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SEMA Show 2013: ILX Trip to Las Vegas

Posted in Car Show, ILX, Nevada, Road Trip on November 8, 2013 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 527,770

Odometer (ILX): 58,970

Some people are never content to leave well enough alone. My brother Bentley is one of those. I don’t think he had put more than 500 miles on his then-new 2008 Ford F-250 pickup before he had the entire thing in pieces, awaiting suspension upgrades. “Stock” just wasn’t going to cut it. That’s why Bentley is exactly the type of automotive enthusiast who fits in at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Vehicle upgrades & modifications are a big deal around there.

Products in this $27.8 billion-a-year industry include performance and racing components, cosmetic and functional accessories, wheels and tires, mobile electronics, safety products, restoration parts, handling equipment, drivetrain parts and more. The industry covers muscle cars, classics, luxury vehicles, sport compacts, street rods, light trucks (off-road and sport trucks) SUVs and recreational vehicles.

I took my Acura ILX to Sin City for the 2nd year in a row to see the latest. Last year, I got up close & personal with the ILX Thunderhill racecar and also the “Street Build” ILX finished in Fathom Blue. This year, the attractions were just as exciting.

Acura had 3 vehicles on display:

2014 RLX VIP Sedan
2014 RLX Urban Luxury Sedan
2014 ILX Street Performance

All 3 vehicles were very highly modified, but my focus was on the ILX.

MAD Industries put together this build. You can’t miss this car – its matte copper metallic 3M Scotchprint film screams for attention. Outside, the Acura OEM lip kit is paired with 19″ TSW Max wheels and high performance tires. MAD achieved an aggressive stance by dropping the ILX on Tein Super Street coilovers.

The “go factor” was enhanced by a supercharger from CT Engineering and an ECU tune with Hondata’s FlashPro, with a Greddy exhaust rounding out the package. This build is good for 250 wheel horsepower – an impressive gain over the stock 2.4 inline-4’s output.

Powertrain Modifications

CT Engineering supercharger kit
CT Engineering intake
Hondata FlashPro
Greddy SP Elite prototype exhaust
K&N high performance air filter
AMSOIL Dominator motor oil

Chassis/Suspension Modifications

19 x 8.5 TSW Max matte black wheels
245/35R-19 Nitto NT05 Max tires
Tein Super Street coilovers
Stoptech Big Brake kit
MPG custom satin black caliper covers

Look at that aggressive stance!

Would love to see this copper film “pop” in the daylight.

The back end has been accented by a contrasting color.

Enjoy the rest of the photo gallery below for my trip experience.

The city that never sleeps: Las Vegas is non-stop entertainment.

After catching some Z’s at the Mandalay Bay casino, I woke up to bright skies from the 18th floor.

My friends Rustin and Lance needed a lift to Planet Hollywood, but we swung past Excalibur for a quick picture. I think Excalibur is my favorite casino for its exterior design.

The “Strip” was remarkably quiet at 8:00 in the morning. Everyone who’d been out partying the night before was probably still in their hotel rooms crashed out.

I paid my $10 parking and walked a few blocks to the Las Vegas Convention Center on Paradise Road.

My identity, for today only, was that of my brother. He hooked me up with a “Buyer” entry pass. SEMA is open only to industry colleagues and not the public.

Here’s the entrance to one of 3 separate halls. We’re talking about thousands upon thousands of square feet of display space.

Inside, it was a circus.

The cars just got a little more wild with every turn. This Lexus IS is a highly modified 2014 model year car.

Tucked back into the Center Hall was the booth for Honda and Acura.

The booth was staffed by these fine folks from the company’s Torrance, California headquarters. Left to right: Tyson, Nina, Rey, John, and Randy. Nina saw the name on my entry badge and her first comment was, “You’ve taken on a stage name so nobody knows who you are!”

Here’s a unique ride. Anyone see the “Mean Mower” ad awhile back from Honda? You’re looking at a lawnmower that’s capable of 133 miles per hour and a 0-60 mph time of about 4 seconds. This is the type of rig that Tim Taylor from Home Improvement would be proud to own. MORE POWER!

Among the exciting things in the Honda booth was the 2014 Civic Si with its newly-revised design.

This awesome 6-speed Accord Coupe was finely tuned with goodies from Honda Performance Development.

My friend Erik flew all the way out from Madison, Wisconsin for SEMA. He runs the Project 130R website which is a great resource for Acura Legend owners and more.

The trio of Acuras lined the far wall in the convention hall but saw plenty of foot traffic throughout the day.

My favorite car on display was this stunning “VIP” Acura RLX.

Quad exhaust tips from an Evasive Motorsports exhaust system provide rumble to this refined luxury sedan.

21″ AVS Model F15 wheels and a Tein coilover suspension give this RLX a mean, custom look.

This is an extensive project, with even the brakes having been upgraded. For more pictures, check out the gallery on Acura Connected.

Can I have the keys?

On my 5-hour return trip to Phoenix today, I took a moment to pit-stop in Boulder City, Nevada for a bite to eat with my good friend Jessie who’s driving a Chevy Sonic LTZ these days.

The ILX got me home safe and sound, and with amazing fuel economy to boot. In the 615 miles since I filled up on my way to Las Vegas yesterday in Wickenburg, Arizona, it’s averaged 35.2 miles per gallon.

Thanks for coming along to the show!

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Legend Trip: Easter Car Show in Hurricane, Utah

Posted in Car Show, Legend, Road Trip on March 31, 2013 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 521,467

Odometer (ILX): 32,675

Trip Distance: 947 Miles

In nearly 1,000 miles traveled over the course of 3 days in the 520,000 mile Legend, the only thing that I could even consider a “mishap” was when I hit a large tumbleweed dead-on, southbound on Hwy 93 near Wikieup, Arizona. No damage was noted, just a few stray twigs lodged in the grille that I picked out on my next pit stop. The joy of traveling through the desert!

