Exactly a year after Acura first displayed a conceptual study for a new NSX sports car at the North American International Auto Show in 2012, the Japanese company returned to Detroit today with a redesigned version of the study that includes a complete interior.
When we first saw a set of leaked, low-quality pictures of the NSX Concept II earlier in the morning, it wasn't clear if the car featured any changes to the exterior design.
As
it turns out, it does, beginning with a new front fascia featuring a
much less pronounced version of Acura's beak-like grille with a new
carbon fiber structure that also appears on the side vents of the front
and rear bumpers. Acura also inserted clear turning signals up front,
and an LED strip in the center of both taillights.
At
the back, we also find a new diffuser made from visible carbon fiber as
well as a new see-through plastic surround for the license plate
section.
As
mentioned previously, this is the first time we see the interior of the
concept, which sports a minimalistic design without a lot of knobs and
controls, and is dressed in a combination of leather and Alcantara with
carbon fiber trims used on the dashboard, the elevated center console
and the door panels.
"The
interior package boasts outstanding visibility, an exotic driving
position, and an intuitive 'Simple Sports Interface' that minimizes
interior clutter, allowing the driver to focus on the driving
experience," Acura said in a statement.
There
are no changes to the car's hybrid powertrain that connects a
mid-mounted, direct-injected V6 engine to Acura's Sport Hybrid SH-AWD
(Super Handling All-Wheel Drive) system with three electric motors - one
integrated with the V6 engine and two driving the front wheels, along
with an all-new dual-clutch transmission (DCT).
"This
further evolution of the Acura NSX Concept design is remarkably true to
the original concept styling," said Mike Accavitti, Acura vice
president of national marketing operations. "We're making great progress
in delivering on the expectations we created a year ago, with advanced
technology that will bring new levels of performance and a unique,
dynamic experience to the exotic sports car market."
The production version of the NSX, which will be sold as an Acura in North America and under Honda's nameplate
in the rest of the world, will be manufactured at a new production
facility in central Ohio, with sales to begin in late 2014 or early
2015.
Wednesday
Acura Presents Redesigned NSX Concept II with Complete Interior
New Entry-Level BMW 320i with 184hp Priced from $33,445
We can't even remember when was the last time that
BMW offered a 320i-badged model in the States, even though it remains a
popular model in other markets around the world.
The 320i is the more affordable and less powerful sibling of the 240hp 328i, with which it shares its 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo 4-cylinder gasoline engine.
In
the 320i, the force-fed unit has been de-tuned to deliver 180
horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 200 lb-ft of torque from 1,250 rpm to 4,500
rpm for a 0-60 mph (96km/h) acceleration time of just 7.1 seconds, with
either an 8-speed automatic transmission or an available 6-speed manual.
Top speed is an electronically-limited to 130 mph (209 km/h).
Preliminary
fuel economy estimates for the 320i with 6-speed manual transmission
are 22mpg City and 34mpg Highway, and 23 City / 33 Highway for the
automatic model. BMW will also offer an all-wheel drive option with the
automatic-transmission-only 320i xDrive expected to achieve 22mpg City
and 33mpg Highway.
The rear-wheel
drive 320i goes on sale in spring with a starting price of $33,445
(including $895 Destination & Handling), or $4,300 less than the
328i, with the 320i xDrive available from $35,445 (including $895
Destination & Handling).
We could be wrong, but at this price point, BMW may be looking to compete against the upcoming Mercedes-Benz CLA, which is rumored to start at a little over $30,000.
Porsche’s New 543HP Cayenne Turbo S Storms
An SUV that can mix it up with supercars, at least
in a straight line is not exactly a novel idea. Nevertheless, as
supercars get more powerful, so must said über-SUVs if they want to keep up.
Enter Porsche’s world and the new Cayenne Turbo S. The flagship version of Stuttgart’s luxury crossover that makes its world debut at the 2013 Detroit Motor Show
packs an impressive 543HP (550PS) and 750Nm (553 lb-ft) under its
bonnet thanks to the reworked twin-turbocharged 4.8-liter V8 – that’s
49HP (50PS) and 50Nm (37 lb-ft) more than the “regular” Turbo.
As
a result the Cayenne Turbo S is able to sprint from zero to 60 mph (96
km/h) in just 4.3 seconds and on to a top speed of 175 mph (280 km/h) –
where permitted by law, of course…
The
Cayenne range-topper is distinguished by its high-gloss black finished
front air intakes and mirror trims, 21-inch “Turbo II” alloys with
glossy black accents and twin-tube, i.e. rectangular instead of oval,
tailpipes.
Standard equipment
includes the Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) and Porsche Torque
Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus) systems, along with the Sport Chrono package,
while the interior features a Carbon package and is available in
exclusive black/Carrera red or black/luxor beige bi-color leather trim.
The new Cayenne Turbo S will be available at Porsche’s U.S. dealerships in spring at a starting price of US$146,000 excluding a US$975 destination charge.
