With Its RLX, Acura Emphasizes Style and Sophistication at SEMA Show

Peabody, USA, 11/15/2013 / SubmitMyPR /

While the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas likely evokes scenes of outrageously tricked-out vehicles for most driving enthusiasts, Acura elected to take a more sophisticated route this year to highlight its all-new Acura RLX flagship luxury sedan. The auto brand teamed with Evasive Motorsports and MAD Industries to showcase two customized RLX models at the aftermarket event last week, and both rides emphasized refinement and responsiveness over juiced-up performance.

Donning a carbon-fiber front-bumper lip and vents, a revamped rear bumper and a customized exhaust with titanium tips, the 2014 Acura RLX VIP Sedan by Evasive Motorsports is equally at home traveling to the office or to the concert hall. Completing that upscale look are Chargespeed carbon-fiber side skirts and 21-inch Advan F15 wheels, while prototype Tein Street Flex coilovers allow the RLX VIP Sedan to assume a lower stance. Inside the cabin, passengers are coddled with custom neck pillows featuring a Jordan Brand-inspired elephant print.

"With its upswept design lines and sleek Jewel-Eye LED headlights, the new Acura RLX doesn't require many modifications to stand out on the road, so Evasive Motorsports and MAD Industries focused more on complementing its style rather than changing the design direction," said Joel Avery, general manager of Acura of Peabody, a Massachusetts Acura dealer. "The RLX is also the most powerful Acura sedan ever, so it didn't need much in the way of performance upgrades to satisfy the SEMA audience."

Sporting a stealthier exterior, the 2014 Acura RLX Urban Luxury Sedan by MAD Industries is characterized by a brushed black-metallic 3M 1080 Scotchprint wrap film that runs from the hood to the trunk over a gloss-black paintjob. Meanwhile, silver 22-inch Niche wheels and MPG custom satin-black caliper covers ratchet up the custom model's aggressive appearance.

MAD Industries may have favored style upgrades over power boosts on the RLX, but the custom tuners didn't leave performance junkies wanting at SEMA. The company's Acura Street Performance ILX boasts a CT Engineering supercharger kit and an ECU tune with Hondata's FlashPro that enable the sedan's 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine to reach 250 horsepower, a 49-horsepower increase compared to the production model. To properly harness that added output, MAD Industries also outfitted the modified Acura ILX with Tein Super Street coilovers and Nitto NT05 Max high-performance tires.

"The customized ILX model at SEMA showed that Acura's entry-level sedan is capable of big things on the road with a little love in the aftermarket," added Avery. "Even in production form, buyers have the choice of three powertrains to find their ideal combination of performance and fuel efficiency, and regardless of their choice, they'll get a dynamic driving experience."

About Acura of Peabody:
Thanks to a complete commitment to the Acura Total Luxury Care (TLC) philosophy from the sales, parts and service teams, this dealership has the best customer satisfaction and retention rates of any Acura dealership in the Northeast. They offer an extensive inventory of new and used Acura models, backed by a service center with the highest customer loyalty in the Northeast. Visit their website at www.acuraofpeabody.com, like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/acuraofpeabody, visit their Acura showroom and service center at 233 Andover Street in Peabody, Massachusetts, or call them at 888-825-7965.