Official release from www.acuranews.com:

04/19/2012 – TORRANCE, Calif.,

Acura has earned the 2012 Best Retained Value® Award for a luxury brand from Edmunds.com. The Acura MDX also captured the model award for best SUV Over $45,000. Acura was given the awards for maintaining the highest projected residual values after five years of ownership as a percentage of value when new.

“It is an honor for Acura to win this award from Edmunds.com,” said Jeff Conrad vice president of Acura sales. “Acura is committed to the philosophy of smart luxury, offering customers vehicles with robust feature content and premium appeal providing lasting value on a luxury scale.”

“With Acura beating out all other luxury brands” said Joe Spina, Director of Remarketing at Edmunds.com. “Acura’s family of vehicles continues to expand the brand’s status as one of the best values available to luxury car buyers today.”

[Source: Acura]

Best Retained Value SUV Over $45,000: 2012 Acura MDX

After an honorable mention last year, today Edmunds.com has announced Acura as the top luxury brand winner in its 2012 Best Retained Value^® Awards. In its second year, the awards aim to recognize brands and individual models that have the highest projected resale value after five years according to Edmunds’ data.

“Edmunds.com found that Honda’s average projected retained value after five years is 47.9%, while Acura’s average projected retained value is 44.6%.”

The Acura MDX took top spot in the SUV Over $45,000 segment, while the Acura TL and TSX are honorable mentions in the Sedan $30K-$40K segment.

“Honda has long had a reputation for dependable used vehicles, and that is reflected in today’s booming used car market, “ said Joe Spina, Director of Remarketing at Edmunds.com. “And with Acura beating out all other luxury brands, Honda’s family of vehicles continues to expand the company’s status as one of the best values available to car buyers today. “

This is Acura’s first time as the Luxury brand winner and Honda’s second consecutive win in the Non-Luxury division.

Visit Edmunds.com for more information or click here for the press release.

[Source: Edmunds.com]

[Source: Edmunds' Inside Line via YouTube]

Robert Downey Jr. at The Avengers Premiere

Official release from www.acuranews.com:

04/13/2012 – HOLLYWOOD, Calif.

Thousands watched with amazement as actor Robert Downey Jr. (“Tony Stark”) drove onto the red carpet in a custom Acura-created sports car at the Marvel’s The Avengers Hollywood premiere on Wednesday, April 11, at the El Capitan Theater. The premiere, co-sponsored by Acura, featured militarized S.H.I.E.L.D.-Edition Acura MDX and TL models that were used in the film to escort the actors on Hollywood Blvd.

In addition to Downey’s impressive arrival, Marvel’s The Avengers stars Chris Evans (Captain America), Mark Ruffalo (The Hulk), Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) also arrived in a fleet of Acura vehicles.

“Acura is excited to continue our presence as the official vehicle of S.H.I.E.L.D. in Marvel films (Captain America: The First Avenger, THOR, and The Avengers),” said Mike Accavitti, Vice President of National Marketing Operations. S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and Marvel’s The Avengers’ characters including Hawkeye and Black Widow can be seen driving militarized Acura vehicles throughout the highly anticipated film, including the MDX, ZDX and TL models, along with a cameo from the entirely new 2013 RDX.

Fans can further immerse themselves in the world of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Marvel’s The Avengers by visiting http://www.SHIELDops.com and testing Avengers-inspired technology mounted to S.H.I.E.L.D.-Edition Acura vehicles. Fans can earn the chance to win movie passes and S.H.I.E.L.D. gear. The grand prize is an all-expense-paid Tony Stark-inspired trip to New York City.

Marvel’s The Avengers opens in theaters nationwide Friday, May 4, 2012.

[Source: Acura]

Robert Downey Jr. Drives the Acura Sports Car

In true Stark fashion, Robert Downey Jr. and his wife Susan Downey made a grand entrance yesterday as they arrived at The Avengers Red Carpet World Premiere at the El Capitan Theatre. Escorted by an Acura S.H.I.E.L.D. convoy, the couple rolled in with the vehicle most of us Acura fans were hoping for, the stunning open-top “NSX” Concept. Even with Robert Downey Jr. in the drivers seat, I think it’s fair to say the Acura Sports car caught its fair share of attention.

You can see the arrival in two short clips I’ve attached below.

Click here to see the videos

Marvel’s The Avengers

As the official vehicle of S.H.I.E.L.D., Acura gets to share the spotlight with the stars at The Avengers Red Carpet World Premiere at El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles.

Watch the event streaming live on marvel.com and enjoy a few shots from Acura_Insider in the gallery below.

If you missed it, Robert Downey Jr. did indeed roll up to the red carpet in the Acura Avengers NSX Sports Car.

[Image Source: Acura_Insider]

Acura Avengers Sports Car - Courtesy Edmunds.com, Inc.

By now most of you have already caught a glimpse of the famous open top NSX Concept that Tony Strark will be sporting in the upcoming Avengers movie. If you’re looking to get a closer look at the one-off NSX and the other Acura S.H.I.E.L.D. models, you’re in for a treat because Edmunds’ Inside Line has posted an extensive gallery of photos with the three vehicles.

They’ve got some killer photos of the NSX Roadster in motion, and as a bonus, they even brought in the original NSX for some side by side comparison shots. Judging by the interior and engine bay of the Avengers Sports Car, under all that body work it IS a first generation NSX.

The other two Acura S.H.I.E.L.D. models, a militarized matte gray TL and MDX are also featured, complete with push bars, sirens other movie props.

I’ve attached a few teaser shots below, but don’t miss the chance to see this huge gallery, visit insideline.com for all 177 photos.

[Source: Edmunds' Inside Line]

Acura RLX - 2012 New York International Auto Show

A concept of Acura’s new flagship sedan was unveiled to the world at the New York International Auto Show on April 4th 2012. Hear from Vice President of Marketing Mike Accavitti as he wraps up the event and speaks about some of Acura’s highlights so far this year.

[Source: Acura]