Acura TL Type-S! Woohoo!!! (update: mini brochure scans, new videos added)

[dcdomain]

update: mini brochure scans
http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/wdchan/page2-3.jpg

http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/wdchan/page1-4.jpg

http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/wdchan/page4.jpg
Beware this last one is 500k, and is only a close up of page 4 which you can see in the second scan. The text included is below:
Text:
Peak Performance at the Height of Luxury.
The 2002 Acura 3.2 TL lets you enjoy sports-sedan performance in sumptuous comfort. And the new TL Type-S takes that performance to a whole new level. Its smooth and precise 3.2-liter, 24-valve V-6 produces a scintillating 260 horsepower. Both versions offer the choice of hands-on or fully automatic shifting, thanks to the innovative 5-speed Sequential SportShift transmission. And the Type-S adds the enhanced control of the Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) system to the razor-sharp handling provided by the race-bred, fully independent double-wishbone suspension.

Inside, five passengers can savor all the tappings of power and luxury. The TL seats are trimmed in supple leather, and the Type-S offers sporty perforated leather as well as metallic-faced gauges. The standard automatic climate control system always provides the perfect environment while you listen to the premium Acura/Bose Music System with its 6-disc in-dash CD changer. The list of features is seemingly endless, from the sunglass holder and the auxiliary power outlets to the steering wheel-mounted cruise-control and audio switches.

Specifications:
3.2-Liter, Aluminum-Alloy, 24-Valve SOHC V-6
225 hp for the TL; 260 hp for the TL Type-S
VTEC Variable Valve Timing and Lift System
Programmed Fuel Injection (PGM-FI)
5-Speed Sequential SportShift Automatic Transmission
Vehicle Stability Assit (VSA) on the TL Type-S
4-Wheel Independent Double-Wishbone Suspension
4-Wheel Disc Brakes and Anti-Lock Braking (ABS)
Dual-Stage Front Air Bag System plus Side Air Bags
Automatic Climate Control System
Leather-Trimmed Interior
Heated Front Seats
Driver's 8-Way Power Seat
ULEV Emission Rating for the TL (CA only)
LEV Emission Rating for the TL Type-S

update: new videos
http://ww0.tscentral.com/webcasts/content/LAAuto-01-01/acura/acura.ram

http://www.edmunds.com/news/autoshows/2001losangelesautoshow/44468/page009.html

---
For those of you who don't keep up with the Acura/Honda forums, here are some links for you guys! Not as big of a disappointment as I had expected. But still can't say I'm 100% happy with it... can't win in everything though. Can't wait to get my hands on one of these! Anyone else here as excited as me about this release?

Acura has a Type-S section on their site now!
http://www.acura.com/model_types/types_index.asp

Exterior shot

Inspire tail lights standard!!!

Sweet looking Acura emblem on the steering wheel.

Video from the LA Auto show
Coverage on the TL-S starts on 07:00. Server is overloaded, so it'll take a while.

Got all my info from here, so visit the site and forum to learn more.
http://www.acura-tl.com/2002_TL-S.htm He also has another photo there and the color chart! Snook is the man!!!

 

[urbantechie]

After they lost the "Legend" name, i've had a hard time keeping up with Acuras. Which model would that be?

 

[dcdomain]

Yeah... the Legend sure was a Legend!!! That was the peak... now Acura's just trying to find it again. The perfect mix of looks and engineering.

The line-up of Acura looks like this now.

RL the top of the heap luxury car
TL middle luxury sedan
CL coupe, very similar to the TL
MDX the newly introduced SUV
RSX soon to be replacement for the popular Integra

The CL has had a type S version for a while now... the most important selling point for the type S version is the 260hp engine. There are other things to, like the stability system and what not...

I always thought that the RL replaced the Legend, but some have said that the TL was the Legend's replacement... so I'm not sure.

The TL is Acura's number one selling car... so you should have seen them around...

 

[OS]

the styling is so bland.

 

[ElFenix]

the TL is more of a replacement for the legend than RL. hell, when the RL came out i think they still made the legend. anyway, a bunch of auto-mags were wondering why acura didn't call it the legend, which was a good name, when the current TL came out.

the interior link is bad, has an extra "TLphotos" or something like that.

maybe i'll get lucky and will be able to pick one of these badasses up in may or june...

