Gifted Designer Takes The Lead at Acura

Acclaimed author and economist George Bernard Shaw once wrote, “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” Acura has recently demonstrated a commitment to this philosophy by replacing their chief executive in the middle of an especially good patch for company profits.

Mike Accavitti, who was an executive with Chrysler before making the jump to Acura, was replaced after 16 months as head of the company by Jon Ikeda. The change in leadership comes on the heels of June sales that surpassed last year’s figures by 38.6%. Yet just as Accavitti was instrumental in bolstering sales in 2015, Ikeda will likely prove essential to Acura’s rise from 2015 forward.

Ikeda is in many ways the personification of how Acura thinks about cars relative to its competition. While virtually all chief executives, including Accavitti, have the bulk of their experience in fields like finance, marketing, or communications, Jon Ikeda has spent his career as a designer. Ikeda was almost single-handedly responsible for the approval and creation of Acura’s design studio in Torrance, California, and many of Acura’s most recognizable and beloved cars, like the 2004 TL, were the product of his creative and artistic abilities.

Ikeda has already demonstrated himself savvy at managing talent. He named Michelle Christensen exterior design project leader for the new Acura NSX, making Christensen the first ever woman to lead in the design of a supercar. As Acura looks to take a resurgence in sales into the second half of the decade that saw the car industry come back from the brink, Ikeda’s design pedigree seems perfectly suited to turn Acura’s vision for its future into reality.

We love our current lineup, and we’re not alone there, but the opportunity to have a true visionary with such a rich knowledge of the company take the helm has us even more excited for Acura’s future than we were already. And when the NSX finally rolls up to our lot, we’ll have the head of the company to thank for choosing a gifted designer to take the lead!

Breathless. Stunning. There are no words. The All New Acura NSX.

We’ve all been breathless, waiting for more news of the stunning new NSX. Acura has purposely been slow to release information — we get that they know how to build excitement about this much-anticipated supercar, but with its launch quickly approaching, new technical details of the legend were revealed at the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) World Congress and Exhibition held April 22nd in Detroit.

“Our goal is to create something altogether new and exciting, something that advances the concept of a next generation supercar in the spirit of the original NSX,” said Ted Klaus, chief engineer and global development leader of the new NSX. “In order to provide NSX-level value, we needed to push ourselves to experiment with, refine and then realize many new technologies.”

Significant technical revelations for the new NSX include:

• Acura’s first use of a revolutionary multi-material space frame design that delivers class-leading body rigidity while remaining lightweight.
• World’s first automotive application of new ablation casting technology resulting in world-class body rigidity for ultimate handling and control.
• World’s first use of a three-dimensionally formed, ultra-high-strength steel A-pillar, supporting class-leading rigidity and crash performance while providing outstanding outward visibility.
• Top-in-class aerodynamics targets without the use of active aerodynamic elements, while its three-motor Sport Hybrid power unit is cooled through 10 heat exchangers all thanks to a total airflow management strategy that maximizes the flow of air around and throughNSX.
• Displacement of theNSX’s all-new twin turbo V-6 engine was confirmed to be 3.5-liters.
• TheNSX will mark the introduction of the most capable and highest torque capacity Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system in Acura history.
• The latest proprietary logic advancesAcura’s two decades-long pursuit of Super Handling that proactively responds to driver inputs, allowing the NSX to achieve a new level of line trace while at the same time intelligently supporting the driver in changing environments.

For the full press release click HERE.

…and yes we are SO excited at Butler Acura to see, touch, feel, and sit in this vehicle…stayed tuned to our blog — we will be posting information as quickly as we get it….#NSX #TooExcitedToSleepNSX #RevolutionaryNSX

The Acura NSX is Coming…

Here’s the lowdown on Acura’s legendary supercar. According to March 2015 edition of Motortrend Magazine, “Acura will begin taking orders this summer at an estimated base price of $150,000. As for performance? The car is a different animal than, say, the Ferrari 458 which is always on; it’s hot and exotic 1,000 percent of the time. Think more of an Audi V10 with an E-thrust element. We can’t wait to find out.”

Neither can we! We’ll keep you posted on when Butler Acura receives our first 2016 NSX in stock. It’s going to be BIG and you don’t want to miss it!

Acura Through the Years

With the all new 2015 Acura TLX finally on the lot and the much anticipated 2015 Acura NSX still off somewhere in the future we’re in waiting mode. Then again, we could take this time to appreciate how far Honda’s luxury brand has come in the past 28-years. Murdock Creative put together an awesome infographic chronicling the auto maker’s timeline up to 2011. It’s loaded with information and images. We hope it helps you weather the downtime before the new NSX arrives.

Acura NSX Turns 25

NSX US launch, Chicago, 1989 / Image courtesy: Acura

It’s no wonder we’re jonesing so hard for the next incarnation of the Acura NSX; The first generation was born 25 years ago!  In keeping with that milestone’s importance AutoWeek wrote up a compelling and comprehensive history of the supercar’s US launch that takes us from the conference room to the showroom and even touches on the debut in 2015 of the 2016 model.   It’s loaded with almost enough NSX information to to keep us occupied until then!

Acura NSX Concept GT Races on Suzuka Circuit

We still don’t have a release date for the next-generation Acura NSX but we are getting to see it in action! Acura (Honda) recently uploaded to its Japanese YouTube channel video of an NSX Concept GT race car doing its thing on the Suzuka Circuit. We don’t know if the intention was just to tease us but, if so, it’s working; We now want one more than ever.

Source: http://www.autoweek.com

New TV Ad Announces Acura’s in the Race

Acura’s getting into the competitive spirit with three versions of a new ad titled “Let the Race Begin”. The ad compares Acura with a thoroughbred racehorse so superior that even technologically enhanced horses can’t compare with its skill, efficiency and beauty. The three models highlighted in the campaign are the NSX, TLX and RLX. Look for the 60-second and two 30-second spots to run during the Olympics and throughout March Madness.

First Generation Acura NSX Flashback

With the next generation of the Acura NSX on the way (date TBD) we’re looking back at generation one. In today’s NSX flashback the guys from EverydayDriver take the wheel.

Honda’s Considering Convertible Acura NSX

Acura NSX Roadster from ‘The Avengers’

Is it too soon to talk about convertibles in light of this weekend’s snow? Nah! Not when we’re talking about a convertible Acura NSX! Acura’s parent company, Honda told Autocar that it’s considering a drop-top version of the NSX Roadster that appeared as Tony Stark’s ride in The Avengers movie last year. That NSX was purely a prop and took its design cues from the sportscar’s original incarnation produced from 1989 to 2005. The next gen NSX is scheduled to debut in 2015. If a rag-top goes into production, too, look for it in 2017. Snow or no snow, we’ll happpily volunteer for a test drive!

Source: www.motorauthority.com

Chief Engineer Talks 2015 Acura NSX

It’s official:  The next generation Acura NSX is slated for a 2015 debut.  How does parent-company Honda plan to compete with its first generation supercar?  At the Frankfurt Motor Show earlier this month Chief NSX Engineer Ted Klaus answered that question and many others.  Watch the video below.