One of the hardest tricks in business is to know when to persist, when to adapt, and when to move on. I was at eBay’s big 30th Anniversary pop-up store in SoHo last night for a VIP event. Sarah Michelle Gellar was there, seemingly doing some promo work ahead of the revival of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was probably right for that series to find its end when it did, and it’s also probably the right time to bring it back now.
You know what was a harder call? Everything on display was from the mid-90s, which means they had one of the Kenner Luke Skywalker dolls on display. I didn’t know the story of this doll, but I think it’s worth reviewing this morning. Essentially, Star Wars as a franchise had done little new since Return of the Jedi. This meant that there was no obvious reason to put out merchandise. However, VHS sales were still high, and every parent was showing every kid the original Star Wars trilogy. The toy brand Kenner, having been recently purchased by Hasbro, decided it didn’t really need a new movie and started producing more action figures. They were a hit, and now we have a lot more Star Wars stuff.
The Acura Integra was an obvious home run for Acura when it came out, and it remains one of the most iconic and popular names for the brand. What did Acura do with its popular name? Dropped it for alphanumerics and then got rid of the car altogether. The Integra is back, and it’s good, although it probably should have been a coupe. Now it sounds like Acura might go all-crossover, which seems foolish to me.
Less foolish to me is the resurgence of Ford Racing. That seems like a thing that should happen. Additionally, I’m supportive of the return of the European car show and of Europe in general. The only one who seems to be going backwards is BYD, which is revising its own sales down, which seems smart to me.
An All-Crossover Acura Sucks, But I Have A Solution
Do you want to see a truly hilarious graphic from Honda/Acura:
YTD, Acura car sales are down 19.6% and “truck” sales are up 10.7%. In August, car sales were up 8.8%, and “truck” sales were down 11.8%. This is just one month, and a weird month at that, with some hangover from MDX factory retooling. Also, Acura picked the absolute wrong time for a “model year sell-down” for the ZDX before the arrival of the 2026 ZDX, given that the tax credit is about to expire.
I have some questions about how Honda and GM dealt with the fact that the tax credit was suddenly expiring, and both needed as much inventory as possible to shove into customers’ hands. Will those questions ever be answered? Maybe not!
Either way, the general trend is that people aren’t buying Acura’s two existing cars (the very good Integra and totally fine Acura TLX), but are buying their “trucks.” For reasons probably having to do with discounting, the TLX actually sold quite well in August, while the Integra didn’t.
The problem with the trucks, though, is that none of them are hybrid, and all of them should be hybrid. Honda’s logic in designing a hybrid system that works for vehicles sized from Civic to CR-V, but not for bigger vehicles, maybe makes sense? Perhaps the idea was that EVs would fill a lot of that gap, so why make a hybrid?
According to this Automotive News article about Acura’s pivot, there was a lot of that kind of thinking rolling around:
While the Japanese automaker has a long history in hybrids, developing and introducing new electrified powertrains takes time, American Honda CEO Kazuhiro Takizawa told reporters during an August briefing in Monterey, Calif.
“When you change the powertrain and the crash test, we have to start from scratch,” Takizawa said. “We usually need four years or more to have the new vehicle, so it’s lead time we need to secure.”
Takizawa declined to comment on what models the automaker was targeting for hybrid drivetrains. But the RDX crossover, due for a redesign in 2028, is a good candidate, given the potential development timeline.
It was initially thought that the recently debuted RSX electric crossover would serve as a replacement for the RDX since they are similarly sized, but now it seems likely the two will coexist until the market is more accepting of electric vehicles, making a hybrid addition more appealing.
It looks like the big Honda hybrids aren’t coming until 2028 at the earliest. Worse, though, is that the company is probably shuffling off both the TLX and the Integra:
Acura also announced the end of production of its TLX sedan, leaving the Integra as the sole option for the shrinking set of buyers looking outside crossovers. But with the Integra’s expected discontinuation in 2028, Acura will join the ranks of crossover-exclusive premium brands such as Lincoln and Buick.
While an electric NSX was previously expected to arrive in 2027 or 2028, the revised near-term product roadmap no longer includes a placeholder for the halo sports car. Nevertheless, at the Monterey briefing, Katsushi Inoue, American Honda’s director and senior managing executive officer, said executives fully understand the importance of the nameplate and are “just postponing it.”
