2002 Acura TL Type S

2002 Acura TL Type S 2002 Acura TL Type S
First Drive Review

Acura's TL is the division's top-seeded entry-level luxury player, and it's easy to see why. With a sophisticated 3.2-liter VTEC V-6, a responsive five-speed automatic, a taut body, a rock-solid reputation for reliability, and a sub-30-grand sticker, why, you ought to be trotting out to pick one up right now.

But, whoa. Wait. Hold up. Acura has revised the whole TL line for 2001, calling them 2002 models and putting new faces on them. The 2002s should be available by mid-March, and among them you'll find a high-performance Type S version with a 260-hp engine. That's a jump of 35 horsepower over the standard V-6, accompanied by a boost in torque of 16 pound-feet (from 216 to 232). Oh, and did we mention a tach redline that now starts at 6900 rpm? (It was previously just 6300.)

To effect these improvements, Acura engineers adopted a throttle valve that has been enlarged by 64 millimeters, and lowered the air filter and duct flow resistance to optimize engine-breathing characteristics. The result is a claimed 50 percent increase in flow on the test bench.

Then the engineers grafted on a dual-stage intake manifold with integral velocity stacks. A butterfly valve separates the front and rear cylinder-bank inlet tracts at low speeds to take advantage of so-called resonance charging and shares them at high revs to allow better inertial charging.

The intake valves are a high-flow variant developed by Honda Racing. As usual at Acura, VTEC variable valve timing and lift is used to optimize both low- and high-speed engine performance. But on the Type S, the intake valves are a high-flow variant developed by Honda Racing, with an extra lip that is claimed to improve engine power by one percent because the lip reduces airflow turbulence and increases airflow without changing the diameter of the valve or the seat.

Because these substantial improvements in cylinder filling led to proportionally higher cylinder pressures, Acura engineers adopted thin-wall, spin-cast cylinder liners, which were found to provide improved knocking limits.

Okay, having allowed a larger fuel-air charge in, and having squeezed it tighter before setting it on fire (the Type S has a 10.5:1 compression ratio compared with the base 9.8:1), the engineers now need to get the gases out of there. Obviously, a higher-flow exhaust system is called for, right?

Right. So the guys at Acura increased the exhaust-pipe diameter and then added a low-restriction catalytic converter and dual high-flow mufflers. They claim a 30 percent flow-rate increase from all this, and we wouldn't question their math. Not after hearing that V-6 at 7000 rpm.

With more power and torque from the engine, you'd probably need to beef up the transmission. Well, you would if you had the bulletproof reputation for durability that Acura has. Thus, the second-gear clutch-holding capacity was increased, and the torque converter was modified for higher rotational forces.

Inside the Type S we find predictable sporting flourishes. Amazingly, the TL Type S still meets Low-Emission Vehicle requirements for all states and returns the same fuel-consumption figures as its non-Type S sibling in the EPA test. Which, of course, does not use any wide-open throttle to the redline. No wonder the feds are so uptight.

A hefty performance hike like this one is likely to encourage daring feats of bravery. So, to contain all this frivolity, Acura added higher-rate springs, firmer shock valving, bigger anti-roll bars, and longer bump-stop rubbers. It also thought fit to increase wheel size to 17 inches and replace the stock TL's 205/60VR-16 Michelin MXV4 Plus tires with V-rated 215/50VR-17 MXM4s.

The crowning touch, we think, is the replacement of the TL's speed-sensing power-steering assist with a torque-sensitive system that offers much better road feel to the enthusiast driver. Finally, to help curb any red mist that results from the extra potential, Type S TLs all come standard with Acura's Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) system. VSA adds side-slip control to the standard car's ABS and traction-control mechanisms and steps in to help out when drivers venture beyond the car's normal capabilities.

Inside the Type S we find predictable sporting flourishes such as perforated-leather seating surfaces, a leather-wrapped wheel, and light-color metallic instrument faces. Type S TLs also get ebony wood trim when ordered with a black interior.

With a price projected to be about $3500 higher than that of the standard TL -- itself a comprehensively equipped vehicle -- Acura's executives are estimating that as many as 35 percent of TL aspirants will step up to the Type S.

We know we would.