Toyota Venza Yearlong Review: What We Loved—and Didn't

With Acura's NSX supercar being sunsetted this year after the final run of Type S variants is built, the Performance Manufacturing Center (PMC) where it is assembled by hand is going to need purpose. Well, a different purpose, at least—and Acura's been trying to give it some over the past few years with its normal-looking-on-the-outside, secretly hand-built batches of PMC Editions of its mainstream models. These mostly ordinary Acura models are usually gifted some special paint—a lustrous red on the 2020 TLX PMC Edition, a blazing orange on the 2021 RDX PMC Edition, etc.—and carry the distinction of being hand-built in the same factory as the NSX supercar, by the same technicians, even. The newest addition to this PMC family? The latest-generation TLX sedan.As mentioned, there has been a TLX PMC Edition previously, but that was based on the previous-generation TLX. This 2023 Acura TLX PMC Edition blends not only the newest TLX with the PMC treatment, but also the TLX in its spicier 355-hp Type S form, which also gets Acura's torque-vectoring Super Handling All-Wheel Drive. This sport sedan with a name of many characters will, ironically, be limited in number, though Acura hasn't outlined yet what that number will be. (Past PMCs were built in numbered runs, with each model wearing a plaque inside with its unique figure; there is a similar plaque pictured on the new '23 TLX, but it only shows "001," not how many that number is out of.) It is, of course, built by hand at Acura's PMC in Ohio, and for an added dash of fancy, each car will be delivered in a covered, single-car transporter to its delivery dealership in order to keep the paint free from blemishes.In no small part because this TLX PMC Edition is based on the already saucy looking Type S version of Acura's midsize sedan, it is an altogether more serious-looking machine than the old one. Acura steps up the visuals with copper-colored 21-inch wheels, carbon-fiber rear spoiler and diffuser pieces, and Berlina Black (a classic Honda color) roof and door mirrors. Three colors will be available, and (go, America!), they're Curva Red (with a black interior), 130R White (red interior), and Long Beach Blue (with a white interior)—perfectly timed for a certain celebratory weekend in the U.S.A. All three colors are borrowed from the NSX, too.Other enhancements on the PMC include Pirelli P-Zero summer tires, carbon fiber interior trim, backlit "Type S" door sill plates, and blacked-out badges. The result is a TLX Type S that is subtly different, but in a hard-to-place way if you just saw one on the street.Of course, the delicious, even subtler aspect of these PMC cars has long been their hand assembly, which is just plain unusual for cars not priced in the stratosphere. Like with past PMC Editions, we anticipate the TLX Type S version won't break the bank, costing a few thousand bucks more than a regular one. Again, imagine someone paying just a little more for, say, a hand-built Ford F-150 or Honda Civic. It's both weird and kind of, secretly, maybe cool. We'll know final pricing and, likely, how limited production will be when the order books open for the TLX Type S PMC Edition later this year.

Every year, our MotorTrend test crew performs instrumented testing on all manner of cars, trucks, and SUVs—some 220 in all in calendar year 2021. Some are fast—here are the quickest cars we tested this year—others not so much. But even the slowest cars nowadays aren't exactly stuck in the mud. Of all of the vehicles we tested, only one of them was on wrong side of the 10-second barrier to 60 mph, with a small handful taking more than 9 seconds to get there.As we've seen in recent years, the majority of the slower vehicles we test tend to be compact crossover SUVs fitted with small-displacement engines. Inline four-cylinders of varying sizes are the overwhelming powerplant of choice; some are turbocharged, and a hybrid is usually in the mix in here and there. Efficiency is generally what automakers prioritize with these vehicles, so not surprisingly, straight line speed isn't part of the formula. That, and sometimes a vehicle will have a slightly underpowered engine option given its size and weight, further affecting performance. (The Hyundai Elantra was a case in point, with three separate variants making this year's list.)There were a few surprises, and a couple of brands (we're looking at you again, Hyundai) featured multiple pokey offerings this year. In the event of a tie (there were several) we moved to quarter mile and trap-speed times to break them. So which vehicles were the slowest of the slow goers? Read on to see our list of the slowest cars we tested in 2021.

