| 2002 Acura RSX Base from North America | | Posted Sunday, October 29, 2006 2:46:39 AM by Blog57 Team | | I bought an '02 RSX on May 2, '06. So far, everything seems OK to me. The harsh ride comments made by some seem to be a bit critical to me. I bought this car because it handles like a sports car. The firm suspension is what makes this happen. If you want a cushy, yet sporty ride, I don't know where you'll find it for the RSX's price. I sure hope that the headlight problem doesn't show up with my ride. I replaced the stock bulbs with after-market halogens, and the difference is remarkable. I think that the base RSX has ample performance for the price. However, I may trade up to a Type S in a year or so. The high revs needed to produce the type of torque that most people prefer for higher-speed driving are built into this car. I am pulling 3000 RPM at 70 MPH. It seems that as long as you keep the revs over 3000, you have gobs of torque and HP available to you.... | |
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| | | Honda Opens New Accord Plant in China | | Posted Friday, October 06, 2006 2:46:34 AM by Blog57 Team | | ZENGCHENG, China — Honda Motor has invested about $277 million to open a new factory in China. The new plant is intended to alleviate Honda's capacity shortage in China and help it maintain its strong position in the fast-growing China auto market. The new plant will be located in Zengcheng, near the Southern Chinese city of Guangzhou — not geographically far from Hong Kong — and will measure more than 1 million square meters (10.7 million square feet) in size. The plant will add 120,000 units to Honda's China capacity, boosting it to 360,000 units annually. All of Honda's China-made models, including the Accord, Fit, City and Odyssey, will be made in the new factory. Fu Shoujie, executive vice president of Guangzhou Honda, Honda's Chinese venture with Guangzhou Automobile, said the first will be a version of the Accord.... | |
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| | | Luxury Institute Survey: Wealthy Americans Rate Luxury Auto Ads ... | | Posted Thursday, September 07, 2006 4:46:33 AM by Blog57 Team | | NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 5, 2006--Luxury automobile makers have spent mega-millions of dollars on print media advertising in 2006 without a clue as to the effectiveness of their campaigns. To assist luxury firms to better understand advertising effectiveness, New York City- based Luxury Institute announced the results of its first Luxury Ad Effectiveness Index for Luxury Autos. In this innovative survey, a statistically valid panel of wealthy consumers rated 29 competitive print ads that ran during the first six months of 2006 in the Luxury Auto category on fundamental communication metrics, as well as each ad's ability to influence brand and product reputation, brand purchase, and recommendation intent. Mercedes-Benz's SL-Class ad with the headline "The word 'engineering' means different things to different people" is the top-rated print advertisement in terms of overall LAEI (Luxury Advertisement Effectiveness Index) score.... | |
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| | | V-8 For Lincoln MKS Stillborn? | | Posted Sunday, September 03, 2006 10:46:03 PM by Blog57 Team | | According to Automotive News, Ford's latest round of cutting will scythe a planned V-8 for Lincoln's pending MKS flagship.The 4.4-liter eight, derived from the Yamaha unit employed in Volvo's XC90 was expected to slot into Lincoln's new MKS in 2008, but according to the publication's sources, the larger powertrain option has been nixed. By way of compensation, the MKS' 3.5-liter V-6 will reportedly be tuned for greater power, but that still means that the larger MKS will share the same basic engine architecture as the smaller, less expensive MKZ (it gets the engine in the fall, as do the Ford Five Hundred/Mercury Montego twins).Some critics believe that the MKS' subsequent lower cylinder count may be perceived as a disadvantage by consumers, regardless of whether horsepower and torque figures from the V-6 are comparable to the competitors' V-8 offerings.... | |
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| | | XM NavTraffic Data Service Expands to 44 Major US Markets | | Posted Sunday, August 13, 2006 12:45:54 PM by Blog57 Team | | XM Satellite Radio, the nation's leading satellite radio service with more than 6.89 million subscribers, today announced that XM NavTraffic, the first nationwide satellite traffic information service for GPS navigation systems, will launch in 13 additional U.S. metro markets during the third quarter of 2006. This latest expansion brings the award-winning real-time traffic data service to 44 major U.S. markets, coast-to-coast. The 13 new XM NavTraffic markets include: Austin, TX; Buffalo - Niagara Falls, NY; Charlotte, NC; Columbus, OH; Hartford - New Britain - Middletown, CT; Indianapolis, IN; Kansas City, KS; Las Vegas, NV; Memphis, TN; Nashville, TN; Norfolk - Virginia Beach/Newport News, VA; Sarasota - Bradenton, FL; and West Palm Beach - Boca Raton, FL. XM NavTraffic delivers real-time traffic information to vehicle navigation systems.... | |
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| | | Acura Announces July 2006 Sales Results | | Posted Saturday, August 12, 2006 2:45:44 AM by Blog57 Team | | TORRANCE, Calif., Aug. 1 -- Bolstered by record sales of the TSX sports sedan as well as continued steady sales for the TL performance luxury sedan; Acura sold 18,203 units in July, the division announced today. Total year-to-date sales reached 114,504 units. The TSX sports sedan continued its sales momentum, posting record July sales of 3,799 units, up 8.0 percent, based on 25 selling days for the month. Year-to-date TSX sales reached 23,625 -- an increase of 10.9 percent versus 2005. The TL performance luxury sedan continued its reign as the top-selling Acura, with 6,304 units sold in July, bringing year-to-date TL sales to 42,601. "Our dealers and our customers are looking forward to August," said Dick Colliver, executive vice president, sales.... | |
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| | | 2006 Acura RL | | Posted Friday, July 21, 2006 12:46:01 PM by Blog57 Team | | The original Acura RL was not one of my favorite cars, not only because it represented everything that was wrong with the luxury car market at the time, the look was boring, the handling vague but it also pushed the accomplished Legend off the dealer's lot. Its only saving grace was that it offered an alternative armchair to those pushed by Buick, Cadillac and Lincoln. The replacement RL is about as far removed from its roots as it could be. Gone are the boring, boxy looks and numb ride characteristics, in favour of a stylish appearance and a truly dynamic drive. The difference between the first and second generations has to be experienced to be fully appreciated. One of the RL's upsides is its powertrain. The first half is the transversely mounted, 3.5-litre, VTEC (Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control) V6 engine and the 290 horsepower and 256 pound-feet of torque it generates.... | |
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| | | Great Hybrid Hope: Toyota to Race Lexus GS 450h | | Posted Thursday, July 20, 2006 2:46:08 AM by Blog57 Team | | We just gave back our Lexus GS 450h tester, which is why we've been sad all morning (more to come on that). The thing is an absolute monster on the road, despite being under the influence of more computing algorithms than the Mars rover. That's likely why Toyota's planning to race the hybrid in Japan's Tokachi 24-hour Race at the Tokachi International Speedway in Hokkaido next week. Engineers say they're looking to gain "technological feedback for future mass-production vehicles," but we say they're just looking to flaunt their junk. You know how catty engineers can get. via Modern Racer Related: Dan Neil on the Lexus GS450h: Good News for Techies, Bad News for Golfers [internal] .... | |
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