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When we were on hand for the unveiling of Acura's Advanced Sedan Concept in LA, it wasn't met with the warm reception that the So Cal design team would've liked. The styling elements employed on the four-door of the future were, ahem, striking and very unorthodox by Acura's staid standards.
Thankfully, the team gets another chance at justifying such a radical styling departure when it unveils the Advanced Sports Car Concept next month in Detroit. Since the hood of the sedan concept could have easily accommodated a massive mill, we'd expect more of the same cues from the coupe. The sketch above confirms that the overly creased theme is carried forward, with the conspicuous boat tail tip protruding from the rear.
We're hoping that this kind of styling exercise isn't just to show off what the LA-based design team can dream up, instead giving us some indication about the future of the NSX. Considering that the President and CEO of Honda, Takeo Fukui, will be on hand to unveil the concept, we'd half expect some mention of the iconic, mid-engine, attainable exotic.
Press release after the jump.
[Source: Honda/Acura]
PRESS RELEASE
Dec 18, 2006 20:30 America/Los_Angeles
Acura 'Advanced Sports Car Concept' to Debut at North American International Auto Show
TORRANCE, Calif., Dec. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The Acura 'Advanced Sports Car Concept' will make its debut at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the division announced today. The concept provides a glimpse at the next generation Acura exotic sports car.
As a part of the global commitment to the Acura brand, Honda Motor Co. Ltd.'s President and CEO Takeo Fukui will be delivering the keynote remarks at the Acura press conference.
Additional details on the Advanced Sports Car Concept will be announced on Sunday, Jan. 7th at 1:20 pm the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Ron @ Dec 19th 2006 8:03AM
Wow. I didn't realize Acura was busy designing the first car to be driven lying on one's back.
Seriously, who are these concept people kidding? These rooflines are getting more radical all the time.
fisker @ Dec 19th 2006 8:20AM
god that things good looking, just hope the actual concept looks anything as good as the drawing
Doogs @ Dec 19th 2006 8:39AM
3. Which end is the front?
- Maybe they were inspired by those insects whose markings make it difficult to tell which end is front and which is back?
Teq @ Dec 19th 2006 8:55AM
At least it's not as bad as the "big nose" thingy/concept that was posted the other day. I think it'll be hot, but we won't see it until 2009/2010.
Stéphane Dumas @ Dec 19th 2006 9:15AM
My imagination is going nuts or the rear back have some remeniscences of the Chrysler Firepower showed in 2005?
ma dai! @ Dec 19th 2006 9:41AM
my god. i hate honda. what a soulless company. they couldn't spell the word design i you spotted them the "d-e-s-i-g"... I hope these japanese companies (nissan/evo/wrx excluded) all die a slow painful death. They destroy any soul a car can have. My whirlpool dishwasher has more heart than this ugly thing...
ma dai! @ Dec 19th 2006 9:43AM
and acura is the worst of them all. they basically rebadge their crappy hondas, and sell them to idiots at 40% markups... unbelievable that anyone would even think of buying one of those monstrosities
chuck goolsbee @ Dec 19th 2006 9:45AM
Look, in the sketch! Its the CARtoon Superhero!
* Impossible roofline? Check!
* Wheel wells that bug out like a goldfish's eyeballs? Check!
* Conestoga Spokes and zero gap between tire & body? Bingo!
Add it all up into something possible only in a "Hot Wheels" package and will never be realized in actual sheet metal and you have your typical "concept sketch". Boys, either get a job at Mattel, where you can get paid to create these mastubatory fantasies, or show us something with at least a smidgen of reality.
Draw the possible, not the CARtoon.
--chuck
ziggy @ Dec 19th 2006 10:54AM
And what exactly was wrong with the HSC concept, at least that one looked like a realistic future NSX. These new Acura concepts are just odd.
Todd @ Dec 19th 2006 11:16AM
Maybe this won't be the next NSX. Maybe this will be what replaces the S2000 with that new Honda V8 they've been working on. It just doesn't scream super car to me like the NSX and HSC concept did. It more looks like a Challenger / Camaro fighter to me except it's not stuck in the 'retro' past. And given the choice I'd muuuuuch rather buy an Acura V8 muscle car than a Camaro or Challenger even if it costs thousands more.
Dan @ Dec 19th 2006 12:33PM
HSC concept was an excellent idea. A small, low, mid engine, V6 sports car. They could have made HSC in the $30-40k range, like Mazda did with RX7 successor. Both RX7 and NSX failed to compete with 911 - they should have been much cheaper from the beginning. Mazda understood this when they marketed RX8, hopefully Honda will get it too.
Justin @ Dec 19th 2006 12:40PM
I'm surprised some of the foreign fanboys haven't come out and stated that this shows that the Caddy XLR was blatantly copying a future Acura product.
Rob @ Dec 19th 2006 12:51PM
justin, no foreign fanboys yet, i only spotted a domestic fanboy who's itching for some domestic-on-foreign drama in this post.
and omg! it totally looks like an {insert name here}. i mean, it has four wheels, and a bumper, and two doors too!
ct @ Dec 19th 2006 1:50PM
Which end is the front?
SOhp101 @ Dec 19th 2006 1:51PM
I've listened to their little presentation in the LA auto show and like most presentations on pure concept cars... is pure crap. I'm sorry, but I think there's no point in oohing and ahing over a car that's designed funky with no motor inside and some little fictionalized story about its awesome mindblowing features.
Try unveiling something that is actually somewhat close to production, and then you'll get people's attention.
Typesbad @ Dec 19th 2006 2:18PM
#1, #8, and others: Haven't you ever seen a designer's conceptual drawing before? They are "conceptual". Their whole point is to be an extreme of what could be. When they move from drawings to models, things get a little more realistic. the cars actually become narrow enough to fit in one lane and tall enough to fit a person in a somewhat upright position. Things get a little closer to reality again for the show car, and then huge steps are taken for eventual production model. That is how the system works.
ma dai, your hate filled words aren't really worth commenting upon except you've must have never driven a Miata and that I'm willing to bet that these Japanese companies, particularly Honda and Acura, outlast the hypertension-related stroke you appear to be headed for if you are not careful.
Ivan the Terrible @ Dec 19th 2006 2:36PM
I am not interested in silly, flashy concept designs with no substance in them.
I am more interested in the question,
WHY has Acura, the first of the Japanese near-luxury or luxury makers, NOT succeeded as Lexus has?
The fault lies with HONDA, which sells cars that are JUST AS GOOD, and some look even better than the silly TL's, at a 5-10k Discount.
Acura styling is weird to say the least, esp. the silly SUVS MDX and RDX, but the TL too.
No comparison with the beautiful lines of previous Mercedes and BMW models.
Acura is a damn fool to offer large HP engines in a FRONT Wheel Drive car like the TL. Idiotic.
JarryHames @ Dec 19th 2006 2:46PM
It's call a concept and designed to create buzz you fools. Acura isn't a Luxury brand because they are not interested in producing RWD or mass produce V8 engines in their vehicles. The MDX and TL has done very well for the company. Make up your mind people. One day you're dissing BMW, Lexus, GM/Cadillac and now Acura!
drow @ Dec 19th 2006 3:41PM
just to help out the challenged - the rear end is the one with the ginormous red lights on it, and the front end would be the one that has the clear shiny white bits called "headlights" by us automotive elite types.
leo @ Dec 19th 2006 4:47PM
love this one, hated the previous one.
this is what a super-car should look like
give this a 4L V8 that can rev to 10,000RPM and I wil play the lottery everyday hoing to win so I can get one.