Auto News 5

Rising fuel prices in Europe have led to a jump in smuggling and fuel-theft incidents that is costing governments in the region billions of euros in lost taxes.

For the launch of the redesigned 2014 Corolla, Toyota is rolling through the years with its television campaign, placing vintage Corollas alongside period-perfect musical touchstones.

Nissan said it is spending more than $5 billion to expand capacity in the United States, Mexico and Brazil and will have the ability to build more than 2 million autos annually in the Americas by early next year.

Two of our new entries in this week's auto viral videos take major breaks from reality with anthropomorphic hamsters and factory-made humans.

Although light-vehicle sales continue to rebound, customer satisfaction with automobiles fell in 2013 for the first time in two years, according to a new report released today.

For the launch of the redesigned 2014 Corolla, Toyota is rolling through the years with its television campaign, placing vintage Corollas alongside period-perfect musical touchstones.

Toyota's compact sedan has long stood for reliable transportation but it also has been saddled with the reputation of a boring appliance for people who don't really care about cars. For the 2014 redesign, Toyota is trying to change that perception.

Adapted from press release

TOYOTA Racing returns to the scene of its first victory for this weekend's fourth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), the Six Hours of Sao Paulo.

A year ago, the No. 7 TS030 HYBRID of Alex Wurz and Nicolas Lapierre earned TOYOTA Racing's maiden win from pole position at the 4.309 km Interlagos circuit, the first of three wins in the season's final four races.

This weekend, after a 10-week summer break since finishing second at the Le Mans 24 Hours, the No. 8 TS030 HYBRID of Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi and Stéphane Sarrazin flies the flag for TOYOTA Racing in Brazil.

With downforce requirements for the rest of the WEC season different to those at Le Mans, TOYOTA Racing brings a revised TS030 HYBRID to Brazil.

Photo: Toyota Racing

An updated aerodynamic package has been developed at TOYOTA Motorsport GmbH (TMG) to generate significantly increased downforce levels compared to the Le Mans-specification car, which was focused more on top speed.

The average speed for the TS030 HYBRID at Le Mans is close to 240 km/h, while the shorter, slower tracks which make up the remainder of the WEC season have an average speed of around 180 km/h.

The most significant changes include modifications to the front wheel arches, engine cover and rear wing while several other aerodynamic features have been fine-tuned for the different characteristics of the upcoming circuits.

The TOYOTA HYBRID System - Racing powertrain has also been optimised for the shorter six-hour races, reverting to sprint race settings after the endurance challenge of Le Mans.

Davidson and Buemi took part in a two-day test at Lausitzring in eastern Germany earlier this month to validate the upgrades. A successful session saw the team complete around 1,500km, with promising results.

From press release

Ontario, racer Robin Buck returns to action in the No. 66 Quaker State Dodge this coming weekend for round number 10 of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

After scoring a top five result earlier this year at the same track during the season opening event Buck believes they will be even stronger this weekend.

Though they are only racing a partial schedule in the series this year, the No. 66 Quaker State Dodge team has been very busy preparing their race car for their return to action. “After the first race we went over the car and did the normal maintenance but also felt we needed to try some things to make us better” explained Buck.

Recently the team was at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for a day of on track testing to see firsthand how setup and other changes affected the No. 66 Quaker State Dodge's performance.

“Normally we do a short test to make sure everything on the car is ready to go for a race weekend” said the driver. “For the first time we tested with a specific plan to try different handling set ups and parts on the car to improve our performance”.

At the completion of the test the No. 66 Quaker State Dodge team was very pleased with the results. “In the spring I think we had a really good car but if you want to challenge for the win you need to be great. We definitely learned some things that I believe will help us to be even better this weekend” said Buck.

From GMM

Martin Whitmarsh on Tuesday threw a new spanner in the 'silly season' works, refusing to rule out a return to McLaren for Kimi Raikkonen.