Cancelling the Integra the first time was a mistake, which is probably why Acura brought the name back. Toyota is making cars work (Camry sales were up a lot in August), as are Kia and Hyundai. Cars can sell, and they can also be an affordable way into a brand (plus their sales can stand up to spikes in fuel prices). Make more cars! Building the success of your company on the back of a car like the Integra, killing it, and then bringing it back only to kill it again is terrible for loyalty. While I like the current Integra, it’s not going to be a huge volume seller (even though it is essentially the halo model for the brand).
I get that crash-testing and development are a pain, though, so can I make a suggestion? Or, rather, can I just take a prior complaint and turn it into a suggestion? The 2026 Honda Prelude seems awesome, and it’s also probably going to be a little too expensive, for tariff reasons, on top of being a smaller-run/more niche vehicle. A good solution to that might just be dropping an Acura badge and a slight rework of the nose onto the Prelude.
It should be easier to develop, it returns the Integra to its roots, and it gives the brand a high-MPG, attractive, sporty halo car until the new NSX arrives in 20 years or whatever actually happens. This is a layup, Acura. Do it!
Ford Racing Is Back!
For a company that doesn’t make many cars (i.e. not SUVs/trucks), Ford sure is into racing. Some of this likely comes from CEO Jim Farley’s predilections (having been to his garage in Monterey, the dude sincerely loves racing). As far as car-exec sidequests go, it could be worse.
The Ford family loves racing, too, and so Henry Ford’s great-great-grandson Will Ford is going to take over a newly-formed organization called Ford Racing that will combine all of the company’s customer and professional racing pieces. From Ford’s big mission statement:
Under one global Ford Racing banner, our engineers and designers will develop our performance road cars right alongside our race cars. The technology that survives the Baja 1000 will be in the DNA of the next F-150 Raptor. The aerodynamic lessons we learn at Daytona and Le Mans will be sculpted into the body of the next Mustang.
This is a direct line from the track to your driveway, and it starts now. The first production vehicle born from this new Ford Racing mindset will debut this January.
This is about more than just the machines. It’s about the experience. Our racing schools and the Bronco Off-Roadeo are not side projects; they are a core part of our mission. They are where we prove that the capabilities we engineer on the track and on the trail are real, and where we share that excitement directly with you.
Can I get a hell yeah? Hell yeah!
Munich Is Back, Too!
Sorry for channeling my inner-Upton Sinclair here, but today is worthy of a lot of exclamation points! Even before the pandemic, the general malaise of the European car industry meant that car shows were slowly becoming non-events. The two big European shows were once the Geneva Motor Show and Frankfurt (aka the IAA Mobility show). Geneva is moving to Qatar, for some reason, and IAA has moved to Munich.
I’m Bavarian, so I am highly supportive of this decision (better airport, too), but it didn’t matter so much at the time. I’d argue it matters a lot now. The inevitable outcome of both America and China being less reliable trading partners is that Germany has to stand on its own, and while I’m generally supportive of global cooperation, crisis precipitates change, and the industry needs to change.
Here’s Manager Magazin on the improved vibes:
“The trade fair, like the entire industry, had to be transformed. The experience aspect must be the focus today,” says industry expert Bratzel. Now things are looking up again. In 2023, the association counted around 100,000 people at the Open Space in the city center alone on the Saturday of the fair; this year, this area will be 20 percent larger. There’s a bike path and light shows; a Munich radio station is hosting a band competition.
The exhibition halls are also expected to be busier again. After all, European exhibitors are back and want to make their presence felt at Europe’s most important auto show – even in the face of growing competition from China. “It’s extremely difficult for European manufacturers to even gain visibility in China,” says Bratzel. “It’s similar in the US.” Recently, the Stellantis brands Peugeot, Fiat, and Opel have also been struggling with declining sales figures in Europe. The trade fair is regaining importance as a marketing platform – even though several manufacturers are cutting their marketing budgets.
And the Chinese are gaining ground, even at the show. By 2023, the share of Chinese automakers had already doubled compared to the previous edition; BYD made its debut in the exhibition halls with a stand as large as Volkswagen’s. This year, the Chinese share will be even higher.
China is coming. America is wild right now. Get going, Germany!
BYD Is Backing Off A Bit!
This was inevitable. BYD set a humongous sales goal for itself, but the problem with a goal like that is that you might slowly destroy yourself trying to achieve it. We call this a pyrrhic victory, like when you allow your closer to throw a bunch of pitches to win one game, and he blows out his arm before the playoffs…
BYD’s tactics included some reasonable ones, like the continued discounting of new models. It also involved the company doing some more questionable things, like selling a bunch of zero-mileage used cars. The Chinese government cracked down on automaker juicing habits, and now BYD seems to be trying to respond to both the oversight and the general slowing of the larger market.
