The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering 2018 was scrumptious as always!

As the automotive season winds down, it’s time to reflect on one of the most exclusive and special shows of the year. Perhaps a favorite due to the combination of variety and copious portions of gourmet food and drink combined with a positively wonderful and varied display of automobiles. From vintage to modern, sports to luxury, fun-modified to serious low volume manufacturing specialists. This year it was held on Friday, August 24th. 

First mention must be the Peninsula Best of the Best winner, the 1936 Bugatti Type 57 SC Coupé Atlantic co-owned by Peter Mullin and Rob Walton. It was chosen after review of various show winners by twenty four automotive experts, designers and motoring world celebrities. A familiar design to Concours attendees, it continues to be celebrated. The best of show winner this year was a 1953 Lancia Aurelia PF200C, a red convertible of timeless design.  

The fireside chat this year featured now retired race car driver Scott Pruett. After 66 wins, he’s now concentrating on his winery and life as a Lexus brand ambassador. The Fashion in the Fast Lane portion of the Fireside Chat hosted Laura Brown, editor-in-chief of Instyle Magazine and Tamara Mellon, OBE, founder of Tamara Mellon Brand and luxury women’s shoe designer.

There was a special display for Lamborghinis, featuring the Espadas and Isleros models, very rare with only 1217 Espadas produced and just a few hundred Isleros from the late 60s. Very rare indeed. Another special gathering was street and racing Lancias, the ones in racing livery, were particularly colorful and distinctive. 

A more modern themed display was of Alois Ruf reunion of cars based on Porsches. Of course, the CTR Yellowbird with, at the time a mind-blowing 213mph top speed from 1987 was present. Other CTRs from the nineties and two from 2017 were also on hand, a truly special collection of greats. 

The Quail benefits the following charities, Rancho Cielo, the Naval Postgraduate School Foundation, CHP 11-99, Junior ROTC and North Monterey County High School Marching Band. One of the awareness and fundraising efforts by an entrant that deserves mention is by Uncle Wally, IG handle @Wallyworldusa displaying Brian Jones’ 1965 Porsche 356 C Coupe that was part of the East West 356 Tour 2018, driven across country to fundraise for an ALS cure and treatment with Augies’ Quest. It happened to be part of over 20 356’s on display, celebrating 70 years of existence. 

There are only 5000 guests so while busy, it’s not the crowded experience of trying to get a good picture at every car or turning sideways to get by. The food is spectacular as always, and seating may be challenge at times despite lots of accommodations, its well worth a wait and there’s never a rush. Conversation at a shared table with strangers is always pleasant and interesting. The champagne ran out before the end of the day, the only possible complaint. 

Another absolute treat of attending The Quail are various premiers by automotive manufacturers. Polestar showed the brand new Polestar 1, Karma Automotive showcased the heavily revamped prior Fisker, the Revero. Gunther Werks showed the Sport Touring Porsche 993. A carbon body and floor pan beauty. The Chairman of Lamborghini unveiled the Aventador SVJ, the ‘Ring record holder, which happened to be next to the new Urus. Rolls Royce unveiled a custom designed Phantom for well-known collector Michael Fux. Bugatti introduced the stunning Divo and Hennessey Performance had a Venom F5 with its engine on separate display. 

Other displays were wonderful to behold, and really can only be conveyed in photos and not words. The custom coachwork section, manufacturer displays and more are a site to behold. Luxury vendors from clothing to jewelry to private jet rental/charters. Leaving the show, after spending nearly 10 hours from early media preview, to regular show hours to the after-hours party, which had phenomenal acoustics for an outdoor event, that yearning was already felt, with the 3rd weekend of August not coming soon enough. 

Check out the various albums from The Quail on the San Jose Cars Examiner Facebook page. Classics, Porsches, McLarens, Paganis, Lamborghinis and more! 

