but I read this last night and had it confirmed today by a friend that is an Acura service mgr.

More with Four: Acura set to use all-wheel drive on more of its cars
YUZO YAMAGUCHI | Automotive News
Posted Date: 10/11/04
TOKYO -- Acura will use all-wheel drive on more of its cars, says Takeo Fukui, president of Honda Motor Co.

The redesigned 2005 RL sedan, which will go on sale on Thursday, Oct. 14, is the first Acura car equipped with awd. The MDX SUV has awd.

With awd, "we'll distinguish Acura from Honda," said Fukui at a press event here last week. He didn't say which Acuras will get awd or when.

The awd would fit a V6 engine of 3.0 liters or more, says Yasuji Shibahata, Honda's senior chief engineer who led development of the awd system. So the Acura TL and NSX also could be candidates for awd.

The Acura lineup includes the RL, TL, TSX, RSX and NSX cars. The RL offers 300 hp, followed by the TL's 270 hp and the NSX's 252 or 290 hp.

The key component of Acura's awd system is the rear differential. It uses electromagnetic clutches to send up to 70 percent of the engine's torque to the front or rear wheels. The differential also can send up to 100 percent of the rear-wheel torque to either side. Most awd systems capable of adjusting torque shift it only between the front and rear wheels and not from side to side.

Honda wants to sell 20,000 of the $49,470 RLs in the United States each year. The price includes destination.

 

This could be a great way to differentiate the Honda and Acura brand. Nissan did this with Infiniti by making Infiniti vehicles RWD while Nissan vehicles FWD.