For most of the year, the expectation was 5.5 million car sales, but that’s dropped to closer to 4.6 million according to the latest report. Here’s what Reuters has on the moves:
The latest target, which has not been previously reported, is below several recently lowered forecasts from analysts. This week Deutsche Bank said it expected BYD to sell 4.7 million vehicles while Morningstar said it expected 4.8 million.
The new target represents a 7% increase from last year and would be the slowest annual growth since 2020, when sales fell by 7%.
The pared-back outlook also speaks to the deflationary pressure weighing on the world’s second-largest economy, where domestic demand has been hit by a prolonged housing downturn. In the first eight months of this year, BYD has only met some 52% of its original 5.5 million vehicle sales target.
That’s still probably enough to beat Tesla, if anyone cares.
What I’m Listening To While Writing TMD
I suppose the version of “Istanbul (not Constantinople)” I should use is the They Might Be Giants cover, as that’s the only version I’d ever heard. I heard the original this weekend, and I quite like it. Please enjoy The Four Lads.
The Big Question:
What’s the best Ford race car of all time, and why is it the Tommy Kendall All Sport Roush Trans-Am Mustang?
Top Photo: Acura
I learned of the song Istanbul as a child watching Animaniacs
Unless the Integra comes back as an electric SUV, it’s probably taken off of the menu. Some folks griped about the latest Integra being a fancy Civic, shout out to my boomer friends from the 80’s who remember the original version, the Integra has always been a fancy Civic with the Acura badge.
OH! MY! GOD! – “NIGHT PANEL!!!”
No, alleged Bob, there is NOT a Viggen out there with your name on it, there’s NOT.
Put. Down. The. Mouse!
Very hard trying to keep up with your unproven comments and I Question if you provided any facts but hey good for you.
Yes, yes, “GT40.” If you spell Ford “L,” “O,” “L,” “A,” then sure. Otherwise, Matt got it exactly correct.
You may begin.
If they kill the Integra will they make the Si available in a hatchback?
GT40
I’ve already said GT40 MkII.
PJ Jones’ Boss 302 in Trans Am.
Best: GT40.
Personal favorite: 1969 Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II (specifically the Wood Brother’s racing one driven by Cale Yarborough.)
I like the TLX a lot. It’s been the likely pick for my next car. But I guess I’ll have to buy used when it’s time for me to replace my car.
I also like a Integra. But, I wouldn’t be getting it for one simple reason – the lack of cooled seats. I know, probably a ridiculous reason. But if I’m paying $35k for a new car, it’s a feature I expect a car to have.
Please come to Indycar, Ford. I know that doesn’t quite fit what they are doing in that post but please come to Indycar.
Someone must have answered your question before my post with GT40, but just in case.
Infiniti: We’re gonna bring back the G35. Acura: we canceled the TLX and now we’re probably gonna cancel the Integra too.
There’s room for cars, even if they’re lower volume halos. I probably won’t buy from an all crossover brand.
Honda is making money – enough money that the Japanese government tried to make them merge with and bail out a near bankrupt Nissan. Nissan was too proud to take the deal.
There’s been a relatively new Integra noising up the streets around me for a while. It’s lowered, big fart can exhaust and a constantly thumping subwoofer. Chrome do-dads all over it. Pretty embarrassing. I mean, we get used to seeing 10+ year old cars riced out, but these haven’t been on the market that long.
So many questions. Do they live or work around here? Is this their Uber Eats delivery turf? Did this person buy it new to do that? A good off lease second hand deal already? Insurance right off?
One things for sure, the Integra nostalgia lives with this person going full nineties douche bag.
I’ve often wondered the same thing about the riced-out POS’s in my neighborhood. Are these owned by young dudes trying to emulate a retro fad as a style statement? If so, then what was their frame of reference? Or are they actually middle-aged guys who are mentally 19 years old forever?
Ultimately, I think d-bag car culture is perennial; it’s one of those fads that defies the laws of the universe by not dying (as every fad is meant to do).
One thing to know about Honda is that while some overall vehicle projects are engineered in the US, pretty much all powertrain engineering is done in Japan. Here in the US, a hybrid that would fit the Pilot/Passport/Ody/Ridgeline/MDX makes perfect sense since those are the big sellers.
However, for the guys actually doing powertrain development in Japan that group of cars doesn’t even exist in their home market, so they get pushed to the back of the line.
