Acura's "beak" is here to stay
06-18-12 | 04:46 PM
#1
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From: CA™
Acura's "beak" is here to stay
Acura designer tweaks 'the beak' (but it'll stay)
http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dl...-but-itll-stay
http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dl...-but-itll-stay
Acura's new global design chief wants to spice up Honda's premium brand, but one polarizing feature won't change.
The shieldlike double pentagon grille -- derisively billed "the beak" by critics -- is here to stay, says Toshinobu Minami.
Minami, 44, took the reins of exterior design for Honda and Acura last September, chosen by President Takanobu Ito to inject more visual interest into the company's utilitarian styling.
He says Acura's oft-maligned grille may have gone too far in the past. But the look is growing on people, he says, and the basic design language will stay, albeit toned down a bit.
"We concede that we went a little overboard at some points," Minami said in a recent interview. "We actually had pretty bad feedback on this initially from different directions. But we are not going to buckle under that pressure."
The V-shaped grille was most recently carried over to the new Acura ILX entry sedan that went on sale this spring. It also appeared in the redesigned TL that debuted last fall and the NSX concept sports car shown this year at the Detroit auto show.
But the new look has been toned down from earlier incarnations, which were introduced under Acura's "keen edge" design overhaul that started in 2008.
"There hasn't been that great of a change, but maybe people have gotten used to it," Minami said of the grille. "There may be small evolutions here or there in details."
The shieldlike double pentagon grille -- derisively billed "the beak" by critics -- is here to stay, says Toshinobu Minami.
Minami, 44, took the reins of exterior design for Honda and Acura last September, chosen by President Takanobu Ito to inject more visual interest into the company's utilitarian styling.
He says Acura's oft-maligned grille may have gone too far in the past. But the look is growing on people, he says, and the basic design language will stay, albeit toned down a bit.
"We concede that we went a little overboard at some points," Minami said in a recent interview. "We actually had pretty bad feedback on this initially from different directions. But we are not going to buckle under that pressure."
The V-shaped grille was most recently carried over to the new Acura ILX entry sedan that went on sale this spring. It also appeared in the redesigned TL that debuted last fall and the NSX concept sports car shown this year at the Detroit auto show.
But the new look has been toned down from earlier incarnations, which were introduced under Acura's "keen edge" design overhaul that started in 2008.
"There hasn't been that great of a change, but maybe people have gotten used to it," Minami said of the grille. "There may be small evolutions here or there in details."
06-18-12 | 05:08 PM
#4
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Mar 2003
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From: Maryland
I'm so tired of ranting about Honda and Acura. Biggest reason I couldn't bring myself to even consider an Acura is because of the godawful styling, but hey if they want to keep on building the same thing that's fine with me - I'll keep on buying from their competitors.
06-18-12 | 05:15 PM
#5
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From: Alberta
But we are not going to buckle under that pressure
If people don't like a styling element they don't like it no amount of time is going to change that. Why is Acura being so stubborn? They even admit they had bad feedback but are charging forward with the same general concept anyway? Bizarre.
If people don't like a styling element they don't like it no amount of time is going to change that. Why is Acura being so stubborn? They even admit they had bad feedback but are charging forward with the same general concept anyway? Bizarre.
06-18-12 | 05:19 PM
#6
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,379
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From: Wa
I took my 460 to the acura dealership to pickup some parts for 99 tl and I seen alot of envy hahahha. there design decision has made there cars wack!!, my pops has a mdx and personally it doesn't impress me at all.
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06-18-12 | 06:26 PM
#11
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From: Alberta
06-18-12 | 08:49 PM
#13
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From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
"We actually had pretty bad feedback on this initially from different directions. But we are not going to buckle under that pressure."
"There hasn't been that great of a change, but maybe people have gotten used to it," Minami said of the grille. "There may be small evolutions here or there in details."
"There hasn't been that great of a change, but maybe people have gotten used to it," Minami said of the grille. "There may be small evolutions here or there in details."
06-18-12 | 09:15 PM
#14
Well, everyone already said what I wanna say. Acura has changed from the brand I like, to the brand I dislike the most. You know what, keeping doing what you doing, and let Lexus and Infiniti to take the sales and fans.
