Now we know the Acura NSX is going to be delivered early next year. It is a real thing that is actually happening, even after such a long time waiting, and while a Halo car gives us plenty to talk about, we still have to ask: What’s next for Acura?

Performance for the Rest of Us

The NSX is an incredible car, and the technology utilized in its creation is sure to spread across the rest of the brand eventually, but some of us don’t want to wait for “eventually.”

It was rumored last fall that Acura was considering a more affordable performance option, but there has never been any indication of how that model would shape up. In our attempt to read the tea leaves, we see a couple of options.

Image: Car and Driver

First, we look to the past and see an old nameplate itching for revival. In the 1990s, Acura sold a two-door sport coupe called the Integra. Before it was discontinued, it was sold as the RSX. It functioned as a little brother to the NSX and was a viable option for those who couldn’t justify owning Acura’s peak performance model. That sounds like a familiar role that needs filling once again.

Second, we look to the present where we have the TLX, a comfortable family sedan that could, with some fine tuning and modification, function as a very capable sporting sedan. Another rumor from last fall was that Acura was considering such a sport variant for the TLX. With a more powerful engine, a reworked suspension, and a more aggressive aero kit, it’s definitely doable. We don’t think it’s likely, though, given the established character of the car.

Regardless of the model, we should also remind our readers of yet another rumor from last year, the one where Acura was entertaining the possibility of making all-wheel drive a standard feature on all models. Making all-wheel drive a signature characteristic has had positive effects on other brands, and Acura’s Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive is one of the most advanced systems in the business. If we get the affordable performance option we’re hoping for, it will be interesting to see if the drivetrain signals this change.

Continued Crossover Dominance

While a new sports car might be what most of us want, it might be that what we need is actually another model to round out Acura’s crossover selection. It’s no secret that the RDX and MDX are Acura’s best-selling models, and Honda has a new small crossover that is ripe for an Acura upgrade.

The Honda HR-V is doing well and filling an expanding niche in the market for couples and young people who want a compact versatile vehicle. Of what we’ve discussed so far, this would be the least surprising new model for Acura. The automotive soothsayers are even whispering the name they think this crossover will be called: the CDX. Sounds believable to us.

Given that all of these possibilities are just that and none of them have been formally announced, the earliest we would see one of these new models is the 2017 model year, and a safe bet would look for a new introduction sometime ahead of the 2018 model year.

We want to hear from you. What option most excites you? Would you prefer seeing something sporty like a new RSX, or would you rather have the practical premium treatment of the CDX? Let us know on your next visit to our store.

For any questions about Acura’s current inventory, call or visit us today at Leith Acura of Cary.

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The Pikes Peak Hill Climb is held annually in Colorado, but it isn’t an ordinary race. It’s a brutal ascent to above 14,000 feet along a 12.4-mile route that consists of 156 turns. Drivers not only have to worry about maintaining control of their vehicles but also their power output as the air thins on their way skyward. No, it isn’t an ordinary race, so no ordinary machine can serve as pace car.

What makes the new Acura NSX the perfect pace car for Pikes Peak?

Enter the all-new Acura NSX, a super car thirty years in the making.

With a twin-turbo V6 engine and a nine-speed, dual-clutch transmission, this car has more than enough power to get to the top. It’s not just the power that makes the NSX the perfect pace car, though.

There’s also Acura’s Sport Hybrid Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD), a system that has reached its purist form yet on this vehicle. In addition to the V6, the NSX also boasts three electric motors that can crank out extra torque, granting extra traction and grip to the wheels that need it most. You haven’t taken a turn until you’ve experienced SH-AWD.

Experience the NSX with the Official Smartphone App

Do you want to see what it’s like to sit in the new NSX right now?

Head to the App Store now to download the Acura NSX eXperience, an augmented reality journey brought to you by 3DEXCITE.

The app offers you an inside look at the NSX where you control the view. You can also witness the NSX in motion with the help of this target image.

