gavriil

Zapata

fender4

v6 3.5 liter,,, NOW WHAT does the rest of it say,,,

bl^5

tsk=tl=rl

gavriil

I think it looks clean. Very nice overall.

mantis23

Phaeton + TL = RL?

heyitsme

I dunno, not very exciting so far.

Collective27

I think your all out of your mind, although the front looks good, the back absolutly has to be a photoshop job...i meen its almost exactly the same as the TL...

I severly doubt the validity of that pic.

JZ

I bet there will be a 300hp FWD and a 360hp electric assist AWD model offered.

Chaptorial

I'm loving that front shot. Can't wait to see what it turns out to look like.

TranceFusion

nice..

gavriil

Pic can very well be invalid though it's more than we had yesterday about the next RL.

Though, why shouldnt the rear of the RL look like the rear of the TL. It totally makes sense.

gavriil

Very possible.

heyitsme

It doesn't look like it follows the cues from the spy pic all too well, where this has what looks like a short sloping hood and clear blacked out tails, the rag has more of a german car/m45 front end and tl rear.

Pure Adrenaline

iTrader: (2)

No shit. What the hell is Acura thinking??

Collective27

First of all, to all the people saying what is acura thinking and all that shit, THIS IS NOT OFFICAL PICS....reserve your judgment till you see it in the flesh or atleast real pics of it. I cant tell you how many of these pics of cars in these random japanese mags that i have scene that look absolutly nothing like the real thing, which i think is whats gonna happen to this. The thing is a photoshop of a tl and what looks like an m45 and a little phatom all put together...

GAV- its not that i dont see the RL having cues from the TL, but the rear looks EXACTLY the same...the tailights are identicle...i would bet anyone any amount of money that the RL wont look that similar to the TL.

DISRUPTV

that pic has been on the net almost 2 weeks after the new tl came out.....basically its a bad ps job and i wouldnt hold it in high esteem

Collective27

Thank you, finaly someone else realize's this.

gavriil

Collective27 it sounds like you know something we dont about the new RL. Work for Acura or something?

Jaydef03

please, i cud photoshop shit much better than that. its the same exact pic as the concept TL. obv PS job. u guys r crazy if u think that was released by Honda

Collective27

I wish i knew ...but no, just simple facts, its photoshoped, i just get kinda anoyed when everyone starts raveing over something thats not even real. Ill know in april when i go to the ny auto show, cant wait!

KavexTrax

more door wedges from TL's styling cues? nooooooo....

heyitsme

I think most people realize these are photshops, thats where a lot of the early pics in the 'autonews' section come from, like the black car above photoshoped by a rag to try and give an accurate representation. The only problem is the japanese mags tend to just make things up completely. I remember the wrx pic from bestcar and it was rediculous compared to what the 04 really looked like.

gavriil

Who said that's released by Honda?

soopa

the magazine pic is hot.

the rear end on that camoflauged test vehicle is nasty looking.


still holding out on official word...

Zapata

i guess you can see through body cladding?????

Crazy Bimmer

cant wait to see the interior. Acura always wins with their interior designs

gavriil

I am guessing the same thing. If the TL is what it is, imagine the RL.

1SICKLEX

A8/Millenia?

CLovis

looks like mix between nissan nx2000 and new maxima

heyitsme

Werd, have a feeling the interior will be reaching much higher than the actual price of the car.

Zapata

since the last thread was busted....



www.vtec.net

gavriil

Why busted?

Zapata

it got merged with some completely unrelated story that 95gt posted dealing some soldier in iraq. Sorry i didn't see this one.....

heyitsme

I hope smart key is the next feature that trickles down to non luxury cars, like toyota has done with the prius.

jts1207

My only problem is that a 300hp RL likely means no big increase in the TL for a while.......................and i am sick of the same old Honda colors

titan

I just wish we could see it.

gavriil

Acura RL And Lincoln Sedan To Offer All-Wheel-Drive - - - By Jim Burt - - Source: The Car Connection

Acura RL And Lincoln Sedan To Offer All-Wheel-Drive

The redesigned Acura RL, which debuts later this year, and a new front-drive Lincoln sedan due to hit showrooms next year will offer all-wheel-drive as an option, according to executives familiar with the product plans. As horsepower increases in front-drive sedans, engineers are telling their masters at the OEMs that torque steer is reaching the outer limits of desirability. The answer: offer all-wheel drive in at least the upmarket models with the most powerful engines. Honda and Acura offer AWD in their SUVs, such as the Pilot, MDX, and Element. The RL would be the first Honda passenger car to offer power to all four wheels. Likewise, the Lincoln sedan, based on the shared platform and architecture of the Mazda6, which also shared by the forthcoming Ford Futura, the next Lincoln Aviator and a Mercury sedan, will offer an all-wheel drive option. Ford believes that AWD will be an increasingly popular option on sedans, and is also offering the system, developed by Volvo, on the Ford Five Hundred and Mercury Montego. -Jim Burt

heyitsme

AutomobileApril 1 , 2004

Honda Develops World’s First Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive
Available this fall in the Acura RL (North America) and the Legend (Japan)

