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Sunday, November 11, 2007
Sporty new Type-S broadens line of near-luxury sedans.
Walkaround
The Acura TL has a dramatic creased-and-folded look, almost as if it had been extruded from some amazing high-tech machine. Designed in the U.S., it has nothing in common with the soporific, soap-like shapes that you might remember from Japanese-brand near-luxury cars of the past. It's signature is a beveled front fascia matched with a wide, impressive stance, and there's an attention-grabbing gutter at the beltline. For all this visual aggression, the TL's bodywork has a surprisingly sleek coefficient of aerodynamic drag at 0.29 Cd.
For 2007, Acura has made the TL slightly more formal than before with a larger grille, a new-style cluster for the high-intensity- discharge headlights, and a new front fascia element that now incorporates the foglights. There's also more chrome trim. New mirrors incorporate turn-signal lights.
The 2007 TL Type-S, meanwhile, looks more aggressive thanks to a unique front fascia, additional bits of aerodynamic trim, four exhaust tips peaking out from the rear bumper, and trim in black chrome.
Overall dimensions lie between the rear-wheel-drive Infiniti G35 and the all-wheel-drive Audi A6. Although it has a wheelbase that's a couple inches shorter than either, the TL offers 97.9 cubic feet of interior passenger volume. It has much the same measurements in front-seat leg- and head- and shoulder-room as its competition from Infiniti and Audi, yet the TL offers more legroom in the back seats.
The TL's 60-degree V6 engines are truly works of art. As you'd expect from Honda-derived engineering, they have a surprising number of features to maximize both power and efficiency. A relatively tall 11:1 compression ratio helps deliver crisp throttle response, while forged connecting rods and a forged crankshaft add strength and durability. The SOHC cylinder head has four valves for each cylinder, and variable valve timing improves torque at low rpm without compromising horsepower at peak rpm. A drive-by-wire throttle control helps deliver both excellent throttle response and good fuel efficiency.
In keeping with its aspirations as a sports sedan, the TL has a sophisticated suspension layout. Unlike most front-wheel-drive cars, its independent front suspension uses wishbone-style, upper- and lower control arms with coil-over gas-charged dampers, furnishing for optimum geometry for wheel control and heightened sensitivity to bumps. The five-link independent rear suspension has special geometry to improve stability under braking, a worthwhile measure in a nose-heavy, front-wheel-drive car like this one.
The standard TL has large, 300-mm front disc brakes with single-piston calipers, while the type-S gets additional stopping power from 310-mm front discs with Brembo-built four-piston calipers. In addition, the S-Type also has special steering hardware to improve on-center feel, increase steering effort at high speed, and damp bumpy road inputs.
Bridgestone 235/45R-17 all-season tries are specified for the standard TL. When the TL is ordered with the optional navigation system upgraded Michelin tires are specified. These Michelin tires are also standard equipment for the TL S-type, while high-performance 235/45R-17 Bridgestone Potenza RE-030 tires are available.
Acura also continues to offer its high-performance A-Spec suspension kit for the TL, which maximizes road performance with special dampers and springs that lower the ride height an inch, big 18-inch wheels with 235/40ZR-18 Yokohama AVS ES100 tires, high-performance brake pads, and a kit of aerodynamic trim pieces.
Walkaround
The Acura TL has a dramatic creased-and-folded look, almost as if it had been extruded from some amazing high-tech machine. Designed in the U.S., it has nothing in common with the soporific, soap-like shapes that you might remember from Japanese-brand near-luxury cars of the past. It's signature is a beveled front fascia matched with a wide, impressive stance, and there's an attention-grabbing gutter at the beltline. For all this visual aggression, the TL's bodywork has a surprisingly sleek coefficient of aerodynamic drag at 0.29 Cd.
For 2007, Acura has made the TL slightly more formal than before with a larger grille, a new-style cluster for the high-intensity- discharge headlights, and a new front fascia element that now incorporates the foglights. There's also more chrome trim. New mirrors incorporate turn-signal lights.
The 2007 TL Type-S, meanwhile, looks more aggressive thanks to a unique front fascia, additional bits of aerodynamic trim, four exhaust tips peaking out from the rear bumper, and trim in black chrome.
Overall dimensions lie between the rear-wheel-drive Infiniti G35 and the all-wheel-drive Audi A6. Although it has a wheelbase that's a couple inches shorter than either, the TL offers 97.9 cubic feet of interior passenger volume. It has much the same measurements in front-seat leg- and head- and shoulder-room as its competition from Infiniti and Audi, yet the TL offers more legroom in the back seats.
The TL's 60-degree V6 engines are truly works of art. As you'd expect from Honda-derived engineering, they have a surprising number of features to maximize both power and efficiency. A relatively tall 11:1 compression ratio helps deliver crisp throttle response, while forged connecting rods and a forged crankshaft add strength and durability. The SOHC cylinder head has four valves for each cylinder, and variable valve timing improves torque at low rpm without compromising horsepower at peak rpm. A drive-by-wire throttle control helps deliver both excellent throttle response and good fuel efficiency.
In keeping with its aspirations as a sports sedan, the TL has a sophisticated suspension layout. Unlike most front-wheel-drive cars, its independent front suspension uses wishbone-style, upper- and lower control arms with coil-over gas-charged dampers, furnishing for optimum geometry for wheel control and heightened sensitivity to bumps. The five-link independent rear suspension has special geometry to improve stability under braking, a worthwhile measure in a nose-heavy, front-wheel-drive car like this one.
The standard TL has large, 300-mm front disc brakes with single-piston calipers, while the type-S gets additional stopping power from 310-mm front discs with Brembo-built four-piston calipers. In addition, the S-Type also has special steering hardware to improve on-center feel, increase steering effort at high speed, and damp bumpy road inputs.
Bridgestone 235/45R-17 all-season tries are specified for the standard TL. When the TL is ordered with the optional navigation system upgraded Michelin tires are specified. These Michelin tires are also standard equipment for the TL S-type, while high-performance 235/45R-17 Bridgestone Potenza RE-030 tires are available.
Acura also continues to offer its high-performance A-Spec suspension kit for the TL, which maximizes road performance with special dampers and springs that lower the ride height an inch, big 18-inch wheels with 235/40ZR-18 Yokohama AVS ES100 tires, high-performance brake pads, and a kit of aerodynamic trim pieces.
Labels: Automobiles Reviews
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