We've all known a Ford Bronco Raptor was coming, but nobody in the public Broncosphere has known for sure how Ford Performance planned to endow the Bronco with F-150 Raptor-worthy performance—would it do so using an EcoBoost V-6 (and if so, which one?) or a Coyote V-8? Well, now we know: The Ford Performance gang has worked its magic on the 3.0-liter EcoBoost twin-turbo V-6 from the Explorer ST, modifying it extensively to suit the Bronco Raptor's mission, which is to "reward the revs." (For more on the V-6/V-8 decision, head here.)That means the engine should produce meaningful power all the way out to the far reaches of the tachometer while the standard 10-speed automatic transmission's gearing ensures that power is easy to explore the top of the tach. Here's what it took to turn a family SUV motor into a desert stormer for a hardcore 4x4, plus the modifications needed to get that power safely routed to the ground.What's Under the Bronco Raptor's Hood?You'll recall that the 3.0-liter EcoBoost is basically a bored and stroked EcoBoost Nano family sibling of the compacted-graphite-iron-block 2.7-liter powering other Broncos, so it bolts in with relative ease. Relative to the Explorer application, this Bronco Raptor 3.0 features unique cylinder heads that eliminate the exhaust-gas recirculation and emphasize maximum air flow into and out of the engine.A giant high-flow intake airbox and filter drop air straight down into the turbos on each side, helping to reduce the overall restriction on the low-pressure side by 50 percent. The turbos themselves are new for the Raptor, and the plumbing to, from, and through the intercooler is improved to lower restriction. The combustion chambers flow more air, then aft of the turbos there is a full true dual exhaust system with 2.7-inch pipes and a new-to-Bronco four-position active-valve (Quiet, Normal, Sport, and Baja) that reportedly helps deliver a total drop in backpressure of 20 percent.The combined effect of all these mods is greater "boost durability," which means the boost sustains to enhance high-end power and prevents that feeling of power falling off a cliff as you near the engine redline. The new Baja drive mode also activates an anti-lag turbo calibration that further maximizes performance during high-speed desert running. As of press time, the team is still six weeks or so from finalizing the engine's state of tune and certifying it with the EPA, but we're assured it will make north of 400 horsepower. Considering this engine makes 400 hp at 5,500 rpm and 415 lb-ft at 3,500 rpm in the Explorer ST, we'd expect a healthy increase in peak power, probably at a higher rpm, with peak torque rising less but remaining available over a wider plateau.Driveline ModsIt takes a lot more torque to get a big 37-inch tire spinning than it does a 30-inch 255/70R16 or even a 35-inch 315/70R17 Sasquatch tire—especially if one tire ends up pulling the entire vehicle, due to locked axles and slippery conditions under the other three tires. Then there's the driveline shock that comes when a big, spinning tire suddenly finds traction and stops or slows upon landing from, say, a jump. To cope with these magnified driveline forces, both front halfshafts and both ends of the stronger front drive shaft get beefy constant-velocity joints—no simple universal joints here. The outer hubs and bearings are also strengthened.Following the torque aft, the rear drive shaft is also beefed up and it feeds a stronger new Dana 50 Heavy-Duty AdvanTEKrear axle (up from a Dana 44) made of thicker (9-mm) steel tubes capped at each end by a unique forging that helps widen the track. The differential is fitted with a bigger, stronger 235 ring gear (up from 220) and pinion, retaining the Sasquatch model's 4.70:1 axle ratio. Ford Performance developed both these axles and fits them to the Bronco DR race truck. They increase the track width by 8.2 inches front, 6.7 inches rear, relative to the Sasquatch package.Upstream of all this, the transfer case gets a stronger clutch for 4A automatic on-demand engagement, but it carries over the 3.06:1 low-range ratio and overall 67.8:1 crawl ratio. The standard 10-speed automatic is unchanged but for a revised torque converter and the addition of a second transmission oil cooler.Fearless Bronco Raptor 0-60 Time PredictionFord doesn't estimate acceleration times, but it says the base Bronco Raptor's curb weight should come in just under 5,750 pounds. If we conservatively estimate engine output at 430 horsepower, that gives a weight-to-power ratio of 13.4 pounds/horsepower. That's almost exactly what we measured on the last Ford F-150 Raptor 37 pickup we tested (13.3 lb/hp), and that full-size truck took 5.6 seconds to hit 60 mph on the same tires, with virtually the same transmission and a slightly taller axle ratio. So we're guessing the smaller truck will improve on that just slightly and lay down a 5.5-second 0-60 time, shaving at least a second off the quickest Bronco time we've measured.