another signpost that companies have recovered from the global economic crisis that gripped the industry from 2008-09. For a while, automakers played it safe at Detroit and other shows. Environmentally friendly cars were important, especially for General Motors and Chrysler that were living on loans from Uncle Sam. Ford, Toyota and other companies generally focused on their best-selling or core models. With a few notable exceptions, recent auto shows have been a bit more buttoned-down than in the past. Boring probably isn't the right word, but austerity has been reality. That's changing. Car companies are making money. Sales are up. Aside from the many nagging recalls – and they are notable – the industry now has the time and energy to make performance cars a priority. That will be offered in hard evidence in Detroit. A year from now when we look back at this auto show, we'll sum it up with one word: Horsepower. But make no mistake, this isn't frivolous. Sports and luxury cars are expensive. They're profitable. They boost images and highlight strengths. With that in mind, here are five significant performance-oriented reveals to watch for when the show kicks off in less than two weeks. 2016 Acura NSX Acura's reborn NSX is a strong bet to earn plenty of votes for our Editors' Choice awards. It's one of the most anticipated – and strung-out – reveals of the year. Think back: we actually saw an NSX concept at the 2012 Detroit show, and Acura has spent the last three years teasing the car in a variety of ways. The slow burn, however, means we know a lot about the NSX. It's will use a mid-mounted twin-turbo hybrid powertrain and run with all-wheel drive. It will also wear an innovative zirconium e-coat paint, a new paint process that Honda says is more environmentally friendly. Honda has also said it will build the new NSX in Ohio, where a large part of the car's development work has been done. The original NSX was produced from 1990-2005 and helped establish Acura's performance credentials in the United States. It was a landmark car and a shot across the bow of Ferrari, Lamborghini and others.

2024 Acura TLX with fewer trims and more equipment starts at $46,195

We'll start with the pricing for the revised 2024 Acura TLX, then recap the new math and what shoppers could get for the money. MSRPs for the sports sedan including the $1,195 destination charge, and the changes from 2023 launch pricing, are: TLX with Technology Package: $46,195 ($1,450) TLX A-Spec: $51,195 ($1,500) Type S: $58,195 ($1,750) There were eight trims on offer in 2023, a bit much for shoppers to parse and digest. Now there are three. The former TLX 2.0T entry-level trim is one of those biting the dust, resulting in an automatic $5,450 increase for a 2024 TLX compared to 2023 pricing at launch. A $500 price increase during 2023 means the real difference right now between a 2023 and a 2024 is $950. That TLX with Technology Package price pays for more standard equipment, Acura making its 12.3-inch all-digital display gauges factory fit across the board. The cluster presents two appearance choices here, a "Crafted" design that looks like two standard dials, and an "Advance" design that puts the tach and speedo on the periphery, filling the center with a speedo and various graphics for ADAS and infotainment. This trim also comes in front-wheel drive only, while the two trims above come standard with Acura's Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD). The brand's Precision Cockpit touchpad infotainment controller carries over with a touchpad and a larger screen, 12.3 inches versus 10.3, and the processor running it is faster. Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto are now included, while the ambient lighting control is now accessed directly from the main menu rather than being buried in submenus. Today's difference between a 2023 and 2024 A-Spec is $1,000. Taken like-for-like, though, this trim is actually $880 less expensive. The 2023 TLX sat on 18-inch wheels as standard, Acura charging $1,880 for an optional set of 19-inch wheels in Glint Black. For 2024, the 19-inchers are standard, wearing Shark Gray instead of Glint Black. On top of all this, the A-Spec gets gloss black on its new, reshaped rear spoiler, and gloss black diffuser encasing new round tailpipes in place of the old square covers. Subtract that $500 bump from last year, the 2024 TLX Type S is $1,250 than a dealer inventory 2023 TLX Type S. The top trim adds a third gauge cluster design in Sport+ mode that features a big horizontal bar graph for the tach, which sounds similar to what’s in the Integra Type S.

Acura to debut RLX sedan and ARX-05 racecar at Monterey

It's Monterey Car Week, culminating in the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, and Acura plans to stay busy throughout, with debuts of its redesigned RLX flagship sedan and ARX-5 prototype racecar at several venues. In advance of those two reveals, Acura released two teaser videos (shown above and below), for those of us who can't make it to Pebble Beach. We told you quite a lot about the RLX last week and about the ARX-5 just before that. Sales of the previous generation have been slow, but this redesign, from its new diamond pentagon grille on back, could rectify that. Acura kicks off the week Tuesday as exclusive automotive sponsor of the Carmel-By-The Sea Concours on the Avenue, in Carmel's Devendorf Park. That's where it will debut the 377-horsepower 2018 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid. The NSX, NXS GT3 racecar, MDX Sport Hybrid and redesigned 2018 TLX A-Spec sedan will also be on display. On Friday at The Quail, Acura will unveil the ARX-05 prototype and will again show off the rest of the lineup. On Saturday, the ARX-05 will join a display of historic Acura racecars at this year's Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. And on Sunday, the ARX-05 will be featured on the lawn at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Dave Marek, Acura's global creative director, will serve as a Pebble Beach guest judge. Related Video: Related Gallery 2018 Acura RLX View 11 Photos Image Credit: Acura Design/Style Motorsports Acura Coupe Luxury Racing Vehicles Sedan