Production-Ready Acura RLX Revealed in Patent Images Acura’s push for more radical, independent styling could be over before it starts. These pictures, which were made public this week in a European design patent database, show an RLX sedan that’s been dulled down from the only slightly edgier concept version presented last April. The RLX will arrive in early 2013 as the replacement for the RL as Acura’s range-topping sedan The lower front and rear clips on (what we presume is) the production RLX have been changed from the concept car, with a standard rounded lower air intake up front and integrated exhaust outlets in the rear. These bookend a generally uninspiring shape, with the front looking rather like that of a current RL or TL, and the side and rear reminiscent of everything from a Lexus GS to a Chevy Cruze to a BMW 7-series. Although Acura will undoubtedly promote the RLX as a fun-to-drive, high-tech showcase, the truth is that this car is aimed squarely at aging Baby Boomers. RLX customers are more likely to be cross-shopping the RLX with a Cadillac XTS, we think, than an avant-garde Audi A6. As such, Acura has said in the past that the RLX’s interior is significantly more spacious than in the company’s previous cars—despite its size, the RL has always had compromised interior packaging. The only major U.S. auto show left on the calendar for 2012 is Los Angeles in November. Acura could pull the sheets off of the production RLX there, but an earlier non-auto-show debut is always possible. http://blog.caranddriver.com/production-ready-acura-rlx-revealed-in-patent-images/ Gosh, in 2 years time it will be already look very old. Not to mention the rear, which resembles 7er and whole line very similiar to the Lexus LS.
And for those interested, yesterday I made the pics look a bit more realistic. http://www.telegraaf.nl/autovisie/autovisie_nieuws/honda/12392552/__Acura_RLX_laat_zich_zien__.html
Jesus, car design has become lazy. Everything looks like a bland, warmed over Japanese-touched BMW. Hoffmeister kink: Check. Put a spindle grille on it, and voila: Lexus. Put a ugly whatever-the-hell-it-is grille on it, and voila: New Kia. Put an Infiniti badge on it, and it's a "G". Rinse and repeat. This is why as the years go on, and newer cars get released into this segment, I cling onto my E-Class dearer and dearer.
Acura and Honda are just finished when it comes to car design. Other than the NSX concept nothing in their entire empire looks worth a damn. This is just an enlarged TSX married to every other common design theme from everyone else. Other than the proposed 370hp V6 + hybrid system, there is nothing even remotely interesting about this car. I predict another in a long line of dismal failures for the "RL" lineup. Bring back a kick-ass design with RWD and drop the hybrid nonsense and name it "Legend" and you'll have something. M
I agree about the nomenclature. I was just thinking about that the other night. All these Japanese cars used to have actual "names", then the iconicized names of the Euro marquees got them to try and emulate (again, emulation, second rate copy, etc.). Now everyone has some stupid nonsensical numbers or letters scheme, and they still can't touch the effortless purity of "E/S/C Class", or "3/5/7 Series". IMO, they should bring back the "Legend" name indeed, completely scrap everything that Acura has become. I can't believe how generic this "RLX" is. It even has the wannabee 7-Series rear lights that everyone else and their Moms have bastardized. EVERY MIDSIZE SEDAN LOOKS THE SAME!