I think Toyota has a better feel for the US market, just not the availablity.
No EV, no care. All these slushbox ICE vehicles are trying so hard to be EV’s. Fake shifts? Try no shifts! More noise insulation to cut engine drone? No engine to drone! No low end torque? All the torque at 0 RPM! Worried about running costs? No engine oil to change, no complex emissions systems to go kablooey and the energy is cheaper.
Honda lost its way clutching it’s ICE pearls while the industry electrified. Kind of like making the best buggy whip when people are buying cars.
Just read an article that stated 10% of car sales in the US will be EV this year and 20% in Europe. Focusing your resources on 90% of the market seems like a smart move to me. Now Honda has made other missteps – notably they complete lack of hybrid in the Ridgeline, Odyssey, pilot class, when they were first to sell a hybrid in the US markrt. Now that the EV hype has blown over, the slow and steady approach of Honda and Toyota looks like a great business decision.
They could have at least given us a hybrid Odyssey. And Toyota lobbied against more efficient vehicles. It’s not a Japanese problem since Panasonic makes a darn good battery. Toyota and Honda have had to be dragged kicking and screaming to electrify. Look at the bz4x and oh right, Honda’s EV is made by GM. The two big buggy whip makers used their market power to slow a threat to their business.
We’d be buying a PHEV Odyssey tomorrow if such a vehicle went on sale today. Until then, there’s no reason to replace our perfectly fine Odyssey.
Exactly. Replace it with a better vehicle when it makes sense. That’s what I did when buying my EV. I went from a stickshift fuel sipper to a Model Y. The old car was getting a bit cramped for us. The MY suits our needs much better.
Exactly. I don’t see Honda or Toyota offering a PHEV van anytime soon. The kids will probably be off to college by the time that happens, and at that point we’ll replace it with a smaller vehicle.
EV? Not an option. Won’t begin to consider it. Condo life, no chargers, long trips as a retiree.
I’ve done a lot of 200+ road trips with my EV. Towing a popup camper to boot. Being able to “refuel” the car at the campsite is wonderful.
200 miles is a long roadtrip? That’s adorable. I am going 1750 miles in two days next weekend. And back again the following.
Yeah, 200 isn’t a road trip, that’s a day trip.
For me, that’s a shopping trip. Or lunch.
Seems weird to be crowing about “no shifts” on an enthusiast website, but you do you.
Also, when when the last time you honestly heard about someone’s emission system crapping out?
Not anywhere near as often as my friends whine about their broken yet again EVs. My friend with an Ionic 5 just got bit by that “ICCU” failure that is bricking them all over the place. Dealer has no idea when they can get the part to fix it. Sign me up!
That’s a Hyundai problem. Look at the H/K owners waiting on blown-up ICE engines. Or GM’s V8 woes. Or Toyota’s turbo V6 machining issues.
All that current ICE vehicles, especially with a CVT, are trying to do is imitate the torque and smooth, quiet power delivery of an EV.
Funny, Tesla had similar issues – among many others.
I can assure you there is noting EV-like about my BMWs power delivery. I have no interest in driving a golf cart around, and they all feel like fast golf carts.
But if you like the experience, you do you.
I’d expect a BMW to drive differently than a CVT equipped Corolla or Civic. Those cars could go electric and most non-enthusiast people wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.
I have no interest in a CVT-equipped anything.
Whether an EV will work for those people is highly dependent on their living arrangements, where and how they need to drive, and ability to (over)pay for a different car. EVs are not a one-size-fits-all proposition, even if you can stand driving them.
Very true on current EV infrastructure not being adequate for everyone. Especially denser living like condos or apartments. Or rented single family houses for 240v L2 chargers. A 12 amp L1 120v charger is surprisingly useful, though!
The point I was trying to make was that for a daily driver, an EV would drive similarly to ICE/CVT. Without the rubber band effect or droning engine. A lot of people want a smooth, quiet ride. That’s what EV’s excel at. They’re still not exactly there for enthusiast cars. Yeah, speed is cool but it eats tires alive.
If I am going to drive something boring, I want it to be as convenient as possible. To me, that says plug-in hybrid, not EV. Best of both worlds, especially with the Toyota/Ford style hybrid system.
The best use of 300 miles of battery is putting 30 miles of battery in 10 cars, and if I am going to haul around something expensive I only need sometimes, but when I need it, I need it, I will take an ICE over that extra 270 miles of battery. You don’t need 300 miles of battery when you are home every day, and batteries are a pain in the ass when you are not near home. If you can’t charge at home at all, why bother with something you have to plug in at all – non-plugin hybrid wins there.
