What happened to the “plenum” grille?

As the exterior design leader for both the new NSX and the Acura Precision Concept, Michelle Christensen plays a major role in the future of Acura styling. Motor Authority’s Kirk Bell sat down with Christensen in Detroit to discuss what the Precision Concept means for Acura.

One answer reveals why the plenum grille is getting replaced with the new Diamond Pentagon design:

“When we looked at the grille, it didn’t match. We wanted something that conveyed more of a performance image. We had the plenum in the front that looks like it’s blocking what is normally an air intake. That started the conversation of, OK we need to redo the grille. So, we went through hundreds of proposals and this one seemed every Acura–it’s still kind of a pentagon so it’s a nod to what we’ve already established–but it just has a nice clean shape to it and it really conveys performance by letting air in through the grille.” – Michelle Christensen via Motor Authority

Read the full question-and-answer transcript on motorauthority.com – Eight Questions With Acura Precision Concept Designer Michelle Christensen.

[Source: Motor Authority]