For the best results, you’ll want to print out this image or open it on a tablet and place it on a flat surface, then point your phone at the image with the app running. After that, you’ll be amazed. Our only caution is that this app can drain your battery quickly, so it might be better enjoyed within safe distance of a phone charger.

The first wave of new Acura NSX models is expected to be delivered later this year. Give us a call at Leith Acura in Cary if you have any questions about this historic car. We would love to discuss it with you.

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Well would you look at the time. We’re overdue to talk about the production version of the new Acura NSX again. Revealed last month at the 2015 North American International Auto Show, this is the fully realized version of Acura’s hybrid supercar.

Even weeks later, there is still a ton of buzz being generated by this car. For instance, folks at Jalopnik are a big fan of the interior. The minimalist design cuts down on a lot of the bloat and buttons that modern interiors can suffer from, and the radial drive mode nob is a perfect example of how Acura slimmed down the driver interface.

Back on the outside, Acura made history by putting Michelle Christensen in charge of the NSX’s exterior design. Christensen is the first woman to shape a supercar in this way, and Autoblog has a short piece on her path to this position. She’s only 34, so we’re sure the NSX is only the beginning and her best work is yet to come.

And of course, it wouldn’t be a car show reveal without whispers of an even more extreme model in the works. The 2016 NSX is a 550-horsepower all-wheel drive hybrid, but already there are rumors that Acura might be preparing an NSX Type R. It’s known that the original NSX had a Type R variant, so if the folks at Honda are truly looking to repeat history, this could be something special. Read more about it on Car and Driver.

Finally, for all the details you could want, Acura has published a detailed press release on the reveal.

“Specifically created to bring a ‘new sports experience’ to the supercar segment, the NSX challenges conventional beliefs about supercars — much as the first generation did a quarter century ago. The approach is realized through an all-new power unit—a twin-turbocharged 75-degree DOHC V6 engine with a 9-speed dual clutch transmission (DCT) and three-electric motor Sport Hybrid system—integrated with an ultra-rigid and lightweight multi-material body with world’s-first material applications and manufacturing processes. Developed under the concept of a ‘human-centered supercar,’ a car that puts the driver first in every aspect of its design, the next-generation NSX will leverage its state-of-the-art hybrid supercar power unit, body and chassis to deliver exceptionally intuitive and immediate response to driver inputs.”

Read more here.

Leith Acura Cary is proud to be your official Acura dealer in this area.

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The 2015 North American International Auto Show is upon us, which means automakers from around the world will be looking to set their tone and expectations for the rest of the year. While the show is going on, you may notice some shorter posts from us while we attempt to get all the exciting news to you as quickly as possible.

Acura says that the NSX has been three years in the making, but we’ve really been waiting for about ten years, ever since the original was discontinued. Through concepts and prototypes, we’ve watched and wondered and speculated. Now that’s all over because the production NSX is here.

Actually we take back what we said about the speculation being over as Acura is still mum on many of the numbers we like to list at this juncture. All we’ve heard is “north of 550 horsepower,” which is a great thing to hear. Instead, we’ll just take this opportunity to admire the final design and share some choice links with you that elaborate further.

Autoblog and Car and Driver both have in depth breakdowns of the design changes, as well as full photo galleries.

The official reveal video can be seen on Autoblog, too.

Meanwhile, Jalopnik gives us another gallery of high-resolution photos, and discusses the dramatic changes made to the NSX late in its development period.

You can continue to count on Leith Acura of Cary for the latest news on the NSX, which goes into production this fall. Until then, our dealership is a great place to find Acura vehicles for sale in the Raleigh area.

The post 2015 NAIAS: The Production Ready Acura NSX appeared first on Leith Acura of Cary, Blog, News & Research.

Hello and welcome. If you’re reading this, you’ve stumbled through a wrinkle in time and are now back in the year 1990. All the cool kids carry Walkman cassette players, Chuck E. Cheese is still a thing, and Honda has just released an exciting experimental sports car through their off-shoot division, Acura.