One of the annual traditions that I most look forward to is that of traveling to my hometown each Easter to participate in a car show. This is a picture from the show in 2004. My friend Blair entered his 1992 Legend LS coupe automatic with Frost White exterior and black interior. He and I both ended up taking home trophies in the “Imports” class that day. Blair’s car had all kinds of upgrades, including a set of 18″ Giovanna wheels.

Nine years later, I entered the Legend in that same show this past weekend.

Here’s the play by play of the weekend. Heading out on Friday – my friend Matt took his 2013 370Z, and I took the 1994 Legend.

Along the way, our first pit stop was in Boulder City, Nevada (home of Hoover Dam!) to meet up with my friend Jessie. Jessie has a Rosewood Brown 1992 Legend L sedan automatic with 140,000 miles on it. He has taken great pride in restoring it mechanically and it runs great. Next on his list are some paint and body work.

Legend lovers. Jessie’s Legend is older than he is! If only I’d been so lucky to have such a ride at his age.

🙂

The OEM spoiler, tinted windows, and chrome wheels round out the package. Jessie says he’s on the lookout for some of the factory 16″ Legend GS wheels like my coupe has.

After having lunch, Jessie followed me on Hwy 93 toward Las Vegas and snapped this pic at a traffic light.

Matt and I leap-frogged each other a number of times throughout our 6 1/2 hour journey to southwest Utah. Here I let him take the lead in his Magma Red 370Z on Interstate 15 north of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Once in St. George, I met up with another guy who appreciates Acura as much as I do. This is Cody, and his car is a 1993 Legend L sedan in Cashmere Silver Metallic. His car isn’t just any Legend, though. It’s a rare 5-speed manual version and it has only 65,000 miles on it. That’s right, this car has averaged just 3,250 miles per year over its 20 years

Cody was lucky to pick this up just a couple of weeks ago in Salt Lake City, Utah. It’s immaculate.

Low mileage, meet high mileage.

I peeked inside and this thing still smelled new. No cracks in the leather, no cracks on the dash — virtually zero detectable wear on this pristine example. Cody could sense my amazement (and probably my jealousy!).

The only update Cody has planned for this car is window tint. I agree with that decision – protect the interior and keep the car otherwise 100% stock. It’s a truly unique find in this kind of condition. Thanks, Cody, for meeting up! Next time I’m in St. George, let’s swap car keys so I can see how that thing drives.

Reunited at last with my niece and nephew. These kids are my pride and joy!

My friend Branson and his dad Don arrived in the evening. After some late-night car detailing, we all set out very early in the morning (6:45 Utah time; 5:45 Arizona time) on Saturday morning for the car show in Hurricane, Utah which was about 20 miles away. We got great parking spots on the grass lawn.

Pictured here are Don’s 1965 Ford Mustang 289 and Branson’s 1995 Acura Legend LS coupe.

We positioned the Legends so that they’d face one another. I had a couple of laminated signs on my windshield: One stating that the car had over 520,000 miles on the original drivetrain, and the other was a color copy of the window sticker showing its $41,885 price in 1994.

Out came the detailing supplies for some last-minute touch ups. This shine was achieved with Meguiar’s Gold Class wax, applied by hand and buffed off with microfiber towels. I used Meguiar’s Endurance tire gel on the Michelins.

Matt’s 370Z turned over 2,000 miles on its odometer on the way to Utah. It got a little bit of detailing too. Those 19″ Rays wheels came as part of the Sport package. You can also see the new-for-2013 LED lights in the front fascia.

While we waited for the show’s official 10 a.m. start time, we wandered down the street for a breakfast buffet. Branson couldn’t resist dumping $5 into this claw machine in search of a stuffed animal. He failed.

Back to business. Here, I’m teaching Dan about the difference between a Type I and a Type II Legend engine.

Dan, by the way, drives this right-hand-drive Nissan Skyline with a long list of modifications. He was also registered in the Imports category and he parked near us.

Video of some of the action.

Branson displayed his window sticker as well. His car’s MSRP was $44,270! The car’s color is Cayman White Pearl, which was offered for only the last year of Legend production — 1995.

Inside, Branson showed his factory literature including two brochures from 1995: a Legend-specific 12×12 brochure, and a smaller full-lineup brochure, both in mint condition. The trophy there is from a previous show that Branson won in.

Don’s here trying to point out a speck of dirt on the front end of the car.

Over the course of the day I was approached by at least a dozen people wanting to talk about the car. Usually the first question they’d ask is, “What kind of oil did you use to get it to last that long?” Many were surprised to learn that I’ve only used conventional 5W30 oil and never synthetic. I also had a print-out handy of all the car’s maintenance so that I could tell anyone if specific parts had ever been changed.

Many of my conversations with spectators also started out with them saying something like, “My so-and-so had one of these. It had XXX miles on it and they sold it so so-and-so, and it’s STILL going…” It seems nearly everyone has been personally involved in a high-mileage Honda or Acura success story at some point. I enjoyed chatting about them. And I especially loved it when people said things like, “That can’t be original,” or, “It still looks brand new.”

Here’s another look at the 1965 Mustang that Don and Branson restored from the ground up. It’s equipped with a “Pony Package” interior that included a wood steering wheel. The car drew a lot of attention.

Panorama of some of the other vehicles in the show.

There was a lot of nice stuff. I was impressed by this build – our friend Keith put an LS2 Corvette motor into an older bodystyle car.