 

[NFS4]

They could have done a LOT more with the styling...it's still rather plain looking compared to a 3-Series or Audi A4, or even a Volvo S60

 

[MC]

not very impressing to me

 

[dcdomain]

ElFenix thanks for the heads up. Yeah, NFS4, I must say that I hate Acura/Honda's styling... too bland and conservative. But so are BMW's designs... I find it conservative, but at least they ain't bland. I love the short over hangs of the BMW's, I really dig the compact and wide look. But Acura thinks it's good to go for the missle look. Which to me sucks. Only car I think that can pull off the missle look are American cars like the Camaro... cuz they have so much history backing it up.

Anyway, of all the Japanese car companies, Nissan is getting it right. The new QX4 is the most gorgeous SUV out there. And it's got the power to back it up too. It'd be hard for me to pick between the MDX or the QX4 right now, even though I'm such a huge Honda fan. I'm driving a 98 QX4 (freaking no power, right before they dropped the 240 in) and I love the interior... only thing missing would be that analog clock that they put back in. The new interior needs a little more wood/fake wood.

The new Z looks nice as hell, at least they sort of remain true to the prototype. Honda teases you with a phat look prototype, but when it's released into the real world, it looks nothing like it. ANd what the hell is with Acura's new grill across all the models? It looks so freaking cheap. I don't think of a luxury car when I see that. Infiniti has it right... notice how I'm not bringing Lexus into here, to me they've already made it, even though they unoriginal as hell...

In terms of styling, the I30(t) beats the hell outta the TL. Only reason I'm sticking with the TL Type-S is because of the value and my love affair with Honda. If it wasn't for that, I'd pay the extra couple of k and grab the I30(t). It looks like a luxury car, the TL looks like an Accord.

The Q45... now that's a freaking car, my friend had the one two generations back... the one before they screwed it up and took the performance out of it. That thing was nice as hell!!! Glad to see they returning to the performance front.

The G20... well that thing needs to be dropped quick, only dent in Infiniti's lineup.

But in the end, I still find myself sitting in Honda's lap... I'd just wish they'd go in a different direction with their designs. Engineering wise, everything is all good...

 

[luckydragon]

i wouldnt mind driving a TL

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

I will be curious how this thing prices out. I bet it is a great car, but I tend to find Acura/Hondas a bit homogenized for my taste (I owned a '99 Integra GS-R sedan and now have an Accord V-6 EX), and it is still FWD and automatic-equipped, neither of which appeal to me. I would have a tough time paying BMW 323 money for one of these, and a 5-speed-equipped Maxima SE is available for thousands less.

We shall see . . .

 

[dcdomain]

Some dude in the Acura-TL.com forums is getting one with navi for $30k plus tax! That's a freaking steal! He did put a down payment on it back in early summer though. Some other person is paying $32.5k for the Type-S with navi, a price which I also expect to pay... I still think it's a terrific value at that price...

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Hmmm - that is not bad pricing. Motor Trend is claiming that the 2002 Maxima will get a horsepower boost to 260 - that thing will be a beast if there is any truth to that.

 

[dcdomain]

Could be true... Nissan's have the engines to do it, and they are striving to be the performance leaders in every category... Wouldn't be surprised if that goes through. Damn, I've never seen a car company make such a damn good and quick comeback! I still remember the commercials back in the day when Nissan was going down the drain. Renault is a life saver...

 

[NFS4]

<< The new QX4 is the most gorgeous SUV out there. >>


The QX4 looks too overblown to me. The BMW X5 is by far the best looking SUV. The Grand Cherokee and the previous generation Land Cruiser are other &quot;lookers&quot; IMHO.

 

[SVTPower]

Whats up with all the &quot;Looks&quot; it how these things perform is what matters. All Import Suv's are about worthless.. Try a Excursion, Expedition or a Yukon if you need a REAL suv... the BMW SUV is great for grocery shopping and going to the yuppie malls but when it's time to get things done, show up with a contender.

 

[NFS4]

<< Whats up with all the &quot;Looks&quot; it how these things perform is what matters. >>


Looks plays a BIG factor when buying a car these days. The PT Cruiser and VW Beetle are prime examples. Neither are very good performers, yet sell like hot cakes. You'll notice that ugly cars don't usually sell well. Take the Pontiac Aztek. It's a very funcitonal vehicle and has many innovations, but is wrapped in a hideous outer skin. STTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTRIKE!! And it is selling poorly.


<< All Import Suv's are about worthless.. >>


I hate to say this, but that is a STUPID comment. Where are your facts? What do you base this on? Import SUV's tend to be better built, of higher quality, and have better features than their American counterparts. I'll give you a few comparions in which the Import is clearly better:

Yukon/Tahoe, Expedition -- Toyota Sequoia
Jeep Cherokee, Ford Escape -- Nissan Xterra
Jeep Grand Cherokee -- Mercedes M-Class

I could go on. Anyway, if they were completely worthless they wouldn't be selling well here in the US and the Japanese/Europeans wouldn't waste their time with us.