McCalls Motorworks Revival off Monterey Car Week with objects of speed and style

Monterey Car Week started a week later than usual this year and the big event kickoff is McCall’s Motorworks Revival party. Held at the Monterey Jet Center, held Wednesday the 22nd. It's like entering a magical world of high fashion, amazing vehicles and celebration of life. The complementary champagne starts as soon as you walk in on the red carpet. Suddenly the mood lifts, the demands of work fade away, and you stroll into the playground of highly engineered objects for individuals of high net worth.

Always a great show, if it rolls it’s there. From old military aircraft to private jets open for tours, helicopters (they don’t roll), a variety of motorcycles of course, the cars. Oh also trucks and SUVs, Toss in some jewelry and all the bases are covered. Comparisons are from two years ago, a conflict prevented attendance last year. This year the event was smaller in terms of the second hanger being closed. The field of vehicles was still large and varied.

This year parking for non-VIP wasn’t organized as opposed to 2016 when it was a separate lot with shuttles. So we self-parked in the large valet lot. Which was an exotic car show in itself with a Porsche Carrera GT and a Bugatti Chiron among others. The DJ/band we really like was back, their set starting later in the evening with infectious, high energy dance music and a live drummer who was a show himself. This year was supposed to feature an after-hours party off-site until 2am but was sadly cancelled a week or so before the party. I can’t imagine the hoops to jump through to get such an approval in California but hopefully they’ll have it next year!

The variety of drinks available was particularly good except the champagne ran out early. A great party needs endless champaign! Unfortunately the variety and volume of food needed improving. After all many arrive via $625 Red Carpet tickets as early as 4pm and stay until the 10pm closing.
Many great sponsors participate in the event but the fundraiser is for the California Highway Patrol’s CHP 11-99 Foundation. This year the raffle is for a Ford Mustang GT Bullitt edition.

Smaller or larger than years past, it doesn't matter. This is the must-attend party every year for the unofficial start of the Monterey Car Week.  

Album link here:  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1550196661751706&type=1&l=809d800294

Mercedes AMG E63 S Wagon review

The station wagon, once the popular choice for family hauling, faded into obscurity replaced by the minivan and now the huge popularity of the SUV. The reasons are varied, and guesses include styling, desire to drive at an eye level as if they were walking, lift-over height for cargo and child seats, improved fuel economy versus past choices, a comfortable ride, all-wheel drive, easier ingress/egress with our overly large population and more. But the wagon performs like a sedan. And Mercedes makes one that performs like a sports car.

The second most powerful car in the Mercedes AMG  lineup is the 603hp E63 S wagon. Even their track monster AMG GT R is rated at 577hp. The torque from the 4.0 liter twin turbo engine is rated at 627lb ft starting at 2500rpm only bested only by the S 63 sedan with 664lb ft. Probably due to a few lines of code. This sleek wagon also has the horizontal tail light styling of the coupes instead of the sloped triangles of the sedans. The transmission is the AMG Speedshift MCT 9-speed unit. It’s a multi-clutch transmission, using a clutch pack but no torque converter. It is not related to the dual clutch transmissions that have two output shafts instead of one. The advantage of this design is quick response and ability to handle higher torque loads.

This one particular model, debadged and unchromed with the Night package looks amazing. Add the large, narrow spoke wheels with red brake calipers and it’s all business for hauling butt with cargo. There’s all this visual appeal and then the engine is started taking the entire impression impact to the next level. Holy cow this is a serious machine with a super car soundtrack. Check out the video and nervous, joyful laughter from the acceleration run…

The dichotomy continues inside. Beautiful interior appointments, the large S-class worthy dual 12.3” LCD display screens that stretch from driver to mid-dash and then the superb sport seats looking wonderfully sculpted and serious, not quite out of place in an overall utility design. You don’t expect sports car seats in a wagon, and the contrast works perfectly. 

The all-wheel drive enables consistent launches, Car and Driver tested one with a 3.0 second 0-60mph and a quarter mile in 11.2 seconds at 126mph. This is a bonifide supercar in every sense of the word  while being extremely practical but weighs an owner confirmed 4740lbs.  All the while engine roaring, exhaust spitting and popping with in the proper driving mode selected. Hint: That mode is neither “Economy” nor “Snow/ice”.  

