Acura Integra Successor Hinted By Chief Designer
Acura used to be known for offering interesting and accessible sport compact cars like the Integra (seen above) rather than the family sedans that make up its stable today, but the chief designer of the brand hinted that there’s a return to the automakers sporty roots in the works.
According to Car and Driver, Acura’s design head Dave Marek explained that there’s a plan in action to bring back that sporty-edge the brand was known for.
“A performance brand needs a flagship and it needs an accessible sport car,” Marek told C&D. “Not a sports car, but a sport car.” Marek also mentioned that such a car could debut in 2017.
“There are changes coming, and then there are more changes coming,” said Marek. The design chief mentioned that the new ILX that will debut at the LA Auto Show will show Acura’s strides in a more sport-oriented direction. “It’s not what our direction is going to be, but it’s a step in that direction,” he said. “There are lots of resources and activity going into making Acura back into what it was.”
Acura and Honda fans remember the Integra and RSX as accessible sport compacts that were a hit with tuners and enthusiasts. Todays range of Acura models aren’t as well received by the same group, though the new TLX was on display at the 2014 SEMA show with a number of modifications including a lowered suspension setup, 19-inch wheels and Wilwood brakes on 14-inch rotors.
[Source: Car and Driver]
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Sami has an unquenchable thirst for car knowledge and has been at AutoGuide for the past six years. He has a degree in journalism and media studies from the University of Guelph-Humber in Toronto and has won multiple journalism awards from the Automotive Journalist Association of Canada. Sami is also on the jury for the World Car Awards.
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