Acura

The brand was created around the same time as Toyota and Nissan developed their luxury brands, Lexus and Infiniti, respectively. The Japanese government imposed voluntary export restraints for the U.S. market, making it more profitable for Japanese automakers to export more expensive cars to the U.S. In 1986, Acura opened 60 new dealerships in North America to support its launch, offering the Legend sedan and the Integra hatchback. The Legend was the result of a joint venture with the UK’s Austin Rover Group, being mechanically related to the Rover 800 series, while the Integra was an improvement of the Honda Quint hatchback.

In 1990, Acura introduced the NSX, a mid-engine V6 powered, rear-wheel-drive sports car billed as the first Japanese car capable of competing with Ferrari and Porsche. The NSX also served as an “image car” for both Honda and Acura, heralding the introduction of Honda’s VTEC technology. It was the world’s first all-aluminum production car and marketed as the “everyday supercar” due to its reliability and ease of use. Acura introduced the “A-badge”, a stylized pair of calipers—a tool used for exacting measurements—with the NSX.

The mid-to-late 1990s saw a decline in Acura sales, which some critics attributed to less inspiring designs, and vehicles that were re-branded Japanese-spec Hondas, such as the Acura Vigor in 1992. During this time, Acura switched to an alphanumeric nomenclature, dropping the Legend, Vigor, and Integra titles. The 1996 3.5 RL, replacing the popular Legend, and the Vigor becoming the 2.5 TL were seen as examples of this change. The Japanese asset price bubble of the 1990s, known in Japan as the Lost Decade, also impacted the parent company, Honda. The NSX also experienced declining sales during this period due to a lack of significant changes.

Around 2000, Acura experienced a revival with redesigned models, starting with the 1999 3.2 TL, an upscale sedan. Critics noted the TL offered a blend of sportiness and luxury at a competitive price. This was followed by the introduction of the MDX, a three-row crossover SUV based on the Honda Odyssey minivan, replacing the slow-selling SLX. The MDX was praised for its car-like handling and limited off-road capability. The TSX, essentially a re-badged European and Japanese market Honda Accord, was also introduced during this period. The TSX was on Car and Driver’s Ten Best list from 2004 to 2006.

In 2005, the RL flagship introduced SH-AWD, a torque-vectoring all-wheel drive system. The 2007 RDX, a crossover SUV, featured the first North American use of a turbocharged Honda engine. A second-generation NSX was launched in 2016, featuring a twin-turbocharged mid-engine, a nine-speed dual-clutch transmission, and Sport Hybrid SH-AWD. The TLX, replacing both the TL and TSX, and the RLX, a new flagship, were introduced in the mid-2010s.

In the 2020s, the Type-S marque returned after a long hiatus, and the Integra and ZDX nameplates were revived; the latter is Acura's first electric vehicle. Almost since its inception, Acura has been involved in American motorsports, specifically in Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and IMSA GT Championship series. Starting in 1991, Acura reached an agreement with Comptech Racing to use the V6 motor of the Acura NSX in Comptech's Camel Lights Spice prototype.