Autoblog

Acura's Advanced Sedan Concept is supposed to be a pie-in-the-sky imagining of what a future flagship automobile could look like. As Damon stated when he posted on the car from the LA Auto Show, Acura may have taken the whole "flagship" thing a bit too literally, as the concept incorporates some seriously nautical cues, such as its pointy nose and boattail rear.

In fact, gazing at the angular Acura made me think of an actual military vessel that's in development today. The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) and the bizarro Acura look as if they could be very distant cousins. Maybe a couple times removed. Anyhow, you get the point: that design language works a whole lot better on a naval vessel than something you're supposed to park in your garage.

Acura wants you to imagine what the corporate bigwigs will be driving in 2020. They're answer comes in the form of the "Advanced Sedan Concept," straight from Acura's own LA-based design team.

When the concept was initially uncovered, our first reaction was shock and amazement, followed by a touch of nausea. Once we got past the distinctively un-Acura like front clip, we started warming up to the concept behind the concept. But overall, there seems to be too many nautical cues for our tastes. The combination of high creases flanking both sides of the front fenders and the boat-tail rear end give new meaning to the term "land yacht." The high beltline may thrill buyers at the turn of this millenium, but we're unsure if it will stir emotion in 20 years time.

Have we seen the future? Acura would like us to think so, but we're not entirely convinced.

More pics and the press release are posted below the fold.