It was interesting to observe the different types of people who were drawn to the cars. The Z was always popular with the younger generation, the Mustang with the older generation, and the Legends were a little of both.

Showing off some mirror shine here. Branson’s car in the background has a set of 17″ wheels off a 2003 Acura TL Type-S.

Here’s an Acura driver in training. This is my nephew Beckam sitting inside the Legend. The set of floor mats seen in use here are actually for show-only use. I swapped them out with my “daily” mats before driving away.

Another nephew: Rex. This little guy is only 3 weeks old. Such a cutie.

Visit from some friends. Here are Buck and Kyle. Buck is an Acura driver with a very clean 2002 RSX Type-S.

Gabbing it up.

Finally, here’s little Miss Vivienne. She’ll be 2 years old in a couple of weeks, and she’s the sweetest thing ever.

At 4:00 p.m., the awards ceremony kicked off. Matt end up placing 2nd in the Imports category.

Departure from the park. There you can see Matt leading the way in the Z, then Dan’s Skyline, then Branson.

Later that night, I got a driving experience unlike any other I’ve ever had: I got to drive a school bus. Last year, my brother picked up a retired bus because he needed to shuttle a bunch of people around at an event. Since then, the bus has mostly sat unused in his company’s back lot. Well, my friends and I decided it was time to give that bus a little exercise.

Matt was the first to get behind the wheel. It took us some time to figure out how to operate the controls. There is a push-button automatic transmission, and the switches for the overhead lights are on the panel to the left of the driver’s seat.

This is a 1996 Bluebird school bus. It’s got capacity for 84 passengers. We didn’t travel far but we did get the bus out on a deserted open road where we could practice maneuvering a vehicle of that size.

One of my favorite features was the “Body Fluid Cleanup Kit” (see below picture) hanging above the windshield. I wonder if that’s ever been used?

Branson took the wheel next. Believe it or not, the turning radius on this thing was actually pretty good! At one point Branson did have to three-point-turn in the middle of a road and I was amazed that he was able to do it.

Obligatory bus + Legend shot. The bus was spray-painted by an employee of my brother’s company for the event they used it in.

Big thumbs up for this fancy ride.

The bus had 205,343 miles on it. I was impressed that it fired up on the first try! We did have to wait a little while for the air brakes to pump up.

Finally, here I am settling into the driver’s seat, which is quite bouncy. The seat itself has an independent suspension unlike every other seat on the bus. I enjoyed taking this gigantic ride for a spin. It was gutless but fun.

Branson and I had Matt pick us up as if we were going to school – lights and everything! What a riot.

Who wants a ride? I should borrow this thing for a cross-country tour and pick a few of you up.

Have a great week!

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LA Show Day 2 & Return Trip to AZ

Posted in California, Car Show, ILX, RLX on November 29, 2012 by tysonhugie

Odometer: 21,174

Los Angeles is notorious for its love of cars. Perhaps that’s why the city is home to the worst traffic in the country. But along with that congestion, the city’s residents also embrace automotive technology and there is no place where “car culture” thrives more than in southern California. Day 2 at the press days of the LA Auto Show was every bit as exciting as the first. Here’s how it played out.

After a drizzly 18-mile commute to the Los Angeles Convention Center in the ILX, we paid our $15 and stashed the car away in a parking deck.

First stop was the Honda booth, as big things were to be announced there. Staked out in our second-row seats for the 10:05 a.m. press conference, we waited.

The big news? This car. Honda’s Civic has been around since 1973. By 2012, the car had been through 8 different generations. But just one year after the new 2012 bodystyle, the Civic was redone yet again. Meet the 2013 Civic Si Sedan. New front and rear fascia, revised interior finishes, additional technology and safety features are among the changes that were made.

As Honda Senior Vice President John Mendel announced during the press conference, this new Civic is appropriate as 2013 marks the 40th year of its existence. Jeff Conrad, Acura VP, stopped by and we visited for a few minutes.

I also reconnected with John Watts. John’s the Sr. Manager of Digital Marketing at Acura who presented me with the key to to my new 2013 Acura ILX back in June. John and I talked about his recent travels to the Grand Canyon in his new Crystal Black Pearl RDX. John also told me that he’d visited the Skywalk. I’m jealous – I’ll be heading out that way soon, too, I hope. Any excuse for a road trip!

Here’s a shot of the 2013 Civic EX Sedan.

A few other sights from around the Honda booth and beyond. This fun little roadster is called the EV-Ster. It’s all electric.

And this was a nicely modified Honda Accord coupe put together by Honda Racing Development.

The Accord Hybrid will have industry-leading fuel economy. We learned during the Honda press conference that this car is capable of 49 mpg city and 47 mpg combined. Impressive!

A spy encounter. This is none other than Brenda Priddy, of Brenda Priddy & Co, specializing in automotive spy photography. She gave me a BP&Co wristband which I wore proudly!

I’m really digging this new Lincoln MK-Z. But would you believe that a car this large is only powered by a 2.0 liter 4-cylinder?

Here’s a new innovation that’s going to make its way to Acura as well. Capless fueling!

I’m not a Ford guy but I have to admit, there’s something hot about the latest iteration of the Fusion.

What’s not to love about a Porsche 911 Carrera S? Yum.

Finally, the Acura booth. Since Acura held its press conference yesterday, there was no longer a reason to keep several rows’ worth of plastic chairs in the space any longer. The full model line-up was brought in.

The beloved TSX Special Edition. This car is powered by the same 2.4 liter, 201-horsepower 4 cylinder that my ILX 6-speed is.

RDX, ILX, TSX

ILX and RLX: Entry level and flagship sedan. Two different sedans, same Acura philosophy — luxury at any price.