When in Sport, the suspension is sports car firm, doesn’t crash or rattle over bumps and feels as solid as if it had a carbon tub. This one has the Rennsport body lowering kit giving it an even sleeker, aggressive look. Cornering is flat, the weight transparent to the passengers. There is also a selectable real wheel drive only drift mode. But seriously let’s just call it either dyno mode or shred your tires faster mode. 

This one also has the Performance Exhaust System which is a must-hear and have, especially at cold start-up. Be sure to check out that video as well. Painted in Kona Blue Metallic contributes to a visually lower appearance. The Nut Brown and Black Nappa leather  interior has a warm feel despite the wide digital display screen due to its dash integration versus an upright standalone unit that Mercedes has on other models. Recent vehicle shopping shows Mercedes offers a large selection of individual options. This one included a black headliner, seemingly rare these days and had an MSRP of 119,000. 

Some nice touches include a driver’s side control ability for the passenger seat. The owner loves the acceleration which is so accessible with the all-wheel drive, and it has a 21.1 gallon fuel tank. Keep in mind there are serious performance cars with 16 gallon tanks, a significant difference. The only complaint is a desire for a more distinctive fuel gauge despite the large capacity and coolant temperature display for those that like their data. 

There are amazing performance SUVs and sports cars on the market, but if seeking a driver oriented, sharp handling yet practical hauler where load or child seat access heights and ease of ingress or egress ins’t as critical, this is absolutely the ticket. 

Dispelling the Demon myth - it handles

Not only does it hand other cars their butts, but it can handle the curves. And makes for a nice daily driver. Despite all the online comments, the Demon actually goes around turns. Better than a non-widebody Hellcat as well.

What is a Demon? It’s an otherworldly Dodge Challenger Hellcat, possibly the world's quickest front engine, rear drive car, with a host of power increasing and drag strip use upgrades. Components are beefed up, power is increased with a larger supercharger, transmission has more aggressive ratios, it has wide body flares housing 315 width tires front and rear and a massive hood scoop. But the diabolism runs deeper than that including some production car firsts for drag strip use. A line lock is added to allow spinning the rear tires while the front brakes are activated to warm up the rears. A transbrake which holds first and second gear allows for engine power to be applied before the actual launch (think of a brake torque but in the transmission), in drag mode, the air conditioning is re-routed via an “after cooler” to reduce intake air temperature by up to 50 degrees. Cooler denser air enables more fuel for more horsepower. 

The Necromancy doesn’t end there. Besides some factory weight saving measures, including smaller brakes (don’t worry, you only need one emergency stop, not track duty), the interior only comes with a driver’s seat. But for $1 you can add a leather or in this case, cloth interior seats. There’s more wizardry for another $1 buys a Demon Crate that contains a replacement engine control module that has a tune to optimize race gas for more horsepower and torque, skinny front wheels without tires for lighter weight and less rolling resistance, as well tools to complete the summoning of the dark power.  Interestingly it has 57 to 85 more horsepower than the brand new Corvette ZR1 with a similar engine size and roots type supercharger. 

Having the good fortune of experiencing standard Hellcats and non-supercharged Challenger V8s at the Bondurant Racing School, the Demon’s wide body and non-drag mode suspension setting is not only a very comfortable street car, but pulls some appreciable lateral g’s in the turns, surpassing many sedans. On the street, the body roll isn’t bad and the speed around turns is more than sufficient to raise hackles. It reminded me of the standard suspension Mustang GT I recently evaluated. So why is the Demon and Hellcat judged on its handling when Bentleys, S-class coupes and other four (adult) passenger, two door coupes are not? The ride is perfectly comfortable as well. 

