Acura, Honda’s premium division, is using the relaunch of the Type S model variant to tell the origins of the brand’s high-performance efforts. In a 12-minute video, Acura executives explain the inspiration for Type S engineering and take viewers through a history of the models. The story is timely as the TLX Type S sedan will release in May, and the MDX Type S SUV will launch later in the year.
Type S Origins Begin With A Japan-Only NSX
According to the video, Honda’s U.S. engineers were inspired by a 1997 NSX Type S exclusive to the Japanese market. With this in mind and the idea of bringing performance to the Acura division, the company’s American engineers went to work using an all-new Accord Coupe as a test mule called the AC-R.
“The AC-R was basically a show car capable of 166 mph and 1.0g of grip on a skidpad, but its real value was getting everyone inside the company jazzed about creating this kind of model under the Acura brand," said Erik Berkman, former president of Honda R&D Americas, and the development leader of the AC-R and the original Type S models.
He adds, “Ultimately, we decided to bake all of that goodness into the Acura CL and the result was the 3.2CL Type S, the first Type S in North America."
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The First Type S: 3.2CL
Launched for the 2001 model year, the CL Type S coupe featured a 3.2L V-6 making 260 hp and a five-speed automatic with manual shift mode. Quicker steering, sport-tuned suspension, and 17-inch wheels added to the car’s performance cred. In 2003, the CL’s final year, a six-speed manual was available.
Type S Goes Four-Door
For 2002-2003, Acura adapted the TL sedan into a Type S variant. Using the mechanicals of the CL, the 3.2 TL Type S enjoyed similar performance and equipment. This performance sedan was a way of combining four-door practicality with customers’ desire for something more sporty, says Acura in the video.
RSX Joins The Type S Family
From 2002-2006 the RSX, a sleeker, smaller coupe than bulbous CL, was available in the Type S form. However, unlike the CL and TL, the RSX Type S was powered by Honda’s new 2.0L four-cylinder engine. Making 200 hp, or 100 hp per liter while still normally aspirated, this performance RSX was only available with a six-speed manual transmission. A large rear wing also helped distinguish the RSX Type S.
Third-Gen TL Get The Type S Treatment
The final two years of the third-generation TL sedan (2007-2008) saw another Type S. Based on a 3.5L V-6, the performance upgrade offered 286 hp (a 28 hp bump from the base TL). Standard equipment on the TL Type S includes Brembo brakes, a six-speed manual, sport suspension, and quad-tip exhaust.
All-New Type S Models
The next generation of Type S models will skip its front-wheel-drive, well, maybe not roots but stems, and only be available in all-wheel-drive configuration. The turbocharged V6-powered TLX Type S is expected to produce 355 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque channeled through a 10-speed automatic to Acura’s Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive system. Acura’s first performance SUV, the MDX Type S, will have the same powertrain setup as the TLX Type S.