American collaboration on the Acura RDX

Autoweek has an enlightening article on the development process that took place during the design and testing of the Acura's RDX CUV. Specifically, how the turbocharged 2.3-liter engine, a first for Acura in the U.S., came to fruition.

As the lone American engineer on the team, Gary Evert, explains why the turbocharger is having a renaissance within the halls Honda/Acura, how he battled fervently for a specific kind of power delivery for the cute 'ute and why the aesthetics of a hood scoop had to be shot down before they took flight.

The highlight of the interview has to be when Evert disclosed the late night testing procedures him and his colleagues used to enjoy while prowling the streets of Southern California. The turbocharged mill was stuffed into a grey Accord wagon for drivability evaluations, but the large bulge in the hood proved to be too conspicuous and many a late night drags took place.

An interesting read that's well worth the effort it takes to click "Read."