Automaker CEOs don’t often comment on how much they like a vehicle from a competitor, but then again Toyota President Akio Toyoda isn’t a conventional boss.

Shown above in his racing suit and standing side-by-side with fellow “enthusiast CEO” Aston Martin boss Ulrich Bez, both men are some of the few at the helm of a global automaker that not only enjoy hitting the race track, but do so competitively.

Recently appointed as the new chairman of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, Toyoda singled out one model from each of the other member automakers. The list says a great deal about the taste Toyoda has in vehicles and includes: the Nissan Skyline, Mazda Cosmo Sport, Mitsubishi Pajero, Isuzu Bellett and, not surprisingly, the Honda NSX.

Cars like the iconic NSX and Skyline are far from surprises and rank among the top on any enthusiasts list. As for the others Toyoda picked, there are some surprises.

The Cosmo Sport is a front-engine rear-drive machine from the 1960s and was the first to use the brand’s iconic rotary engine. The Isuzu Bellett is another oddity, though it was an extremely popular model made in the 1960s and ’70s and was the first Japanese car to wear a GT badge.

And finally on Toyoda’s list there’s the Mitsubishi Pajero (certainly no Evo), a large SUV that has been in production since 1982.

[Source: AutoNews]

Sports cars have often set the bar in new automotive technology and trends. Things like dual-clutch transmissions and forced induction engines were practically engineered for the sole purpose of taking a sports car to the absolute edge of excitement and danger.

That fact is still true, but now sports cars are bringing a substantially more responsible attitude towards the automotive world. We’re starting to witness a new generation of sports cars that are better for the environment, safer to drive and much more practical than ever before. We’ve put together a list of what we think are the top 10 progressive sports cars that have debuted, or will be making their official launch soon enough.

Cadillac ELR

Originally called the Converj, the Cadillac plug-in hybrid sports car shows that environmentally responsible cars don’t have to have a compromised appearance. Powered by the same powertrain as the Chevy Volt, the ELR isn’t about making the most radical luxury sports car, but one that is affordable and good looking.

The new Acura NSX concept has been shown off around the world at Auto Shows since its original debut last January in Detroit, but all of the examples we have seen so far have shown up in one of the most boring colors: grey.

GALLERY: Red Acura NSX concept

Most recently for the Beijing Auto Show, Acura built a red version of the concept car, further pronouncing the design. While the color obviously doesn’t affect the performance of the mid-engine hybrid supercar, it’s a refreshing change from the drab grey version that ran the rounds at every other auto show this year.

The upcoming Avengers movie based on the classic marvel comics will feature super heros, super villains, crazy explosions and of course hot cars. Acura supplied the automotive eye candy in the form of the TL, MDX and the new NSX, showing the cars off at the movie’s red carpet debut. 

The Avengers hollywood premiere saw the whole fleet of Avengers designed Acura cars ferrying the stars to the glamorous event. Robert Downey Jr. pulled up in his on screen character, Tony Stark’s, car of choice: the new NSX. The militarized S.H.I.E.L.D. edition Acura MDX and TL also pulled up on the red carpet, carrying the rest of the Avengers team, namely Chris Evans (Captain America), Mark Ruffalo (The Hulk), Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye).

We saw the NSX concept on the set of the film already, and again at the Detroit Auto Show, but it will be fulfilling to finally witness the supercar performing in the movie, driven by the one and only Iron Man.

Check out the gallery of the three cars looking super hero ready on the red carpet and the cast including Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson and others.

GALLERY: Acura S.H.I.E.L.D Vehicles at Avengers Red Carpet Debut

Japanese automaker Acura has a huge involvement with the upcoming Avengers movie, which already looks to be a hit based on trailers and previews. We got a hint that Acura would be the official automotive partner for the movie when we spotted the Stark Industries Acura Super Car earlier this year.

It appears that the super car is a one-off Acura NSX Roadster and the Japanese automaker stressed that it was “created specifically for the film.” We still have belief that a convertible variant of the new NSX is in the works, especially since NSX Spider patent pending images were leaked.

Besides the NSX, Acura will also have its MDX, ZDX, RDX, and TL starring in the film. Acura will also be launching an online game that will net players movie tickets, flashlights, and a trip to New York City.

For decades, the design of the Honda NSX remained mostly untouched, save for a headlight/front-end refresh. But for the most part, the NSX was highly regarded as Japan’s answer to the Italian supercars from Ferrari and Lamborghini, that is until Lexus introduced the LFA and Nissan made its GT-R available worldwide.

But now that we have seen the new Acura NSX Concept (Shown above) it appears that the Japanese automaker is getting back into the supercar game even though it won’t hit the market until 2015. Nonetheless, Honda found it fitting to give us a video looking back into the NSX’s past as we head towards its new future. The retrospective video highlights previous models such as the NSX-R, the 24 Heures de Le Mans version, some footage of the new NSX in Gran Turismo 5 and of course, the concept that we saw.

Though the powertrain could change by the time it is released, it’s widely believed that the new NSX will feature at least 400-hp with a Sports Hybrid SH-AWD powertrain.

Check out the video after the break.

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As though the reveal of the NSX Concept at the Detroit Auto Show didn’t garner enough buzz, Acura is looking to reach an even wider audience by showcasing the new hybrid sports car during this weekend’s Super Bowl. And to help out they’ve employed the help of two of the word’s best known comedians, both of whom just also happen to be well-known car buffs: Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno.

