Note to Takanobu – fire your entire Acura design team. The no RWD V-8 this fine with me – you guys never had it before so it’s no loss. The RL was a nice car before this last facelift. Why Acura?

Shocking.

The RL looks nice in that pic. I think the RL looked smoother before but blended in with everything THis makes the car stand out
Oh well they can get away with the SH AWD but if they are not going to put a V8 in their cars they should offer turbos like BMW and Audi are offering
The next RL will really have to Bring it in terms of size and options
Change is good and I like that they follow their own rules

Wow! Dat car is all dat and a bag a chips!

At this point I think Hyundais are better looking than Hondas. Shocking from someone who owned a 99 Prelude SH of 8 years, isn’t it.

Ahhhh…… the Lude SH, the last of the good breed………

Emulate? They will never ever do that now will they? No.

The news of late does not bode well for the Japanese Auto companies, problems in the home market and over capacity in foreign markets. Their key market, the US, will not return to the heady days year over year growth of the past ~15 years. Toyota’s biggest seller in Europe is an econo-box… Other markets… well… it ain’t pretty for anyone but for the Japanese in their most important market the storm clouds are a gathering… By the pricking of my thumb something evil this way comes;-)

Good Luck

DB9;-)

PS. Damn Y’all just gotta luv a World Economic Crisis… For the biz world this is like a Clancy or Ludlum read;-)

PS. To the PS. Trippy, say it often enough and… nah… not this time, no one’s going to buy it;-) TDF:-)))

Well, the styling that Acura is presently addressing can go both ways so simply reversing the current design’s interior layout would yield a rear engine/rear wheel drive platform exhibiting the same results. Presto chango—RWD!

Apparently Acura was planning to further piss off every car enthusiast, especially loyalist, today. If they continue to move in the direction that they are, they will be asking the Japanese government for a baiiout. Watch the fvcking news Honda/Acura!!

I think it’s even more simple than not having a plan for a rear drive V8 model. Acura doesn’t really seem to have a plan- period.

I am generally a brand-loyal customer. I even have an Acura now. Yet given their current ugliness + kill of S2000 I doubdt I’m gonna be in the market for new Honda/Acura vehicle any time soon.

I believe Honda let Asimo to design their cars before they introduced it to any definition of beauty.

This is all a plan … they are bringing out their full line of CRAP now and when things get better in about 5 years, THEN they’ll start with the good looking stuff. Genius.

of course not, why make an ugly V8 RWD car when you can just make an ugly car

where does Acura even fit in within the auto world, i ask myself this every time i see leaked images of a new model or a new review/ first drive, and i cant figure out why anyone in their right mind would buy one

I’m starting to think that Honda is uglifying Acura and denying it unique product on purpose so they can walk away from the brand altogether. In a time where Hyundai and Cadillac are building world-class RWD V8 sedans, and even Audi and Volvo can find a way to fit a V8 in their FWD plafrorms, Honda seems to be holding back on progress to save face, as if they want 25% of their dealerships (and US employees) to just go away due to flagging sales instead of eliminating the brand outright. Without the RSX or NSX, there’s really nothing left in the Acura lineup that Honda doesn’t already offer with its own existing product.. for example, the current US Accord is almost exactly the same size as the RL for half the price!

You’re 0 for 2 today Acura.

ICEMAN – I’m with ya on the ‘lude. Still have a ‘01 w/50k and refuse to part with it. There just isn’t anything out there with the same simple thrill of that VTech engine and lightweight body.

Why do all Acura’s now look like someone is playing a game and glueing an absurd piece of chrome on the front and running away?

If you like what you’ve seen from Acura over the last 20 years
You’re gonna love what’s on deck

Something tells me their sales records are safe from assault
DrFill

No RWD is fine if future models are going to be equipped with SH-AWD. Just fire your design teams for hONDA and ACURA. Both brands have bad design. Dropping out of Formula One was also a bad move.

This decision actually saves many Honda engineering fans from the difficult choice of choosing between what would no doubt be an exceptional drivetrain and the daily hassle of having to park in such a way so as to best avoid ever having to look at the front of their vehicle.

While they can’t run from LINCOLN with that attitude. Love the styling but this only shows HONDA’s timid nature behind that decision. Canning the “NSX” and now this… They are starting to look like GM. But where GM is being stupid, HONDA, via ACURA, is being just timid… and stupidity is easier to fix that timidity.

If the Taurus SHO is any indication the MKS Ecoboost will be a real smash in the grill to ACURA. I doubt that the MKZ will be any less forgiving in the near future. I just wish LINCOLN would use better fake wood at least. I mean I’ve seen kitchen counters with more convincing fake wood. The real killer will be if FORD makes the next MKZ from the FALCON Sedan or the same platform. But I would like to see LINCOLN get pushed hard into AUDI territory… once they get that styling properly squared away.

What’s been happening to Acura is upsetting. It’s like watching a loved-one slowly die before your eyes. I WAS a HUGE Acura fan at one time. I was fortunate enough to own an NSX for 11 years. But the other day I was wondering around a closed Acura dealership and suddenly realized that no matter how long I give the new ‘look’ a chance to grow on me – it just gets worse. Other than the MDX – which will be ruined for 2010 with that new ‘Acura grill’ – every Acura I saw was – well – UGLY. I’d be embarrassed to be seen in one. [The TSX might not be too bad - but that's it] And I mean ‘embarrassed’ in the way I would be if I was driving an Aztec. Or a ‘Donk’. LOL [Or is that 'Dong' - you know - those customized old cars with the 30" wheels or whatever they are] And now this. Why not a V6 RWD car?! I think it’s the RWD part that most Honda/Acura enthusiasts [And there are still some out there] want more than a V8 engine. No car NEEDS a V8 to be fun to drive. That all said – the all-new ZDX just makes me lose all hope. It’s sad.