I love that Acura chose to present its models in a uniform color — elegant black. Nothing says “luxury car” like a spotless, gleaming black paint job.

These are some handsome looking back ends.

This ILX 2.0 with Technology package had only 4 miles on the odometer. I played around for a bit with the navigation interface.

Finally, it was time to make our way eastward and return to Phoenix. This was taken as we ramped up to Interstate 10 which would be our only freeway from that point forward. The LA-to-Phoenix drive is a piece of cake if you’re directionally challenged.

$3.99 / gal for some 91 octane at the Chevron in Palm Desert again.

Yeah, I relinquished the driver’s seat for a couple of hours! I don’t mind zoning out and reclining once in awhile.

This was a pretty clever way to communicate a safety message. Check out the yellow signs on the back doors of this 18-wheeler.

The California desert, after rising in elevation from the Indio area.

Once I got back into the driver’s seat, we realized just how handy the ILX’s dual climate zones are. I like it chilly, Branson likes it hot. We were both happy.

I can never resist a nice sunset photoshoot. These were taken just west of Blythe, California on a deserted offramp.

It’s good to be home! Back to work I go tomorrow. It was awesome to see the latest & greatest from Acura and from other vehicle manufacturers at this year’s LA Auto Show. I’m excited about automotive trends and more than anything else, I loved the chance to meet & greet some of the great folks BEHIND the cars that I so love. For some of us, cars (and Acuras specifically) are a huge part of our lives. My good friend John Bazay is an example of that.

John has already photoshopped his ideal Acura RLX. Check out this beauty sitting on Vossen wheels. The car’s not even on sale and yet people like John are already planning what they’ll do with it. That, my friends, is how to recognize a true enthusiast!

G’nite!

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ILX in LAX! Los Angeles Int’l Auto Show

Posted in California, Car Show, ILX, RLX, Road Trip on November 28, 2012 by tysonhugie

Odometer (ILX): 20,775

“Flagship.” It’s a term referring to a vehicle that embodies the ultimate expression of an automaker’s capability. In Acura’s case, it was a position that was held by the Legend for 10 years, from 1986 to 1995. Then came the RL in 1996, running 17 years and retiring as a 2012 model. The successor is now here, and it’s dressed to impress. The 2014 Acura RLX was unveiled today, and I was there when the sheet was pulled off the production model. I’ve been to lots of auto shows this year! It all started with Detroit in January. I also saw SEMA and Phoenix. The latest destination was to Los Angeles, California for this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show.

Just two days after having returned from my Thanksgiving trip to Utah, I saddled up once again in the ILX for a long road trip. This time, though, I had a copilot. My Acura Legend-owning friend Branson joined for the ride. Branson’s 1995 Legend LS coupe 6-speed is Cayman White Pearl and has only 143,000 miles it:

The drive from Phoenix to LA was around 400 miles. Piece of cake for the ILX. Branson’s a fun road-trip partner. Though his OCD tendencies make things interesting sometimes (he absolutely refuses to let me set the volume at level 13 or the temperature at 73!), we have a great time laughing our way to our destinations.

Fueling up in Tonopah, Arizona just west of the Phoenix area on Interstate 10. Branson also picked up some Powerball tickets here. With $500M up for grabs, who wouldn’t want a shot at that?

Typical gorgeous Arizona sunset. For a change of pace, I took the passenger seat and had Branson pilot us westward.

Too much sugar in my system. Thanks Twizzlers Nibs.

And some rockin’ tunes to provide a soundtrack for our drive.

Fuel stop in Indio, California at Chevron.

Finally arriving in the LA area around 9:00 p.m. local time, we crossed underneath the LAX airport runway on Sepulveda Rd and got to our hotel called “Custom Hotel” on Lincoln Boulevard. The ILX got valet parked for its first time since I’ve had it! This is a valet-only hotel (and parking is $20 a night! Ouch!).

The rooms are cool, though – some 1960’s decor in here including a multi-colored strobe light in the windows. Flashy.

This morning – first things first! After a 30 minute drive to the Los Angeles Convention Center in downtown LA on Figueroa Street, Branson and I got our media credentials.

The Acura booth was the first destination – of course. We were greeted with some impressive design in the booth itself, and the new tagline for the RLX flagship which we’d soon see unveiled: “Synergy of Man and Machine.”

Someone left the headlights on when they installed that car cover!

Some may recognize this car. The Acura NSX concept vehicle. I’ll take it!

Branson and I are soaking in all the shiny scenery.

Soon it was time for the big reveal. Here’s a video of the first few minutes of the (total 20-minute) presentation after the cover was pulled off the RLX and it spun around before our eyes on the giant turntable.

Having owned a Honda Prelude 4WS (Four-Wheel-Steering) in the past, one of the features I was most interested in learning about on the RLX is called PAWS (Precision All Wheel Steering).

Here’s a little excerpt from today’s press release discussing the innovative technology:

Precision All-Wheel Steer™ (P-AWS) is the world’s first technology to feature independent and continuous control of the left and right rear-wheel steering (toe) angles to achieve new levels of handling agility, high- and low-speed maneuverability, and confident handling control for a two-wheel-drive luxury sedan.

Sounds pretty sweet to me! But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Check out this long list of features!