The spot pits the two against each other to be the very first to own the new NSX, which isn’t set to go on sale for another three years.

How does it pan out? Watch the video below and see for yourself:

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If it’s  impossible, implausible or just plain awesome and you can’t have it in real life, there’s always going to be video games to let you live out the fantasy.

Amid the buzz building around the new Acura NSX, we can’t help but think to ourselves that it would be nice to just jump in and drive the thing. No waiting around, just instant gratification like a kid in Toys-R-Us. The good news is, as you get older the toys tend to get way cooler and in this case more accessible.

Polyphony Digital, the creators behind the wildly successful Gran Turismo racing game series, have released a video featuring both the old and new versions of the Acura NSX ripping around a track. In addition to teasing the distinct possibility that Playstation 3 owners may soon get to “drive” the NSX, it features some of the key details released at this year’s Detroit Auto Show, including the fact that the car is a mid-mounted V6 hybrid using three electric motors. Gamers, power up your consoles.

Watch the video on the after the jump.

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After a downright miserable year with an eight percent sales decline, Acura is forecasting a massively successful 2012. On hand to debut two new models as well as the Acura NSX concept car at the Detroit Auto Show, sales VP Jeff Conrad dropped a stunning number, telling the assembled press that Acura will increase its volume by 45 percent this year.

Part of the increase will come from having production capacity back at full steam after a difficult year that included both the Japan earthquake and tsunami as well as flooding in Thailand. Prior to those natural disasters, says Conrad, Acura saw 13 months of double-digit sales increases.

The other major area of growth will come from the two new products unveiled in Detroit: the second-generation RDX, as well as an all-new compact luxury sedan called the ILX. Both the small luxury sedan and compact luxury crossover segments are expecting significant growth in the next four years says Conrad. “In fact they are the only two segments expecting double digit growth,” he says.

Past RDX sales have never been all that impressive, but Acura hopes to change that with a new V6 engine and larger overall size for the RDX with much improved power and fuel economy. As for the ILX, the addition of any new model to a lineup is certain to help sales, but perhaps the biggest factor will be the car’s entry-price, which Acura says will be well below the $30,000 mark.

GALLERY: 2013 Acura ILX

GALLERY: 2013 Acura RDX

The star of the Detroit Auto Show, Acura has put itself back on the map by unveiling a concept car that will inspire the next NSX. Looking undeniably like an exotic, it’s actually quite a small machine – an indication of just how serious Acura is about keeping it light weight. For more details on the car, see here, or watch the video below:

GALLERY: Acura NSX Concept

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Acura is bringing a dead legend back to life with the unveiling of their NSX concept at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show.

The all new super car has lost some weight thanks to lightweight build materials and Acura’s race inspired philosophy of a well balanced power to weight ratio. The new NSX will be powered my a mid-mounted direct injection VTEC V6 engine which will utilize Acura’s hybrid super handling all wheel drive system. The SH-AWD system consists of two electric engines which operate independently of each other and can generate positive or negative torque to the front wheels during cornering. The V6 SH-AWD system will be paired with a dual clutch transmission outfitted with its own electric motor giving the NSX three separate electric power plants.

The styling on the new NSX is very much a classic supercar look, using low ground clearance, aggressive angles in the nose, a very low profile roof line and a windswept look running into a small rear spoiler to achieve its supercar style. Hard angles are all over the NSX which gives it a very rigid  and serious stance.

President and CEO of Honda Motor Co. Takanobu Ito said, “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.” Ito also revealed that the NSX will be a production model within the next three years and it will be built in an Ohio car plant.

GALLERY: Acura NSX Concept

GALLERY: Acura NSX Concept

Watch AutoGuide’s first look video of the new NSX below:

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Plus, watch the Acura NSX Super Bowl ad:

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After having taken quite a beating with reviews of the new Civic, Honda has been on the offensive, promising updates while announcing its new “Earth Dreams Technology” plan to reestablish itself as a fuel economy leader. With the debut of the EV-STER electric sports car concept and confirmation that a new NSX is on the horizon, company president Takanobu Ito is now going a step further, while explaining the faults of the past.

In an interview with the The Nikkei, he explains Honda’s old product planning method. “We divided the world into six regions, and Honda’s regional operations were each responsible for their respective regions. Whenever we planned a product for the global market, our thinking was that we needed to listen to each regional supervisor.”

The result, says Ito, was a lowest-common-denominator approach to building a car, watering down all the characteristics of a vehicle to the greatest mass-market appeal. The problem admits Ito is that, “When you harmonize all the different opinions, you end up with a safe, boring car.”

Under the old method of doing business, the vehicle development team was essentially taking the designed-by-committee idea and building a car around it.

Ito says that since he took over in April of last year, changed the system. “I had three corporate officers each supervise luxury, midsize and small vehicles,” he said. “Putting more authority in their hands, I asked them to create more competitive autos and to speed up coordination with product planning and regional operations. I set up a structure that would allow them to take the lead in realizing the wishes of the development team. The fruits of these moves will begin to appear in the market next fiscal year.”

Exactly what those fruits are, says Ito, will be cars that are environmentally friendly and safe, but also ones that are “highly distinctive”. Honda, after all, has a long history of unique vehicles from the NSX, S2000, CRX and del Sol. But perhaps most importantly, he says, “This strategy will be represented by our effort to make vehicles more sporty.”

The first true example of this plan will be evident when Honda unveils the next-generation NSX at the Detroit Auto Show next week.

[Source: Nikkei via TTAC]