ntls

Take a look:

http://community.webshots.com/photo.../68569164emTVDZ

Looks more like the new TL to me. This doesn't look very "upscale!"

-ntls

TL-GIXXER

linkie no workie

ntls

try this

http://community.webshots.com/photo/...68569164emTVDZ

LiQiCE

Hmm, that grill looks pretty disgusting imho... I hope they make it look better before the production car comes out!

SCWells72

This is probably a good route for Acura to go with the RL. It's never really been in the same class as the flagships from the other luxury brands. Targeting the other brands' middle entries makes more sense based on the size and features.

I'll be interested to see if there's an RL Type-S with AWD and a higher output version of that 3.5L V6. Could make for a very cool car!

kgoessling

Gee, I wonder how Acura managed to lure Lincoln stylists away from FOMOCO?

ATLien

I agree the grill is a turnoff,....but it would be nice if it came w/those rims or Dubs

Black TL

300 hp from the MDX Engine? Wow, that's pretty good!

phatratpak

I thought Honda came out with a concept awhile ago touting 300hp from a hybrid engine using the 3.5L V6. It would be great to see them utilize that in 2005 RL since Lexus is already putting hybrids into luxury autos (rx330 in 2004).

RL type-S would def. be awesome.

phatratpak

here's the link I was talking about

http://www.edmunds.com/news/conceptc...4/article.html

cubanlinx

I went to get my car serviced and saw the 2004 RL in a purple haze color and it looked real nice , the inside had aluminum dash and the gauges were blue but def not worth 46,000 !!!!

ntls

What! You saw this at the dealer??? You gotta be kidding!? Was it a brochure or something?

LiQiCE

The 2004 RL is not the same as the one you showed, which should be the 2005 RL.

The 2004 RL is available for purchase today, and is slightly restyled from the existing RLs which you've probably seen before.

ntls

got it! thanks!

Ruski

looks part Lincoln, part 7-series

Darkshear

iTrader: (1)

Wow that a caddy CTS with a big "A" on the front....

oracion

Very ugly, indeed.

T Ho

I don't know why they're trying so hard. If they'd just take the current TL-S, widen it about 2 inches, stretch it about 6-8 inches, and drop in a 3.5L iVTEC, they'd have exactly what they're looking for.

Todd

SCWells72

I don't agree. The TL-S has nice features for its competitive set, but it lacks quite a few of the features required to compete with the 5-series, E-class, A6, GS-series, S-Type, etc. For example, dual-zone climate control, power tilt/telescopic steering, AWD or RWD, leather throughout, real wood, generally better interior materials, optional audiophile stereo, climate controlled front seats, heated rear seats, etc., basically those things that differentiate a luxury automobile from an entry-/near-luxury automobile. That's what they'll have to bring to the new RL if they want to compete with the heavy hitters in that segment. The lack of many of those features is part of the reason the RL doesn't compete well in that segment today...

NSXDreamer

I think it actually looks like an A4 ( Audi ).....

iNteGraz92

does this look a little better?

LiQiCE

Yeah that looks nice now!

Hopefully Acura won't use the Saber looking grill that they showed in the artist picture and will use something more like what you photochopped in

Average Jose

yuck

ntls

Hey Liqice... nice photoshop work there! Huge improvement. I still think this could be a great TL replacement. I laugh at most of these folks saying they don't like the design. If they saw this rollin' on the streets, they'd be wet!

SCWells72

I might wet myself with laughter!

Appearance is completely subjective. Assuming everyone would share your opinion upon seeing it is ludicrous! In my opinion it's not an attractive design even after the grille change.

Of course, early renderings rarely look much like the real car, so while there may be hints of the final product in that pic, it's very unlikely it'll end up looking like that...

ntls

If you saw THIS car (and yes, I understand this is a prototype) rolling on the street, I would bet you would think it's a hot car. Maybe i can just visualize this thing in 3-D better than you can. To me, it looks like a natural progression or update to the current Acura look. My thought is... as an Acura owner, something about the style got you to buy one in the first place. This is a perfect update to that look. It takes some great trends from current competitors and keeps it looking Acura.

SCWells72

Yeah....I'm thinking....no. But thanks again for deciding what I like and what I don't! Mighty considerate of you!

I have no issues visualizing the image in 3D. It's just that when I do, it doesn't look so hot to me...

As a PREVIOUS Acura owner (2000 TL), the bland styling is one of the things that drove me away from the car. I originally got the TL because of its bang-for-the-buck ratio, not for its styling. Over the first year of ownership, it was the bland styling, the lack of power, the poor interior materials, and the lack of a few features that drove me away from Acura.

But again, thanks for doing my thinking for me...

ntls

dude... chill out! this is the whole point of being here on message boards. Question... if you are so unhappy with acura, why are you still here?

nick79

i think its hot i can visualize


so where the spy or drawings of the TL. dont u think its kinda funny that the car suppose to come out in the autoshow next week and we dont have any clues just guesses mostly.

ahhaa, damn secrets

SCWells72

I'm not trying to be confrontational, but you're telling me what I'd think if I saw it and then telling me that if I don't agree then I'm not able to visualize it properly. I vehemently disagree with both parts of that statement.

