I've already submitted this once and was victimized by a unfortunately timed Firefox crash {curses mozilla under his breath} so as we're being booted soon, this is going to be REALLY brief. Thanks to the timing of the Acura press conference, and the fact that we were unable to get any of the materials in advance, we wasted a lot of time processing pics and the press releases here in the media center following Acura's press conference. Then after that we ran back upstairs with our video gear and interviewed the LPLs for the RDX and MDX, the exterior designer of the MDX, and Robert Clarke, president of Honda Performance Development.


We heard lots of good stuff, but here are a few items of interest regarding the RDX and MDX.

RDX

• The motor is officially a K-series. The label on the side reads K23A1
  
• It sounds like this is a 2-rocker (mild) implementation of VTEC, rather than a 3-rocker system. This would explain the lowish 6800 rpm redline.
  
• The chassis is said to be best in class in terms of torsional and bending rigidity. Of course that's compared to the current FX35, X3, etc.
  
• Due to the high torque output from the pressurised K23 (13.5psi max boost) the transmission is actually borrowed from the J-series V6 family. In fact, its a very close cousin to the RL's transmission, which uses a 4-shaft design.
  
• Onsale date is July, with a price range of around $30-37k.
  

MD-X

• Due to the fact that the MD-X is still officially a concept, we didn't get a lot of information on the car. What we did get was a wealth of enthusiasm from the LPL and exterior designer. They are understandably very happy to show off the '07 MD-X Concept.
  
• The emphasis of the design is performance and passion. Acura is making bold claims of superb driving dynamics. At the same time, the MDX is said to retain its core competencies.
  
• The chassis tuning was developed on the Nurburgring and the Autobahn with the help of HRI Germany.
  
• The MDX's engine will be the most powerful ever offered in any Honda or Acura automotive product to that point
  
• The V6 is said to be completely new, yet we've heard from multiple sources otherwise that it it's an evolution of the J-series family. Note that Acura also claims the RDX's 4-cylinder is "all-new" yet in reality it's still a K-series motor.
  

Others
The only other vehicle I was able to take a look at today was the 2007 G35. The exterior looks a bit more muscular now and the interior seems to be a big step forward from the '06 model. The materials have a bit more substance, the gauges appear to be lifted directly from an Acura, and the G35 shown today uses some sort of trim that I've never seen used in anything else. I'm not even sure how to describe it, and the photos in the subpar carshow lighting aren't really too faithful, either. It's almost like a galvanic faux metal finish rendered in fiberglass. It's very light - almost white in color. In any case, the G35 is an improvement overall.

Last edited by JeffX on April 12, 2006 19:01