2014 Acura MDX SH-AWD

There are certain vehicles on sale today that are affected by what I call 'Camry Syndrome.' Named after Toyota's ubiquitous family hauler, Camry Syndrome affects a fair number of cars and trucks, many of which are exceedingly popular with consumers.

The issue I have with these vehicles is that while they're adequate, they lack ambition. Their looks are clean and reasonably attractive, but they're not particularly stylish, let alone adventuresome or - heaven forbid - polarizing. Their interiors are comfortable and well screwed together, with the sort of popular features that consumers expect at a given price point. Their engines are decently powerful and vocal enough to set the heart very slightly aflutter, yet they're not too thirsty. Their transmissions are invisible and their rides are best described with whatever buzzword synonym Joe Consumer might come up with for "sporty" or "luxurious." In short, they're boring.

In reality, provided they sell well, there's really nothing wrong with automakers building Camry Syndrome vehicles - they're reasonably competent at everything and clearly meet a need. The problem is that I want some aspects of my vehicle to be better than others, because contrast breeds character. I wish someone at Acura felt the way I did when it redesigned this MDX for 2014, because for me, there's so much of this premium crossover that's merely middle of the road.

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Ludacris discusses Fast and Furious 7 and his 1993 Acura Legend

It's easy to think of most wealthy celebrities as egotistical, materialistic individuals who own a Ferrari for every day of the week. The reality, though, is often much less severe. See, they can get attached to things, like cars, just like normal folks. Take Alfred Morris, for example. A 22-year-old running back with the Washington Redskins. Morris still drives the 1991 Mazda 626 that he had in college, despite a healthy $2.2 million contract.

Rapper/actor Ludacris is an even more extreme example of automotive loyalty. With an estimated net worth of over $70 million, Luda has the money for his own private plane. Yet that wealth doesn't stop him from regularly driving the 1993 Acura Legend he has had since before he found fame.

Ludacris, whose real name is Chris Bridges, recently discussed his old Acura during an appearance on the Ellen DeGeneris Show to promote his new album. It sounds like he's put 10,000 miles on the trusty sedan since it last popped up online less than a year ago, so it's pretty clear that he drives it on the regular. In fact, Ludacris says he still pens new songs sitting inside it, just like he used to back in the day when he was starting out.

Of course, during his Ellen appearance, Ludacris also takes some time to talk about the Fast and Furious franchise, in which he's played a major part. He discusses what it's been like carrying on without Paul Walker, as well as what it's been like working with the actor's brothers, who will be in the next installment of the popular franchise as the late actor's body doubles. Fast 7 is currently filming in the United Arab Emirates and is set for a release in April of 2015.


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Honda planning sub-NSX S2000 successor

Nine years separated the arrival of the original Acura NSX and the Honda S2000. By that time, the NSX was closer to the end of its fifteen-year production cycle than it was to its beginning. The latest word has it that not only is Honda planning a successor to the S2000, but it's not about to wait that long after the new NSX arrives before it's rolled out.

While the S2000 was a front-mid-engined roadster, its successor will, according to the latest from Auto Express (which we are taking with a grain of salt), be a mid-engined coupe - closer, in other words, to the NSX than the S2000. Power would come from a more potent version of the 2.0-liter turbo four developed for the upcoming new Civic Type R, possibly as part of a hybrid system derived from Honda's upcoming Formula One powertain to develop over 400 horsepower.

Whether the new sports car would revive the S2000 nameplate, and whether it would wear the Honda or Acura badge in the United States, remain to be seen. As does its potential production site: while the previous S2000 was built at the same Takanezawa plant in Tochigi as the original NSX, the new NSX will be built at the new Performance Manufacturing Center in Marysville, Ohio. The new S660 roadster, meanwhile, is set to be assembled at the same Yachiyo plant in Yokkaichi as the original Honda Beat.
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Acura NSX Concept II Revealed in Detroit, Shows Up in Gran Turismo 5 Game

Jewel Eye headlights, hybrid all-wheel drive and the Acura badge. These are all things we’ll grow to love in a few years when the brand new NSX arrives to shine a light on Honda’s premium brand.

A new version of the Acura NSX concept was shown today at the 2013 NAIAS in Detroit, featuring a representation of what the car’s interior might look like when it enters production.

Just like the original NSX, this sportscar will use a mid-mounted V6 engine. The biggest criticism people had with it before was that it was a vanilla engine, which technology that was readily available on normal cars. But for 2015, the company is taking things further, since the V6 will be working together with Honda's Sport Hybrid SH-AWD (Super Handling All-Wheel Drive) system.

Before we get ahead of ourselves with excitement, we’re going to tell you something a little more grounded in the present. Acura has collaborated with Gran Turismo 5 developer Polyphony Digital. As Softpedia reports, this might mean the NSX Concept might become available as DLC (downloadable content) inside the game.

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2014 Acura MDX Prototype is exactly what we expected

Yep, it's the new MDX. And despite being totally redone, it looks exactly like we expected. That is, it's an up-sized version of the RDX crossover with fancy LED lights stolen from the RLX sedan. And while that might not sound too exciting, we have to say, it is handsome – certainly a more cohesive, refined design than the angular, beak-tastic model that's currently on sale.

Acura is calling this 2014 MDX a prototype, but that's only because it isn't 100-percent finished. Everything you see here will likely carry over to production, maybe with a couple small tweaks. Under the hood is the same 3.5-liter V6 that we know and love from the Honda group, and while we don't have power figures just yet, Acura says it will deliver more torque while improving efficiency. In redesigning the MDX, the Japanese automaker has managed to lighten and stiffen the chassis, improving driving dynamics. More interestingly, for the first time Acura will offer a front-wheel-drive version of the MDX, but don't worry, the automaker's SH-AWD all-wheel drive will be available.

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Honda NSX Production Version Leaks - Interior Revealed

Two images of what is reportedly the production version of the Honda/Acura NSX have surfaced online, via vwvortex.com. One shows the exterior of the car, and bears a Honda badge, while the other shows what looks to be a plausible interior for the NSX, wearing an Acura badge.

It is definitely not the interior of exactly the car in the other photo, as the badges don`t correspond, and the interior shot shows a left-hand drive car, while the exterior shows a right-hand drive example. If this is the production version, we are honestly hard-pressed to tell it from it is identical to the concept - it looks just as good and as modern as it does.

The shot of the leather-clad interior shows that the car will not be offered with a manual gearbox at all, as there would be no place for the gear selector, as it just looks like it would sit too high and would not be ergonomic and comfortable to use, especially in a supercar costing in excess of $100,000.

It is set to hit the market in 2014, as a 2015 model-year offering, and it both the Acura and Honda versions will be built in the US, at the Marysville, Ohio plant. The car is expected to have all-wheel drive and the integration of a hybrid system is also likely.

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IIHS says these are the safest cars of 2013

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has revealed its annual list of Top Safety Picks, an award that highlights automobiles it says offer "superior crash protection." A new and still more significant award, the Top Safety Pick+ honor, is given to those vehicles that earn good ratings for occupant protection in four out of five areas of measure. And while some 117 vehicles were given the TSP seal of approval for 2013, just 13 passed muster for TSP+.

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