#Acura

Today's UCOTD speaks to my personal biases -- I have a weird thing for the Acura RSX. Even this beat-up 2002 Acura RSX Type-S catches my eye.

Honda and Acura leaned on General Motors’ Ultium technology to accelerate electric vehicle development, so it’s unsurprising to see the Japanese automakers following their American counterpart’s lead in some areas. GM announced that its new EVs would move to Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS), and American Honda Motor Company’s CEO recently confirmed that the Japanese automaker would follow suit.

While Acura recently unveiled its first production EV, the 2024 ZDX crossover, during Monterey Car Week, the model didn’t quite reach the ridiculous levels of extravagance the event is known for. Fortunately, the company had something in its back pocket with the “Performance Electric Vision Design” concept it teased in tandem with the all-electric ZDX. 

Styling for the upcoming Acura ZDX was hewn at the brand’s design studio in SoCal, making the annual soirée at Monterey a logical location for its unveiling.

And if you’re wondering why our hero shot is so grainy, it’s because we brightened the image for ya in order to see more detail.

A handful of Honda models, and one from Acura, are under recall over a defect that could limit braking functionality. Impacted vehicles include the 2020-2021 Honda Civic, 2021-2023 Honda Passport, 2021-2022 Honda Pilot, 2020-2023 Honda Ridgeline, and 2020 Acura MDX. 

Acura has finally announced pricing for the new 2024 Integra Type S and it has predictably come out as more expensive than the Honda Civic Type R with a starting MSRP of $51,995. The Acura offers additional standard equipment, however, and produces a smidgen more power from the 2.0-liter turbo the two models share. Though the over $7,000 pricing premium might make the fancier badge a tough sell, especially these days.

Yes, it's another wagon. We're automotive journalists. Of course, we're going to fall for a wagon just about every time.

Especially if it's even remotely sporty.

If the Honda Civic Type R strikes your fancy mechanically but its looks are a bit too juvenile for your aesthetic, enter the Acura Integra Type S.

Acura is cranking the wick – and the whip – on its Integra, caring not one whit what nattering keyboard warriors have to say about the thing having (gasp!) four doors. Y’know, just like the original car did. Go back to your stale popcorn, Seth.

Anyway, we’re glad for any sports-oriented machine that is packing a manual transmission and isn’t the shape of an SUV. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a notice that nearly 450,000 Honda and Acura models are being recalled over seat-belt latches that may malfunction. 

When the world learned that Acura was going to bring back the Type S moniker, a subset of enthusiasts who remembered models wearing the performance badge were readying their applause. While the TLX Type S deserves some amount of praise, the limited edition PMC models are difficult to rationalize unless you’re buying one under the assumption that it’ll appreciate in value parked in your garage. But it just keeps getting more ridiculous with Acura now offering Gotham Gray paint as a $3,000 option.

The Acura Integra has been generating a lot of conversation since it launched. I finally scheduled one for a test loan, and I am excited to drive it, even though it will be a while before that date (we often schedule cars at least a month out, and two months out is not uncommon).

That said, I haven't been enamored with its looks, at least in pictures.

Traditionalists wept into their VTEC systems when Acura brought back the storied Integra nameplate on a – gasp! – four-door hatchback on the auto show circuit last year. Those people, of course, conveniently forget that’s precisely the body style in which the original Integra was hewn, to say nothing of the relief felt by many to see Acura slowly moving away from the moronic whateverX naming scheme they’ve deployed for two painful decades.

They had a point about performance, however. Acura seems set to right that wrong with an upcoming Integra Type S, packing 300+ HP and a six-speed manual, for the 2024 model year.

Today's used car of the day is one that speaks to me, personally -- I loved the Acura RSX back in the day.

Attention, future Barrett-Jackson bidders: The final Acura NSX Type S was completed today at the brand’s Performance Manufacturing Center in Ohio. Billed as the last production NSX, the Gotham Gray coupe – number 350 of 350 – was allegedly shilled off to a private collection.