TOKYO - April 1, 2004 --- Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today announced the development of a new Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive system, called SH-AWD, that provides cornering performance that responds faithfully to driver input, and outstanding vehicle stability. A world’s first, the SH-AWD system combines front-rear torque distribution control with independently regulated torque distribution to the left and right rear wheels to freely distribute the optimum amount of torque to all four wheels in accordance with driving conditions. The new system will be available this fall in the Acura RL (North America) and the Legend (Japan).

By monitoring driver input and driving conditions, the SH-AWD system determines the optimum front-rear and lateral (left-right) torque distribution. This information is then conveyed to the rear differential, where direct electromagnetic clutches continuously regulate and vary front-rear torque distribution between ratios of 30:70 and 70:30, and lateral torque distribution in the rear wheels between ratios of 100:0 and 0:100. Torque is used not only for propulsion, but for cornering as well, resulting in a significant enhancement in vehicle maneuverability.

The SH-AWD system is composed of sensors to detect steering angle, lateral g, and other vehicle information; an ECU; and the rear differential. The direct electromagnetic clutches inside the rear differential, another world’s first, employ electromagnets to obtain precise control over the multi-plate clutches. Built-in search coils monitor the gaps between the electromagnets and the magnetic body to achieve precise, continuously variable torque regulation.

The rear differential is also equipped with a built-in acceleration device, yet another world’s first. During cornering, the track of the outside rear wheel normally falls outside the average of the tracks of the front wheels. The outside rear wheel does not rotate fast enough to keep up with the front wheels, preventing efficient transmission of torque. To counteract this problem, the SH-AWD acceleration device alters the gearing to speed up the outside rear wheel’s rotation relative to the front wheels. This reduces torque transmission losses and significantly improves vehicle maneuverability.

At Honda, driving pleasure is regarded as one of the most important factors in vehicle development. The new SH-AWD system features “feed-forward” control, which utilizes the degree of driver input to determine appropriate torque distribution. This results in a super-neutral steering feel that responds with optimal faithfulness to the driver’s handling of the steering wheel, realizing outstanding driving comfort and stability.



Torque Distribution Regulation
· Acceleration during cornering
Torque to the rear wheels is continuously varied to supply up to 100% to the outside wheel and 0% to the inside wheel. This creates an inward yaw moment, significantly improving vehicle handling.
*Yaw moment is turning torque relative to the vertical axis running through the vehicle’s center of gravity.


· Deceleration during cornering (throttle closed)
Torque to the outside rear wheel is freely varied to change from an inward to an outward yaw moment, ensuring vehicle stability at all times.


· Straight-line driving
Front-rear torque distribution is regulated for optimum performance in accordance with the amount of torque produced. During rapid acceleration the load on the front wheels is reduced; conversely, rear-wheel load is reduced during cruising. The result is stable driving at all times.



System Configuration
· World’s first direct electromagnetic clutch
An electromagnetic coil (electromagnet) attracts a magnetic body which, in turn, presses on the multi-plate clutch to facilitate torque transmission. A compact clutch unit, equipped with a planetary gear step-up mechanism to increase torque, permits transmission of substantial amounts of torque. A built-in search coil monitors the gap between the electromagnetic coil and the magnetic body. Current flow in the electromagnetic clutch is then adjusted to achieve highly precise torque regulation.


· Acceleration device
During straight-ahead driving, the twin-pinion planetary carrier spins in synchronization with the propeller shaft, causing the front and rear wheels to turn at the same speed. When the vehicle enters a curve, however, the planetary carrier is locked to the case, releasing the device from synchronization with the propeller shaft and accelerating the rotation speed of the rear wheels. A hydraulic actuator which turns the clutches on and off, and a one-way clutch are included in this compact configuration.


· Sensors, ECU
The input of steering angle, lateral g, yaw rate, wheel speed and other sensors monitor driver input, vehicle demeanor, and driving conditions such that the SH-AWD ECU can calculate ideal torque distribution.

1SICKLEX

Very interesting stuff. New Rl looks promising. I am sure the interior can only be better than the TL (which is a great interior).