Rides : Recall roundup: Acura TSX for possible ECU problems

 

Acura has recently announced a recall for some units of the TSX because of a possible problem with the ECU, which might lead to an engine stall.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a total of 76,253 units of the Acura TSX across the United States will be affected by this problem and their owners will have to take a trip back to the dealers, because of a problem with the ECU. The NHTSA says that in states where corrosive materials are being used for deicing, the road salt and the water from the drivers’ shoes might saturate the carpet under the dashboard.
If this happens, the ECU (engine control unit) might be damaged and it might lead to an engine stall. The company’s dealers will inspect and replace the damaged ECUs and also install waterproof covers on the ECU. The affected Acura TSXs are from the 2004-2008 model years and they have been sold and registered in many states. Owners of the cars will be notified by Acura or Honda soon and the recall is expected to begin on the 11th of April. Meanwhile, if you own an Acura TSX from the 2004-2008 model year in the U.S., you should contact the carmaker at (800) 382-2238.

Rides : Car Porn - Acura NSX Concept II – first promo released

Acura has brought a revised version of the NSX Concept, named simply the NSX Concept II, to the 2013 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit.

The Acura NSX Concept II has leaked just a day before its official presentation during the 2013 Detroit Motor Show and now the model is ending up in our news once again, this time thanks to an official video released by the car manufacturer. The Acura NSX Concept II might be just one of many other concept versions of the model but it might also be offering us a look into the final production variant.



No details on the updated Acura NSX Concept II have been announced yet but the final production version of the model is rumored to get a hybrid power train, an all-wheel drive system and a mid-engine layout. Prices for the Acura NSX are expected to start at 100,000 USD, and this means that the model will become more expensive than the 2013 Nissan GT-R, which is available in the United States from 97,920 USD. The final production version of the Acura NSX will be produced in Marysville, Ohio.
Source: Acura

Rides : Check out the Acura NSX dressed in red for Beijing

The Japanese based automaker Honda has brought its Acura NSX supercar to the 2012 Beijing Motor Show, and the model has been painted red for the Chinese automotive event.

The Acura NSX is seems to be on top of the wave and after the roadster version of the Japanese supercar has been driven by Robert Downey Jr., during the premiere of the Avengers, the model is once again placed into the spotlights, this time in the shape of the coupe, which has been officially presented at the 2012 Beijing Motor Show in a new color: bright red. The Acura NSX supercar will be introduced to China in 2015, along with the new ILX sedan and the RDX crossover, which will be launched sooner in the Asian country.
As a small reminder, the Acura NSX is powered by a 3.5 liter V6 engine, sending its power to one of the axles, while a pair of electric motors will “move” the other axle. The model has a four-wheel drive and a hybrid layout, with a total output of 400 horsepower. The final production version of the new NSX, with the Acura and Honda badges on it, is expected to debut in 2013. You can watch the Acura NSX at the 2012 Beijing Motor Show below. Enjoy!

Acura apologizes after casting "not too black" actor in Super Bowl ad

Everyone loved the hilarious Super Bowl ad for the coming-some-day-but-not-anytime-soon Acura NSX starring Jerry Seinfeld, but we really wish it would have popped back onto our radar for a different reason than this. (Like a production announcement from Honda.) TMZ is reporting that when the commercial was cast, the ad the agency responsible had sought an African-American actor to play the car dealer who was, "Nice looking, friendly. Not too dark." And the website has a copy of the document to prove it.

To paraphrase one of Seinfeld's catch phrases: "Yes, there's everything wrong with that."

While we'd like to think that some day the obvious interpretation might be that the casting director was referring to the actor's mood, clearly that's not the case here. TMZ says an unnamed source associated with the commercial told it that "not too dark" had something to do with lighting and special effects, and we hope that's true. Still, the way the brief description reads, it certainly sounds like whomever was casting the spot thinks dark-skinned people are neither nice nor friendly.