Off the back of the Finn's rumoured moves to Red Bull or Ferrari, it actually now seemed more likely the 2007 world champion will simply stay at Lotus.

But McLaren boss Whitmarsh on Tuesday admitted he has considered making a move to bring Raikkonen, who drove for the British team between 2002 and 2006, back to McLaren.

"Yes, we have (considered it)," he told F1's official website. "Kimi has always been great and I am a big fan of him. There is a lot of speculation out there at the moment, so let's see what happens."

Kimi Raikkonen. (Photo: Lotus F1 Team)

Whitmarsh's comments on Tuesday are a surprise, as the latest reports suggest Jenson Button will certainly stay in 2014, while the McLaren boss said at Spa at the weekend that Mexican Sergio Perez deserves another chance in a better car.

"I probably shouldn't be, but I'm completely open," Whitmarsh said. "Last year we had talks with him (Raikkonen), but for various reasons it didn't happen. This year we've had no talks -- yet."

Asked if an approach may be made to Raikkonen, or vice versa, he admitted: "Yes, could be. Obviously Kimi is determined to go somewhere else and I sense that he will not succeed in that goal, so let's see how he gets on there."

Whitmarsh hinted that if there is a place for Raikkonen in 2014, it would be alongside Button. He was asked if an all-champion lineup would give McLaren positive media mileage in the season before the switch to Honda power.

"Yes, it might do," he said. "We'll see. We are not talking to Kimi at the moment, so let's see what happens in the drivers market."

From Speedway 660

Greg Fahey did something on Saturday night that no other driver has done in the history of Speedway 660.

Fahey won the 2013 Martins Home Heating Sportsman division title and became the first driver to win titles in all of Speedway 660's top three divisions.

Fahey, who owns three Pro Stock and two Street Stock championship trophies, won his first Sportsman title and sixth overall. The Charlotte County native captured his latest championship by winning his heat and dash and finishing second in the feature on Fan Appreciation Night of Champions.

Brent Roy won the sportsman feature for the second week in a row, while Andrew Rodgers raced to a third place finish in the feature. Sarah McKay, who won her first heat of the season, also claimed the sportsman rookie of the year trophy.

Dave O'Blenis won the RE/MAX Group Four Realty Pro Stock feature on Saturday to earn a second straight and fourth championship in Speedway 660's top division. Glyn Nott who won the heat and dash finished second in the feature to earn the pro stock rookie of the year award. Brian Gillespie was third in the feature, while Ken MacKenzie won the other heat race.

Roger Slocum capped off a great season by winning the DMR Auto Sales & Service Street Stock championship. Slocum outdrove five time champion Rick Cashol and Rob Raynes to win the title. Kevin McKeen won his heat race, the dash and feature on Saturday night. TJ "Hollywood" Madore finished second in the feature, while Benji Ruff took third. Justin Cole won the other street stock heat race. Luc MacLaughlin won the street stock rookie of the year.

Daniel Clark won the Fredericton Gun Shop Sharp Shooter division championship. Ira Farnell won the feature, while Jeremy Doran came second and Darren Beatty third. Farnell also won his heat race, while Brad Palmer took the other heat. Malcolm Suley won the Sharp Shooter rookie of the year.

Drew Greenlaw capped off a great season with the feature victory and championship in the West Wood Estate Apartments Bandolero division. Courtney O'Blenis won the heat race and finished second in the feature, while Ashton Tucker drove to a third place feature finish. Tucker was also the 2013 Bando rookie of the year.

SpeedWeekend is up next at Speedway 660. On Friday night at 7pm there is a free event for race fans.

A corn boil and concert by Tristan Horncastle will take place on the infield of the track. Next Saturday the Irving Blending & Packaging Sportsman 150 runs at 7pm, the Auto Value 250 takes place on Sunday with qualifying at 2pm and the big race taking the green flag at 7pm.

The racing season wraps up on SpeedWeekend Monday at 2pm with the Enduro 200 championship.

