From its beginnings in 1986, the Acura brand has been all about “Precision Crafted Performance,” and that guiding theme took center stage in recent days with the reveal of two new concept vehicles.
For several years, Acura has had a strong presence at Monterey’s “Car Week” festivities, and this year was no exception. The golf clubhouse at Carmel Valley Ranch provided a scenic backdrop for the unveil of a concept vehicle that will take Honda’s performance division one step further into the competitive “electric arena.” It is called the Performance EV Concept, and it is set to go into production in late 2025.
The only available electric Acura model today is the ZDX. Underneath its skin, the ZDX rides on the same General Motors Ultium EV platform as the Cadillac Lyriq. Leveraging the Ultium platform in the short term has allowed Acura some time to engineer a dedicated electric platform in-house, and that’s the vehicle we will preview today. Here is a story on last year’s debut of the production version of the ZDX.
Joining the Performance EV Concept on the show lawn was a hopped-up version of Acura’s Integra Type S hatchback. It had been lightened, lowered, and treated to all sorts of race-inspired updates.
Car Week Chaos
For a week each August, the Monterey Bay Peninsula is overtaken in all-things automotive. The streets become lined – and even congested – with exotics, supercars, classics, and everything in between. Among the many events that take place are the Pebble Beach Concours, various collector-car auctions, automobilia expositions, the Quail lifestyle event, and much more.
It helps that the weather in the Bay is typically very conducive for outdoors events, with mid-August temperatures ranging around 50 to 60 degrees on average. Being a Phoenician, I was as excited for the cooler temps as I was about experiencing the car culture. My travels took me by plane from Phoenix to San Jose, then by rental car for the roughly 90-minute drive to Monterey.
Acura’s reception later in the evening took place at the Carmel Valley Ranch, about ten miles from the hustle and bustle of downtown Monterey. The venue was decked out for the occasion, with special parking of course for some noteworthy Acura models out front, including my friend Ira who drove his Acura NSX all the way from Portland, Oregon for the occasion.
What We Know
The first announcement about Acura’s new concept vehicle was circulated via a press release and teaser photo on August 9th. Acura Design Executive Dave Marek shed additional light on the subject when the sheet came off at the formal reception on Thursday, August 15. “The Acura Performance EV Concept takes full advantage of the extreme design freedom of stance and proportion,” he said.
The Performance EV Concept was developed by the Acura Design Studio in Los Angeles and is scheduled to go into production in late 2025. It will be assembled at a new “Honda EV Hub” in Marysville, Ohio. Some of the styling elements include a coupe-light silhouette and what Acura called a “teardrop cabin.” Also included are upswept decklid, a full-width taillight, and a diffuser that pay homage to the second-generation NSX. The side profile is dominated by a long wheelbase, short overhangs, and 23-inch machined wheels. The body of the displayed vehicle was finished in a matte-finish Moonlit White Pearl with a contrasting black roof.
Moments after showing off the EV concept, the attention was turned to an Indy Yellow prototype called the Integra Type S “HRC.” In this case, HRC stands for Honda Racing Corporation. Engineers took the already-competent Integra Type S and applied updates to the aerodynamics, engine, suspension, and interior. Jon Ikeda, Senior Vice President of Honda Racing Corporation, said, “Every spec of the car screams performance. Everything is functional – if it doesn’t add performance, it isn’t on the car.”
The goodies include a new front fascia, hood vents, side splitters, a carbon fiber wing, and 19-inch lightweight wheels wrapped in Pirelli tires. The suspension is lowered by 15 millimeters on tuned coilovers and features an adjustable rear anti-roll bar. On the inside, there are one-piece Recaro bucket seats up front and a carbon fiber “rear seat delete” kit out back. The weight savings of up to 200 pounds with the Integra HRC means that it can move with added authority and agility.
The Future Is Bright
It was interesting to see how the word “performance” can be executed in such vastly different ways. We are at an interesting time in the automotive landscape where automakers like Acura are giving internal combustion engines one last chance for high performance, but at the same time they are embracing the electrified future. Whether a liftback EV or a track-tuned hatchback suits your fancy, Acura has it covered.
Stay tuned to The Journal for updates as we learn more about Acura’s future.