The other perception is it would be too loud. Nope, this frequently daily driven coupe is quiet at cruising and perfectly suitable for a cross country trip. It’s when the appropriately named loud pedal is brushed does it sound like a cruising muscle car with aftermarket mufflers and when all hell breaks loose, the supercharger whine also howls demonically. It’s as if the devil lost his minions. See the video for a launch example. This particular spawn from the darkest depths is no less practical than any other coupe and more than most since it fits four adults.  Thanks to the drag radials with hardly any negative area, rain or snow basically forbidden. Surprisingly this one has been used for commuting to work, achieving 17mpg, which is impressive for suburban stop and go in an 808 horsepower, two-ton coupe. And much better than currently experiencing in the 707 horsepower Trackhawk. 

Acceleration is hellacious, I can’t help myself, and a linear, hard pull. A couple of non-drag mode launches from a standstill displayed brutal power and classic domestic soundtrack. It was a warm, dry day and only minor traction loss occurred with a slight wiggle while screaming on the highway to hell. The owner has extensive experience in high horsepower cars and has monitored Demon quarter mile results. He states it is as quick as his McLaren 675LT. The race tune, which requires unleaded 100 octane gas, adds 32 horsepower and 53lbs ft. of torque, adds a 3-4mph again in trap speed. The owner stated the difference isn’t perceptible. Interestingly, it is still emissions compliant. 

Having had a superb long term experience with a first generation SRT-8, the Bondurant Racing School loving their SRTs and Hellcats, this from Bob and his wife, the reliability should be a non-issue. This is also one of the most practical ten second quarter mile cars and at well under $100k, the least expensive and best sounding.  A quick search on Autotrader shows several advertised at under MSRP. Shocking since the total production of 3,300 units ended recently.  While further defending this hell child, straight line racing is the worlds most participated motorsport. Manufacturers spend tens of thousands of dollars, if not more, trying to get the best possible lap time, why are they excused when Dodge went out to get the best possible timeslip for the Demon and published it, achieving 9.65 seconds at 140mph in optimal conditions with the full prep package - slicks in the rear, skinnys up front, race gas tune and just the driver’s seat.  

We all have our demons, but this one is practical, has no compromises and is hella fun to be in and drive. 
Photo album here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1436882073083166.1073741940.378354382269279&type=1&l=b897810e1f

2018 Mustang GT 10 speed automatic review and test drive

If you agree that profanity is sometimes acceptable among the right company, then the 2018 Mustang GT is just the ticket. It has a loud pedal enabled by a loud switch on the dashboard. This thing is rock-n- roll on wheels. After a joyful week with the 460hp V8, there’s lots of praise for this coupe.

First and foremost, the sound. The most common demonstration was the remote start and the explosion of rumbling, gurgling exhaust from the glorious naturally aspirated engine. Heard inside buildings, across parking lots, it was love at first sound pulse. Remote start just enhances the experience. How is this thing legal? I don’t care. This fairly loaded model with quite a few features not always found on much more expensive vehicles has an MSRP of $46,970.

The selectable exhaust has a quiet mode, but that just sounds stock. It can be programmed for certain hours because this will be heard in the neighborhood. The track and drag modes (more on those later) have an even deeper rumble. I questioned how much of it was piped into the cabin artificially, but it did set off an alarm. And it did hurt my ear with the window down during a wide open blast next to a solid object. Well ok it was an SUV. Ford does state it’s for off road use only. Oops. Here’s the deal, EVs will not have this, legal, barely legal or illegal.

Acceleration is strong, rushing past 80mph induces that giddy feeling that it’s unrelenting. Independent tests show the car to be a low 12 second, high teen car with the 10 speed automatic. Zero to 60mph would be in the high 3s at that point. It does have acceleration, braking and g-force measurements integrated into the user interface. Power is a little soft in low rpms but it comes on strong and progressively. Throttle response is very good.

