As of late, dealer shows are proving to be a valuable source of insider information. Last week at Ford’s dealer meeting in Las Vegas, it was revealed that Ford was indeed working on a high-performance off-road version of the F-150 — dubbed the Raptor. And now, just a few weeks after Honda/ Acura’s dealer meeting in New Orleans, information has been leaked about the upcoming 2009 Acura TL.
According to a source who attended the meeting, the 2009 Acura TL lineup will consist of two models: a base front-wheel drive car and an up-level all-wheel drive model. The front-driver will be powered by a 280 horsepower 3.5L V6 whereas the AWD model will receive its motivation from a 3.7L V6 producing 300 horsepower.
Despite boasting 300 horsepower and all-wheel drive, the range-topping model will not sport the Type-S nameplate. In fact, the source says that Acura will not offer a Type-S model, at least not in 2009 guise. It remains unclear if the performance model will eventually join the lineup.
Acura has promised us a new TL by the end of the year so a Los Angeles Auto Show reveal seems likely.
