"Acura is out testing its next-generation MDX luxury crossover on public roads and we’ve managed to scoop a prototype running around the Nürburgring and on some of the German race track’s surrounding streets."
At first, I was laughing because Honda was testing a 4000lb SUV on the Ring of all places,
But then I started laughing because of how planted and how little body roll this thing showed through corners.
Chocs wrote: If they could do this to a SUV, I'm looking forward to see what they can do to a mid engined sports car.
I've been saying something like that since I first tracked my Legend back in 2006-7!
As for the pace of this MDX, lets all just keep in mind, while it may look fast, we don't really know what pace it is moving at, especially if it's running some low friction tyres? My look fast, lots of tyre squeal, but it tells us diddly squat about it true pace [having said that, if it does have the eSH-AWD it could be really quick :)]
Mr. Taggart wrote: Also notice how it does not understeer or slide out of a corner?
And how flat the cornering.. definitely not SUV like.. very nice
I couldn't say much from the video, but the suspension seems working extra hard to maintain the car's composure. Well, it is a 4000lbs SUV, so I don't expect much and the video is a good showing for the eSH-AWD... Are both cars equipped with the system or just one? Usually if two cars are field tested, both features a comparative setup.
The current gen MDX was also set up on the ring if I'm not mistaken. Now if somebody has a video of it, perhaps a comparison can be drawn with the next gen?
Mr. Taggart wrote: Also notice how it does not understeer or slide out of a corner?
And how flat the cornering.. definitely not SUV like.. very nice
I couldn't say much from the video, but the suspension seems working extra hard to maintain the car's composure. Well, it is a 4000lbs SUV, so I don't expect much and the video is a good showing for the eSH-AWD... Are both cars equipped with the system or just one? Usually if two cars are field tested, both features a comparative setup.
The current gen MDX was also set up on the ring if I'm not mistaken. Now if somebody has a video of it, perhaps a comparison can be drawn with the next gen?
Yep, the current mdx was also ring proven. which is why it rides pretty stiff like the x5. Frankly, I don't get the appeal of driving little johnny to soccer practice in a stiff riding suv, but it lends to credibility and active safety i guess. It's "sporty." Fun for the journalists and fun to watch hustle down the track. And the market loves it.
revvin wrote: Frankly, I don't get the appeal of driving little johnny to soccer practice in a stiff riding suv,
Yea, I don't get the driving little johnny to soccer practice in an suv either, or a sports suv tuned for the race track, or even the point of an suv for that matter anyway... I thought those were made for offroad fox hunting and going places where roads don't exist or something.. but its nice to watch an suv handle un-suv like on a track.
...and usually cars that seem to go fast for the driver dont seem very fast from outside on camera, so it seems going quite fast around the track to me.... certainly faster than most people would like to drive
revvin wrote: Frankly, I don't get the appeal of driving little johnny to soccer practice in a stiff riding suv,
Yea, I don't get the driving little johnny to soccer practice in an suv either, or a sports suv tuned for the race track, or even the point of an suv for that matter anyway... I thought those were made for offroad fox hunting and going places where roads don't exist or something.. but its nice to watch an suv handle un-suv like on a track.
...and usually cars that seem to go fast for the driver dont seem very fast from outside on camera, so it seems going quite fast around the track to me.... certainly faster than most people would like to drive
It's for the image I suppose. The Germans trio field test their cars there, since Acura is targeting them where it hurts, well, they follow suit... V8 and RWD not withstanding.
Jokes aside (I'm joking?), the ring, especially Nordschleife has punishing twists and turns. It would take the most well built car, putting emphasize on chassis, suspension, and braking to finish a lap. The NSX-R (NA2) 7:56 is a testament of the track punishing turns, the "slow" V6 even bested big "powerful" cars with V8, V10, turbos and... is there a V12 there? Forgot...
revvin wrote: Frankly, I don't get the appeal of driving little johnny to soccer practice in a stiff riding suv,
Yea, I don't get the driving little johnny to soccer practice in an suv either, or a sports suv tuned for the race track, or even the point of an suv for that matter anyway... I thought those were made for offroad fox hunting and going places where roads don't exist or something.. but its nice to watch an suv handle un-suv like on a track.
...and usually cars that seem to go fast for the driver dont seem very fast from outside on camera, so it seems going quite fast around the track to me.... certainly faster than most people would like to drive
It's for the image I suppose. The Germans trio field test their cars there, since Acura is targeting them where it hurts, well, they follow suit... V8 and RWD not withstanding.
Jokes aside (I'm joking?), the ring, especially Nordschleife has punishing twists and turns. It would take the most well built car, putting emphasize on chassis, suspension, and braking to finish a lap. The NSX-R (NA2) 7:56 is a testament of the track punishing turns, the "slow" V6 even bested big "powerful" cars with V8, V10, turbos and... is there a V12 there? Forgot...
If the MDX is testing there, where is the RLX testing? I imagine that the RLX,with its hybrid sport system will be more suitable to be testing in the Ring than the MDX? Or the Ring test was done already and nobody noticed?
"Acura is out testing its next-generation MDX luxury crossover on public roads and we’ve managed to scoop a prototype running around the Nürburgring and on some of the German race track’s surrounding streets."
The V6 sounds fairly potent in the parts of the clip where you can hear it, and it indeed looks pretty fast on track. Hopefully they are shedding some weight with this generation of the MDX.
I don't know about shedding any weight. The base model may be the same weight as the current due to its size increasing and dropping SH-AWD in favor or a simpler, lighter AWD system.
However, the E SH-AWD will undoubtedly weigh more because there will be 3 electric motors and a dual clutch tranny that will probably be heavier as well than the outgoing 6-speed due to increased torque capacity.
I don't know about shedding any weight. The base model may be the same weight as the current due to its size increasing and dropping SH-AWD in favor or a simpler, lighter AWD system.
However, the E SH-AWD will undoubtedly weigh more because there will be 3 electric motors and a dual clutch tranny that will probably be heavier as well than the outgoing 6-speed due to increased torque capacity.
JR's machine wrote: I don't know about shedding any weight. The base model may be the same weight as the current due to its size increasing and dropping SH-AWD in favor or a simpler, lighter AWD system.
However, the E SH-AWD will undoubtedly weigh more because there will be 3 electric motors and a dual clutch tranny that will probably be heavier as well than the outgoing 6-speed due to increased torque capacity.
Time will tell for sure.
If I'm not mistaken, the goal of the eSH-AWD is to make things more compact and lighter. Without the connecting driveshaft and differentials front and back, the overall weight of the eSH-AWD drivetrain should be about the same with SH-AWD drivetrain.
I guess to have an apple-to-apple comparison, it has to compare w/ those V6(turbo/sc) / V8 in AWD configuration w/ similar horsepower. The current one only has about 300 hp.
I don't think, from this angle, the weight / performance ratio will be any worse.
ClementZ wrote: At first, I was laughing because Honda was testing a 4000lb SUV on the Ring of all places,
But then I started laughing because of how planted and how little body roll this thing showed through corners.
All the better to dodge falling debris with... in the next Avengers!
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