Acura Tsx

click above for a high-res shot of the 2009 Acura TSX

Click image to enlarge

It's handy to work next door to Honda's US Headquarters if your goal is to snag pictures of future models. A user from the Temple of VTEC forums named Tyson grabbed a couple shots of what's believed to be the 2009 Acura TSX. He'd been seeing the silver sedan for a few days, and was finally able to think quickly and grab the camera phone. What we know as the Acura TSX is the rest of the world's Honda Accord. Being their bread and butter sedan, Honda's not gone out on a limb here, but what we can

Our friends over at the Temple of VTEC got a hold of a communiqué from Acura regarding the automaker's plans for the 2009 TSX and RL. While it doesn't divulge the rumored drivetrain upgrades, both vehicles are apparently going to receiving several enhancements inside, including the AcuraLink Satellite Communication System and a premium sound upgrade on the TSX, while the RL will get an improved HVAC system and a few other bells and whistles.

click above for more high-res teaser images of the Euro Honda Accord

We've already been introduced to Honda's new i-DTEC clean diesel and, as expected, it will be finding its way into the next generation TSX sometime in 2009. The inclusion of the 2.2-liter diesel will follow the redesign of Acura's entry-level sedan sometime this spring, with the i-DTEC-equipped model initially debuting in Europe (in the Euro Accord) and eventually finding its way into

click above image for more spy shots of the 2009 Acura TSX

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 – beauti

Click the image above for over 30 high-res pics.

Sometimes news is just too good to keep to yourself. Just ask GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz. With his company supposedly claiming 13 spots on Edmund's Consumers' Most Wanted list, Lutz just had to brag a bit on the corporate blog before the winners were made public.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in Arlington, Va. has just concluded testing on some 75 vehicles' head restraint systems and after performing a simulated rear-end impact of 20 MPH, only 22 of the systems received the top score of "good."

When Honda released information about the development of its Advanced VTEC (A-VTEC) system in September, we were looking forward to seeing how the new system would be employed in the next generation of Acuras and Hondas. The system will increase torque, power and fuel economy, all while oozing fewer emissions into the atmosphere. Good stuff, all of it.

Yesterday, Ben Stewart over at Popular Mechanics had a close encounter of the prototype kind while spending some time on the Angeles Crest Highway in So. Cal. He caught a glimpse of a camo'd current generation Accord sitting in a local lot and, knowing that it could be driven away at a moment's notice, began snapping pics of the moribund mule.

Few publications around the world provide highly-improbable speculation better than the magazines that come out of Japan (AutoBild holds down the fort in Germany). While most of the information is easily dismissed as rumor mongering and baseless conjecture, a few gems often reside in the rough.

We in this country often complain that Europeans get their pick of fun-to-drive, premium compact cars while we’re force fed SUVs and full-size trucks. The Volvo S40 is a rolling rebuttal to that argument. Europeans, however, have become accustomed to paying a premium for small cars that perform, handle and feel like a luxury car. Are North Americans ready to pay for the kind of small car they desire from afar, or is the grass growing in the cracks of the other guy’s parking lot just