The Acura RL now becomes one of those unanticipated wonder cars from Japan. Having driven a TL with the optional over-the-top wheel, tire, and suspension treatment, none of us was quite sure what to expect from the brand-new RL, which goes on sale in October. However, our own Michael Jordan predicted that I would love it-that the best people inside Acura were extremely stoked at what a delightful product it has turned out to be. The RL promises better styling, more power, better handling, and a bundle of cutting-edge technologies, and it delivers on each and every particular.When we first drove the Bentley Continental GT a year ago, we were blown away by its all-wheel-drive system. It was absolutely transparent in use, yet it contributed significantly to the Bentley coupe's stellar handling and roadholding. Now we can say exactly the same thing about the system that is standard equipment on the Acura RL.
Acura calls it SH-AWD (Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive), and super handling is not too superlative a descriptor. Acura claims it is the first system that not only delivers the optimal torque split between front and rear wheels but also varies the amount of torque available to right and left rear wheels. It can deliver as much as 100 percent of the rear torque to the outside rear wheel to benefit handling, roadholding, and feel. The net effect is to stabilize the car in fast corners in such a way that the words understeer and oversteer don't come up much when you're trying to describe the experience of lapping West Virginia's Summit Point racing circuit at your personal best speed-which is exactly what we did for three hours.... Read full article