London police unveiled a tricked-out cruiser Friday that they hope will bolster their fight against illegal street racing this summer.

The modified two-door Acura RSX - which is much cooler than the standard Crown Victoria - was donated by a local dealer and will be used to break the ice with gatherings of car enthusiasts, who are often linked with street racing, a potentially deadly summertime activity.

“The combination of speed and bragging rights is a dangerous mix on our streets,” said Sgt. Tom O’Brien of the traffic management unit.

About nine London drivers have been charged with street racing - a crime under the Highway Traffic Act - in recent years. In the Toronto area, nearly 30 people have been killed in the past decade by drivers racing on city streets.

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Brand new. And here with a vengeance.

Sleek lines. Polished angles. Gorgeous curves. From the driveway to the freeway, the all-new 2007 RDX commands attention. And with Acura?s first turbocharged engine, Super Handling All-Wheel Drive? (SH-AWD?) and a 10-speaker Surround? Sound System, you?ll command the road. See photos from its world premiere at the New York Auto Show.

Arriving in dealerships this summer.

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Acura is on an SUV roll (fortunately not a roll-over) for 2006. First, the brand debuted the RDX Prototype at this years Detroit auto show in January, an impressive product thats sure to strike hard in the compact premium SUV segment (BMW X3, Land Rover Freelander, etc). It came packed with plenty of surprising goodies that werent expected, like the sublime Super Handling AWD system, first seen on the top of the line Acura RL, as well as a Honda of America first, a production turbocharged engine.

The second step for Acura SUV lineup will be the evolution of the brands midsize seven-seater premium luxury SUV — in concept form, of course! The MDX Concept, like the RDX, the RL and the TL Concepts, is essentially a car thats just one step away from being a true production car or prototype. It serves to wet the appetite; a means to demonstrate the shape, proportions, styling cues and technologies that will be featured in the production model. Interestingly, the production version of the MDX debuted at the NYIAS, back in 2000.

In these preliminary renderings, its clear that Acuras designers penned it with similar styling cues to the RDX. The rear half features the same upward-canted tail lamps, as well as the vertical crease that runs from the bumper up through the rear tailgate. The front, on the other hand, takes the Acura nose in a whole new direction; the shape of the grille has been enlarged, stretched downwards, taking a much more prominent role. The headlamps are narrower, skinnier and more angular than before, too. All in all, the MDX Concept wears a thoroughly futuristic face.

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RealTime Honors Acura’s 20th Year
20-year old Brandon Davis Changes Car Number

Brandon Davis wore the #44 on the side of his RealTime Racing Acura TSX in the 2005 SCCA SPEED World Challenge Touring Car series en route to his Rookie-of-the-Year title.

This year Davis switches to the #20 badge on his car to honor the 20th anniversary of Acura’s United States operations as the first Japanese luxury performance car brand.

“Brandon did a stellar job in 2005, placing fourth in the championship points, so we are thrilled to have him back. When it occurred to us that he is the same age as our car brand of choice,” said RealTime owner Peter Cunningham, “it made sense for him to wear the number 20 this year.”

Davis, who is majoring in Business Management at the University of Denver, was born October 21, 1985, six months and six days before the North American launch of the Acura brand on March 27, 1986.

“From the perspective of someone my age, Acura cars have been around forever. Acura has been good to me and I’m looking forward to stepping up to the podium this year to help celebrate this important birthday,” reported Davis.

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By Kevin Krolicki

DETROIT, March 16 (Reuters) - Acura, the luxury brand of Honda Motor Co. (7267.T: Quote, Profile, Research), expects to post a 3 percent to 5 percent gain in U.S. sales in 2006 from the record sales tally of last year, a senior executive said on Thursday.

But John Mendel, senior vice president of American Honda, also said Acura’s experience also shows that both new entrants and resurgent competitors have the potential to upset the high-margin segment of the slow-growth U.S. auto market.

“I don’t think you can with any certainty rule out anyone,” said Mendel, who was speaking before the Automotive Press Association. “I think GM will rebound. I think the Chinese are a threat. I think the Koreans are a threat.”

Acura, which launched in 1986, faced initial skepticism that American consumers would pay high prices for Japanese cars, which had a reputation for no-nonsense fuel-efficiency, Mendel said.

But the brand recorded U.S. sales of 209,610 vehicles in 2005 — its highest ever — and has expanded its dealer network from 60 outlets two decades ago to over 260 currently.

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DEDICATION TO EXHILARATION
With a powerful 201 hp engine coupled to a precise 6-speed manual transmission, the RSX Type-S offers a breathtaking world of speed, precision and power. Handling the high-octane prowess of the RSX Type-S requires the utmost in high-performance driving skills. This is why the RSX Institute has developed a groundbreaking program devoted to cultivating pure grace in the redline. Decades of cutting-edge research have allowed us to create the perfect environment in which to prepare you for the overwhelming high-performance capabilities of the RSX Type-S. Stop in for a visit to ignite your driving wisdom and broaden your mastery of lead, rubber and fuel.

CAR AND DRIVER: September 2005
Comparison Test - Acura RSX Type-S
Acura's recipe is worth copying. The engineers created the lightest and lowest car in this group, then added the highest-revving engine but with the least vibration, which they then mated to a six-speed box that shifts so fluidly that it's like working the Tiptronic levers on a Porsche 911. It feels as if the shift linkage, the throttle, and the short-stroke clutch were magically interconnected and giving one another instantaneous instructions and heartfelt advice.

Around town, the RSX is so agile, so light on its feet, so neatly balanced, so crisp at step-off that we voted it Most Likely to Carve Traffic into Invisibly Thin Slices. Close your eyes, and the RSX Type-S is like driving a Honda S2000. Okay, so maybe you shouldn't close your eyes too long. Just long enough to sign a check for $24,240.

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