<< Try a Excursion, Expedition or a Yukon if you need a REAL suv >>


1) The Excursion is to big and is selling poorly. High fuel costs, poor economy, poor sales, and angry folks at the EPA have caused Ford to drop the production of the Excursion. This was big news a few months back--right after its introduction.

2) The Expedition and Yukon size SUV's are too big for most families. Hence the reason why the Ford Explorer is the best selling SUV. It has the perfect size for most families.

3) What is your &quot;idea&quot; of a &quot;real&quot; SUV??? Anything and everything that is American??


<< the BMW SUV is great for grocery shopping and going to the yuppie malls but when it's time to get things done, show up with a contender >>


90% of all new SUV's sold today never see anything use out in the backwoods or mountainous terrains. They ARE made for grocery getting and shuttling the kids too and from school/soccer practice/piano rehearsal. They have replaced cars and station wagons as the vehicle of choice for families. Many new SUV's are based on car platforms with AWD systems (for all weather use--rain/snow/ice) and that's all that is needed.

And what's what this comment? &quot;but when it's time to get things done, show up with a contender.&quot; What exactly do you mean??

 

[RossMAN]

The new QX4 is the most gorgeous SUV out there.

You gotta be smoking something, take a look at the Lexus RX300.

This car has very bland styling compared to the dreamy BMW M540i (V8) ... drool ... then again that's a whole other class of luxo-car.

 

[NFS4]

If I'm not mistaken, even with the 240 HP, the QX4 (0-60, 9.8 sec) is STILL slower than the 235 HP Jeep Grand Cherokee (0-60, 7.2)...HEHE. And the old QX4 was a downright SNAIL.

Hell, even the 200 HP Ford Escape (0-60, 9.0 sec) smokes the porky QX4!!

 

[NFS4]

<< but some have said that the TL was the Legend's replacement... so I'm not sure. >>


The TL was the Acura Vigor's replacement.

 

[dcdomain]

That's what I thought... the TL was the Vigors and the RL was the Legends... but someone in the Acura-TL forums stated otherwise... anyway, damn NFS4 looks like you went off on that guy. Whole damn post was bolded to hell!

Well everyone has different tastes. The RX300 doesn't look tough enough to be an SUV. Looks too much like a minivan to me, just a thinner smaller version of the ML, which also looks like a minivan. When my mother came home with that one day, I freaking pissed in my pants... couldn't believe she went out and got that thing. An SUV should be what the QX4 looks like, edgy, slightly boxy, but still classy. I think that new Jeep Commander also looks like an &quot;ideal&quot; suv. The Land Cruiser is another classic looking SUV. The X5, I'm not too sure about that. It looks like any other BMW sedan, just raised up...

NFS4... a snail could outrun my freaking car. That thing is slow as sh!t, which explains my perfect driving record in that car so far. (First day I drove the ML320 to inspection, I got my first speeding ticket). That sucker's got nothing engine wise... I dread it when I hit uphills, cuz I gotta always move into the right lane, even if I step on the pedal.

Well even with the new engine, it's still slow... but as long as it gets moving at a decent pace I'd be happy with it. I haven't been able to test the 240hp version, but it can sure outrun mine... I mean, in an SUV, I don't expect to race anyone... perhaps the X5 was made for that, but with the high center of balance, and the higher profile, racing in an SUV is asking for trouble (wind, curves... etc).

 

[Angrymarshmello]

Why can't they name their cars normally? TL? RL? SL? wtf?

 

[jimmygates]

I own a 99 3.2TL and it's a blast to drive. However, I'm going to have to trade this baby in for the 2002 TL-S

RagingBitch:

I heard the new Integras will be renamed to IL's...


-Jimbo

 

[dcdomain]

Jimmygates is kidding, the new Integra will be named the RS-X... but you all knew that already. Yeah, there was a huge thread at Honda-acura.net about their messed up naming scheme... can't freaking find the thread. But someone interpreted very well... anyway, new video links up top...

 

[prontospyder]

Yes...the Jeep Commander looks very nice...and it's nice on the environment too.

Acura dropped the names for alphanumeric ones because they felt people recognized &quot;Legend&quot; and &quot;Integra&quot; more than the Acura brand name.

 

[dcdomain]

Werd up... just wished they kept the Legend name though... damn... Acura Legend... now that sounds like a quality car, not that the existing ones aren't. Even with the name drop, people still don't give a crap bout Acura... damn. Wish they would change back, but grab some new names, keep Integra and Legend, the rest can go...