From GMM

Martin Whitmarsh on Tuesday threw a new spanner in the 'silly season' works, refusing to rule out a return to McLaren for Kimi Raikkonen.

Off the back of the Finn's rumoured moves to Red Bull or Ferrari, it actually now seemed more likely the 2007 world champion will simply stay at Lotus.

But McLaren boss Whitmarsh on Tuesday admitted he has considered making a move to bring Raikkonen, who drove for the British team between 2002 and 2006, back to McLaren.

"Yes, we have (considered it)," he told F1's official website. "Kimi has always been great and I am a big fan of him. There is a lot of speculation out there at the moment, so let's see what happens."

Kimi Raikkonen. (Photo: Lotus F1 Team)

Whitmarsh's comments on Tuesday are a surprise, as the latest reports suggest Jenson Button will certainly stay in 2014, while the McLaren boss said at Spa at the weekend that Mexican Sergio Perez deserves another chance in a better car.

"I probably shouldn't be, but I'm completely open," Whitmarsh said. "Last year we had talks with him (Raikkonen), but for various reasons it didn't happen. This year we've had no talks -- yet."

Asked if an approach may be made to Raikkonen, or vice versa, he admitted: "Yes, could be. Obviously Kimi is determined to go somewhere else and I sense that he will not succeed in that goal, so let's see how he gets on there."

Whitmarsh hinted that if there is a place for Raikkonen in 2014, it would be alongside Button. He was asked if an all-champion lineup would give McLaren positive media mileage in the season before the switch to Honda power.

"Yes, it might do," he said. "We'll see. We are not talking to Kimi at the moment, so let's see what happens in the drivers market."

From NDRA

The Labour Day weekend drag racing action will be hot at Toronto Motorsports Park - Cayuga Dragway from August 31 to September 1 as they host the 2nd Annual Canadian Funny Car Championships.

The National Drag Racing Association Alcohol Funny Car Series presented by Ohsweken Speedway will wind up their 2013 schedule with fierce competition amongst this year's point leaders.

Larry Dobbs of Welland, ON, who leads the pack with his 2002 Pontiac Firebird, sponsored by Sportz Truck Tents by Napier Enterprises has lots to defend at this event. Dobbs is the 2012 champion and he holds the top spot on the 2013 numbers board. Larry has two NDRA Alcohol Funny Car Series victories under his belt so far this year.

Dylan Hache out of London, ON won this race last year in his For Wheels Auto Care '02 Pontiac Firebird. He sits at No. 3 on the points tally for 2013. There's no doubt that he wants to duplicate his performance from the closing race of 2012 and tip the scale for Dobbs.

Then there is the Bankes-Cox Racing team with Ron Bankes in the cockpit of the Federated Insurance / Ron Bankes Marine Service backed Firebird to contend with. The St. Thomas, ON racer took the 2nd race of 2013 from Dobbs and is real tight on Larry's heels at #2 on the points list. Ron is determined to tie up the wins and steal the championship from the Kardiac Kids Racing driver.

Not limited to the three top spot guys, there are the rest of the NDRA Alcohol Funny Car Series drivers, including three-time IHRA world champ, Rob Atchison who went to the finals against Dobbs at the last race in Grand Bend, who are perfectly capable of taking the stripe.

As well, Paul Noakes of London, ON has signed onto the roster with his 2002 Meritor Motorsports Euclid Harman HVS Ford Mustang.

All combined, the NDRA Alcohol Funny Car field is loaded with seasoned talent and amazing cars. It's anyone's guess who will come out on top at the end of the contest and as we all know ... Anything can happen in drag racing especially with those finicky alcohol-guzzling floppers!

Over in the NDRA Pro Doorslammer stable, there is another three-way battle that may just be more heated because this is the inaugural championship of the newly incorporated series.

