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11 · Wednesday, March 17, 2010 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.oakvillebeaver.com $ + FREE CHAMOIS Coupon required. Expiry: Apr. 30, 2010 Code: 5526 5 OFF with any oil change package 345 Speers Rd. (at Dorval), Oakville 905-842-9299 Valid at all GTA locations. Acura TL has a grip on high performance motoring Story and photos by Jim Robinson Metroland Newspapers Carguide Magazine What's in a name? The Acura brand debuted in North America in 1986 as the "second channel" or luxury/performance brand from Honda. It was a masterstroke. Suddenly the little solid and stolid Civic that people had come to love as youngsters was offering Honda reliability with luxury to the same people who were starting to make their way in life. It wasn't long before Toyota with Lexus and Nissan with Infiniti jumped in hoping to cash in on the success of Acura. With the Legend sedan and Integra sporty coupe, Acura hit the ground running and people were fighting to get their hands on an Acura. And then something funny happened. Even though Acura had huge equity in the Legend and Integra, the Legend somehow became the larger 3.5RL and the Legend name was abandoned. To fill the slot left by the Legend, there was briefly the Vigor but that was dropped as Acura went alphanumeric across the board with the 3.2 TL and (if memory serves) 2.7 TL. A former Honda/Acura executive once told me that this was done so that when people asked an owner what kind of model he/she was driving, instead of spouting numbers and letters, with simpler to say "Acura" which also served to tout the brand name like saying Audi or Mercedes. Acura TL Technology SH-AWD 2010 At A Glance: BODY STYLE: Mid-Size luxury sedan. DRIVE METHOD: front-engine, allwheel-drive. ENGINE: 3.7-litre SOHC V6 (305 hp, 273 lb/ft). TOW RATING: NA. FUEL ECONOMY: Premium; 12.3/100 km city, 8.1/100 km highway PRICE: $48,490, as tested, $50,794. WEB: www.acura.ca ready for another tongue twister) Variable Valve Tuning and Lift Electronic Control. Off the line, a lower valve lift time and shorter camshaft profile combine for faster combustion thus more torque. As speed levels off, the valves lift higher resulting in a longer opening for the air/fuel mix meaning a greater charge in the chamber for more power. But leading-edge engine mapping makes sure the right amount of fuel is available for reasonable gas mileage, in this case 12.3/8.1L/100 km city/highway with the standard five-speed automatic or 11.9/8.0L/100 km city/highway in the six-speed manual transmission option that is available for the first time on the TL. Although it was available on other Acura models, the SH-AWD system in the TL is the most aggressive and responsive. Continued on page 14 The 2010 Acura TL with Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive (Technology trim level shown) combines Honda's legendary engine design with one of the most sophisticated drive trains in the mid-size segment. Today the numbers and names are gone but the letters remain with today's Acura model lineup denoted as RDX, MDX, RL, CSX and the TL as tested here. Lets look as this week's tester the 2010 Acura TL SH-AWD (Super Handling AllWheel-Drive) and that's a mouthful if there ever was one. With a superb engine and incredible AWD system that rivals anything on the market today, I wish this sedan had a name that makes a statement. With Honda/Acura's association with IndyCar racing, I'd love to see a model called the Acura Indy Legend. But alas, I dream. And to not confuse you more, there are two versions of the TL. There is the base car with front-wheel-drive and a 3.5-litre V6 (280 hp, 254 lb/ft) and this week's tester TL with SHAWD that gets a bigger 3.7-litre V6 (305 hp, 273 lb/ft) that is the most powerful unit Acura makes. The SH-AWD system on the 2010 Acura goes a generation or two beyond simple AWD as we know it. It is one of the very few, Audi's quattro driver select being another, that makes it possible to take advantage of what is called "torque vectoring", a catchall phrase that barely describes how the system works. Honda needs no lessons on how to build engines. It is, in fact, the largest maker of gasoline engines in the world. The 3.7-litre unit in the TL is big for a V6 because the centrifugal force of the revolving mass of the internals has to be finely balanced. One of the ways this is done is with (get FREE VOLVO OIL CHANGE If you have never been to Volvo of Oakville For service NOW is the time! Enjoy a Free Oil Change when you Visit us for the very first time. See rules and details below. Bring your Volvo into Volvo of Oakville for the very first time and enjoy a free oil change. No strings, no gimics ­ just free! If you drive a Volvo and have never been to Volvo of Oakville, just drop by anytime and we'll change your oil no matter where you bought your car, or where it's serviced! One oil change per car. Some restrictions may apply. BUT HURRY ­ IT'S A LIMITED TIME OFFER! Valid from March 1st to April 17, 2010. LAURIE WILLIAMSON MOTORS SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT RUI PIRES ­ SERVICE CONSULTANT to announce the addition of Rui Pires, Service Consultant, to the Williamson Team. Rui has many years experience taking care of customers and their vehicles. Rui would like to welcome all new and existing customers to the Laurie Williamson Motors Service Department and looks forward to providing exceptional service to all. Drop in to say hello or contact Rui by phone or email and take advantage of his Service Specials for all of his former customers. Laurie Williamson Motors is proud Rui Pires Service Advisor 770 Pacific Road, Oakville Phone: (905) 825-8088 SERVICE DEPARTMENT OPEN SATURDAYS 8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. VOLVO OF OAKVILLE www.volvoofoakville.com Call Volvo of Oakville for details or visit our website. Please contact Rui at 905-607-4000 ext. 242 or by email at rpires@lauriewilliamson.com. JUST NORTH OF DUNDAS, MISSISSAUGA 3045 Glen Erin Drive www.lauriewilliamson.com 1.877.236.3795