Jewel-Eye LED headlights (an Acura first) LED lamps enhance the RLX’s modern and distinctive appearance while providing outstanding light distribution and improved down-the-road illumination.
Acura Navigation System with Voice Recognition™ offers a wide range of search options including local search functionality and AcuraLink Real-Time Traffic™ for both highways and surface streets.
Agile Handling Assist (an Acura first) uses active braking to help the driver smoothly and easily trace the desired line through a curve with smaller steering inputs.
Electric Parking Brake (an Acura first) provides one-touch parking brake activation.
Automatic Brake Hold (an Acura first) maintains the vehicle’s position when the driving or parking brake are released until the throttle is depressed.
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low-Speed Follow (an Acura first), allows the RLX to independently maintain a set following distance in low-speed traffic situations, including stop and go traffic, and to initiate vehicle braking when necessary.
Forward Collision Warning (FCW) uses a camera mounted in the upper portion of the windshield to detect vehicles ahead of the RLX and audibly and visually alert the driver when it determines a frontal collision with a detected vehicle is possible.
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) uses the same windshield-mounted camera to detect lane markings on the road and alerts the driver if the vehicle is wandering from a detected lane.
Front seatbelt e-pretensioners use electronic control to reduce belt tension under normal driving conditions, while also enabling automatic belt tensioning in hard cornering maneuvers or in the event of a collision.
Multi-angle rearview camera with dynamic guidelines uses guidelines that reflect steering wheel inputs on the display to aid in backup maneuvers.
Capless fueling (an Acura first) eliminates the fuel cap and improves ease of fueling.

Some more pictures below captured the crowd’s excitement after Jeff Conrad’s remarks. He invited the press to come forward and join him in getting a closer look at the car.

The first of several (to me) “celebrity” encounters. This is Scott who is an integral part of Acura’s social media program.

Acura Vice President Jeff Conrad – someone who’s diligently followed my Legend / ILX adventures since we first met at the Drive to Five event a year ago.

And Sage Marie – Acura Sr. Manager of Public Relations – AND the lucky individual who will get to drive the race-tuned 2013 Acura ILXs at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill endurance race event soon. This guy’s got some driving skills!

Finally this guy – a true Acura pioneer. Kurt Antonius retired not long ago, but his history with the brand dates back to before it even existed. Kurt is one of the key individuals who built Acura into what it is today from its early beginnings in 1986. He told me about how Acura was originally code named “Channel 2” before it even had a real name. It was great to visit with him again.

Checking out the technology in the RLX interior. Even the glove compartment is electronic push-button activated!

Lunch at Rivera just a couple blocks away with some of my friends from the Social Media team.

And walking back to the Los Angeles Convention Center in overcast but comfortable weather.

As much as I would’ve loved to spend all day in the Acura booth (in fact, given the option I would’ve loved to put up a camping tent and live there), I did wander around the show. Here are a couple of other cars that caught my eye. This was the Infiniti “LE” concept vehicle. It’s 100% zero emissions.

This gorgeous ride is the Lexus LF-LC. That color is just stunning – the photo does it no justice!

This was the Audi booth. The big news there is that Audi is rolling out 3 “TDI” (diesel) models – including the A6, the A7, the A8 and the Q5. Clean diesel is becoming a huge piece of the market for Audi. The president of the company reported during the press conference that 33% of the A3’s sold currently are diesel powertrains.

Exhausted and ready to roll out for the night!

It was fitting that this song – “California Love” – by Tupac, came on the XM 90’s on 9 station. Love rocking out to this! By the way, I also figured out how to change the color of my display screen on the dash of the ILX. The “default” color was blue, but I felt like red fit better with the red gauges and sporty demeanor.

Acura was ranked #1 by ALG, an industry benchmark for vehicle values, in a study recently. Acuras are known for holding their value long-term. Great to see the brand getting the recognition it deserves! Makes me proud to drive an Acura.

Tomorrow we’ll see a bunch of booths in the show that we didn’t get a chance to see today — including the Honda press conference at around 10:00 a.m. I’m hoping to score a front row seat for that one like I did today for the Acura presentation. Plus, they’ll be clearing out the chairs in the Acura booth and bringing in some of the company’s other models for us to get up close and personal with. More pics to come — thanks for checking in!

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Acura ILX at a Nissan Z Convention

Posted in Arizona, Car Show, ILX on September 23, 2012 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 515,647

Odometer (ILX): 15,400

I drove my ILX on a high-speed oval track! The banked curves on the closed course begged to be taken at speed! Even with a chaperone van guiding me, I was allowed to achieve 95-100 mph and it was a thrill with the windows down, moonroof open, and XM radio loud and clear. It kind of felt like this (minus the tricked out NSX):

This weekend I attended a special event at the Nissan North America proving grounds. It’s extremely rare to get an inside look at the site where a vehicle manufacturer does its durability testing. Usually, the only time the public can see inside the facility is through commercials like this.

The ZCCA (Z Car Convention of America) selected Phoenix, Arizona as the host city of the 25th Annual ZCON (Z Convention). ZCON, much like the National Acura Legend Meet (NALM) that I’ve attended for 8 years, brings together owners & enthusiasts once a year in a different part of the country.

As part of the festivities, the Nissan Technical Center of North America (NTCNA-AZ) sponsored a tour day & autocross event. NTCNA is located about 50 miles from my home in Scottsdale, south of the Phoenix area next to a small town called Stanfield.

I headed there bright and early on Saturday morning (only 72 degrees! Fall is here!) in the Acura ILX to see what the event was all about. My soundtrack was provided by Metric. Really loving the Synthetica album — plus, it has special meaning since I got to meet the band a few months ago!

A quick pit stop in Maricopa, AZ at the Amtrak train station was a necessity. I was reminded of my recent Planes, Trains, & Automobiles weekend. This particular station, codename MRC, is a stop on the Sunset Limited train line which runs from New Orleans, LA to Los Angeles, CA.

This sunrise is for real! No photoshop needed!

Soon I was seeing signs for the Nissan Technical Center.

Finally, the entrance to the facility. Right after I took this, I pulled up to the security gate and (along with all other entrants to the campus) was forced to surrender my phone. It stayed with the security personnel for the duration of my stay at NTCNA.

