Autoblog

Acura's sales are down, and rather than try to be all cars to all buyers, filling niches is more the game plan. Product planning manager John Watts intimated that Acura's looking at segments with a narrower appeal, such as the now-defunct CL, and the possibility of a retractable hardtop vehicle, too. The MDX does well, and the new RDX is the darling of everyone who drives it, but as far as cars go, Acura's not catching anyone's hair on fire. The top-dog RL sedan is a wonderful car – beautifully drawn, SH-AWD moves, and a powerful V6 make it a very pleasant way to devour miles, but it doesn't offer the flavor du jour for premium sedans with performance leanings. The engine layout is wrong, and it's missing at least two cylinders to truly be taken seriously by some buyers who are looking for a V8 and rear drive as prerequesites.

There's talk of a new 8 or 10 cylinder powerplant in the offing. The NSX is supposedly getting a V10, which could then propagate through to other Acura cars. Analysts have noted that there's a need for a flagship sedan above the RL to offer RWD and larger engines. While Acura gets its act together developing the new NSX and readying the new TL for launch in 2009, dealers are enviously eyeing Lexus and Infiniti stores, wishing they had a big V8 boomer to throw into the fray, as well.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

If you've spent any amount of timing tweaking the B16 in your EK hatch, you're probably all too familiar with Hondata. The firm specializes in providing easy-to-use, plug-and-play components for the world's Acura and Honda owners, and has proved invaluable on at least two past project cars of ours.

The So. Cal.-based tuning firm decided to take to the Bonneville Salt Flats a couple of weeks back and came away with four new class records, all behind the wheel of a heavily modified 2003 Acura RSX. The stock two-liter K20 was built by Prototype Racing and was able to produce 270 naturally aspirated horses running VP Racing fuel, and 390 HP when injected with everyone's favorite go-juice, nitrous oxide.

When the salt settled, the Hondata crew set a one-way speed of 190.1 MPH in the G/FCC class while running the NO2, and 172 MPH in the G/GCC class with the aforementioned racing fuel.

You can follow the jump for Hondata's press release and check out its website for more information on its products.

[Source: Hondata]

Every automaker has its own subset of dedicated enthusiasts, with varying levels of obsessive behavior. Honda is no different. Take away the misinformed ricers, and Honda's racing heritage stands alone in a sea of commuter-infused mediocrity.

In order to recognize the Big H's engineering prowess and its motorsports legacy, Honda has launched a new ad campaign in the UK that focuses on the automaker's obsessive compulsive attention to detail. Dubbed Hondamentalism, the idea is to forge a link between its racing successes and its consumer vehicles – hardly a new concept – but the way it's presented deserves a look. The new spot, posted after the jump, will give you a feel for the campaign as a whole, albeit in a somewhat melodramatic, Aphex Twin-influenced creative.

You can get your head into the campaign by heading over to the Hondamentalism website, and you can check out a brief run down on what the Red H is all about here.

[Source: Honda]

Take one part Acura RSX, add two parts moron, a pinch of speed, whoops, too much! Crashing into someone and speeding away is a bad idea in any case, but with the internet shrinking the globe, it's especially dumb now. Members of Canada's Beyond.ca automotive forums came to the rescue of a Mercedes driver that absorbed the kinetic energy these young knuckleheads didn't manage to scrub off in time. A quick thinking forum member just happened to be right there with his DSLR and monster lens and snapped several nice, clear pictures of these jerks zipping away from the scene. Beyond.ca member three33 created a post asking others to be on the lookout for a silver RSX that'd cracked up his buddy's car. In a masterstroke of serendipity, fellow forum member CalgaryDave (whose pix show up on Beyond as his friend TypeS - long story, explained here with more details) was just a little further back. Thinking quickly, CalgaryDave hopped out into the street and captured incriminating evidence that removes any chance of lying your way out of it. PWNED. Don't mess with the internet.

Thanks for the tip, Bocho!

We might not get another Acura RSX, but as it turns out, that might not be such a bad thing. AutoWeek spotted the Honda Civic Type-R testing in Germany recently (pictured), and had a deep thought: the publication is predicting hoping that the Type-R, the tippy-top model in the Civic lineup, may be making its way to this side of The Pond.

Here's why: in an effort to take aim at BMW, Acura is moving upscale, leaving a Type-R -sized hole where the RSX used to operate. The production Type-R, powered by a 220 hp 2.0L four-cylinder, is set to premiere at the London Motor Show.

Similar statements have been made about the Civic Si as the RSX's replacement, but we're hoping AutoWeek is right and we're not left out of the loop on the Type-R yet again.

[Source: AutoWeek]

Last week the police of London, Ontario unveiled their latest weapon to combat illegal street-racing: an Acura RSX coupe with modifications such as tinted windows and $1,500 worth of wheels.

In London, nine people have been arrested in recent months due to street racing while 30 deaths in the Toronto area have been attributed to the activity in the past decade. The London police force hopes that the RSX, donated by a local dealership, will make it easier to approach car enthusiasts who often gather to show off their modified vehicles. According to Constable Bernie Martin, who suggested the idea, enthusiasts get nervous and leave at the sight of an approaching police Crown Victoria police cruiser. The London police hope that the RSX, which still bear police stickers, will make it easier for them to approach, then educate enthusiasts on what is legal, like racing on dragstrips, and what is not (the streets).

The RSX donation is temporary; the department will hand it back to the dealership at the end of the summer.

Related post:
Street-racing being driven from misdemeanor to felony

[Source: London Free Press]