Acura News: Acura: The "Beak" Is Staying

[William Maley]

William Maley

Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com

June 18, 2012

Beak, bread slicer, shield, etc, etc. Whatever you want to call it, Acura's polarizing grille introduced back in 2008 is here to stay.

Toshinobu Minami, head of Honda and Acura exterior design told Automotive News the grill and the basic design language is here to say, albeit toned down a bit.

"We concede that we went a little overboard at some points. We actually had pretty bad feedback on this initially from different directions. But we are not going to buckle under that pressure," said Minami in a interview.

When asked about the grill, Minami said,

"There hasn't been that great of a change, but maybe people have gotten used to it. There may be small evolutions here or there in details."

Although the Acura grill will not change for the time being, the brand’s overall vehicle design could be shifting. Minami said Acura will be "going further out, maybe pursuing premium."

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.

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[David]

This man, Toshinobu Minami is a F*@cking Idiot!!!

To stay with such a stupid design language that has not allowed them to grow their brand truly reminds me of GM, FORD and Chrysler and every other idiot company now dead that made mistakes and never learned from them. TOO MUCH PRIDE is in the way of correcting a outragous styling mistake. The world keeps telling them how bad this is and they continue to ignor it saying people have gotten used to it??????

This man might be Text Book smart, but common sense stupid. I go as far as to call him out as an IDIOT in the Automotive World of Design.

Acura deserves to continue to shrink and die with stupid people like this in charge.

[Drew Dowdell]

Oh well, it was nice knowing ya Acura.

[ocnblu]

Dude is a peckerhead.

[Robert Hall]

The Acura grille, at least the current revised ones, isn't bad at all IMO..better looking than some of Hyundai's front ends (like the disgusting Sonata Hybrid front end or the over wrought front ends seen on the updated Genesis coupe, Velocter, Tuscon, etc..

[ocnblu]

Stupid grin on Mazdas will not turn a frown upside down either.

[Robert Hall]

Stupid grin on Mazdas will not turn a frown upside down either.

Mazda's 'happy fish' face....as opposed to Ford's 'angry fish' look on some of their cars..

[riviera74]

Acura made its bed, and may it lie in it for all eternity. GM needs to crush Acura, preferably through Buick, if Acura insists on being this arrogant.

[daves87rs]

Oh well, it was nice knowing ya Acura.

+1

[regfootball]

"your design sucks" -signed, customer

"Ok, we're still going to use it anyways" -signed, marketing

[Robert Hall]

Well, their only previous distinct front end design cue was a 5-sided trapazoid grille that they used for a long time...this is more distinct and still uses the 5-sided opening...

[David]

The more Iook at this car, the more it makes me think of Japan Anime. I wonder if these morons are so hooked on their animation that they cannot think in the real world?

[smk4565]

Without the beak, it would look the same as a Honda.

GM does need to try to crush this brand and Lincoln. This is where Cadillac can get growth from, and to a lesser extent Buick.

[riviera74]

Caddy should crush Lincoln and Buick should crush Acura. The problem is is that a lot of Acura buyers still think it is 1995 in car years not 2012.

[David]

Caddy should crush Lincoln and Buick should crush Acura. The problem is is that a lot of Acura buyers still think it is 1995 in car years not 2012.

Too True, the Acura buyers are some of the oldest out there and stuck in the mid 90's like flash frozen!