The big question is how is the 10 speed automatic? It was nearly fantastic. Shifts were seamless during normal driving and it never hunted for the right gear. A steady cruising rpm, it held steady in the gear. In the track modes shifts are very firm and I got rubber going into second gear. With the shifter left in Sport and automatic modes, rapidly decelerating would induce rapid fire downshifts which was so cool.

 In the manual mode double tapping the paddles due to so many ratios worked best. The only objections were a slow reaction to selecting second if while sustaining first at part throttle. Also when manually shifting near redline it was easy to hit the limiter. Otherwise this transmission was a joy. Eight miles per hour is about 2000rpm and eight-five mph is 2150rpm and about 25mpg with this 3:15 final drive ratio model. The manual recommends shifting into 10^th at 60mph for optimum fuel economy.

With all this powertrain fun, I missed two turns and nearly a third driving back from the office while giggling the entire time having so much fun with the response and feedback. The suspension is firm yet compliant, and very comfortable. For street use, and spirted on-ramp duty, it was excellent. Despite the old joke about spin-outs and danger to pedestrians, the rear end grip accelerating out of turns with the 255 width rear tires was surprisingly good.

If you don’t have a heavy foot, it’s an excellent commuter. Despite the tall hood and the side mirrors being a little small, visibility is excellent along with a good and functional interior layout unlike the Camaro. The rear back-up camera view is so wide it borders on epic. While cruising, the adaptive cruise control worked extremely well, less intrusive than others recently sampled. The selectable gauge display can show air/fuel ratio, axle oil temp, boost/vacuum, cylinder head temp, inlet air temp, oil pressure, oil temp and transmission oil temp. 

With the Premium package, leather seats that are both heated and cooled are standard. They really form to the body mid-back but seem to be lacking at shoulder blade and higher level. Although some higher speed turns didn’t reveal any shortcomings in function. The headrest is tilt adjustable as well. There are other clever touches like a dedicated rear seat access lever behind each seat, and a magnetic button holds the seatbelt strap in place so it’s easier to grab and better than a button. 

The engine oi change interval is up to 10,000 miles, with 5w-20. However, 5w-30 is recommended for track duty, with instructions to change back to 5w-20 after. Extreme duty can bring the oil change interval down to 3,000 miles but the interval for track duty (with the viscosity switch) seems to be 7,000 miles. Keep in mind, this is a large engine physically and it takes 10 quarts of oil. You’ve got to pay to play. 

The Ford Sync 3 infotainment system works well, the user interface pretty easy to figure out, not even needing to check the manual on how to operate it. Apple Car Play starts right up and supposedly Waze will be included with it soon. Although the volume only went up to 30, the Shaker subwoofer in the trunk would shake the rear window and the lower front speakers blow the hairs on your lower legs, if you’re equipped like that.

It’s a dichotomy of refinements, features and unrefinements. The side window up and down action shakes the long heavy doors, you can subtly feel the vehicle shake as well. The pony image projected on the ground by the side view mirrors is fun, but generated extreme reactions, for and against. There’s a large console behind the rear mirror, only noticed from the outside. Maybe oversized but if it included the auto dimming headlights function, it worked great. The brake pedal feels a little wooden but modulates perfectly. The steering column release is on the right side, shouldn’t they always be in center under the column?

There’s something about domestic performance cars. Not sure if it is the tall, flat hoods combined with heavy engines sitting over or near the front wheels, but Ford did a great job with this one and the soundtrack speaks volumes. The exterior styling, especially the rear, is simply brilliant and it’s the best-selling sports coupe globally. I guess you could say, all things considered, it is world class. 

2018 Volkswagen Golf R review - the refined hooligan

This car is a bad influence on me. Sits low, handling is light, responsive and tossable. It’s quick, has excellent lateral support, smooth shifter, torquey, great visibility….why the heck are these other cars in my way? Accelerate, zig right, zag left, accelerate again, oops too fast. No matter, into a neutral all-wheel drift, recover while accelerating. That’s five or six cars dispatched already. Speed limit barely exceeded, I still need to show better judgement…

The 2018 Volkswagen R 6-speed manual offers the involving driving experience that makes you yearn for a track day while offering a smorgasbord of configurable settings, logical ergonomics and what must be best-in-class interior refinement. 

