Acura hasn’t generally been as active in the modification scene as its parent company Honda, but as it seeks to raise brand awareness and stand out in a luxury marketplace that’s becoming increasingly dominated by Infiniti and Cadillac, it’s increasing its presence at SEMA this year. Acura brought three modified sedans to the show, just to get the tuners’ minds spinning as to what can be done with the brand’s high-tech, high-performance platforms.
The RLX VIP Sedan, created by Evasive Motorsports, is decked out in Japanese-gangster VIP style, with foreboding monochromatic paint and big twenty-one inch wheels. Side skirts and a rear spoiler add subtle aggressing to the design, and quad titanium exhaust tips on an Evasive Motorsports exhaust show off the engine’s potential. Tein Street Flex coilover shocks lower the car, while upgraded brakes improve stopping capability. The interior’s got customized neck pillows.
The second RLX on display is the Urban Luxury Sedan by MAD Industries. More subtle than the VIP Sedan, this car features an Acura accessory rear spoiler and refined brushed-black metallic paint. The wheels are twenty-twos, with black caliper covers, and the interior is similarly monochromatic.
The ILX compact luxury sedan’s been tweaked by MAD Industries as well, and the Street Performance ILX plays nicely on its Civic-based heritage while showing off its uniquely Acura sheet metal. It’s the most attainable of the Acuras shown, with a laundry list of upgrades that are available for purchase. Matte copper paint with charcoal accents provides a unique look at the curb, and the front, side and rear spoilers are all Acura accessories. Performance has been improved with a CT Engineering supercharger kit and intake, GReddy SP Elite exhaust and K&N air filter. The chassis is upgraded with Tein Super Street coilovers and a big-brake kit by Stoptech.