At the top of the points' leader board, Dave Earhart has a steadfast focus on taking the trophy back to his Strathroy, ON shop. Earhart and his Earhart Heating & Cooling INC. / Performance Unlimited 2002 Chevrolet Camaro picked up the win in the 3rd NDRA Pro Doorslammer Series outing at the 4th Annual Canadian Nitro Nationals in July. If he grabs a second win this time around and all goes well in qualifying, Dave could clinch the championship.

Trevor Deeks of London, ON is so close to Earhart in the numbers and winners circle that this competition will be a nail-biter. Deeks is only three points behind Dave and he victoriously drove his Comprehensive Mechanical sponsored '05 Grand Am down the return road at the series opening at Grand Bend Motorplex's "Spring Blowout" presented by RPM Magazine and Lucas Oil back in May. Undoubtedly, Deeks and the entire CMS Racing crew will be tweaking and tuning with anticipation this weekend!

Bayfield, Ontario's Wayne Nielsen captured the second NDRA Pro Doorslammer Series race at Grand Bend Motorplex in June with his Stoney Brook Automotive backed Lumina and is a respectable third in the series point standings. Nielsen and his Nielsen Racing team are certainly capable to cross the beam for another victory and really jolt the NDRA Pro Doorslammer Series 2013 stats.

A betting man may set his sights on the top three, but the rest of the NDRA Pro Doorslammers cannot be denied their due attention. Every driver and crewmember has the ability and absolutely worthy equipment to take their turn in the winners' circle. You just never know for sure when you put a dynamic field of competitors together like the NDRA has.

With both the NDRA Alcohol Funny Car Series and the NDRA Pro Doorslammers Series winding up and the teams battling for all the marbles in some really hot competition, fans are in for some spectacular drag racing at the 2nd Annual Canadian Funny Car Championships at Toronto Motorsports Park - Cayuga Dragway this weekend!

Adding National Drag Racing Association entertainment package, the 2nd Annual Canadian Funny Car Championships at Toronto Motorsports Park - Cayuga Dragway features Lou Pereira and his 6,000 horsepower, 300 mph jet dragster "Terminator".

Further filling the event card are the NDRA Nitro Nostalgia Cars, Can-Am Stock / Super Stock Series, DSE Sportsman Racing Series and Joe's Transmission Service TNT Super Series.

The 2nd Annual Canadian Funny Car Championships at Toronto Motorsports Park - Cayuga Dragway promises to be a thrilling, action packed weekend for everyone who passes through the gates from August 31 to September 1.

For more information about the event, visit www.torontomotorsportspark.com.

From GMM

The Greenpeace activist who disrupted the podium ceremony at Spa on Sunday has accused race officials of trying to hurt her.

Identified only as 23-year-old 'Julia F' by the German newspaper Bild, the activist was abseiling onto the podium after the Belgian grand prix while David Coulthard was interviewing winner Sebastian Vettel.

"We are a bit confused down here because the crowd is booing and cheering and booing and we don't understand why," Sebastian Vettel told Coulthard.

David Coulthard responded: "We're not going to highlight why that is at the moment."

Photo: WRi2

Some had expected the FIA to launch an investigation or possibly penalise the race organiser, but so far the Jean Todt-led governing body has been silent.

'Julia', however, has accused race organisers of heavy-handed tactics.

"They tried to cut my rope," Bild, revealing that Julia is from Switzerland, quoted her as saying.

"I would have fallen five metres. And in my arrest, they put a boot to my face," she added.

From GMM

Sahara Force India has stopped developing its 2013 car, German driver Adrian Sutil has revealed.

The team was surprised this season to find itself in a battle for fifth in the constructors' championship with struggling grandee McLaren.

But the switch from Pirelli's steel to kevlar-belted tires has worked very much against Sahara Force India, while McLaren has made progress with its uncompetitive MP4-28.

"Maybe we can find a way to solve the problems," Sutil told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport on Tuesday.