Featuring a rumbly 292 horsepower turbocharged 4 cylinder, the torque is immediate and the acceleration satisfying. Reportedly rated at 22 mpg city and 31 highway, solid numbers for a performance car. The manual transmission 0-60mph time is said to be 5.2 seconds. The manual doesn’t have that jerk-your-head-back engagement going into second gear or third gear at wide open throttle, too many all-wheel drive drivetrain components. Maybe its the dampening, or both. Sixty miles power is reached at the top of second gear. A steady 80mph is about 3000rpm in 6th gear and while perhaps not ideal for fuel economy, downshifting isn’t necessary for getting around the ever present dawdling Prius, er, I mean other vehicles. 

Refinement is prevalent throughout. When the clutch is fully engaged at idle, the vehicle can move at a crawl versus a herky-jerky lunging threatening to stall. Activating the electronic parking brake elicits an audible response from the rear of the car, as does the selection of reverse when the backup camera is actuated from its hiding space behind the rear emblem. Normal function sounds behind the driver other than the exhaust are rare and fun. 

There’s a few quirks. When using Waze while in Apple Car Play mode, the audible directions switch the audio source from radio to phone but that seemed to sort itself out from my fumbling around with controls. The height of the steering column shaft absolutely must be raised, longer inseam drivers will hit their left knee against it while trying to have the steering wheel angled more parallel to the driver, and it makes ingress and egress difficult with the right knee even when its at the top of the arc. Pushing the manually adjusted wheel in makes it worse, because that brings the steering wheel rim lower still! If you’re a traveling salesperson, this might get bothersome. 

The exterior has no chrome and a subtle blackout treatment and looks really sharp despite the basic hatchback design. Inside, the refinement is at a premium level. For example the wide and deep door pockets are lined with a carpet-like texture which keeps items from rattling around such as modern sunglasses that don’t seem to fit in any overhead sunglass compartment on the market.  Despite the contoured fit of the seats, the upper back feels unsupported but leaning your head back meets the padded headrest nicely. It also seems rather rare to have a black headliner these days, a welcome change but this example was missing a sunroof. Once everything is adjusted, outward visibility excellent.

Thanks to the positive action shifter and light clutch feel, driving in commuter traffic is as effortless as a manual transmission car could be. The low end torque and maneuverability allow for easy placement and changing lanes as opposed to waiting for the revs to climb for power. Steering is quick, roughly 3 turns lock-to-lock but the turning radius is the give away that the engine is transverse mounted, a slight but noticeably greater than some larger, rear-drive only vehicles.

The multi driving mode selection has cool graphics along with a custom setting offering an array of configurations from chassis control, steering effort, engine sound, lighting, climate control, etc. When reaching for the navigation screen setting, the submenu pops up, a clever touch, pun intended. 

This is really a magnificent daily driver which can be a practical economy car yet with plenty of power. And add just a button push and you’re a throttle position away from being an eager track rat with sharp styling cues yet still blending in to the daily commute without screaming, “Here I am!” for attention. 

See the entire picture album on my Facebook page: San Jose Cars Examiner
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Tech in the Spec: 2018 Acura TLX A-Spec review

In the “Near Premium” market segment, the players are all the names we’ve heard of, see every day, and are essentially the well-equipped yet entry level models of the luxury brands. Acura’s TLX offers a 2.4 liter 4-cylinder, but this A-Spec example is a 3.5 liter naturally aspirated V-6 producing 290hp and this very well equipped Tech Package examples has an MSRP of $45,750.  The A-Spec trim level brings some exterior styling cues such as the distinctive grill, 19” wheels and suggestive 4” exhaust tips. Inside, the A-Spec-only red light accent stripes are a very neat detail that adds to the ambiance, especially at night. 

