Acura Lingerie Fundraiser-Ticket.ai 1 3/14/11 11:28 AMAcura Lingerie Fundraiser-Ticket.ai 1 3/14/11 11:28 AMAcura Lingerie Fundraiser-Ticket.ai 1 3/14/11 11:28 AMVisually refine for 2012, Acura TL offers superior power capabilitiesBy Rob Beintemaroad spray, four 2012 Acura TLs vapour-trailing overload of rain and engine roar, corneringawry and the world shifts slightly sideways.Acura Lingerie Fundraiser-Ticket.ai 1 3/14/11 11:28 AMMetroland Newspapersnose-to-tail through the corners of Carolina G-forces and the aroma of hot brakes, seems toWe were there to test the saving graces of Motorsport Park.diminish into just a soothing soundtrack. the Acura TL SH-AWD. That acronym stands forCHARLOTTE, N.C. - The clacking wipers set Oh, what fun.Theres a comfort there. Dare I say, a Zen-Super Handling All Wheel Drive, one of thosea frenzied beat as we blasted through rain and I was nicely into the zone where the sensory like oneness with the car that comes some-Japanese-constructed names that makes every-where after 30 or 40 laps around a twisting roadone giggle - except the Japanese. But the onlycourse. In that rhythm of growing familiarity,tittering in the TLs on that rainy day wouldbravado begins to overcome anxiety, dangershave been nervous laughter as the SH-AWDAcura of Oakville...become mere technical challenges and blindsystem continuously corrected our mistakes,corners hold no more surprises.straightened our skidding lines and just gener-Like this one coming up, for example. Standally pulled our fat out of the fire.on the gas down the straight, wait, wait, andI asked Scott Goodyear how he would havefashion showbrake hard, downhill into the dip. Blip andmanaged at these speeds in the rain without it?downshift into third in preparation for the exit,Oh, Id be in the mud, he said. You canthe gravity of the climb up the other side help-fight your way through every lap but, with alling the brakes to squeeze the speed down bythe rain and puddles on a day like this, eventu-100 kph or so, the shift in momentum com-ally a corner would bite you.pressing the front wheels for the hard turn-in toYeah, wish we had this on our race cars,the right. Back on the power and unwind theUnser added.wheel, easy, easy, using the whole width of theUnder normal cruising, the SH-AWD operatestrack. Theres a wriggle as the rear end momen-benignly with up to 90 percent of the enginetarily breaks loose, the warning thrum of a racetorque rotating the front wheels. But in hard cor-curb rumble strip, the alarming bang of a wheelnering and under acceleration, up to 70 percent of edging off pavement and the shotgun spray of available torque can be directed to the rear wheelsdirt hitting the wheel well. But then, whew,to enhance vehicle dynamics. And, depending ontheres the reassuring shudder of the car claw-conditions and sensor feedback, all of the engineing back onto the racetrack. power channeled to the rear axle can be applied toA bit of a close call. But apparently not closeeither of the rear wheels. enough.Now, the more astute readers out there willTry to overdrive the car a little more for theknow that the SH-AWD system is not exactly new.next few laps, the voice breaks in over the two-So why all the fuss about the 2012 Acura TL?way radio.The 2011 TL was a good car. But some custom-You dont often hear the driving instructor iners just couldnt get past its looks. To put itthe lead car advise you to get into more trouble.bluntly, the 2012 Acura TL needed a nose job andEVENING ENTERTAINMENT BENEFITBut this was Scott Goodyear, one of Canadasa fanny tuck, dialing down the proportions of FRIDAY APRIL 15 2011 AT 7PMgreatest racing drivers, who along with his co-in-polarizing elements like Dynamic PowerPRESENTED BY structor for the day, Al Unser Jr., represented thePlenum, the shield-like grille mounted on themost celebrated and closest-fought 1-2 finish infront of the TL like a giant bottle-opener. It was athe history of the Indianapolis 500.fixture that looked fine on the MDX sport ute, butThe whole point of our exercise under theseit was way too overpowering on a sports sedan.two noteworthy instructors was to push pastthe usual point of no return, to where things goContinued on Page 15FEATURING INSIDE STORY FINE LINGERIEIN SUPPORT OF OAKVILLE HOSPITAL FOUNDATIONACURA OF OAKVILLE1525 NORTH SERVICE ROAD WESTOAKVILLE, ON L6M 2W2 905.825.8777With your participation, our goal is to raise $26,000 for the purchase of a Fetal Telemetric Monitor.For an evening of fashion and fun, door prizes and refreshments, loot bags and a great cause, please purchase your ticket today and help us reach our goal.Contact Andrea (ext.238) andrea@acuraofoakville.com or Joanne (ext.223) joanne@acuraofoakville.comCanadian automotive journalists take to the track at Carolina Motorsport Park to test the new 2012 AcuraTL, fresh from an extensive mid-cycle makeover that refined the exterior looks, added a new multi-clutch sixticketo$speed automatic transmission, improved noise insulation for a quieter cabin, and tweaked aerodynamics000000price75nand fuel efficiency while maintaining the TLs sports sedan reputation for power and handling.www.insideHALTON.com OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, April 6, 2011 14