GT5 Transcripts/Acura CL

Acura, Honda's premium car division, exists in only a few markets worldwide. Although the brand is well-known in the U.S. (where the brand was created in 1986), Acura had no presence in countries such as Japan. Therefore, it was no surprise when Honda created cars with the Acura badge strictly for the U.S market. The CL luxury coupe was one such car. The 2-door was created primarily to take on the BMW 3 Series coupe and the Mercedes-Benz CLK. The car first made its debut in 1997, and s second-generation version appeared in 2000 after a complete redesign.

The 221 HP powerplant of the CL was based on the same 3.2-liter V6 found in the NSX. The main difference was that the CL's engine incorporated SOHC instead of the DOHC used in the NSX. But the top-of-the-line CL Type-S received a higher compression ratio that resulted in 260 HP and 232.1 ft-lb of torque. It came mated to an electronically controlled 5-speed automatic with manual shifting.

The suspension system consisted of double-wishbone at all four corners that provided excellent cornering and stability. It made the FF (Front engine, Front drive) car feel like a true rear-wheel driver. Although the CL Type-S was positioned as a luxury coupe, the strong emphasis on sportiness in driving performance was indicative of the Acura brand's Honda heritage. The car was discontinued in 2004, making way for the new TL sedan.