Producing an extremely smooth 290 horsepower, downshifting several gears below 9^th produced no discernible increase in vibration despite a big leap in engine rpm. What it lacks in sheer grunt it makes up for with an always welcome yet refined V-8 sound track despite lacking two cylinders. The throttle dependent rumble can help sell this car to the driver, yet isn’t an attention getting (or craving) head turner. A long travel pedal is needed to illicit downshifts, it makes for a great daily driver before even activating the numerous technology features. 

While on the subject of the powertrain, one aspect must be brought up. The Super Handling All Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) absolutely spoils the driver in the rain, at green lights and even when turning. On wet roads the launch from a stop enabled by the SH-AWD will widen your eyes. Ever try flooring a car while turning and not crashing or spinning out? This thing lets you do it, one handed, easily. Thanks to the torque vectoring rear differential, overdriven by 2.7%, it absolutely spoils the driver with its capabilities and easily builds confidence. It’s quite a gem.   

Four driving modes, Eco, Normal, Sport and Sport Plus control the engine and transmission, throttle input, and more. The ride is definitely on the side of luxury, more so than expected even in the A-Spec suspension trim.  Handling is extremely predictable and the tires will squeal at a limit high enough to get in trouble and gap 99% of people behind you on the on-ramp. 

Even though it is a sluggish downshift response to the right foot, the 9 speed automatic is responsive with the steering wheel mounted paddle shifters. With the all-wheel drive, Acura could take advantage of the many ratios and give it much more aggressive gearing for quicker acceleration so it’s more evenly matched with some of its 6 cylinder, turbocharged competitors. But on the upper end, an 85mph cruise speed only turns a spectacularly low 1850rpm. In perspective, a diesel BMW 335d would turn 2200rpm. Great for highway fuel economy, rated at 29mpg but acceleration is non-existent if you are in the manual gear selection mode. Otherwise it simply downshifts. Could you imagine manually shifting 9 speeds in a commuter? You’d be skipping gears constantly, not reaching peak efficiency and acceleration not at the vehicle’s potential.

Multiple technical features can help a driver become either better, safer, lazier, or depending upon the mood, alternate at will. The suite of driver aids and warning systems is called AcuraWatch. Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) will activate the brakes in case of an imminent collision and the Forward Collision Warning (FCW) flashes “BRAKE” in orange letters between the gauges when the approach distance and speed exceeds the programmed threshold. 

 The Low Speed Follow (LSF), with Active Cruise Control (ACC) is a nice convenience can be quite useful in bumper to bumper traffic. The only issue is despite setting the closest distance, it leaves a large enough gap for another driver to easily move in.  It doesn’t let up on the throttle due to brake lights, but rather distance and the brake application is sudden, so you start to wonder if you’re irritating the driver behind you or if the driver in front is smooth on the throttle.  

Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) reads the road surface and makes subtle adjustments in the steering wheel to keep the vehicle centered, a driving aid that reacts before the driver at times. Letting go of the wheel in a curve is not a good idea. And while activated, if it senses hands off the wheel for too long, it will flash a warning. What was liked the most is the Lane Departure Warning (LDW) which will flash when a car is too close for a lane change. Very helpful at highway speeds in the dark when moving around slower traffic.

The climate control system also links the seat ventilation and heating which is a great touch and the functions can be adjusted on the display screen. The seats are so comfortable, and so easy to get in and out, the Alcantara objection of being too grippy is totally dismissed in this case. The wife loved the spaciousness and how quiet it was. 

There are a few quirks like the tall, wide sill, especially with the sportier lower body cladding. The rear view camera has a very wide angle but is a bit granular in image quality, especially when it rains. Speaking of rain, careful opening he trunk so you don’t spill water on the contents. 

The TLX A-Spec is a solid luxury and technology contender in the market segment, an excellent daily driver, multi-state tourer, has enough grunt to get past slower traffic and makes pleasing sounds while doing it with refinement and tasteful, sporty styling touches. Add another fifty to one hundred horsepower and this would be a standout.