To accomplish such a seemingly impossible balancing act, the engineers behind the new two-seat Acura rejected conventional notions of what an exotic car should be. Rather than build a heavy, ultra-powerful engine-as found in most competitive exotics-they developed a sophisticated aluminum V-6 that used a breakthrough technology called Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control (VTEC) to deliver both impressive low-end torque and abundant high-rpm power. To pare performance-robbing weight down to an absolute minimum, the team crafted the car's chassis and body entirely of highly rigid yet lightweight aluminum-a world's first for a production automobile.
The result, the 1991 mid-engined Acura NSX, was hailed by Motor Trend as "the best sports car ever built." And while the NSX unquestionably delivered on its promise of Integra-like civility, it was equally faithful to the goal of purebred racing performance. Indeed, a modified NSX engine carried driver Parker Johnstone and his Comptech Racing Acura-Spice race car to three consecutive International Motor Sports Association GTP Lights championships starting in 1992. In 1997, driver Peter Cunningham captured the Sports Car Club of America World Challenge Championship in a modified NSX.
A Commitment To Innovation And Progress.Select few companies are truly synonymous with the word "pioneering," and Acura is one of them. Acura has constantly adhered to Soichiro Honda's passionate ethic of "proceeding with ambition and youthfulness." In addition to the advances of the NSX, Acura was the first automaker in North America with an electronic "drive-by-wire" throttle system and with creature comforts like an in-dash satellite navigation system, DVD-Audio surround sound, and a standard Bluetooth hands-free phone system. Much of this breathless innovation is due to the legendary racing heritage behind the Acura label-many of the engineers responsible for these advancements are same ones that helped bring home six Formula 1 Constructors world championships.
Acura has continually refined and expanded its vehicle line, too. In 1991 Acura added the roomy and luxurious Vigor sedan between the Legend and the Integra. A sleek, American-designed two-door coupe, the CL, made its debut in 1997. And in 2001, Acura unveiled its new MDX luxury SUV, a machine that promptly won Motor Trend's Sport/Utility of the Year award. The last few years have seen Acura dominate the performance sedan market as well, with the all-new TSX, class leading TL, and innovative RL.
With winning rides like those in its stable, it didn't take Acura long to celebrate sales milestones. By 2002, Acura had sold more than two million vehicles in the U.S. In 2004, Acura posted its best-ever year, selling nearly 199,000 vehicles.
A Proud Past. A Brighter Future.As exciting and successful as the first two decades of Acura proved to be, the next 20 years look even more promising. Acura remains on the forefront of new performance-enhancing and environmentally friendly technologies, while designers and engineers are continuing to work to enhance the Acura model range.
In fact, Acura celebrated their 20th anniversary by breaking ground on a brand new design studio. The $15 million Acura Design Center, scheduled to open in summer 2007, will play a critical role in the development of new concepts and designs that will lead directly to future Acura products developed in North America. This studio will be the first design studio exclusively devoted to Acura product development and will be located adjacent to Honda R&D America's existing Los Angeles Center.
In the next few months, two new Acura products will make their debut: the redesigned Acura MDX SUV and its new sibling, the RDX. Although neither fall directly within the scope of this magazine, they both offer exciting hints into Acura's future. Most compelling is the RDX's 200-hp 2.4-liter turbocharged engine-the first production turbocharged passenger car engine produced by Honda/Acura for the United States. Coupled with Acura's Super-Handling All-Wheel-Drive System, the RDX looks to be another winner. Could it also be a hint at what Acura has in store for their next-generation NSX?
We can't say for sure, but we do know there are exciting times ahead for Acura and its enthusiasts. Stay tuned.