First order of business was a riding tour of the grounds. As I hopped into a white 11-passenger Nissan NV people-hauler van for a tour around the track, there was a family that joined on my particular tour. It was Randy and Ilene Rodriguez with their two small children. Randy is a lead designer at the Nissan Design Center in La Jolla, California. He’s also the “father” of the revolutionary exterior of the current Nissan 370Z bodystyle which debuted for the 2009 model year. Here’s a picture of Randy with his creation at the Toronto Auto Show that year.

This June 2009 article contains a little of Randy’s story with the 370Z. Interestingly enough, the article was written for Import Tuner magazine by Carter Jung, who as of last month is now working in Acura Public Relations. Carter is responsible for the development of press kits, photography and video assets, as well as other communication duties.

Randy’s since done some impressive things too, such as pen the design of the upcoming Infiniti Emerg-E concept vehicle which, when it hits production, will be Nissan’s answer to the formidable upcoming 2015 Acura NSX.

We were driven throughout the expansive facility which contained a number of cool features, each designed with vehicle testing & evaluation in mind:

Mud Splash: They can drive vehicles through depths of water to evaluate intrusion
Salt Spray: Corrosion testing bay
Frame Twist: This one’s only for the trucks, though it looks like it’d be a blast to take a car on. It’s a roller-coaster wavy road intended to determine if the chassis will withstand highly uneven surfaces
Marketability Course: Here, there are sections of road that are modeled after (and constructed identical to) real-life roads. Expansion joints from a freeway in New Jersey, concrete freeway, twisty banked curves from San Gabriel, California, and a deteriorated stretch of highway near Detroit
‘Hot soak’ area with cinderblock walls that block any wind movement and are used to keep air still to see if a vehicle will overheat (a true test of durability when it’s pushing 120 degrees here in Arizona!)
Cold chamber which allows a vehicle to be run from cold all the way up to normal operating temperature.
High speed oval! Minimum speed here is supposed to be 90 miles per hour.
A series of ramps, curbs for impact testing, and other fun features.

Here’s what the area looks like from overhead. They actually allow farmers to grow crops from within the oval!

After the riding tour, I was allowed to drive my own personal car on the track! I followed half a dozen Z cars as we traversed these various types of terrain again. The highlight for me, without a doubt, was the high speed oval. I can only imagine what it might’ve been like if I really let loose and got into triple-digit speeds. Again, without a phone or camera, you’ll just have to picture it in your minds, but it was remarkable and I promise I was grinning the whole time.

Randy signed my copy of the 2012 ZCON program:

I had the privilege of shuttling his wife Ilene and kids back to their hotel which was about a 30 minute drive. They enjoyed the ILX amenities!

One of the most popular bodystyles of Nissan Z at the event was the “Z32,” better known as the 300ZX, which was sold from 1990-1996.

I had a great time exploring the proving grounds. Maybe someday I’ll get the chance to visit the location where Honda does similar testing.

How’s this for a blast from the past? I was rooting through an old box of junk and came across these ancient driver licenses. Turns out I’ve been driving (matchbox cars, then RC cars, apparently) since I was only 3’9″ and weighed 54 pounds!

This next one was from when I was 5’2″ and 96 pounds!

My how times have changed. Another treasure surfaced in those boxes, too. Micromachines! Anyone else who grew up in the 80’s and 90’s has to remember these. Commercial narrator John Moschitta spoke so fast I could barely understand him! Loved the commercials, though.

Speaking of the olden days, my old high school friend Jaesi posted something on Facebook about how certain cars reminded her of friends from our graduating class. The thread lit on fire within the first couple of hours with about 200 comments from others in our class who loved to reminisce about the cars we drove and memories we had with them. It made me dig out this picture to contribute to the dialogue.

As I already shared in a prior post, I’ve always been one to obsess over getting just the right parking space wherever I go. That was definitely the case at Pine View High School in 1998. My red 1989 Honda Prelude 2.0 Si was parked right out front, along the road. No door ding potential here!

ILX Updates

A few lucky people have joined the ranks recently of 2013 ILX owners. One such individual is Colin from Honolulu. I met him via the Acura ILX Owners & Enthusiasts Facebook group. Colin upgraded from an Acura RSX to a Bellanova White Pearl ILX 2.4 6-speed and shared his story on the following link. Congratulations, Colin!

I’m upgraded to iOS6 on my iPhone 4 but I’m still having a tough time getting the SMS text messaging set up. Any tech people want to walk me through it?

One of my favorite features of the ILX is this great cutoff line with the projector HID headlights. The song playing on my iPod when this was taken is “One Day” by Matisyahu. One of my current faves. Give it a listen here.

Legend Updates

Tomorrow, 9/24/2012, will mark the 18-year anniversary of the date that my 1994 Legend LS coupe was purchased new by its original owner in Pleasanton, California with only 288 miles on the odometer. I was lucky enough to score all of the original Bill of Sale paperwork when I bought the car in early 2003.

Saw a pretty sad looking 1991-92 Legend sedan in central Phoenix.

Coming Soon from Acura – Trip to the LA Auto Show!

In April of this year, the new 2014 Acura RLX concept car was unveiled at the New York Auto Show, bring some much needed updates to the aging RL platform that’s been around since 1996 when the Legend (as we know it here in the USA) was discontinued.

