Comments on: Spied: 2011 Acura RL rear-wheel-drive sedan test mule

By: aggie531

aggie531 — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 03:36:02 +0000

^^yes the SLX

By: angelo

angelo — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 19:36:49 +0000

NSX was rear-wheel drive. So this is Acura’s 2nd rear-wheel drive vehicle.

Didn’t they also source some SUV from Isuzu in the mid-90’s?

By: A4

A4 — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 00:05:51 +0000

uhh they ran back to the drawing board because the current RL sells like a bag of rotten oranges

By: Veda

Veda — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 02:10:49 +0000

Speaking strictly on marketing terms, this is the long waited change needed for Acura. RWD and AWD are the hallmarks of premium brands nowadays and though a V8 is another element of luxury, I bet most RL buyers would opt for the typical V6 due to gas prices. Hopefully they also learned not to make it hella ugly again. Regardless of how good a car is, if it’s that ugly…

By: thegriffon

thegriffon — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:34:20 +0000

Awd has no bearing on the location of the front wheels in relation to the passenger cabin and front door. The critical factor is engine placement and orientation. Most fwd cars use a transverse engine layout with the engine sitting in front of the transmission and front axle, forcing the wheels as close to the passenger compartment as possible. Most rwd cars use a longitudinal engine layout with the transmission running rearward into the passenger cabin toward the rear axle. This layout allows engineers and designers to place the front wheels anywhere they damn well want, usually as close to the front of the vehicle as possible for improved ride and handling (which also gives them an advantage in the proposed 2011–2015 CAFE standard), and further from the front door. However many fwd cars also use this layout, with a power take-off from the rearward transmission to the front differential and no driveshaft to the rear except in awd variants. Most Acuras (including the RL), Audis, Subarus (a few are still offered in fwd models) and a few Hondas, Volkswagens and some other fwd cars use this layout. While this is bulkier and more complex than a standard transverse fwd system it has handling and pedestrian safety benefits (the unyielding engine being further from the usual point of impact). An awd system can be based on either layout, with a power take-off from the front transaxle to the rear differential, or from the longitudinal transmission to the front differential (often via a transfer case to control torque distribution). A few rwd cars use a rear transaxle, combining the longitudinal transmission with the rear differential, and using a short prop shaft to connect the front-mounted engine to the transmission; which eats into trunk space, but may allow better weight distribution. Even more variation is possible with mid-rear and rear-mounted engines (transverse engine and transmission ahead off or behind the rear axle; longitudinal engine and transmission ahead off or behind the rear axle; transverse engine and longitudinal transmission ahead of the rear axle [rare]).

Since the RL already uses a longitudinal engine and transmission, the spy photos reveal nothing about the existence of a rwd-only version.

By: NoNameDenton1

NoNameDenton1 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 03:14:03 +0000

The V8 is supposed to get cylinder deactivation for fuel economy, so not to bad of an idea, though I thoguht picturs of the NSX would appear before this.

By: tripleonefive

tripleonefive — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 21:20:21 +0000

I agree XY
I hate that the current RL has a reg version and a tech pkge version I think its better with everything with the options being the color and maybe the tires
I know they dont need an 8 but the competition offers it and Im guessing that the RL will step up to compete with the LS and it just has to offer one then bc it would be in 7 series territory
That is what I have been saying all along but If they want to increase the RL sales numbers then I guess it should be an option
I dont think they need RWD like Ive said eight million times RWD isnt good in most parts of the country but once again the competition has it so I guess they have to have it as well
If they had a RWD car lineup it would be OVER for Infiniti and it would put a SERIOUS beating on the Lexus brand

By: xyunya

xyunya — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 21:08:40 +0000

1115, you don’t make money by giving people options to think about. Acura does NOT need V8, especially today. Companies make money on what they sell not on unsold options on their cars. Nobody sells V8 today. I suspect that Lexus hybrid ripped into M-B S class sales. The only V8 will sell without problem is in the supercar/exotic class i.e. Ferrari, Lambo, Maserati, RR, Bentley. I bet that you can get V8 E class cheaper then standard V6. I also predict diesel S class for 2010 or at least V6 in US market. Ditto, Audi 8 and Series 7.

By: tripleonefive

tripleonefive — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 20:12:48 +0000

I guess Acura has to offer an 8 even though the 6 is the one that will sell the most
I guess people want to know that they have the option.

By: tripleonefive

tripleonefive — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 19:32:37 +0000

Please post some of what was said over and over again

By: Impulsive

Impulsive — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 19:06:17 +0000

“an 8 cylinder is NOT needed especially with gas but ……”

How about YOU go back and read ****wad. And then try and remember all the **** you posted over and over again to the contrary, like your life depended on it … FACK AFF, chimp … you’re out of your league … back to your cage.

