In about a few months, we will receive the first of the re-engineered and restyled 2009 Acura RLs. Acura went over the car with a critical eye and refined just about every aspect of the car to enhance the performance and luxury.
In a rare move for a mid-model refresh, Acura changed just about every exterior body panel to accomplish their goal of creating a bold new direction for the RL The hood, front fenders and trunk lid continue to be made of aluminum alloy for reduced weight and corrosion resistance. The new bodies are more aerodynamic and more resistant to lift at higher speeds. There are five new exterior colors and a new pearl paint process that improves the luster and shine.
The new gauges have a brushed aluminum accents to compliment the other metal-look trimming in the cockpit. The air conditioning controls have new, easier to read faces, and the actuation has been simplified to enhance ease of use. Redesigned low-noise a/c vents, more insulation, better acoustic isolation in the windshield and new Active Sound Control all make the car quieter and more comfortable.
The perforated leather for the front seats now offers 6 levels of heating/cooling. Here in Hawaii, very few of my customers use the heating feature, but I know everyone will make use of the new fan cooled, ventilated seats. The passenger seat now matches the drivers seat's 10-way adjustability. Both front seats now have the same Active Head Restraints that made their debut last year on the RDX and MDX. These important safety features significantly reduce the chance of injury in rear impact collisions.
The audio system now has both a USB port and a mini-phono jack for more options for connecting a portable music player. It is not clear at this time if the USB port will allow for control of the iPod, but we can hope!
Under the hood there are a number of improvements. For 2009, the RL gets a larger engine, going from 3.5 liters to 3.7 liters and gaining horsepower and torque in the process. We now have an even 300 hp and 271 lb.ft. of torque.
The RL introduced Super Handling All-Wheel Drive in 2005 and for 2009 the system has been re-calibrated for faster response time. SH-AWD enhances overall traction in all weather conditions but the system really shines in dry weather handling tests because it sends additional power to the outside rear wheel when accelerating out of a corner.
Geek Alert! It gets technical below
The details of how the new engine makes this power is quite interesting for a gearhead like myself. The new engine is 17 lbs. lighter than the older engine, mostly due to a new magnesium intake manifold and hollow camshafts. Also contributing to the lower weight, are the new silicone-aluminum cylinder liners that replace the older cast iron liners. A new mechanical etching process during manufacturing exposes silicone particles embedded in the aluminum sleeves, which provide a hard piston-ring sealing surface.
The new valvetrain utilizes the first ever application of VTEC on the exhaust valves in our SOHC cam V-6. The new VTEC rocker arm assemblies offer twice the durability of the former design. The new rocker arms have roller tips further reduce operating friction. The new system switches to the highlift cams at 4900 RPM and increases that intake valve lift by 27.9% and the exhaust lift by 10%.
The revised SH-AWD system now begins vectoring power across the rear axle in first gear vs. only in second in the previous RLs. The planetary gearset that overdrives the outside rear wheel during a turn can now increase the wheel speed by 5.7% compared to 5% on earlier versions. I'll have a road test up as soon as we receive our first batch of cars, so stay tuned!
The color chart below is a link to the full resolution version, click on it to expand to full size
Wednesday, July 16, 2008 at 4:00PM 
