Automotive Einstein

December of 2005 is a month that will live in infamy — or at the very least, it will amongst sports car enthusiasts. Following a formal announcement five months earlier that the NSX sports car would come to an end, employees at Honda’s Suzuka facility in Japan build the last Acura NSX destined for North American customers.

Photo Gallery: Acura NSX Concept First Look – 2012 Detroit Auto Show – Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: Acura NSX Concept First Look – 2012 Detroit Auto Show – Automobile Magazine

Though we fight it as children, most humans ultimately have to face the inevitable and mature. Our tastes gradually migrate from fun and funky to the smooth and sophisticated. It only makes sense for automobiles to evolve in a similar fashion, and that’s just what the 2013 Acura RDX – which makes its first auto show debut at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit – promises.

Photo Gallery: First Look: 2013 Acura RDX – Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: First Look: 2013 Acura RDX – Automobile Magazine

Since the brand’s inception some 25 years ago, Acura has always offered an entry-level luxury model to draw young buyers to the brand for the very first time. Models like the Integra, RSX, and TSX have essentially served as gateway cars to the Acura lineup, but there’s soon to be yet another model name on that list. The 2013 ILX, previewed by the so-called concept shown at the 2012 Detroit auto show, will soon serve as Acura’s least-expensive offering.

Photo Gallery: First Look: 2013 Acura ILX Concept – Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: First Look: 2013 Acura ILX Concept – Automobile Magazine

Las Vegas, Nevada – Security has traditionally been tight in Vegas casinos, but not this tight. We’re among a small group of journalists allowed past burly bodyguards into a conference room in the lower level of the Aria Resort’s conference center. This isn’t an attempt to reenact a scene from Ocean’s Eleven – instead, we’re here to see four new Acura products hours after they were secretly shown to North American dealers.

Photo Gallery: Acura’s Future Product Plans – New NSX, Small Car, and Flagship Sedan – Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: Acura’s Future Product Plans – New NSX, Small Car, and Flagship Sedan – Automobile Magazine

No Chrysler product needed a makeover as desperately as the old Sebring. Awkward styling, a low-rent interior, and subpar dynamics did the Sebring no favors in one of the industry’s most cutthroat, competitive segments. Thankfully, the 200, which debuted as an all-new model for the 2011 model year, banishes many of the Sebring’s most unloved qualities. New exterior styling, including front and rear clips patterned after the 2009 concept car of the same name, lend the 200 an upscale appearance, but the most welcome change lurks within. The blocky, rock-hard plastic surfaces are largely a thing of the past. Soft-touch materials are applied to the dashboard and door panels; 200S models go even further, adding larger wheels, dark exterior trim, and fancier seating materials. The 173-hp, 2.4-liter in-line four remains the base engine; a six-speed automatic transmission is standard for most trims, but the entry-level LX retains an antiquated four-speed transmission. It’s worth the extra money to step up to Chrysler’s new 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6, which is available only with the six-speed automatic. With 283 hp on tap, it offers a surprising amount of power and doesn’t drink much more fuel than the four-cylinder. While new suspension geometry, dampers, and stiffer springs lend the sedan a sportier feel, the 200 convertible feels less refined, exhibiting some of the flex and shimmy that plagued its predecessor. Still, it’s a comfortable cruiser and one of the few mid-size convertibles on the market.

The makeover Chrysler performed on its large sedan for the 2011 model year was extremely successful. The 300 still feels like a big, broad-shouldered hunk of American muscle, but it exudes a surprising amount of European flair, thanks to LED headlamps, a stellar interior, and an available panoramic sunroof. Lest you think the company is content to rest on its laurels for 2012, Chrysler has made a surprising number of revisions. Two new trim levels — the 300S and the 300C Luxury Series — join the fold, allowing buyers to add a sporty look and sumptuous cabin materials, respectively. Cars equipped with the 3.6-liter V-6 are now fitted with a ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic transmission and are once again available with all-wheel drive. The biggest news for 2012 is the 300′s biggest engine. The performance-tuned SRT8 model rejoins the 300 lineup after a yearlong hiatus, and it’s better than ever. A 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 provides a muscular 470 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque, and adaptive dampers pull double duty, curbing body roll on the track and soaking up bumps on the road. In fact, even the lesser 300 models offer a remarkably pleasant drive. With the advent of the eight-speed automatic on six-cylinder models, there’s arguably less need than ever to opt for the 5.7-liter Hemi. The 3.6-liter V-6 offers respectable power without resorting to typical eight-cylinder gluttony, and the smooth-shifting eight-speed transmission both aids acceleration and bolsters fuel economy.

After flooding the market with crossovers, SUVs, and family-friendly haulers that were marketed as anything but minivans, automakers appear to be rediscovering and rededicating themselves to the minivan segment. To its credit, Chrysler never left — instead, it pushed to find new ways to refine and evolve the minivan concept with the Town & Country. While the basic architecture of the current model dates back to 2007, last year’s overhaul ushered in some welcome changes. We’re happy to report that the anemic 3.8-liter V-6 is gone; a new 283-hp, 3.6-liter V-6 now provides ample power to move the 4621-pound vehicle. Engineers extensively retuned the suspension, replacing the soft, floaty demeanor of the old van with a firm, vaguely European feel. Undoubtedly, the best news lurks behind those dual sliding doors: the rock-hard blocky plastics that dogged previous Town & Countrys are largely a thing of the past. Soft-touch materials run throughout the cabin, and a new dashboard — which incorporates a waterfall center console — is both elegant and ergonomically pleasing. Fold-flat second- and third-row seats are standard, although optional new “quad” second-row buckets add extra bolstering and adjustability in an attempt to increase passenger comfort. We’d love to see Chrysler improve the feel of its switchgear and reduce ambient road noise, but by and large, the 2012 Town & Country feels more like a premium minivan than ever before.