By: brassmonkey

brassmonkey — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:59:15 +0000

Finally decided to play with the big boys? Honda is gay.

By: tripleonefive

tripleonefive — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:48:23 +0000

Are you still infatuated with the zoo?
Like I said RWD is not better than SH AWD and an 8 cylinder is NOT needed especially with gas but ……
Read the post above you f#$%ing idiot

By: Impulsive

Impulsive — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:02:04 +0000

“Ok I guess they have to address the V8 RWD issue.” What, you finally cave, import monkey? Because they acknowledged it? When you argued forever with people here BEFORE they acknowledged it? Now that the market has turned 180 degrees? ****ing biased primate. You’re as worthless as ‘NoNameDufus’ and ‘Hemiroid’.

By: hateful83

hateful83 — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:50:30 +0000

It’s as though automakers live in a bubble and ignore the outside world. As a few have stated, the market is tilting in their favor, and they’re ignoring it. Choosing to follow the prestige over practicality. Lets move upmarket, go RWD, and throw in some V8’s so even less people buy our ****. As if that’s not an ultracompetitive market already.

By: xkr

xkr — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:22:07 +0000

Yes finally! good job Acura.

By: Syrax

Syrax — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:26:51 +0000

global, that extra lenght is long compared to the tsx, which is the mule. but the rl is longer than that.

By: tripleonefive

tripleonefive — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:24:10 +0000

LOL @ Voltron grill. All this thread makes me want to do is go and buy a black TSX

By: shaver

shaver — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:20:37 +0000

Congratulations Acura, its about time you became a real luxury brand and stopped ripping people off for Accords with nice interiors. This shoud get you half way there now you just need to fire all your stylists and drop the cheap painted plastic Voltron grill.

By: johnnycanuck

johnnycanuck — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:59:29 +0000

Agreed xyunya: Acura’s timing is about as bad as Detroit’s. It just seems so odd that the Honda side can do no wrong but Acura has lost its way.

By: 02WRXPSM

02WRXPSM — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:52:44 +0000

SH-AWD is not a joke; I’ve driven Acuras with it in serious conditions, and it is as good or better than Subaru, which is the benchmark of that application. I don’t understand the bitching about a lack of a V8 — need we be reminded that Acura’s parent company is Honda, who excels at small, powerful engines and has rarely (if ever) made a V8. If they are putting sixes in their trucks, why would you expect a V8 here in a fairly small car (compared to the other luxe sedans). The turbo inline four in the RDX is a really impressive motor, they need to spread that across their line (especially in the TSX).

By: xyunya

xyunya — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:47:12 +0000

With current fuel prices everybody moves to V6 (Honda home turf). They may need to inject a bit of turbo into it, but since all big players are AWD, Acura needed RWD like herpes. The world is actually tilting in their favor and they missed the sign, if in fact they are struggling with V8 launch.

By: global_lightning

global_lightning — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:37:34 +0000

All that extra length upfront to me means it’s carrying a V10, not a V8. Converting an AWD drivetrain to RWD wouldn’t need extra space. It could share the V10 with the upcoming NSX, with the RL tuned for torque while the NSX gets the high-revving HP version.

By: jonnycat

jonnycat — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:20:14 +0000

and rwd

By: Syrax

Syrax — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:04:29 +0000

the latest RL looked good imo. and the SH-AWD is good as well. they only needed the V8.

By: tripleonefive

tripleonefive — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:04:02 +0000

I think you meant the RL.
I think it would be best for all the cars to go RWD with SH AWD. If Acura goes that route the RL can walk all over the LS leaving the TL to move up and do battle with the 5/E/M/GS and the TSX to battle with the 3/C/G/IS(?)
I think it’s interesting that the RL currently competes with the E class the 5 Series the M and the GS. All of those cars offer an 8 but they mainly sell in 6 cylinder form. I guess Acura has to offer an 8 even though the 6 is the one that will sell the most
I guess people want to know that they have the option. I hope that they make a RWD coupe like N4S said

By: mayer_ray_nagin

mayer_ray_nagin — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:01:17 +0000

PLEASE, crApura, redesign that ass-looking grille asap. That new TL with the stupid thing looks like hell.

By: enthusiast89

enthusiast89 — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:51:39 +0000

Acura really needed the rwd/v8 for the tl to be taken seriously. Now if they just made their whole line (with the possible exception of the tsx) rwd…

By: tripleonefive

tripleonefive — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:43:14 +0000

Ok I guess they have to address the V8 RWD issue.
I wonder if the entire car line will have RWD based SH awd or just the RL will have the RWD ?
Is this based on the NSW platform ?
The Advanced car concept was just used on the 09 TL so it will be interesting to see how this will look …and cost. Im think btw 50-70k