Acura Type S Concept Shows the Future of Performance-Tuned TLX

For the rest of us, the Japanese carmaker unloaded a bunch of photos and some info online.

The concept in the photos above is of great importance for the Japanese. The company’s VP, Jon Ikeda, even calls it “instrumental in our mission to return Acura to its performance roots,” a mission that started a while back with the launch of the NSX.

This car previews the return of the Type S TLX following an absence of a decade or so, and also the expansion of the Type S nameplate to the RDX line. That means we are to expect some of the design lines seen on the concept make their way into the production version.

Unfortunately, there’s no way of telling how great of a performer the TLX will be, as Acura said nothing about what powers this here Type S. But if past models taught us something is to expect only good things from this bloodline.

Moreover, the carmaker itself promises “a high-performance driving experience with quicker acceleration, nimbler handling and stronger braking performance” than the stock Acura models they are based on.

For reference, the U.S. market was treated with four Type S models from 2001 to 2008 – 3.2CL, 3.2TL, RSX, and TL. All of them were powered by engines developing above 200 hp (the most powerful was the 286 horsepower in the TL Type S) and featured a series of other upgrades meant to increase the car’s performance levels.

There’s no official date for the introduction of the new Type S production models, but both will be revealed “in the next two years.”