Designed and engineered to reaffirm its place as a desirable and affordable entry point for the Acura sedan range, the all-new second-generation 2009 Acura TSX is larger, more agile, more powerful and even "more Acura" than ever before. The 2009 Acura TSX made its world premiere at the on-going 2008 New York International Auto Show . Carefully crafted to honor the original TSX's vision as a world-class sports sedan, the TSX has significantly evolved to offer more comfort, safety, convenience and driving performance - dramatically raising the standards for Acura's entry-level sedan . With sharp-edged and athletic styling, a powerful, clean and efficient i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine, a choice of automatic or manual transmission, and the kind of driving character that's an Acura trademark, the 2009 TSX continues as a valuable asset to the Acura division - and to a loyal following of customers. Major advances in handling agility, safety features, emissions reduction, ride smoothness and quietness, and interior comfort and convenience features all contribute to the new TSX's added appeal.  read more »

The rapscalliions at VWVortex have let slip all the deets on the Acura's new "hotness" -- the 2009 TSX . You've already seen one teaser shot along with a teaser release, but now here's the whole shebang. We'll have to wait for sometime later on (when Wert's able to run the story on his first-drive he just finished up out West) to get the full spiel on the new pre-entry level luxury sports sedan from Honda's luxe badge. The full press release follows the jump.  read more »

Rather than deal with the usual issues of a long-lead press drive engendering spy shot after spy shot of the new 2009 Acura TSX, the boys and girls from Honda's luxe brand have decided to just drop a single shot of the new TSX out the day before the press drive begins.  read more »

The 2009 Honda Pilot shares a platform with the '07 Acura MDX, starting at a lower price, with simpler features, seating 8 people. It also features a new Variable Cylinder Management system, which means the engine, can run on 6, 4 or 3 cylinders. The looks draw heavily on classic American SUV design themes, but improve upon them in a clean, contemporary way. Just look at the area behind the C-pillars for instance; it resembles what the Jeep Liberty should have looked like.  read more »

You may have already heard this, but BMW's twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter engine took home the International Engine of the Year award for 2008. If you've experienced this powertrain you know that title is well and properly earned, as the 3.0-liter's combination of horsepower, torque and even fuel efficiency make it one of the best engines in history. But that got me thinking: What are the best engines in the history of the automobile?  read more »

It's difficult to ignore. Honda is arguably the best engine company in the world. I can still recall how silky smooth that CVCC engine was in my brother's 1977 Civic. That's 30 years ago, and that engine could be sold today and be competitive.

But with General Motors and Toyota vying to beat one another to market with hybrid electric plug-in vehicles, it is difficult to ignore the fact that Honda CEO Takeo Fukui says he's just not interested. Instead, says Fukui this week at the North American International Auto Show, the company is pushing ahead on fuel-cell electric vehicles, which he believes Honda will be able to offer consumers on some affordable basis in ten years.

"I do not really understand the idea of plug-ins," says Fukui through an interpreter, almost seeming to be obtuse. But come on. He is being earnest. He knows how they work, of course. The lithium-ion battery takes you 8 or 10, or 20 or 40 miles on an electric charge. When the juice runs out, a gas engine kicks on and powers the battery, not unlike plugging a laptop in when the battery runs down. When it is recharged, you can go back on battery power. Or, if you don't exhaust the battery in a day, plug the car into the garage outlet overnight when electricity is cheaper.  read more »