You find yourself in the customer waiting area at your local Acura dealership, and on the coffee table in the middle is a copy of the August issue of Road & Track magazine. Picking up the magazine, you admire the brilliant red car on the front cover.

Interest piqued, you flip through and find the cover story. It begins:

“More than $50,000 for a Japanese sports car? From a country that, a scant quarter-century ago, produced exercises in rolling gingerbread that slogged along with modified forklift engines? And from a company that, until recently, specialized in bread-and-butter sedans and zippy little commuter cars? Well, lo and behold, it’s here, it’s brilliant, it’s ferociously fast, and it’s exotic.

“It goes by the name of Acura NSX, and its fresh, clean-sheet de­sign is about to offer other exotic cars a lesson in civility.”

That sounds like the Road & Track you’re familiar with, although what surprises you as you keep reading the lengthy test-drive review is the depth and detail given to discussing the car. Could it be that when print was still king, auto journalists took more time with their writing? Were they able to give more consideration to the fine tuning and the intricate designs of exotic cars? Or was it just that the NSX was so wild, so brazen, so progressive that it necessitated this level of dissection? As you stroke your chin and turn the page, you wager either explanation is plausible.

To continue reading Road & Track’s Flashback Drive of the 1990 Acura NSX, you follow this link. To enquire about any new Acura for sale, such as the all-new TLX, you can visit us at Leith Acura in Cary.

The post Flashback to 1990: Road & Track Reviews the NSX appeared first on Leith Acura of Cary, Blog, News & Research.

More and more, it seems like Acura is wrestling with itself, trying to determine what kind of brand it is supposed to be. We hear rumors all over the place about redefining the brand and searching for a new direction. There were whispers a few weeks back about how Acura might put all its chips into all-wheel drive cars. The reveal of the updated ILX later this month could lend or rob those whispers of credence.

Now we’re hearing rumblings directly from a named source at Acura. Head designer Dave Marek is at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas this week, and he has apparently been gesticulating like a chained giant, struggling against the shackles of PR. His words are cryptic, but they let us speculate, which is our second favorite thing to do behind giving you concrete news. “A performance brand needs a flagship and it needs an accessible sport car. Not a sports car, but a sport car,” said Marek.

Photo: Car and Driver

The flagship is returning soon as the all-new NSX, but what is this sport car he’s referring to? Car and Driver notes that the Acura of the 1990s, what most enthusiasts consider the brand’s best decade, had the NSX as well as the Integra. The Integra was a sporty entry level coupe beloved by tuners and perfect for introducing people to the brand. In its last generation, it was known as the RSX here before being discontinued. Marek thinks it was a mistake for Acura to focus solely on luxury customers while leaving enthusiasts out in the cold. “There are changes coming, and then there are more changes coming,” he said.

The prospect of a new entry level coupe is something that many of us welcome. We can’t help but wonder exactly what form it would take and even what it would be called. Perhaps the most sensible thing to do would be build it on the platform of the ILX. Reviving the RSX badge also seems like a sensible option as it seems like Acura is at least satisfied with its three-letter naming scheme.

Whatever the case, there’s something else to pull from that original quote: Marek thinks Acura should be a performance brand again. “There are lots of resources and activity going into make Acura back into what it was.” In that light, Acura is displaying a TLX modified by Galpin Auto Sports at the SEMA Show, which is rocking a new body kit, a lowered suspension, and an Andaro Blue paint job that will be available on production cars in the future. You can see more of that car on Car and Driver’s site.

We will continue to update you on the future of our brand, and remember that for all things Acura, you can visit us at Leith Acura in Cary.

The post Acura Seeks to Regain Performance Glory, Possible New RSX appeared first on Leith Acura of Cary, Blog, News & Research.

The Internet provides us joyous activities like viewing viral videos and doge memes or scrolling Reddit and The Chive for picture threads and captions. We, thus, avoid those sites that serve as depraved citadels of snarky trolls – and other questionable material – in favor of these gems to find. One of those lustrous examples of the web’s greatness came in the form of an eBay listing. It was for a 1992 Acura NSX.