We're not about to throw Honda under the bus – it was, after all, an outside ad agency named RP& that shot the ad, according to Motoramic – as the automaker apologized, issuing the following statement:

We apologize to anyone offended by the language on the casting sheet used in the selection of actors for one of our commercials.

We sought to cast an African-American in a prominent role in the commercial, and we made our selection based on the fact that he was the most talented actor.

The casting sheet was only now brought to our attention. We are taking appropriate measures to ensure that such language is not used again in association with any work performed on behalf of our brand.

Car Porn : Acura NSX Super Bowl commercial with Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno

Acura has recently recruited two famous American comedians, Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno, to feature in their commercial set which is promoting the NSX model, during the Super Bowl XLVI on the 5th of February.

As you can see from the video posted below this article, Jerry Seinfeld is trying to persuade the buyer of the very first NSX to give up his reservation for some various funny and over the top antics, but at the last second, he was dupped by Jay Leno. What comes as a surprise is that Jerry Seinfeld is well known for being a Porsche enthusiast, with one of the most significant car collections in the world, but even so, he accepted this role.

“Acura has a specific plan in place across all communication channels to build off of the first round of product news announced at the North American International Auto Show. The response to the ILX, RDX and NSX supercar concept has been extremely positive. Our Super Bowl strategies are simple-build upon the buzz created in Detroit and leverage the excitement for the future return of the legendary NSX to the Acura lineup”, said the Acura Brand Manager, Susie Rossick.

In other worlds, the Acura NSX Hybrid will be manufactured in Ohio, as President Takanobu Ito recenty announced. Production and sales of the V6 hybrid supercar will start within three years, and the decision of Honda, the mother brand, to make cars in the U.S., is its desire to control cost and keep the model from being more expensive than necessary for the over-seas buyers.

Rides : Honda NSX Concept going to Detroit Motor Show

The Japanese based automaker Honda is planning to officially present the concept version of its new NSX at the upcoming Detroit Motor Show in 2012.

According to autocar.co.uk, the Super Sports concept will have the same lines as the Small Sports EV Concept, which will be presented to the public this week at the Tokyo Motor Show. The Brits at autocar.co.uk say that the Super Sports design is a spiritual successor of the popular NSX and it will be shown at the Detroit Motor Show in January, 2012, but we don’t know anything yet about its engines or exterior look.

“I spent part of my early career at Honda developing the NSX, and specifically the aluminum body… I really enjoyed that experience and learned so much, so it is my wish that Honda engineers have the experience of developing a sportscar like the NSX in the future. Within Honda, our engineers are already looking at developing such a car”, said Takanodu Ito, Honda’s president and CEO, last month.

If the concept version of the new Honda NSX generation will be officially presented in January 2012 at the Detroit Motor Show, the final production form might debut sometime in 2013, and the vehicle has all the chances of hitting the dealerships within the next couple of years, but there’s no official info on that. As a reminder, the Honda NSX or Acura NSX, as it was known in the US, was a sports car made between 1990 and 2005, with a mid-engine and a rear-wheel drive layout, powered by an all-aluminum V6 petrol engine with the company’s VTEC system (Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control).

Rides : Honda R&D boss supposedly confirms work on NSX replacement

Honda has been under the spotlight for quite some time now with a lot of rumors circulating about its replacement to the famous halo car, the NSX (you can read all of the here). And to make things a bit better or worse, word is that Honda’s R&D boss Mibe Toshihiro has confirmed that an NSX is in development. The catch is however, that the replacement will most likely either be a hybrid or an EV NSX replacement.
“We are now at a point where we can consider the next generation of electric and hybrid vehicles. President Ito has already mentioned a new NSX, and we have looked at that in the R&D department,” said Toshihiro. “It would be an interesting project — electric or hybrid vehicles can be fun as well as economical.”
Despite the positive note that Honda is working on a halo car, the rumor that it will either be a hybrid or an EV is a bit disappointing, especially since Lexus is asking for a competitor with its LF-A supercar. Additionally, some other reports said that Honda’s president Takanobu Ito said that the next-generation NSX won’t follow the same formula as the original. Well, that doesn’t sound too promising.

