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- ZondaRage
Fun fact: Acura's logo is simply the honda "h" with the top squeezed together.
When is an Acura not an Acura?
- Thread starter TenEightyOne
- 57 comments
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- South Australia
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- Geneva
- Kimky
- Kimky
Sorry but for the lexus it's wrong :
Lexus Japan
There is Lexus IS in japan too. It's true that IS200 and Altezza share the same platform tho. Just not the same option I think.
Infiniti works the same too :
Inifiniti Japan
However Honda and Acura are nearly the same model as far as I know, just more adapted to the US market, when the two other are Luxuary brand of Nissan/toyota.
Now, that is the case. For the entirety of the 90s and the first half of the 2000s, Lexus and Infiniti were North America exclusive brands. There have never been concurrent sales of the Lexus IS and Toyota Altezza or Lexus GS (Toyota Aristo) in Japan. The Crown (Lexus LS) is still sold in under both brands, but that's because the Crown name has history.
In the early 90s, very few people in the US would pay luxury-car prices for something with the Toyota or Nissan name on it. So they created these alternate brands. In Japan, this wasn't an issue since Toyota and Nissan had always made luxury cars for that market. Now, the brands Lexus and Infiniti have come to be associated with luxury products worldwide, so you see the brand being marketed in other markets.
Mazda did something similar in Japan, dividing their product line amongst the Mazda, Autozam (small cars), and Eunos (luxury) brands. in the early 90s, they toyed with the idea of releasing a luxury brand in the US (would've been called Amanti), but decided against it since (at the time) Lexus and Infiniti weren't doing as well as many had hoped.
American companies do it too. GM is GM no matter where you go, but the name "Opel" has status and history in Europe so thus it's still used to this day. Meanwhile, the US got recent Opels under the Saturn brand.
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- Sandy106 // Frosty207
Cannot unsee. How did I never notice that?
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- blitz_Fish
Funny thing is that the TSX is sold as the Accord in Japan and Europe, and at one point, they sold the North American Accord (7th gen, 2003 -2008 I think?) as the more upscale Honda Inspire over there. The older Inspire was also previously sold as an Acura TL here in North America. Confused yet?
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- Maldives
- zedextreme8177
When it's sold in Japan, simple.
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- Langley, BC, Ca
- MtBeR4LiFe889
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- TenEightyOne
- TenEightyOne
Oy oy oy, I was just pointing out that the Acura NSX '91 has an Acura badge as stock and gets a Honda badge when you race-mod it 
I'm well aware (as most others are) that each of the major Japanese manufacturers has an alter-ego. In the US this is because Japanese brands just don't sell as well in particular areas. In Europe this allows an alternative 'luxury' branding.
As I said, I was just interested that my Acura got the wrong badge after mod. It made me wonder if the model was always intended to be a Honda but was then transferred to Acura to "make up the numbers".
I'm well aware (as most others are) that each of the major Japanese manufacturers has an alter-ego. In the US this is because Japanese brands just don't sell as well in particular areas. In Europe this allows an alternative 'luxury' branding.
As I said, I was just interested that my Acura got the wrong badge after mod. It made me wonder if the model was always intended to be a Honda but was then transferred to Acura to "make up the numbers".
- 1,297
- Kwicko
Oy oy oy, I was just pointing out that the Acura NSX '91 has an Acura badge as stock and gets a Honda badge when you race-mod it
I'm well aware (as most others are) that each of the major Japanese manufacturers has an alter-ego. In the US this is because Japanese brands just don't sell as well in particular areas. In Europe this allows an alternative 'luxury' branding.
As I said, I was just interested that my Acura got the wrong badge after mod. It made me wonder if the model was always intended to be a Honda but was then transferred to Acura to "make up the numbers".
Probably something like that - more likely it was transferred over and allowed on the "Acura" NSX to keep us poor Americans from feeling left out, and they just forgot to change out the Honda badging, because to just about everyone else in the world, the *HONDA* NSX just doesn't sound odd.