If you’re outside the U.S., you’ll know it as the 1992 Honda NSX. Consider this the automotive parallel of our refusal to join the metric system.

CarScoops discovered the listing and posted it for pure admiration. As the article notes, we, too, are astounded that an owner could have one of the most lauded sports cars at his or her fingertips yet not drive it. It almost feels wasteful to allow a gorgeous machine built for driving to sit still for decades. A person must have an unwavering resolve to close the garage without at least taking it around the block (a few hundred times).

This particular vehicle accrued a mere 2,209 miles – or, a 100-mile yearly average – in the twenty-two years since it left the showroom. With a starting bid of $66,000 and “But It Now” price set at $77,000, this listing surely won’t last long.

Here’s what the eBay seller posted to describe the car:

“I bought the car hoping to keep it for a long long time. I since have made a job change and am liquidating a few things. I acquired this from a local car collector/can am racer/business friend mine. He bought it new in Madison, WI. He drove it to Janesville, WI. Where he cared for it in a climate controlled environment. It has only been driven on sunny days and intentionally only around 100 miles per year.

This car is 100% original and nearly unused. All you would need to do is put the included original window sticker back in the window and back it on to the showroom. It sure would look nice next to a new 2015!

Every item functions perfectly. The car has never been scratched, scuffed, dented in any way. The wheels on this car are absolutely perfect, never curbed, pitted or stained. The tires are the original tires, which do not show any signs of age at all. The A022 tires are no longer made. Power antenna works perfectly. Original tool kit in trunk has never had a piece removed, let alone used.”

Have you seen any rare eBay listing of vehicles? If so, let us know about them.

The post Pristine 1992 Acura NSX Listed on eBay appeared first on Leith Acura of Cary, Blog, News & Research.

Though we are still excited about the release of the all-new Acura TLX, there’s no reason to neglect all of the other great news for our brand. Acura finally has its own marketing division – separate from Honda’s vision for the first time – and the company decided to create new iterations of yester-year’s models. That includes the NSX, a highly touted sports car that relished great sales and cheers among its peers in the automotive community until it fell victim to new, stringent emissions standards.

Well, it will be back.

Our road vehicles are not the only facet of the brand to celebrate. The Acura TLX GT is set to debut in the Pirelli World Challenge as part of the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix weekend. In the hands of RealTime Racing and owner, as well as the driver, Peter Cunningham, the TLX GT will compete against vehicles like the Audi R8 LMS, Cadillac CTS-V, Chevrolet Corvette, Dodge Viper, Nissan GTR, Porsche 911, and Ferrari 458 in the top category – now that’s what you call a racing field.

“GT will be the pinnacle of the Acura Motorsports and, of course, the backbone of the program is the launching of that platform,” said senior manager and chief engineer of HPD’s commercial division Marc Sours.

Now that the NSX is slated for production, the automaker has already begun considering the role the model will play in the racing program. Previous iterations of the NSX boasted amazing horsepower and handling, so it would be an ideal candidate for a racing expansion. The company, however, won’t release many details.

“Part of the goals for the NSX is competition,” explained Sours. “It’s being built with that in mind. Competition will be used to create the vehicle, to develop the vehicle.”

We at Leith Acura in Cary are very excited about the future of our brand. And should you want to inquire further about the TLX and NSX, please feel free to stop down at our dealership to speak with one of our enthusiastic brand ambassadors.

The post The TLX and NSX: Acura’s Powerful GT Competitors appeared first on Leith Acura of Cary, Blog, News & Research.

In 1986, Acura created an iconic sports car that easily rivaled any competitor on the road. A myriad of automotive critics hailed this vehicle as the greatest in its class. It’s been nearly thirty years since the first Acura NSX reached production and a handful of years since the last; however, 2015 marks its return. As part of the effort to revitalize the brand, the automaker decided to update its champion – consider this vehicle Acura’s Bronn to challenge any Ser Vardis.

