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Though it is not pictured here alongside its successors, Acura s performance brand originated with the 1997 NSX Type S for the Japanese market. It was envisioned as a bridge between the standard NSX and the hardcore Type R model. Lessons learned from the NSX led Honda s engineers to develop a performance coupe prototype 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, Honda R&D Americas, LLC and the development leader of the AC-R and the original Type S models. 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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Regardless of the type of vehicle we’re talking about, a sporty, performance-oriented variant will always make it more appealing to certain buyers. Acura acknowledged this two decades ago and borrowed the Type S nameplate from its parent company Honda intending to build cars that combined luxury and performance.
A Type S Story: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of Acura’s Performance Nameplate 23 Apr 2021, 11:17 UTC ·
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During the mid-1980s, Honda launched Acura in North America as a premium brand that initially marketed the executive class Legend and the compact Integra, available as a five-door and three-door hatchback.
The brand s early success encouraged Honda to expand the lineup with high-performance models introducing the innovative NSX in 1990 and the Type R version of the third generation Integra seven years later.
How it all began – thanks Honda!
The concept really began with the 1997 NSX Type S in Japan. That inspired Honda engineers in America to create a prototype called the AC-R, according to Erik Berkman, former president of Honda R&D and development leader for the concept.
“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 Berkman. “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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TORRANCE, Calif., April 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ With Type S performance models set to return to the Acura lineup, a new video released today celebrates the history of Type S and the iconic vehicles that have worn the high-performance badge. From 2001 through 2008, Type S models played a significant role in Acura s performance lineup. Type S variants of the CL, TL and RSX delivered a dynamic driving experience with more power, improved handling and stronger braking, all without sacrificing the creature comforts and daily drivability of the core models.
With Type S performance models set to return to the Acura lineup, a new video released today celebrates the history of Type S and the iconic vehicles that have worn the high-performance badge.