According to the October 25, 2005 issue of The Wall Street Journal:

Individuals familiar with Honda's product plans said the company already has developed a rear-wheel-drive prototype and is weighing the possibility of launching it as the next-generation Acura RL in the U.S. and the Honda Legend in Japan several years down the road.

 

 

This may be related to the rumoured new Acura flagship intended to perch above the RL in the Acura lineup. Such a vehicle would certainly elevate the Acura brand image, especially if they shoehorned in a detuned version of the new NSX's V10.

 

sweet. hopefully it gets acura more sales if it comes to the market

 

I think that with a code change they could make the current RL RWD on demand or even automatic. Not sure why people would prefer an RWD over a SH-AWD though.