New Acura NSX to Be Built & Engineered in the U.S.

 
At the 2012 Detroit Auto Show this week Acura finally took the covers off a concept car previewing the replacement for its cherished NSX supercar.

At the unveiling Acura also took the opportunity to announce that the new NSX will go on sale within three years, but the big shocker was the announcement that the car is to be engineered by Honda R&D Americas and built at a special plant in central Ohio.

The original Acura NSX was built at Honda plants in Japan from 1990 to 2005.

Rest assured, the project is in safe hands as the man running Honda today, Takanobu Ito, was one of the chief engineers of the original NSX and he’s determined that the new car is done right. You’ll recall that Acura’s previous attempt at building the NSX successor as a powerful, front-engined GT failed miserably due to the automaker’s financial situation at the peak of the 2008 global financial crisis.

This time around Acura will be staying true to the ethos of the original. That is, to seek performance through efficiency.

"Like the first NSX, we will again express high performance through engineering efficiency," explained Ito. "In this new era, even as we focus on the fun to drive spirit of the NSX, I think a supercar must respond positively to environmental responsibilities."

In particular, engineers developing the car at Honda R&D Americas’ center in Raymond, Ohio will focus on an extremely favorable power-to-weight ratio. They have chosen to stick with a V-6 and lightweight, mid-engine platform, but will be packing it with the latest hybrid technology and an all-wheel drive system.

Utilizing a unique twin-motor electric drive setup with a bilateral torque adjustable control system, the special hybrid all-wheel-drive system will be able to instantly generate negative or positive torque to the front wheels during cornering.

Acura anticipates that the system, dubbed “Sport Hybrid SH-AWD”, will deliver handling performance unmatched by previous all-wheel drive systems. In addition to the handling benefits of the Sport Hybrid SH-AWD system, a powerful V-6 engine with direct-injection and VTEC works together with a dual clutch transmission integrated with a third electric motor for powerful yet efficient acceleration.



Need to get a car shipped? Call Paragon Transport for a fast free car shipping quote.
832-830-5555       www.paragonautotransport.com

Eight Ferraris wrecked in million-dollar pileup

Authorities in Japan were still reconstructing Monday how eight Ferraris, a Lamborghini and a few Mercedes-Benzes wrecked on an expressway Sunday morning, coating the road in an Italian red metal sauce worth more than $1 million. It’s not a sight for those squeamish about totaled supercars.

Some 14 cars in all were involved in the chain-reaction crash on an expressway named China Road in Yamaguchi prefecture, leaving 10 people with minor injuries. While the injuries were light, several of the vehicles appear totaled.

How did so many Ferraris end up on the road together? The group — which Japanese police officials called “a gathering of narcissists” — were driving to a supercar meet-up in Hiroshima, where about 100 vehicles were expected to show. As one driver who was invited along but passed noted, it was unusual for such a drive to take the expressway — where speeds are closely monitored and traffic can be thicker due to lower tolls on Sundays. Even so, the Ferraris were estimated to have been running between 80 mph and 100 mph when the crash happened.

Police and video reports say the wreck began when a 60-year-old businessman from Fukushima driving a Ferrari F430 attempted to pass a Toyota Prius, but instead hit the guardrail. That set off a chain reaction among the cars driving in a tight formation behind the lead Ferrari, eventually wrapping up seven other Ferraris — namely a 360 Modena, F355 and a white Testarossa — along with a Lamborghini Diablo and a couple of high-end Mercedes.

The Prius sustained some rear bumper damage, but escaped relatively unharmed.



Need to ship a Ferrari? Call Paragon Transport today. Enclosed Car Shipping for all exotic, luxury and classic cars. Nationwide Auto Shipping service to all 50 states.

832-830-5555     www.paragonautotransport.com

Camaro, stolen in New Jersey in 1975, recovered in California

Sometimes things do workout.......

Janice Maffucci had given up on ever seeing her 1969 Chevy Camaro SS again. After all, it was stolen back in 1975.

So when California cops called recently to tell her they'd found the hot rod, she hung up on them a few times, thinking it was a prank.

"I never thought that this would ever happen," Maffucci said.

But it did, and here's how: In February, Keith Williams, a car enthusiast from Santa Maria, Calif., bought the classic muscle car on eBay from a Tennessee seller for $28,000. But he soon noticed some features that he knew were inconsistent with the original model. For instance, the original six-cylinder engine had been replaced with a 427 V-8, and other parts seem to come from different sources.

So Williams contacted the California Highway Patrol (CHP). CHP officers used identifying numbers on the car to find its original VIN number. And when they ran the number, they found that it matched the one for a butternut yellow Camaro stolen in Newark, New Jersey -- on July 8, 1975.

The cops called Maffucci, who was listed as the owner. She told them the car had been stolen from outside the post office where her father worked.


"I still can't believe it, but I think it's just great," Maffucci told KSBY, a local California TV station. She said she plans on selling it, though Williams is no longer interested in buying.

Williams had insured the purchase, so he'll get his money back, though not the $875 he paid to transport the car. Still, he said it's worth it. "I got a great story to tell my grand-kids," he told the TV station.

The CHP is still working to try to find out who might have stolen the car.

The 1969 Chevy holds an almost iconic place in American muscle-car culture. The narrator of "Racing in the Streets," Bruce Springsteen's 1978 ballad about a washed-up New Jersey drag racer, drives a "'69 Chevy with a 396, fuelie heads, and a Hurst on the floor." And a rival is said to drive a Camaro.

To get your Classic car transported, call Paragon Transport today.......
832-830-5555     www.paragonautotransport.com

Need a car shipped to the SEMA Show?

Paragon Transport offers nationwide enclosed auto shipping to the SEMA Show in Las Vegas on November 1st-4th. The SEMA Show is the premier automotive specialty products trade event in the world. It draws the industry’s brightest minds and hottest products to one place, the Las Vegas Convention Center. In addition, the SEMA Show provides attendees with educational seminars, product demonstrations, special events, networking opportunities and more.
SEMA Show 2010 drew more than 50,000 domestic and international buyers. The displays are segmented into 12 sections, and a new product showcase featured nearly 1,500 newly introduced parts, tools and components. In addition, the SEMA Show provides attendees with educational seminars, product demonstrations, special events, networking opportunities and more...
 Our specialized enclosed auto transport division is equipped to handle all types of exotic & specialty vehicles that are transported to the SEMA Show. Each of our enclosed car carriers are equipped with lift gates and the proper cargo insurance to ensure the proper loading and insurance coverage needed for these types of cars. Paragon Transport has been shipping cars to and from the SEMA Show since 2005.
 If you are looking for a safe and reliable enclosed car transporter to ship your car to the SEMA Show, look no further that Paragon Transport. Call or email to get your enclosed auto shipping quote today.
832-830-5555    info@paragonautotransport.com   One Call, One Agent, One Choice