And I'm still here because I love seeing what people are doing to overcome the performance, styling, etc., limitations of the car. The TL-S is still a great bang-for-the-buck proposition, and with a set of mods it becomes an absolutely incredible car! I hang out here occassionally (as I do on many auto enthusiast boards) because I'm genuinely interested in how people are able to milk every last bit of potential out of their cars!

But I certainly don't go to ANY forum to have someone tell me that I don't know my own opinion. That is not "the whole point of being here on message boards."

ntls

sorry if i was telling you what you think. That's maybe just my Italian nature. But "difference of opinion" is a reason why we come here to discuss. Car design is the most facinating subject for me to talk about. I guess I like to tell people what to think. Next time, i'll try and pull a jedi mind trick on you and you won't even know it!!! That was a joke.

SCWells72

No problem!

I'm planning to head up to the New York show with a buddy so hopefully I'll get to see this stuff in person. We'll see if I'm pleasantly surprised by the new offerings from Acura! Like I said above, a well-designed RL Type-S in the future would be very cool!

ntls

:worship:

You going just for the show? That's too cool. With the amount of great stuff ready to show in NY, I should have found some reason to go for business. I can't wait for those pictures. It will kind of help decide "future car plans" for me, and halff the people on this site.

iNteGraz92

since the TL is soooooooo boring and bland and underpowered, what do you drive now SCWells?

SCWells72

A GS430 with quite a few mods, mostly for handling.

But that wasn't intended as a slam on the TL, and it wasn't even referencing the TL Type-S. Understand that I went from two vintage big-block, fast-as-hell Mustangs ('67 and '68 coupes) that I'd driven for 10+ years to the 2000 TL. While it had a peppy V6, it definitely felt underpowered to me. I drove the CL Type-S and the TL Type-S, but while the power was definitely much better, I still wasn't happy with the interior materials or the FWD configuration.

As far as boring and bland, as I noted before, those types of statements are completely subjective. What's bland to me might be stylish to others and vice-versa. While the stock GS looks kind of fat in the rear, with the L-Tuned suspension and larger wheels, I think it's one of the most attractive sedans on the road. Combine that with a healthy V8, RWD configuration, and some very nice features in the cabin and I felt it justified the price to make it my next car.

jbs221

I've said this before, now that there's a sketch I'll say it again. I can visualize the car in 3-D because I saw it in 3-D. It looks better in person than the sketch BY FAR. I called the styling ques from my memory long ago but they're in the sketch, well represented. The longer sleeker grill and V shape works very well on the car. The headlamp array is very aggressive when seen with the reflectors and lights. The bullet lights low on the bumper. The roofline is rounded simmilar to an A4.
How about those interior details missing from the sketch. Two tone leather and suede seats. Electro lum dash, very slick better than Lexus. Larger Map display high and very recessed into the dash (out of reach not touch) Jog dial on center console. Rear of car, nice lights with a chrome center bar simmilar to other luxury class autos, this was my first clue that it wasn't a TL. Trunk interior has large wheel well intrusions confirming RWD or AWD. Was told it would be a 300HP V6 non-turbo.
All this info dates to last summer when I started to post it. Atleast now there's a sketch. I wish I could draw because I still can see it in my mind's eye. The sketch is as one must realize a bit exaggerated, but the details are there. The car is striking in person. I want one! If the tranny holds together!

1SICKLEX

Nope, actually just copying something Lexus has had for 14 years. We have OPTITRON gauges now. These are very expensive to build and maintain, I doubt Acura will have these to keep the "value" perspective.

How many "aggresive" Acuras have we seen that made production? One. THe NSX only. It is univerally recognized that Acura makes good cars but they are all bland to look at. Any magazine (hell form Car and Driver to Forbes) says this. THe RL will look like a bigger concept TL and the TL looks like a bigger TSX. Quite frankly it pretty much is focked. Look at the competition.
Audi A-6
BMW 5 series
Benz E-class
Caddy Seville
Caddy Deville
Lexus GS series
Lincoln LS
Ininiti M45
Infiniti Q45
Jaguar S-type
Volvo S80


Let alone
LS 430
7 series
S-class
A-8
XJ

Black-n-Tan

booo

SCWells72

I was going to ask the same thing. What makes Acura's new electroluminescent gauges "better than Lexus?" What are they doing that's such a difference? Infiniti has them now. So does Mazda. I may be mistaken, but I think some of the Benz's do, too.

It's basically all the same technology. Makes for a very cool looking dash for sure, but other than Optitron as in the Lexus GS, there's not a tremendous variation between one implementation and the other.

So what is it that makes them "better than Lexus?" How do you quantify that, even subjectively?

jbs221

OK then, aggressive FOR A sedan. It looked cool, yes a bit like the TL, if the TL had more style. The dash was a blue glowing marvel. Very clear gauges and indicators. Contrasting colors were crisp and vibrant. I had not seen such an example before. The Lexus/Infiniti versions I've seen are nice but not so dramatic. Maybe it's not elctro lum?? The cars compared were the Lex-GS Merc E (old), Bim 5(old), Audi A6 and a couple I forgot. I don't remember the grill having the verticle bars as the sketch, maybe??, I do remember the "A" (covered with tape) on a horizontal bar going accross the grill.
This car isn't in the A8 7 series etal class. It's very nice (standing still) for the class it's to compete in. With gas over $2 a 300HP V6 might be a good compromise going forward. This car will probably target $45K as a price point, based on reactions to our questions, at the time.