037

2007AcuraRL

That looks 5 million times better, although it still doesnt explain why on earth Acura would have the top edge of the grill not line up with the fender lines above each headlight.

Oh and loose that "Acura of Manhattan" license plate trim thingy.....

Ballinger

Before I scrolled, I was wincing. However, that red/black looks very good! I'd like to see it in red/chrome, too.

triniexr

I HATE the new Acura grills but seeing it RED/BLACK it actually looks good like that.

db22

I don't think that there is any hope for that grill design. Maybe driving it square into a wall at about 37MPH would allow people to think that, at least, it used to like nice!

fan_888

red/black nice combination!!!

Professor

I never noticed the hood/fender issue, but you are right. Why wouldn't Acura drop the hood line a few inches.

I hope for the complete makeover, they drop that grill style all together.

TampaRLX-SH

The hood was shortened from the 2005-2008 models for 2 reasons.

1) The pedestrian impact requirements required the RLs nose be less sharp and more blunt to comply with these requirements (the RL / LEGEND is a world car and this was 1st a requirement in Europe, now also in the USA). You will see this design change in most mass market cars with more upright grilles and less angular leading edges. What was once a fuel efficiency / aerodynamic influenced design is now being dictated not to slice pedestrians in half.

So the fix RL / LEGEND was to make the grille more upright, and by doing so, shortening the sheet metal of the hood. It supposedly also makes the 09 RL have more 'visual presence' or look taller in the front. It likely also makes the hood more visible to some drivers.

2) They needed a vast amount of real estate to shove that schnoz in that gaping wound.

This redesign was not so much about aesthetics as a stop gap in the RL's formerly integrated front end design to accommodate pedestrian impact and Acura's in your face power plenum. Perhaps they work in concert as the power plenum is like to scare off pedestrians before the fatal impact.

bugeye

That certainly looks less gaudy.

You know what would look cool? A big ass intercooler taking up that empty space in the grille.

neuronbob

The painted version looks better.

OMG the 3G RL can't come soon enough. Please Acura don't F it up!

parlownr

No color can save it-- it's just too ugly!

sherman_nguyen

i better goes with the honda legend 09 (UK version) grill it is just too perfect. hhihiih

up_late

You can put lipstick on a pig....

037

I appreciate every stupid comment as well.

db22

You started this thread and you had to know that it's just an opportunity to tell Acura that they failed in designing a front end that most people can look at. We realize that you own one and as long as you drive it and always approach it from the rear it is a great car. The most contraversial aspect of this car is the front end and you opened this can of worms and should expect a large quantity of flippent answers. BTW - I dissagree with the "you can put lipstick on a pig" comment too. I don't believe that you can.

037

haha, I don't take the comments too personally. In my previous poll most people voted for the Mercedes Benz grill...

SpicyMikey

I'd leave it stock. Doesn't really look much better to me painted because the disjointed lines along the hood are what offend me most.

PortlandRL

Go painted....that looks ten times better.

woodek

Ive been an Acura fan for years (owned an 98 CL). The grill and general "slant" of ANY acuras grill, has always made it stand out from other cars (including Hondas). You can tell its an Acura from 1/2 mile away. Heading at ya'.

IMHO the new grills just seem to be too extreme in relation to the body style. I guess, TOO much grill.

Kinda "transformer" looking, or (as sad as it is) Saturn looking. Once again. No offense. It just seems to be too extreme, too quick.

woodek

The more I look at it, Actually, the Painted grille shot (pic) of the 09 RL is REALLY nice!

And, the more I like it. The black edges are exactly what the painted grill needs. (IMHO). And the painted Main grill could REALLY grow on me. Over-chrome is tacky in my opinion.

The stock chrome is just (IMHO) TOO extreme and stands out WAY too much.

carnutpa

I like the painted one better also. However, I would also like to see it with the V shape on the sides and bottom that was painted black to remain chrome. The small area on the sides of the red between the red and the chrome would remain black instead of chrome.

2007AcuraRL

HOW ABOUT IF ACURA HAD DONE THE GRILL CORRECTLY IN THE FIRST PLACE? If they were going to the "power plenum grill" they could have at least made the grill proportional to the rest of the fascia and lined up the top edge of the grill to the fender lines above each headlight, and the bottom edge to line up with the bottom edge of the headlight lens.

Like this (my edit job):






Instead of the way the did it:

afjock21

^ looks good... You deserve to get paid a lot of money.... I mean, if the head of Acura creative team is gettin paid.....

037 I like the color matched painted grille look. Reminds me of a TSX I saw with the chrome grille strip painted black, which was the color of this TSX..

Professor

^^ What an improvement!!! Good job!!

bugeye

Wow!!! That looks SO much better, it's amazing. Dare I say... that looks good?

Storm982

someone needs to forward a link to this thread to Acura Corporate

b0n3

great improvement with the photochop version .. but either way, it still looks like the car is laughing.