The car reportedly will come with Acura’s new Precision All Wheel Steer system (reminds me of my old 4WS Prelude!). The car will be powered by an all-new 3.5-liter direct-injected VTEC V-6 engine producing 310 horsepower. Design wise, Acura is also raising the bar. My favorite feature is the “Jewel Eye” headlights. From a press release that was distributed earlier this week:

Acura’s exclusive Jewel Eye™ LED headlamps use a dual-stacked array of multiple high-intensity LED lamps, with ultra-reflective optical lenses and high-gloss trim, to provide powerful down-the-road illumination, while simultaneously giving the RLX a distinctive and bright-eyed look in both daytime and nighttime conditions.

Since the New York show, many have speculated about just how “true” to the concept vehicle the actual production version will be.

Well, I’ll get a firsthand look in a couple of months! The production version of the 2014 RLX will be unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show. I’ll be attending the event as a media colleague during the press days on November 28 & 29! Can’t wait.

It’s been a productive weekend for sure. To top it all off, I organized the car detailing supply closet.

In closing for today:

I really liked this commercial for the all-new 2013 Honda Accord. It really captures how Honda and Acura recognize their customers and build their vehicles to fit well into “real life.”

Happy weekend everyone.

15 Comments »

Barrett-Jackson

Posted in Arizona, Car Show, Legend on January 22, 2012 by tysonhugie

Odometer: 505,720

Ever seen a $600,000 Corvette? Yesterday a couple of friends and I saw a 60th Anniversary C6 Corvette on the auction block at the Scottsdale-based high end automobile auction called Barrett-Jackson go for that price.

Every year, this event draws thousands of car aficionados for a chance to see high dollar, exotic, and rare vehicles find new homes. The old Legend was perhaps one of the most “seasoned” vehicles on the grass polo field spectator parking lot while we wandered through the inventory of vehicles, automobilia, and food vendors. It’s like a full-blown circus for car people.

The local Bondurant Racing team was on-site providing “hot laps” in Grand Sport Vettes. I feared for my life from the passenger seat!

A couple of vehicles I thought were interesting – like this Amphicar.

And a big ol’ red beast.

Lots of nice stuff up for grabs. My friend David had hooked us up with Bidder Guest passes and VIP access.

Branson, pictured at left, drives a beautiful 1995 Legend LS coupe. It was a Legend meet at my house.

Branson at the wheel heading home last night. Yes I’ll happily give the keys to the high mileage Legend to just about anyone who’s crazy enough to want to drive such a beast. Still runs like a champ!

This morning we went to check out a very clean 1995 Legend LS coupe in Desert Mist Metallic. Looks like a twin to mine but it’s got the wing spoiler and it’s got an automatic transmission. Can be yours for the bargain price of $3,700 here. I was checking it out for a friend of mine who’s not local but has been on the prowl for a clean Type II coupe. It’s pictured in the background here and has (only!) 198,300 miles on it.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

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Auto Show Recap

Posted in Car Show, ILX on January 13, 2012 by tysonhugie

Odometer: 505,296

I was thumbing through the above magazine in a doctor’s office last week and thought the headline would be appropriate to use on Drive to Five. This year’s Detroit show was huge for Acura since the company proudly unveiled 3 never-before-seen bodystyles to the public. In talking with Jon Ikeda, lead designer of the 2013 ILX concept, he feels the car’s design will endure as timelessly as the 1991-1995 Acura Legend has. So perhaps it’s fitting to say that since from a styling perspective, these new models are winners, the Legends have yet again been reborn.

The auto show was a total sensory overload. Instead of going crazy with the photo uploads here, I’ve put “most” (about 170) of my pictures into one of my Photobucket albums that you can browse at your leisure.

http://s301.photobucket.com/albums/nn43/tysonhugie2/

This sign from the entrance to our “backstage” coat room says it all! This whole experience felt like a dream.

Following are a few of the highlights, though.

Acura rolled out the red carpet for me and for a few other online bloggers at the Atheneum Suites Hotel in downtown Detroit. The company’s hospitality was unmatched! I felt like a celebrity when I arrived at the DTW airport and met up with “my driver” at the baggage claim who was holding a sign with my name on it. The next two days carried on that feeling.

The Press Schedule was distributed to us upon arrival. Acura’s 25-minute time slot was at 2:35 p.m. on Monday; Honda’s moment in the spotlight was the following morning. A few of us staked out the front row of the Acura booth so that we had a perfect line of vision for the big 3-car unveil.

I had the chance to meet and greet many great people.

Below is Chris Tobias, editor of the AcuraConnected.com blog.

Below is my photo with Kurt Antonius, Assistant Vice President of American Honda Motor Co. I was having him (and a number of other Honda & Acura important people) sign the inside cover of my hardback copy of the “Drive to Five” blog.

Here’s the result – along with a glance at the Acura Press Kit – a small black box that contained a USB drive with media.

Ford’s slogan here struck a chord!

Loved the suspense of seeing the next generation NSX under wraps.

The second day of the show (Tuesday), instead of just having the new ILX, NSX, and RSX on display, Acura brought out the rest of the fleet – all finished in jet black paint schemes.

It was super chilly out when we walked to lunch.

The absolutely stunning next generation Accord coupe concept was rolled out at the Honda conference on Tuesday morning. I LOVE this paint job!

Awesome video spotlighting the new NSX concept.

The overall NAIAS experience was incredible. Plus, I was able to see Michigan for the first time.

I had to laugh when getting on the Detroit “People Mover” train system in downtown Detroit on Monday night with Acura’s Senior Manager of Digital Marketing, John Watts. We quickly learned that the train only moves in a clockwise direction and therefore had to take the very “scenic” route around downtown Detroit to get to our destination, which we probably could have walked to faster than the shuttle got us there. Still a good way to get a nighttime view of the city skyline. Huge thanks to Acura for the chance to experience the Auto Show!