If you haven’t watched Game of Thrones, you should.

Car enthusiasts who attend this year’s Goodwood Festival in the United Kingdom will be treated to seeing the NSX Concept on display. If a chance to peak under the hood should arise, be ready for assured slack-jaw with a look at the three-motor electric hybrid powertrain that boasts a twin-turbocharged V-6. This engine will be mated to a dual clutch gearbox and delivered to Acura’s Sport Hybrid Super Handling – All Wheel Drive system. If power isn’t appealing, then the curves and coloring of both its exterior and high-tech interior should send a tingle down the spine and out to the fingertips.

Though the NSX will not handily master the famous Goodwood hill climb, attendees can enjoy competing in a remote-controlled race of miniature versions of the car across a specially designed track. To turbocharge this competition, Honda’s festival stand will host a big screen displaying a live leaderboard and race footage. The automaker plans to upload the races to Youtube, as well.

We will be sure to watch for videos and pictures from the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed, which runs from June 26^th – 29^th.

If you’re interested in the NSX or any of the quality Acura models, including the soon-to-be-released TLX, make sure you stop down at Leith Acura in Cary to speak with one of our knowledgeable brand ambassadors.

The post Acura NSX Concept Goes to the Goodwood Festival of Speed appeared first on Leith Acura of Cary, Blog, News & Research.

On May 2^nd, 2014, the Acura NSX turned twenty-five years old. Though several years have passed since its last iteration, we have reason to celebrate: it will return next year as a 2016 model. We are confident that many events and teasers will precede such an exciting reintroduction to the Acura lineup. If you aren’t very familiar with the NSX, here are some highlights from an article published with AutoWeek.

Honda only introduced the Acura brand three years prior to the release of the NSX, which was the first sports car produced by the luxury division. From the inception of Acura until 1989, the automaker only offered two models: the Legend and the Integra. Executives with the company, however, laid the groundwork for rumors of a sports car. “We told them there was going to be another model,” explained Tom Elliott, American Honda’s executive vice president from 1983 until 2005. “We told them the direction for Acura – sporty and personal; a lot of things that would lead them to believe there would be a sports car.”

The Acura NSX offered amazing innovations in engineering: forged pistons, titanium connecting rods, all-aluminum monocoque, and an 8,000 RPM redline. Going into the Chicago Auto Show, this car had more buzz than the fall of the Berlin Wall and Hulk Hogan body-slamming Andre the Giant combined – and was more innovative than Peter Gabriel’s twisted, vegetable-mishmash music video for “Sledgehammer.” Oh, 1980s, how I loved thee.

A day before the unveiling, which would have journalists packed in like a bunch of big-haired groupies trying to get backstage at a Poison concert, then-president of Honda Tadashi Kume made a rare appearance outside of Japan – indicating the gravity of the event – and cranked the ignition of the NSX during Ford’s official press conference. As if that hadn’t been disruptive enough, considering the Acura display was next door to Ford, he also decided to rev the engine to redline.

Nicely played.

When the cover was finally pulled off of the Acura New Sports eXperimental (NSX), the design and engineering spoke for itself. Kurt Antonius, Honda’s spokesman, merely said, “Ta-da!” Acura’s unveiling of its novel sports car took a scant 10 minutes.

Here’s some of what the critics had to say about the NSX:

Sports Car International – It was “the car of the moment, like no Ferrari or Porsche.”

Popular Science – “The quintessence of engineering sophistication.”

Automobile Magazine – “It could rock the sports car establishment like never before.”

Motor Trend – “It’s the best sports car the world has ever produced.”

The Acura NSX was also voted as Automobile Magazine’s Automobile of the Year.

The current engineers at Acura face a daunting task. They must create an iteration of the NSX that sets the standard for today’s technology and boasts an innovative, appealing design that doesn’t stray far from the legacy established by its predecessors. To create something New, Sporty, and eXperimental yet captures the essence of a vehicle not produced for a decade – well, that’s one job we wouldn’t want.

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