To put things in perspective, Honda once said on the original press release for the NSX that “Cars, no matter their market niche, should be amply endowed with a large dose of driving fun.” The NSX was the purest embodiment of Honda’s corporate philosophy, one that put Honda on the performance map for sure and gained them their enthusiast following. But as we’ve seen already, anything with a hybrid or alternative powertrain is far from truly fun. So the new NSX sounds like it’s shaping up to be something that will fall short to filling the same shoes and do the same justice that the original NSX did.

Rides : Tony Stark trades his Audi for mystery Acura in The Avengers

Next summer, when The Avengers opens to packed multiplexes, playboy billionaire Tony Stark will be rolling in a trick new ride. After driving an Audi R8 in the two Iron Man features, Stark apparently switches to a never-before-seen Acura sports car (in keeping with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s use of all Acura vehicles, as seen in this summer's Thor and Captain America films).

The new ride appears in a series of on-set photos published at SuperHeroHype.com (borrowed from WENN.com) showing Robert Downey, Jr. standing next to it as Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Tom Hiddleston (Loki) look on. Another shot, posted at WorstPreviews.com (we've posted a cropped version here), shows the mystery Acura convertible by itself, parked on the set in New York's Central Park.

Note to the spoiler-averse: the WorstPreviews.com report explicitly details the scenes that were filmed, and they're reportedly for the the conclusion of the movie. So, you've been warned.

We also have a note in to Acura to see if they'll give up any other information. We'll update the post accordingly if and when we know more.

UPDATE: Acura spokesman Gary Robinson has gotten back to us. Here's what he had to say:

As you may know, Acura has been in the Marvel Comics Universe films as the official car of their fictional law enforcement agency called S.H.I.E.L.D. That relationship continues for The Avengers.

The open-top sports car that was photographed yesterday is a one-off, fictional car that was made just for the movie and will not be produced.

That said, as you may also know, our CEO has said publicly that we are studying the development of a new sportscar, but we can't say any more about it at this time.

Mr. Robinson also said that he's unable to tell us any specifics about the use of the car in the film beyond what's suggested in the photos, and that Acura itself won't know the full extent of the car's appearance in The Avengers until the film's release next spring.

Rides : 2010 J.D. Power Avoider Study says nearly half avoid Acura due to styling

2010 Acura TL

Is Acura’s styling hurting the brand’s desire to become a top tier luxury competitor? If you asked us the answer we’d give you a “yes” without throwing in any sales figures or any other analysis on the brand. Why? Well, all you have to do is just look at what the TL sedan has become from what the TL sedan used to be.

While Acura continues to defend its current design theme, consumers seem to have their own ideas.

According to a 2010 J.D. Power Avoider Study, nearly half of Acura avoiders cited walking away from Acura due to the ‘unappealing exterior styling.’ That is far above industry average and well above most premium brands. The second reason that most avoiders cited was interior styling.

“Styling is hurting them,” said Kerri Wise, Power’s director of research. “It’s their biggest hurdle.”

However, there may be hope for Acura. The Acura TL is due for a midcycle change in March or April.

While most consumers have avoided Acura due the styling of the brand’s sedans, the smart packaging on the MDX and RDX has allowed it to cater to the increase in crossover demand. Acura RDX sales were up 52 percent this year, while the MDX was up 46 percent.

Acura to debut ‘something unconventional’ within the next year - They really need to - Craig Mills

Will Acura add any additional members to its product lineup? The Acura RL and the ZDX crossover were just upgraded for the 2011 model year (not a significant upgrade at all) but according to executives there might be another model around the horizon.

Along with a new revamped RL flagship sedan, which is scheduled to arrive sometime in 12 to 18 months, the Honda luxury brand will introduce “something unconventional.”

What is it going to be? We have no clue as of right now – but our wants and needs have us begging for an Acura NSX successor or something with a V8 engine. As far as we know, it could be an electric Acura. Who knows what we’ll get – stay tuned to find out.

Source: CARandDRIVER