Showing posts with label Acura V10. Show all posts

Honda Cars : Mystery Acura finally revealed | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Unknown | 8:37 PM

Acura V10

By: Mark Vaughn on 11/29/2012

Design studios build all kinds of things all the time and the vast majority of them never see the light of day. In many cases that's a good thing. But occasionally there's a really cool-looking styling exercise that gets into the public eye one way or another. Such was the case with the Acura Sport.

Built five years ago by Honda's Advanced Design Studio in Pasadena, the sporty NSX-looking coupe was never intended to be seen outside the opaque walls of that high-security building.

“It was totally an internal advanced design concept,” said Dave Marek, director of advanced design for Honda R&D Americas.

It was built about five years ago when Honda was trying to decide what to do with the NSX. Should it be built? Should it be conservative, green and powered by a hybrid or sporty and powered by a V10? This was before the Detroit NSX concept and well before The Avengers car. The car you see here was a consideration of what the NSX could be. Sort of.

“It was a little different concept (from the NSX) but it had the same spirit of what that car was,” said Marek.

It didn't so much show up as the new NSX as it showed up in a lot of little ways on a lot of production Acuras.

“It was more, 'This studio should do form language and what could the Acura form language be?' " Marek said.

Form language is what makes an Acura an Acura and a Ferrari a Ferrari. You can see elements of the Acura Sport not-a-concept all over the current lineup.

“It trickled down into all the products.”

Look at the sides of Acuras and you'll see a hook in the fender just like the one on the Sport.

“It's not directly literal but the ILX has a lot of it in it.”

As do the wheel arches of Acuras going over the front fenders. And the way that body line goes into that hook.

But while elements of the Acura Sport styling exercise saw production, the car itself sat in seclusion.

Then Honda R&D's Pasadena Advanced Design Studio moved from Pasadena to just south of downtown Los Angeles, a block away from Staples Center and LA Live. Honda held a grand opening for invited guests only in conjunction with the Los Angeles Auto Show. So to decorate the first floor of the new studio Marek figured it couldn't hurt to show off the Acura Sport.

And so, five years later, here it is.

Source;
http://www.autoweek.com/article/20121129/LOSANGELES/121129863

Honda Cars : Acura’s V10, V8 plans on hold for now, may plan RSX successor | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Unknown | 6:43 AM

Acura V10

The economic downturn has taken a toll on Acura’s product plans for a V10 successor to the NSX, the long-awaited V8 and a rear-wheel-drive architecture.

Just last summer, Acura dealers were told to look forward to a V8 version of the Acura RL. But the program was put on hold by Honda President Takanobu Ito as part of the company’s cost cutting efforts. Also gone was the rear-wheel-drive program, which has now been pushed back to 2015 at the earliest, report Automotive News. Oh, and don’t even get us started on the V10 NSX.

But that doesn’t mean Acura will stop trying to be exciting. While we won’t see the V10 NSX, V8 or the rear-wheel-drive program gain traction until the economy improves, Acura is rumored to be planning a successor to the RSX.

Acura, which left the compact segment at the end of 2006 by dropping the RSX, is planning a successor to battle with the BMW 1-Series, Volvo C30 and Audi’s A3. The vehicle would be based on the next-generation Honda Civic, which arrives in 2011. So don’t expected to see anything until 2012.

Who know - by that time the economy may enable Acura to offer a V10 and V8 as well.

Source;
http://www.egmcartech.com/2009/08/31/acuras-v10-v8-plans-on-hold-for-now-may-plan-rsx-successor/