Any plans for a good looking Acura?

I like the slot in the front – nice and easy to get the toast out…

I second that Craig I owened a lot of Honda and Acuras but I think they are writing their last chapter.

Storm clouds kidz – storm clouds…

Toyota says it’s no longer profitable in North America
David Shepardson / The Detroit News

Washington — Toyota’s top executive in the United States said Monday the company was reviewing its entire operation here, including whether to close a factory in California and when to open a factory in Mississippi.“

Toyota’s sales have fallen 38 percent in the first six months of the year — to 770,000 cars and trucks from nearly 1.25 million vehicles in the first six months of 2008. U.S. industry auto sales fell 35 percent in the first half of the year. `

Inaba acknowledged that Toyota vehicles had often lacked “passion” and that the company’s vehicles must be “more exciting, more nimble.”

“Toyota is a good car but not exciting. Those are the comments we usually (or) always get,” Inaba said.

http://www.detnews.com/article/20090721/AUTO01/907210324/1148/Toyota+says+it+s+no+longer+profitable+in+North+America

I find it particularly amusing that Toyota wants a free market in the USA – read the link.

Same for Honda, what the main article is really saying – RWD is an excuse. Oh yes, as I`ve said: the times, they are a changing.

DB9;-)

A V8 for any company is always great news for true car enthusiasts but really this is still a smart decision given these economic times. A V8 still does not scream fuel-efficiency which is something Acura/Honda has always been synonymous with. Everyone who posts on this forum would surely always opt for the V8 option in any car were it available but the truth is the V6 models in any lineup always outsell the V8 optioned one- Caddy STS’s, Lexus GS, Hyundai Genesis, Infiniti M and FX, you name it.

Acuras are still great cars, they could however use a seriously healthy dose of performance injection. All the models now are officially underpowered and over weight. What happened to the beloved TL, whats so different with it and the mege-overpriced and boring RL? The TL with 6 speed manual used to be able to hang in a much faster crowd. Sad.

” Ito says Acura has no plans to go V8 or rear-wheel any time soon, but will continue to work on fuel efficient offerings”

RL: EPA Est. MPG (city / hwy) 16 / 22 Yep that is fuel efficient all right..Lets see, Vet, G-8, Camarro, Challanger, shall we go on…all better with RWD and more go-go…My TSX will be my last Acura…back to RWD for me at any cost…

DB9-
Good link. The big t is in for a hurtin. Their next few years will be ugly.

CADDY-V, Honda is in the same situation. The J2 have no legacy costs, no UAW, except for Toyota’s NUMMI, and the much ‘Hallowed’ “ART of KAIZEN’ in their favor and yet… Furthermore, a company spokesperson should have cut him off… this is what Inaba went on about:

Inaba said the company is listening to the market, and customers “had been a little bit lost.”

When asked whether Toyota had become complacent, he said, “Complacent or arrogant — a lot of people use that — I don’t know,” he said, adding that the company had tried to guard against those qualities.

Inaba said he supported the decision of the U.S. government to rescue General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC with $65 billion in loans. “Stepping into Chrysler and GM was a necessary step for the government, for the country,” Inaba said.

But he said he hoped the U.S. government would have a “free-market level ground in mind in deciding what to do next.”

Good Luck – they’re going to need it

DB9

No V8 and having fwd and being excellent in nothing….why bother calling it a premium brand…. making the dumb dumber….and then what…
:

They said this before in the 90s and things never turned around, then they said they would get serious and have something to compete with, not bmw, merecedes, or lexus, but rolls and bentley. Now they are saying the same thing, no rear wheel drive or v8, in addition they made their existing cars very ugly. Acura, build what people want and looka t hyundai! at least one rear wheel drive v8 or potent v6 is needed. sorry, but true.

not so true, really, considering acura has built their good reputation (until the past few years where they’ve lost direction a bit, and styling has gone bonkers) without a v-8 in the line-up….a v-8 is not essential to success…for a division like lexus, that wants to compete with the germans, then yes, you need a v-8…but honda never set the target for acura as high as say the 7-series…

acura does need a potent engine or two, but i don’t think the configuration is all that important…

HOW ABOUT SOME DEDICATED MODELS?

Sumptin tellin’ me it’s just going to go on and on and…Bad Karma:-(

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/results.cfm?rcl_id=09V259&searchtype=quicksearch&summary=true&refurl=email

I hope this doesn’t pop anyone’s bubble… I know Cool Dawg, that was… Couldn’t resist.

DB9;-)

Let’s not only have cool cars, but let’s make them ugly (see Acura).

Why does Acura even exist? The only car they’ve had worth looking at was the NSX (which was still a Honda), and even then, they’ve barely upgraded the car as time went on.

This is really to bad cause they need one

Stix

Have you ever seen the last generation Acuras? IMO Some of the best looking reasonably priced cars ever built.

I dont think that Acura needs a V8 or RWD. SH-AWD is fine as well as 305 HP.

What is really so bad about Acura design once you look past the grille (except for the TL)?