Acura Redefines Itself
With the New TSX
By Courtesy Acura Automobile Division
Balance and handling better than the RSX. Hotter engine than the Accord V6. Snappier tranny than the S2000. Is this all possible within a sedan?
Forget about the new RSX Type-S. The future of Acura is the new TSX. Only 15,000 will be produced, and the level of technology in the Euro-inspired sport sedan is an Acura benchmark. Before I get into the geek-talk (forgive me when I'm done), allow me to say that the TSX combines in one chassis the best of every existing Acura (barring the mid-rear NSX) in terms of power, handling and feel. Its middle-of-the-road looks can go either way. We've seen this engine block before (in uninspiring form) in the new Honda CR-V and Element. But the twin-cam, 2.4-liter i-VTEC that comes in the TSX has been to the lab and lobotomized. The VTEC exhaust has been tweaked, the compression ratio amped to 10.5:1, connecting rod bolts carved out of high-tensile steel, and there's a brand-new, drive-by-wire throttle control system which is one of those revolutionary engineering feats that's more than just a fun term to throw around at parties.
Drive-by-wire means there's no direct link from the gas pedal to the intake butterfly. Instead there's a computer between the pedal and the throttle that processes all sorts of data: pedal position, throttle position, vehicle speed, engine speed, calculated road slope, corner radius, etc., and determines the best acceleration response. If the computer detects wheel spin, for example, it reduces throttle so the car hooks.
Sakuji Arai, the chief engineer behind the new engine, tells me that it is his favorite powerplant to date. This from the man behind the Civic Type-R's K20C and the S2000's spectacular F20C (see interview on next page). When you rev the engine, the first thing you notice isn't the power (200 hp at 6800 rpm) or torque (166 lb-ft at 4500 rpm), but rather the sound. No, it's not at Ferrari level, nor will it be worshipped like a BMW straight-six. But it's the best noise to come out of something with four cylinders since an S2000 revved to eight grand. It takes me a while to get over the disbelief. But when I do, what the rest of the car has to offer is just as exciting.
The TSX pulls in every gear and under every condition: straight line, slow turn, sharp curve, uphill, downhill (and probably even in a corkscrew) - doesn't matter. The six-speed stick makes flinging the thing easy. The notching is clean, the close-ratio gearing is perfect. Before you're bored with one, it's ready for the next. And the car is constantly pulling hard, even through fifth. It's scary.
The TSX also handles better than any Acura (or Honda for that matter) short of the NSX. After boondoggling with MacPherson struts on the RSX, Acura returns to the double wishbone front and back for the TSX and it hasn't been better, even on fussy canyon roads where the traction control is surprisingly inconspicuous.The thing is, I knew what to expect even before I stepped into the TSX. Acura just doesn't make a bad car. It's not bias and normally I'm not much of a rainbow-and-daisies kind of guy. But pluck a car writer out of any buffet line, ask him what he thinks of a specific Honda or Acura, and you'll invariably get a shrug of the shoulders and something like, "It's a Honda," in response. That's the automotive equivalent to "duh." The fact that I expected a solid car and was still blown away is another matter altogether.
'03 Acura TSX
Engine: K24A
Power: 200 hp @ 6800 rpm
Torque: 166 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm
Transmission: six-speed manual
Wheels: 17-inch aluminum alloys
Tires: 215/50R17
Weight: 3,230 lbs
Price: $25,000 - $30,000 (est)