Photo: Sahara Force India F1 Team

At the Silverstone factory, however, Sahara Force India is now fully concentrated on the huge challenge of the radical new 2014 rules.

"There is nothing new planned for this year," Sutil said.

"But sometimes you can gain just by optimising the package you have," he said. "You can find a lot of time when all you can do is make better use of what you have."

From GMM

Sahara Force India has stopped developing its 2013 car, German driver Adrian Sutil has revealed.

The team was surprised this season to find itself in a battle for fifth in the constructors' championship with struggling grandee McLaren.

But the switch from Pirelli's steel to kevlar-belted tires has worked very much against Sahara Force India, while McLaren has made progress with its uncompetitive MP4-28.

"Maybe we can find a way to solve the problems," Sutil told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport on Tuesday.

Photo: Sahara Force India F1 Team

At the Silverstone factory, however, Sahara Force India is now fully concentrated on the huge challenge of the radical new 2014 rules.

"There is nothing new planned for this year," Sutil said.

"But sometimes you can gain just by optimising the package you have," he said. "You can find a lot of time when all you can do is make better use of what you have."

From Speedway 660

Greg Fahey did something on Saturday night that no other driver has done in the history of Speedway 660.

Fahey won the 2013 Martins Home Heating Sportsman division title and became the first driver to win titles in all of Speedway 660's top three divisions.

Fahey, who owns three Pro Stock and two Street Stock championship trophies, won his first Sportsman title and sixth overall. The Charlotte County native captured his latest championship by winning his heat and dash and finishing second in the feature on Fan Appreciation Night of Champions.

Brent Roy won the sportsman feature for the second week in a row, while Andrew Rodgers raced to a third place finish in the feature. Sarah McKay, who won her first heat of the season, also claimed the sportsman rookie of the year trophy.

Dave O'Blenis won the RE/MAX Group Four Realty Pro Stock feature on Saturday to earn a second straight and fourth championship in Speedway 660's top division. Glyn Nott who won the heat and dash finished second in the feature to earn the pro stock rookie of the year award. Brian Gillespie was third in the feature, while Ken MacKenzie won the other heat race.

Roger Slocum capped off a great season by winning the DMR Auto Sales & Service Street Stock championship. Slocum outdrove five time champion Rick Cashol and Rob Raynes to win the title. Kevin McKeen won his heat race, the dash and feature on Saturday night. TJ "Hollywood" Madore finished second in the feature, while Benji Ruff took third. Justin Cole won the other street stock heat race. Luc MacLaughlin won the street stock rookie of the year.

Daniel Clark won the Fredericton Gun Shop Sharp Shooter division championship. Ira Farnell won the feature, while Jeremy Doran came second and Darren Beatty third. Farnell also won his heat race, while Brad Palmer took the other heat. Malcolm Suley won the Sharp Shooter rookie of the year.

Drew Greenlaw capped off a great season with the feature victory and championship in the West Wood Estate Apartments Bandolero division. Courtney O'Blenis won the heat race and finished second in the feature, while Ashton Tucker drove to a third place feature finish. Tucker was also the 2013 Bando rookie of the year.

SpeedWeekend is up next at Speedway 660. On Friday night at 7pm there is a free event for race fans.

A corn boil and concert by Tristan Horncastle will take place on the infield of the track. Next Saturday the Irving Blending & Packaging Sportsman 150 runs at 7pm, the Auto Value 250 takes place on Sunday with qualifying at 2pm and the big race taking the green flag at 7pm.

The racing season wraps up on SpeedWeekend Monday at 2pm with the Enduro 200 championship.

Ford, in collaboration with St. Petersburg Polytechnic University in Russia, has launched a three-year project to study the way space robots communicate with Earth stations. The information gathered from the study will be used to improve safety and reduce traffic jams.

Ford hopes to improve cloud-based, vehicle to infrastructure and vehicle-to-vehicle communications, and find ways to transmit urgent messages when experiencing outages.

