I don't follow Acura (my stomach gets queasy to easily for that
) so I was quite surprised while watching PBS MotorWeek this morning, to find out that ACURA is going full speed ahead with *my* long-ranted-for Virtual-AWD via electrics on the non-petrol-driven wheels, connected/co-ordinated by sensors-&-software rather than a mechanical transmission ...also coming on the NSX!!
Any help finding better articles about it, greatly appreciated!
sub(super)title: LINCOLN LOSES - LATE AGAIN
2014 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid [w/video] - Autoblog
A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing
By Jonathon Ramsey
Posted Dec 18th 2013
...(the RLX) bodywork hides a reversed rendition of the powertrain we'll get in the coming NSX: a 3.5-liter V6 up front shifts through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, aided by an electric motor for driving the front wheels and two electric motors in back propelling the rear wheels.
The seven-speed dual-clutch transmission is packaged with a 35-kilowatt (47-hp) motor that boosts power to the front wheels, as well as gathers regenerative energy from the front wheels and the engine to juice up the 72-cell, 1.3-kW lithium-ion battery pack in the trunk.
The Twin Motor Unit in back is two 27-kW (36-hp) electric motors separated by a clutch, each motor driving one of the rear wheels and able to operate separately. They can send positive (accelerating) and negative (decelerating) torque to either wheel and boast a torque differential wider than that of the mechanical SH-AWD setup, increasing the sedan's handling abilities and gathering energy for the battery pack. All three motors are ruled by the Power Drive Unit 'brain' under the center console, and the two in back operate independently of the 3.5-liter V6.
Trunk space is somewhat compromised compared to the standard RLX, with the Intelligent Power Unit located behind the rear seats dropping cargo space from 15.3 cubic feet to 12, but there is underfloor storage that provides another 0.4 cubic feet.
Instead of 310 horsepower and 272 pound-feet of torque in the gas-only RLX, the Sport Hybrid gets 377 total system horsepower and 377 lb-ft. The result is a much quicker car in a straight line – Acura doesn't go in for official 0-60 mile-per-hour times, so we're not sure by how much yet – and through corners, and better gas mileage thanks to assists from the electric-motor-enabled EV mode, cylinder deactivation during steady-state driving and idle stop. The standard RLX gets 21 city, 31 highway and 24 combined miles per gallon, while the RLX Sport Hybrid gets 28 city, 32 highway and 30 combined.
The RLX Sport Hybrid gets .... a center of gravity that is eight millimeters lower and a different weight distribution because of the battery pack and Twin Motor Unit: whereas its FWD sibling has a front-rear balance of 61 percent to 39 percent, the Sport Hybrid is slightly more balanced at 57-43 front-to-rear.
More... with *WARNING*photos*WARNING*
Any help finding better articles about it, greatly appreciated!
sub(super)title: LINCOLN LOSES - LATE AGAIN
2014 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid [w/video] - Autoblog
A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing
By Jonathon Ramsey
Posted Dec 18th 2013
...(the RLX) bodywork hides a reversed rendition of the powertrain we'll get in the coming NSX: a 3.5-liter V6 up front shifts through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, aided by an electric motor for driving the front wheels and two electric motors in back propelling the rear wheels.
The seven-speed dual-clutch transmission is packaged with a 35-kilowatt (47-hp) motor that boosts power to the front wheels, as well as gathers regenerative energy from the front wheels and the engine to juice up the 72-cell, 1.3-kW lithium-ion battery pack in the trunk.
The Twin Motor Unit in back is two 27-kW (36-hp) electric motors separated by a clutch, each motor driving one of the rear wheels and able to operate separately. They can send positive (accelerating) and negative (decelerating) torque to either wheel and boast a torque differential wider than that of the mechanical SH-AWD setup, increasing the sedan's handling abilities and gathering energy for the battery pack. All three motors are ruled by the Power Drive Unit 'brain' under the center console, and the two in back operate independently of the 3.5-liter V6.
Trunk space is somewhat compromised compared to the standard RLX, with the Intelligent Power Unit located behind the rear seats dropping cargo space from 15.3 cubic feet to 12, but there is underfloor storage that provides another 0.4 cubic feet.
Instead of 310 horsepower and 272 pound-feet of torque in the gas-only RLX, the Sport Hybrid gets 377 total system horsepower and 377 lb-ft. The result is a much quicker car in a straight line – Acura doesn't go in for official 0-60 mile-per-hour times, so we're not sure by how much yet – and through corners, and better gas mileage thanks to assists from the electric-motor-enabled EV mode, cylinder deactivation during steady-state driving and idle stop. The standard RLX gets 21 city, 31 highway and 24 combined miles per gallon, while the RLX Sport Hybrid gets 28 city, 32 highway and 30 combined.
The RLX Sport Hybrid gets .... a center of gravity that is eight millimeters lower and a different weight distribution because of the battery pack and Twin Motor Unit: whereas its FWD sibling has a front-rear balance of 61 percent to 39 percent, the Sport Hybrid is slightly more balanced at 57-43 front-to-rear.
More... with *WARNING*photos*WARNING*