Acura ‘Advanced Sports Car Concept’ on Display in Detroit
As many of you know the North American International Auto Show is in full swing in Detroit and for the most part I have been steering clear of covering this automotive circus. But there were a few stand-out concepts in the motor city this year that certainly warrant a few paragraphs on this site. One such vehicle is the Acura Advanced Sports Car Concept. While the name is unimpressive the concept itself offers a glimpse at the future of Acura’s exotic sports car designs.
When the NSX first hit the road it was considered a pretty wild car, especially coming from a company like Acura. Now the NSX design is getting cobwebs and it looks like Acura is prepared to bring in an all new exotic car contender. The Advanced Sports Car Concept is definitely a new design direction. Unlike the NSX this concept houses its engine up front like a traditional sports car. While nothing is written in stone Acura says it plans to run a rear-drive based version of its Super Handling All Wheel Drive system mated to a front mounted V10 power plant. That sounds like a good start to me. And if Acura can make a V10 like they made the NSX’s V6 than consumers are in for a treat.
Visually the Acura concept is aggressively styled with lots of deep lines and radical angles that start and finish at sharp points at the front and rear of the car. The canopy of the car is entirely made out of glass from the rear window all the way to the windshield, giving the concept a distinctive “car of the future” look. But the NSX isn’t gone entirely; subtle cues incorporated into the new concept give a definite nod to its predecessor. The headlights for example are pencil thin and stretched out wide to look like NSX with its pop-up headlights down. The rear also uses the NSX full-width taillight and incorporates it into the cars more modern theme.
I’m glad to see that Acura has started thinking sports car again, and by the looks of the Advanced Sports Car Concept they are really pushing the envelope. While the design doesn’t exactly make my heart skip a beat (chalk it up to personal taste) I do recognize that this design is a bold and well thought out statement about Acura’s future. I’m curious to hear what you think.
-Bill Mertz
Acura, NSX, Advanced Sports Car Concept, sports car, exotic, Detroit, auto show, concept car
January 17th, 2007 at 12:11 am
Oh man, that looks like the Camaro concept got hit by a stealth fighter airplane.
January 17th, 2007 at 10:33 pm
You got a good point…Stealth Camaro. I really like the little lights directly over the exhaust outlets, let’s hope it has a clean burning V10.
January 19th, 2007 at 2:38 am
That thing is sexy…
April 9th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
An interesting view of the automotive industry. Where do you see the future of the industry, will it ever recover or will there be major casulties?