“We're analyzing the data to discover which networks are the most robust and trustworthy for certain types of messages, as well as serving as emergency communication options when systems crash in certain specific circumstances,'' explains Oleg Gusikhin, technical leader in systems analytics for Ford.

“In a crash, for example, a vehicle could have the option to communicate an emergency through a DSRC, LTE or a mesh network based on the type of signal, speed and robustness required to reach emergency responders as quickly as possible.”

From GMM

Fernando Alonso has admitted his championship hopes would get a boost if Sebastian Vettel crashes at the start of a grand prix.

Many see Vettel's dominance in Belgium as a sure sign the Red Bull driver will now canter to his fourth consecutive drivers' title.

"Vettel has the world title in the bag," said Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport after the race at Spa-Francorchamps.

Corriere dello Sport agreed: "Vettel remains out of reach; invincible in his Red Bull with which no one can find fault. He is on track to break all of Michael Schumacher's records."

Ferrari, however, showed at Spa signs of recovery after a miserable July, but Spaniard Alonso acknowledged that he needs Vettel to run into trouble.

"I left Monza last year with 41 points more than Vettel," he is quoted by Brazil's Totalrace. "It shows how quickly things can change. But for this, we need to win three or four races in a row and have someone run over him at the start, as happened to me, or technical problems."

Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel, at the arrival of the Belgian Grand Prix. (Photo: WRi2)

Fernando Alonso is undoubtedly referring to his Belgian grand prix of a year ago, when Romain Grosjean's flying Lotus ended his race in a shower of carbon fibre.

"It happened to me last year and it could happen again," added Alonso.

But with just eight races left in 2013, some of Vettel's rivals are beginning to be written off.

Kimi Raikkonen, for example, lost his runner-up place in the drivers' standings at Spa, where he retired with brake failure.

"You would probably have to say that the three (Vettel, Alonso, Lewis Hamilton) who finished on the podium in Belgium are likely to be the major rivals to the end of the year," said Red Bull boss Christian Horner.

Marc Surer, a former driver turned pundit, sees another problem for Raikkonen's Lotus.

"If you lack the money to try everything you can think of," he told Der Spiegel, "you have no chance."

Questions about Mercedes are also being asked.

"Do they still have reserves in their development to catch Red Bull in this season?" former driver Patrick Tambay told France's RMC Sport. "In Belgium they were clearly beaten."

So perhaps the final question is to wonder if anyone can beat Vettel now. "Probably, only himself," acknowledged Mercedes team boss Ross Brawn.

The 2014 Acura RLX is the flagship model from Honda's luxury division, Acura. As an Acura, it's sensible and likely to turn in years of reliable, no-nonsense ownership for its owners. As a flagship, the RLX is packed with a suite of new technologies that showcase what the Japanese brand has been working on.

For the 2014 model year, the RLX has officially replaced the RL in Acura's lineup -- and despite discreet styling and execution, it is the most advanced vehicle Honda has ever built for the road.


What is an Acura RLX?
By and large, the Acura RLX is a rolling sensory array disguised as a leather-lined luxury sedan. Using information gathered by radar and camera systems, the top-dog Acura continually scans the world around it for potential hazards, warns drivers of them, and autonomously takes corrective action if those warnings aren't heeded.

Without your help, the Acura RLX can slow down and speed up automatically based on traffic conditions, steer you back between the lines if you're heading off the road or apply its brakes to prevent or minimize a collision. Any more self-aware, and they'd have to ship it with a name and a birth certificate.

For the 2014 model year, the RLX has officially replaced the RL in Acura's lineup. (Photo: Justin Pritchard)

2014 Acura RLX Price and Specs
Acura's new V6 engine powers up the RLX driving experience. A cutting-edge 3.5L unit with cylinder deactivation and direct injection technology, the RLX engine was exhaustively engineered for pleasing performance and great fuel mileage.

Mission accomplished.

