With Lexus already RWD and Infiniti going RWD with the new models, will Acura make the move? Rumor has been that the next RL will have a V8 and move to a RWD platform. If so, do you see it filtering down to the TL/CL. If it's becoming a horsepower race, you can't exploit the full potential remaining in a FWD setup. The handling would naturally be better due to more even weight distribution. I would guess acceleration would dip into the mid to low 5's with the 6-speed + RWD.

 

Basically, Acura HAS to go RWD, even better it should go AWD . Acura has all the components for a good luxury car except for a V8 and RWD platform. Hopefully this will be remedied in the 2003 RL...

 

Chrysler is changing to rear wheel drive on the next gen Intrepid/300M/LHS. They're terrified about what it might do to sales in the North even though the cars will have ESP and traction control standard. If the market responds favorably, I can see other car manufacturers following suit on certain models targeted at more performance oriented audiences. If I were Acura I'd wait for the results of the D-C experiment before I made any concrete product plans.

 

no offence to you guys but there's no way i'd have a RWD Acura or any brand of car. it's gotta be FWD or 4x4 or All wheel drive.
cause dad used to have a RWD truck and you couldn't hardly take it out when a little bit of snow on the roads. so dad got a 4x4 and wanna talk bout great on Snow,a little bit of rainy roads, and stuff like that. Front wheel and AWD kinda of the same thing there great all season platforms.

 

Wouldn't VSA make RWD driveable in bad weather.

 

Nope. If the wheels can't get traction all VSA does is throttle back the engine which, in some cases, makes it worse not better. I had a C36 and literally couldn't drive it in the winter in spite of all the electronic "helpers".

 

i would love AWD and if yhou think about it it would suit honda so well,,small specialty company like audi like subaru,,AWD please

 

I'm glad I live in San Diego and don't have to worry about snow.
A 6 speed, rwd (or awd) CLS? I'd be all over that!

 

We had a gs 300 (RWD) and there is a small hill to my house, when snow fell, the lexus could not get up that little maybe 7 degree hill, you would need to go at it wiht a running start.

 

I would love to have a chance to have a rear wheel drive car again. As far as winter weather, you never know what you're going to get here. There's been some winters where there's little snow and some with huge storms.

 

Why do i get the feeling this will ruin chrysler?

 

You mean they weren't already ruined?

 

If Acura goes RWD, then I will be keeping my current CL-S until it won't take any more bondo.
In nj, rwd sucks, as we get more icy slush than true snow. That's why I would never go lexus or bmw, unless you also had a winter car.
I wouldn't mind AWD if the system is done right. Last winter, I saw several 4WD vehicles hit their gas, all 4 tires spinning, and the trucks went sideways into the curbs.
The Acura vsa is great in the snow, the CLS always took off straight.

I would downgrade to an Accord before I went rwd.

 

this is part of the reason I'm not going (when i get my next car) with the Lexus IS300 is cause it's RWD. It really suprised me that that Lexus decided to go RWD cause really the only hot rod 4 door lexary(sorry it's misspelled)front wheel drive car is the TL-S.
by the way the Acura TL got J.D. Power best quality award for 02. I herd that from dad(he works for honda)
maybe FWD is catching on.
i hope the whole image of a 50-60 year old driving a lincoln is gone far as luxary cars. I think they should base them on example the Accord V-6 and just start tweaking the interior and motor.
same with toyota and the camry.