I don’t find there to be enough difference to bother with between EVs and properly built ICE cars in terms of sound. My Mercedes and BMWs are smooth as baby’s asses, and they make NICE sounds that I enjoy hearing. The sounds EVs make annoy the shit out of me in a way that a decent ICE doesn’t. I have no interest in crap cars to start with.
Ultimately, I am not buying ANY new cars, because regardless of how they are motivated they have all gone plaid with stupidity as far as I am concerned. I hate them all with vanishingly few exceptions. Too many nice examples of the cars I actually like out there for me to bother with overpaying for a new piece of rubbish that will continuously annoy me. I rent 30 or so cars a year for work so I have driven pretty much everything and anything.
No shifts are better than CVT fake shifts. Which Honda did in this car. A stolen catalytic converter counts too. Or all the shenanigans that modern diesels have to burn cleanly. A new cat is close to $1000 for a CARB one.
I would say that depends on how well the fake shift is implimented. I’ve never drive one, so I can’t comment.
Ah, so crime is now the fault of engineering. I’ll add it to my list. Or just be sure to skip all your comments in the future.
If my pointing out the reality that EV’s don’t have ounces of pricey precious metals hanging down where tweakers can hack it off offends you, go right ahead and be offended.
I haven’t said EV’s are perfect. They’re not. My point was that Honda really phoned it in with this car. And that there are IMO better options available at that price point. This car has zero interest for me aside from how it’s an illustration of how far Honda has fallen behind the rest of the industry.
My 2004 Astro has been fun trying to keep the evap emission system working to pass emission testing. The check engine light seems to come on every 2 years like clockwork. Great fun finding the leaky rubber hose in the engine compartment of a van. My dad’s 2001 Silverado has had the check engine light on for about 8 years as he doesn’t live in a state that requires testing. (Evap codes)
My 2011 Express 4500 visited 5 Chevy dealers on a trip from NC to OR. Trip took more than 10 days not including a week it sat in Denver while I flew home. Spent $3500 in emission repairs.
I sort of meant cars that weren’t a decde or two old, but as I didn’t specify, I’ll retract my statement.
Acura beat Lexus to the near lux game. Lexus went all in, Acura held back. I still love me early Acura.
I saw a really nice second gen Legend sedan while I was walking the dog the other night.
Very nice cars, Honda just never fully commited like Toyota. Honda built a car to rival Audi. Toyota built one to bury Mercedes.
I think the best Ford race car has to be the GT40 MKII.
The news about the Integra is a bummer. Its not the car the internet “wanted” but it was a good hatchback with a great manual and a decent interior. I chickened out and wasn’t willing to pay for a new one so I can only blame myself if they kill the model.
If you haven’t already, go find a manual Integra and take it for a test drive, then in 30 years you can slip on your rose colored glasses and wax poetic about how Acura used to make a fun little 4-door hatchback that never should have been killed.
I can’t think of one single model Acura has that is at all even remotely interesting. They have been using the same tired, worn out, dated designs forever.
Real question regarding Farley’s comment: What could actually be gained in aerodynamic knowledge from a racecar that could be applied to a road car? Aren’t fluid dynamics mostly figured out or able to be calculated by a computer? With Czinger using genAI to design parts, can’t we already figure out the optimal aerodynamic profile for a 2+2 FR vehicle and then the rest is styling?
You are correct. Simulation is far more effective as all sorts of conditions can be quickly simulated and data gleaned reliably. Like “how does this perform in 25MPH urban driving where it will be mostly used? Would a wing help?” As if aero matter that much in these conditions.
The old trope of “racing proves technology for the street” is dead and over. It’s just an excuse to waste money and resources on goofing around.
I do think that there is a lot to be learned and applied still from off-road racing, Fox Live Valve suspension being a very obvious trickle-down from desert racing.
Not sure when the Autopian got a “Night Panel”…. but clearly this publication was Born From Jets!
Parnelli Jones Big Oly. Baja Bronco with a wing as it’s roof
Good call as well… I’ll add the PJ Boss 302 that decimated Trans Am.
TBQ: the Ford Ranger in the SCCA RaceTruck Challenge of course. Because it was never meant to be a race car, so it’s the best race car.
Also, I had no idea Istanbul (not Constantinople) was a cover. It feels so perfectly TMBG that I never considered it a possibility.
A car show with a Battle of the Bands?! Bring it on!
I bought an integra type s new. I did my part.