FanaticZ
11-15-2002, 07:43 PM
From Autoweek.
Sources tell us that a high- performance hybrid Acura will arrive as the next RL sport-luxury sedan.
The car’s 200-hp 3.0-liter V6 driving the front wheels gets a torquey 160-hp boost from an electric motor driving the rear wheels. Regenerative braking recharges the battery powering the electric motor.
In concept form, as the 400-hp Acura DN-X sports sedan shown last spring in New York, and as the Honda Dualnote shown earlier in Tokyo, Honda officials claimed 42 mpg. Look for the hybrid RL by 2004.
DN-X concept
http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/2002/new_york/acura.dnx.sedanconcept.500.jpg
Exotic performance cars, while certainly desirable, are usually associated with extremely poor fuel economy. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the Lamborghini Murcielago has the worst fuel economy for all 2002 cars and trucks, earning a 9/13 mpg city/highway rating. The Ferrari 360 Modena isn't much better with an 11/16 rating. Fortunately, one likely isn't worried about the cost of filling up a tank when spending more than $150,000 on a car.
But do high performance and high fuel economy have to be mutually exclusive? Honda doesn't think so. At the 2001 Tokyo Motor Show, the company unveiled its DualNote concept car. This four-door, four-passenger vehicle produces 400 horsepower. The kicker? It also gets more than 40 miles to the gallon.
This amazing feat is possible thanks to a hybrid gasoline/electric powertrain. The basic concept is similar to that found in the 2002 Honda Civic Hybrid and the pioneering Honda Insight. The DualNote is equipped with a mid-mounted 3.5-liter i-VTEC V6 engine with electric Integrated Motor Assist (IMA). IMA blends the engine and electric motor's power to maximize efficiency and fuel economy. Of even more interest, there are two additional electric motors that power the front wheels.
From a stop, only the electric motors drive the front wheels to motivate the car. Should livelier acceleration be needed, the motors work in concert with the gasoline engine that, in turn, powers the rear wheels. During cornering, the motors and the engine are governed by computer to ensure optimum front-to-rear power distribution. In addition, Honda has equipped the DualNote with its Automatic Torque Transfer System (ATTS) and Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA). ATTS applies extra torque to the outside wheels during cornering, resulting in extra stability. VSA is a stability system that helps to minimize the chance of dangerous skids and spins.
All of this hardware is wrapped up in an advanced aluminum composite body measuring 172.8 inches in length. It features an integrated front spoiler for improved aerodynamics and an active suspension. The windows' opaqueness can be adjusted to vary the amount of infrared and ultraviolet light allowed into the cabin.
Inside, the DualNote features four race-type seats and an advanced cockpit that looks like the modern version of Knight Rider's KITT. The collection of display screens and gauges are used to show advanced features like navigation, Internet access and the views from the front-and-rear night-vision CCD cameras.
While we don't expect the DualNote to ever become any more real than KITT, some of its specific technologies might indicate Honda's future plans. For instance, the 3.5-liter V6 IMA system could quite possibly show up, sans 4WD, on Honda's Odyssey minivan.
A 400-hp 4WD supercar getting 40 mpg would be nice, but we'll certainly take a real-world 40-mpg minivan any day.
http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/news/concept.car/honda.dualnote/honda.dualnote.f3-4.500.jpg http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/news/concept.car/honda.dualnote/honda.dualnote.int.500.jpg
Sources tell us that a high- performance hybrid Acura will arrive as the next RL sport-luxury sedan.
The car’s 200-hp 3.0-liter V6 driving the front wheels gets a torquey 160-hp boost from an electric motor driving the rear wheels. Regenerative braking recharges the battery powering the electric motor.
In concept form, as the 400-hp Acura DN-X sports sedan shown last spring in New York, and as the Honda Dualnote shown earlier in Tokyo, Honda officials claimed 42 mpg. Look for the hybrid RL by 2004.
DN-X concept
http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/2002/new_york/acura.dnx.sedanconcept.500.jpg
Exotic performance cars, while certainly desirable, are usually associated with extremely poor fuel economy. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the Lamborghini Murcielago has the worst fuel economy for all 2002 cars and trucks, earning a 9/13 mpg city/highway rating. The Ferrari 360 Modena isn't much better with an 11/16 rating. Fortunately, one likely isn't worried about the cost of filling up a tank when spending more than $150,000 on a car.
But do high performance and high fuel economy have to be mutually exclusive? Honda doesn't think so. At the 2001 Tokyo Motor Show, the company unveiled its DualNote concept car. This four-door, four-passenger vehicle produces 400 horsepower. The kicker? It also gets more than 40 miles to the gallon.
This amazing feat is possible thanks to a hybrid gasoline/electric powertrain. The basic concept is similar to that found in the 2002 Honda Civic Hybrid and the pioneering Honda Insight. The DualNote is equipped with a mid-mounted 3.5-liter i-VTEC V6 engine with electric Integrated Motor Assist (IMA). IMA blends the engine and electric motor's power to maximize efficiency and fuel economy. Of even more interest, there are two additional electric motors that power the front wheels.
From a stop, only the electric motors drive the front wheels to motivate the car. Should livelier acceleration be needed, the motors work in concert with the gasoline engine that, in turn, powers the rear wheels. During cornering, the motors and the engine are governed by computer to ensure optimum front-to-rear power distribution. In addition, Honda has equipped the DualNote with its Automatic Torque Transfer System (ATTS) and Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA). ATTS applies extra torque to the outside wheels during cornering, resulting in extra stability. VSA is a stability system that helps to minimize the chance of dangerous skids and spins.
All of this hardware is wrapped up in an advanced aluminum composite body measuring 172.8 inches in length. It features an integrated front spoiler for improved aerodynamics and an active suspension. The windows' opaqueness can be adjusted to vary the amount of infrared and ultraviolet light allowed into the cabin.
Inside, the DualNote features four race-type seats and an advanced cockpit that looks like the modern version of Knight Rider's KITT. The collection of display screens and gauges are used to show advanced features like navigation, Internet access and the views from the front-and-rear night-vision CCD cameras.
While we don't expect the DualNote to ever become any more real than KITT, some of its specific technologies might indicate Honda's future plans. For instance, the 3.5-liter V6 IMA system could quite possibly show up, sans 4WD, on Honda's Odyssey minivan.
A 400-hp 4WD supercar getting 40 mpg would be nice, but we'll certainly take a real-world 40-mpg minivan any day.
http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/news/concept.car/honda.dualnote/honda.dualnote.f3-4.500.jpg http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/news/concept.car/honda.dualnote/honda.dualnote.int.500.jpg