2003 Acura CL Type-S

Not every road test is about the numbers. Occasionally, we get our hands on a car with modifications that fall more on the side of subtlety than outright speed. And sometimes we don't even need to drive that hard to realize an improvement. Such is the case with Comptech/Neuspeed's Acura CL Type-S.

The CL is a big car, more than a foot longer and nearly 200 pounds heavier than a Lancer Evolution. And its target market demographic leans more toward Geritol and tea parties than Red Bull and the World Rally Championship. But it's also a really nice car, fast, smooth, comfortable with lots of amenities. This example even has the optional GPS-based navigation system. And it's at home in the fast lane. More than once we found ourselves cruising at double the speed limit, in climate controlled, GPS-guided, leather-wrapped comfort. All of these features come on the stock CL. However, the best parts on this particular car don't.

Comptech uses an Eaton M62 Generation 4 roots-type supercharger to motivate the CL far beyond Honda/Acura's original aspirations. This positive displacement blower fills the manifold with 5 psi to create one of the smoothest and most linear power deliveries we've experienced. And speaking of power, there's plenty of it. The stock CL Type-S is rated at 260 hp and 232 lb-ft of torque. On our dyno it put down 221 hp and 202 lb-ft of torque. The Comptech-boosted car was far more motivated: call it 289 hp and 246 lb-ft of torque. With a maximum power gain of almost 75 hp, it's fair to say Comptech has managed a healthy improvement.

One of the best things about this kit is its simplicity. Engine management consists of a magic box, which lies to the ECU about manifold pressure, a fuel pressure regulator and a fuel pump. That's it. If we didn't know how well it works, we'd probably question how effective such simple mods can be. But, after driving the car more than 600 miles, we can say it works.

Actually, we drove the car in two configurations. First, when we performed instrumented testing, it was outfitted with Comptech springs and anti-roll bars, Koni dampers, Work wheels and Comptech's cat-back exhaust. Then, when we spent time driving it on the road several months later, it was fitted with Neuspeed springs, a Neuspeed rear anti-roll bar, another set of Koni dampers, but with the same valving, BBS wheels and a Neuspeed cat-back exhaust and short-throw shifter. Comptech's supercharger was in place for both tests, as were the BFGoodrich g-Force KDW tires. Therefore, the performance numbers in this article and the accompanying spec box were tallied with the car in configuration number one, and the on-road driving impressions are with configuration number two. We hope that's clear.

Regardless of hardware, the open road is where any CL is most at home. The Comptech/ Neuspeed CL will hold its own in the mountains, but at 16 feet long and nearly two tons, it'll never change direction like smaller cars that are at home in that environment.