- 351
- GeneralJesh
WHY was I not informed that you could RM the NSX?? I really suck at reading lists, I'm going to go do this now.
But yeah, an Acura is still a Honda, I'm guessing that PD based the RM on this real life NSX.
This was the only useful post in this whole thread.
btw, Lexus is a global brand now. Even in Japan.
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- curtis_boy
- 8,725
In order for that race-mod to be acurate (sic), it needs to be turbo'd. I don't have one yet, so can anyone confirm that it can be turbo-charged? I know most of the other NSXs can't be...
I'm curious simply because the Le Mans car pictured above was turbo-charged, and the RM is clearly based on it - which is probably why it's a Honda and not an Acura, plus it's the only Premium NSX with the old, pre-2002 pop-up headlights.
EDIT: The car pictured above is a Normally-Aspirated GT2-class car, the GT1s were turbo-charged. And I've confirmed for myself that the Acura NSX cannot be turbo-charged.
Here's the GT1 and GT2 cars, respectively:
I'm curious simply because the Le Mans car pictured above was turbo-charged, and the RM is clearly based on it - which is probably why it's a Honda and not an Acura, plus it's the only Premium NSX with the old, pre-2002 pop-up headlights.
EDIT: The car pictured above is a Normally-Aspirated GT2-class car, the GT1s were turbo-charged. And I've confirmed for myself that the Acura NSX cannot be turbo-charged.
Here's the GT1 and GT2 cars, respectively:
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But yeah, an Acura is still a Honda, I'm guessing that PD based the RM on this real life NSX.
They look pretty much identical!
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- TenEightyOne
- TenEightyOne
I think alexleighton is right... the in-game race-modded Acura (which gains the Honda badge) has an apparently identical kit!
- 142
- InfernalTyrant
When is an Acura not an Acura?
When it turns into a drive way.
*badum tshhh*
When it turns into a drive way.
*badum tshhh*
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- TenEightyOne
- TenEightyOne
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- Engine Block
Kaz is going to hang him self 
Wiegert
Premium
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- United Kingdom
But yeah, an Acura is still a Honda, I'm guessing that PD based the RM on this real life NSX.
This is the closest I could get to matching the real version and yes, they are identical:
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To add a lil more confusion... When it comes to honda and acura, the motors are sometimes different in US and Japanese Specs. For instance, the Type-R motor stamp in the US is B18C5 and the Japanese "JDM" Version is B18C... A little more differences, but they are more or less the same.
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- Stig-FD3S
Manufacturers have different engines for different markets all the time. It's very common, it's due to the quality of fuel available in each different country, what the market wants (small engines, v8s, diesels, etc) and emissions regulations (thank california for ****ing up a large portion of the car industry).
Unfortunately, when they invented Lexus, Acura and Infiniti they decided that the new badge was also worth an additional 50% of the original cars value.
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That racing nsx was in previous gt titles, i think 1 or 2.
And the acura logo is a stylized analog measuring caliper
Its meant to represent precision and engineering excellence.
Some acuras are also sold in china... sales arent doing so well.
Next tl looks amazing however. Its being developed in acura's torrance studio along side the mdx, also quite handsome; due in 2-3 years. The other cars in the lineup are being developed in japan. Honda north america has a dedicated acura studio but doesnt have enough ppl to handle the entire model line up themselves. Nothing like ppl outside of america designing for the american market...
And the acura logo is a stylized analog measuring caliper
Its meant to represent precision and engineering excellence.
Some acuras are also sold in china... sales arent doing so well.
Next tl looks amazing however. Its being developed in acura's torrance studio along side the mdx, also quite handsome; due in 2-3 years. The other cars in the lineup are being developed in japan. Honda north america has a dedicated acura studio but doesnt have enough ppl to handle the entire model line up themselves. Nothing like ppl outside of america designing for the american market...
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- Alvecote, North Warwickshire
- Duffers999
- Clark Duffy
They don't need to be turbocharged, the RM NSX is based on the Kunimitsu GT2 NSX, which wasn't turbocharged, only the GT1 NSX's were turbocharged.
