What a long, long way Acura has come. One of the earlier automotive divisions with one of those "created" names which have become so ubiquitous (Lexus, Infiniti, etc.), Acura holds many distinctions in America, one of them being the first Asian car-maker to sell a car for over $20,000 in the USA. And they had the car to carry all this new baggage, too, called Legend. What a great name! You can bet it'll be back, after Acura gets over their recent infatuation with their "easier" letter and number nomenclature. (Photo - Acura TSX shown with the NYC skyline in the background).
The first-ever Acura press conference in the US shocked the car world with their news that a well-equipped Legend would price-out at somewhere north of $20K. But, product being king and all that, Acura's name got famous fast, delivering on their promise to build the kind of cars Honda would build if their customers were in a much-different demographic (the Acura name is used only in North America and Hong Kong, so rest assured that there are plenty of sporty drivers wearing gloves and Ray-bans, pointing their little 'Honda NSX" cars into a tough corner).
Acura has, through the years (they started selling cars in the US in 1986), definitely held their
own against competition offering much more powerful engines, and more cylinders, too. And turbochargers, too, and superchargers. Acura has stubbornly stuck to I-4 and V6 engines; not a V8 in sight (but maybe a V10 for a new NSX). Honda and Acura engineers insist that any car company can easily gain more horsepower from any engine by adding turbochargers or superchargers; getting more horsepower from a naturally-aspirated engine ... Now, THAT is a true challenge! Honda's S2000 sports car made 240 horsepower from its naturally-aspirated 2.0 liter I-4 engine, the only street car to ever make that amount of power from that size engine, and was introduced in 2000 --- that wonderful li'l powerplant redlined at 9,000 rpm, making it a dream for drivers, but sometimes uncomfortable for passengers. Incidentally, Honda's S2000 CR (club racer) was introduced at the 2007 NY Auto Show. We'll let Acura's highly-paid PR people take over from here:
Acura's redesigned 2009 TSX offers the first glimpse of the brand's new styling and technology direction for sedans.
The exterior design is more evolutionary than revolutionary. But a wider, bolder stance gives the second-generation TSX a sportier look. The new TSX sits on a longer wheelbase and is roomier than its predecessor, which debuted as a 2004 model.
The TSX, unveiled at the New York Auto Show, also has many safety and technology firsts for Acura. The vehicle goes on sale in April.
The basics: The five-seat TSX is powered by a new 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine that makes 201 hp. The 2008 TSX was capable of 205 hp. The 2009 model's torque is up eight pounds-feet to 172.
American Honda Motor Co. says that while horsepower is lower, fuel economy is improved. Estimated 
highway mileage is 30 mpg for the automatic transmission version, up from 28 mpg for the comparable 2008 model. Estimated city mileage is up by 1 mpg -- to 21 mpg for the automatic.
Two transmissions are standard: A 6-speed manual and a 5-speed automatic that can be operated manually with paddle shifters mounted on the steering wheel. (Photo Above - Acura TSX sporty sedan; Below, an Acura-powered endurance race car in the LMP1 class, which translates to "LeMans Prototype 1," and these are generally the fastest cars on the track in events such as the "24 Hours of LeMans" and "12 Hours of Sebring"; this car is with the team owned by Michael Andretti and Barry Green). 
The wheelbase is 1.3 inches longer than the 2008 model. Overall length increased 2.4 inches, and the 2009 model is 3.0 inches wider.
Comments