Though the 310 horsepower output level is hardly aiming for the top of the pack, the RLX hustles along urgently when called upon, and gets by slower traffic in a jiffy when drivers prod the throttle. The engine is pleasing to put through its paces, but drive the 2014 Acura RLX like a responsible adult and it's mostly quiet and laid-back.

Fuel mileage, additionally, is excellent. Your writer was delighted at an overall consumption of 8.8L/100km, which puts the big RLX in mid-sized, four-cylinder family sedan territory.

Pricing from $49,990.

A cutting-edge 3.5L unit with cylinder deactivation and direct injection technology, the RLX engine was exhaustively engineered for pleasing performance and great fuel mileage. (Photo: Justin Pritchard)

Driving the 2014 Acura RLX
Overall, the driving experience in the 2014 Acura RLX is easygoing to the max. While you relax and let the RLX handle nearly everything for you, you'll enjoy the leather that lines the seats, dash, doors, and nearly everything else. Two full-colour display screens are stacked in the centre console for a distinctively hi-tech look, while space galore in both seating rows and a laundry list of fully automatic or motorized features add to a welcoming and laid-back atmosphere.

The 2014 Acura RLX's cabin isn't big on stimulation, but its' relaxing, comfortable, and formal. It's also easy to board and exit, packs plenty of at-hand storage and keeps road and wind noise nicely in check at speed.

Suspension calibration sees a slight firmness dialed in to make the 2014 RLX a bit more engaging to drive. Though many cross-shopping the market's offerings will find a comparable Lexus or Mercedes to have a more all-out comfortable ride, the RLX likely won't disappoint where long-haul comfort is concerned.

Currently, all of Acura's RLX models are front-drive, though an AWD hybrid is on the way. The tester did pack a new Precision All Wheel Steering (PAWS) system, which sharpens up handling at high speeds by calling upon the rear wheels for steering assist which rotates the RLX on its axis. Translation? As the Acura RLX approaches understeer in fast corners, the rear swings out slightly as a countermeasure. The PAWS system also enhances maneuverability at low speeds.

Driver relaxation in the 2014 Acura RLX is furthered by fully automatic lighting, wipers, and climate control. If you'd rather take in some music, the great big Krell audio system is happy to help.

Two full-colour display screens are stacked in the centre console for a distinctively hi-tech look. (Photo: Justin Pritchard)

Ins and Outs of the 2014 Acura RLX
The RLX is a machine of many strengths, and a few weaknesses. For fuel efficiency, comfort, and discreet-looking delivery of flagship sedan amenities, it hits the mark. Performance and handling are appreciable if not mind-blowing, and the cabin -- though short on excitement -- supports drivers on long distance travels by fading from attention as the scenery floats by. Even for larger drivers and passengers, it'll prove generously large.

Complaints? The infotainment system comes with a learning curve before intuitive operation is possible, and I missed some of the secretly sporty flare that characterized the last-generation Acura RL. Further, the paddle-activated shifts in the 2014 Acura RLX are executed after a notable delay that makes their use largely irrelevant.

The RLX is a machine of many strengths, and a few weaknesses. For fuel efficiency, comfort, and discreet-looking delivery of flagship sedan amenities, it hits the mark. (Photo: Justin Pritchard)

Comparing the 2014 Acura RLX
Compared to the RLX, the new Lexus GS350 is a more athletic all-around performer and packs a more striking, upscale cabin execution. An Audi A6 or BMW 5 Series with similar power output figures will make drivers feel more of a rush when pushed hard. Finally, a Chrysler 300 can provide more affordable access to a similarly hi-tech, luxuriously appointed experience for less money.

The 2014 Acura RLX will appeal most strongly to a shopper after a machine that flies under the radar and doesn't beg for attention. Add in Acura's lustrous reputation for reliability, resale value, and owner satisfaction and it makes a smart choice for a shopper after a discreet luxury flagship experience.