This afternoon I had a (free!) oil change on the Legend coupe performed by the friendly folks at Acura North Scottsdale. Here’s a picture from when I picked it up in the service drive. No major issues noted — it’s ready to go for another 3,000+.

I’ve got special company for the next few days – my mom’s here for this Sunday’s PF Changs Rock & Roll Half Marathon that we’ll be competing in together. Given my lack of preparation, this upcoming 13.1 miles will be a challenge. If only I conquered the miles as easily as my Acura does.

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Live from Motor City

Posted in Car Show, ILX on January 10, 2012 by tysonhugie

When I rolled 500,000 in my Legend at Honda of America’s corporate office in Torrance, California last November, one of my rewards for achieving this milestone was a trip to see this auto show. And what a reward it was!

Aloha from Detroit, where today I was able to experience the excitement of my first visit to the NAIAS. Lots and lots of gleaming metal objects with big engines, sexy curves, and more technology than ever. What an incredible chance to see some brilliant pieces of automotive engineering. Acura debuted three very impressive models today – a revised RDX crossover SUV, an entry-level ILX sports sedan, and a concept for the next generation NSX supercar. All three are destined to become leaders in their respective divisions.

The ILX was especially impressive to me since at a target price of less than $30k, it’s a lot of bang for the buck! The concept model on display didn’t yet give us a chance to get hands-on with the interior, but from a design perspective this car looks like a winner. I had the exclusive chance to meet one-on-one with Jon Ikeda who designed the vehicle. His perspective confirmed that this sedan is a bold and well thought-out entry by Acura into the entry level luxury sedan market. The highest trim level of the ILX will reportedly have a hybrid motor. And – something I especially appreciate given the number of miles I’ve driven my manual transmission Legend – the ILX will get a standard 6-speed transmission.

Stay tuned for a full report once I’ve arrived back at home in Phoenix – we’ve still got one more day of auto-show-goodness here in Detroit and you can bet I’ll be soaking it all in. Huge thanks to Acura for the hospitality throughout my stay! I have truly enjoyed meeting and greeting some of the great folks who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make the company operate as seamlessly as its cars do:

Before leaving Phoenix, I happened to park next to a 1994-1995 Legend sedan at the airport parking lot yesterday…

Press Pass!

The vehicles were kept under tight wraps until the 2:35 p.m. Acura press conference.

The Honda booth had this immaculate 1983 Accord Sedan – the first Honda built in America. I peeked inside and it was an automatic transmission and had had 47 miles on the odometer!

The ILX unveiled!

And the next NSX. Mid engine, V6, AWD Hybrid, made in Ohio!

This post’s cell phone pictures will have to suffice for now – but I at least wanted to share my excitement from this awesome day. More to come!

6 Comments »

NAIAS-Bound

Posted in Car Show, ILX on January 7, 2012 by tysonhugie

Odometer: 505,115

By 6:30 p.m. tomorrow night when I land in Michigan I’ll have a definite need for that new embroidered leather jacket that Acura presented me with during last year’s Drive to Five Celebration…

The high temperature for the day in Detroit is forecast to be a whopping 37 degrees Fahrenheit – a full 30 degrees colder than I’d be dealing with here at home in Scottsdale, Arizona. Am I ready to leave this beautiful blue sky? Usually I’d hesitate to – but I’m extremely excited about being able to participate as a guest of the most anticipated auto show in the country.

If time permitted, I would love to be making the exactly 2,000-mile (each way) trip in my trusty old Acura Legend — and you can bet I’d be stopping at the state line to take a picture like this upon arrival. My friend Ben is every bit as road-trip-crazy as I am. He’s owned his 1992 Acura Legend LS coupe since the day it was brand new. Michigan is one of the states he’s been to with his car that I haven’t yet seen with mine. I’m jealous!

For those who won’t be making the trek to the North American Int’l Auto Show, the next-best thing will be to join the live web broadcast on Monday afternoon to see what’s going on. Acura’s press conference will be held at 2:35 p.m. Eastern time. The following link will get you there.

http://www.acura.com/FutureVehicles.aspx

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

4 Comments »

Auto Show Bound

Posted in Car Show, ILX on December 18, 2011 by tysonhugie

Odometer: 504,613

A chilly, rainy week in Phoenix!

Trips this week were limited to just the day-to-day work commute. Still fires up on the first try every time, but the Optima red-top battery that I’ve been running since August 2008 is struggling a bit more every day. The desert heat is very rough on batteries – I seem to get about 3 years out of them, max.

It’s an extremely busy time of the year in the Pharmacy Benefit Management industry in which I work so there have been some long days at the office. So long, in fact, that I was there later than anyone else in the entire building! This was the scene when I returned to the parking lot at the end of the day for my commute home. The lonely Legend:

I recently dug up a fun memory of my mileage-accumulating past. Back in the 300,000’s, I started creeping up on matching the odometer reading that my friend Dave in St. Louis had on his daily-driver 1992 Honda Accord. Dave, the nerd that he is, actually put together a rendering of his prediction as to when our mileage readings would intersect. As it turns out, I don’t think he was too far off!

I thought it would also be interesting to again plot out my car’s mileage history in visual form. Its life sure changed in the first part of 2003!

As some of you may remember, as part of the 500,000 Mile Celebration, I was invited to go as Acura’s guest to the upcoming Detroit-based North American International Auto Show! This week we got some of the travel logistics squared away for my first-ever trip to Michigan. Unfortunately, time won’t allow for me to drive the Legend out there. Michigan is one of only a handful of states that the car has yet to see.

I’m honored and excited to see some of what Acura and the other manufacturers have up their sleeves. I know that an all-new Acura ILX sedan is going to debut, as well as a sneak peek at the next NSX and a revised RDX. You all know I’ll report back in full detail!

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