Acura

RSX receives a minor update. Honda took the idea even further, producing the championship-winning RC211V, powered by a V5 cylinder engine. New 2nd-generation RL introduced. Yamaha had gone ahead with an inline four layout, whilst Suzuki and Ducati went for (differently-designed) V-Four layouts. Minor update to 1st-generation MDX. Aprilia continued this trend, taking advantage of lighter minimum weights with the introduction of their RS3 MotoGP bike - featuring three cylinders in an Inline triple layout, the bike had the least number of cylinders on the Grand Prix paddock. New TSX sports sedan introduced. For example, they progressed with development of a V-Twin 500 cc Grand Prix bike when other teams were moving to V-Four configurations for what some believed was better & more usable power outputs.

New 3rd-generation TL introduced. The company is also notable for choosing somewhat unpopular engine configurations. NSX is updated. Aprilia also feature in the off-road racing world, with their 450cc V-Twin motocrosser producing respectable results (including race wins) in both off-road (Motocross) and on-road (Supermoto) categories. New 4th-generation Integra introduced as the RSX. The RS3 did, however, feature many advanced technologies either not seen or only being seen now in other MotoGP bikes - technologies including throttle by wire and pneumatic valve actuation systems. (Canada only). However, their 500 cc Grand Prix bike was less competitive, and their MotoGP effort - dubbed the RS3 - was technically advanced but difficult to ride and performed poorly in the championship.

New 2nd generation EL model. They were extremely successful in the smaller displacement categories, winning numerous races & championships in the 125 cc Grand Prix and 250 cc Grand Prix classes. New MDX luxury SUV introduced. Aprilia Racing saw varying successes. New 2nd-generation CL coupe introduced. It contests many formulae, including the FIM 125 cc World Championship, the FIM 250cc World Championship, the now-defunct FIM 500cc World Championship, and from 2002-2004 the FIM MotoGP World Championship. No CL model for 2000. Despite being a relatively small company by global motorcycling standards, Aprilia is very active in motorcycle racing.

New 2nd-generation TL introduced. The founder, Ivano Beggio, is the Honorary President. Integra receives a minor update. With the acquisition by Piaggio, the newly nominated President of Aprilia is Roberto Colaninno (President of Piaggio & C.), and the Managing Director is Rocco Sabelli. (Canada only) New 2-door coupe TL introduced as CL. SpA, to form the world’s fourth largest motorcycle group with 1.5 billion Euro in sales, an annual production capacity of over 600,000 vehicles, and a presence in 50 countries. New EL (based on Civic sedan) is introduced. As of 2004 Aprilia was acquired by Piaggio & C.

(Not sold in Canada) New 3rd-generation Legend introduced as the RL. Most of the major motorcycle magazines picked it for the best bike of the year. New SLX SUV model introduced. Most recently, in 2003, Aprilia launched the RSV Mille Tuono which was essentially an RSV Mille with motorcross-style high handlebars and only a small headlight fairing. New 2nd-generation Vigor introduced as TL. In 2000 Aprilia launched the 50cc DiTech (Direct Injection Technology) two stroke engine for scooters which provides high milage and low emissions, and also the RST Futura; true sport tourer, and the ETV 1000 Caponord; an "Adventure Touring Motorcycle" (also known by some as a "Trailie.") Both of these latter two motorcycles used a variation of the Rotax a 1000cc V-Twin. New 3rd-generation Integra introduced. In 1999 Aprilia entered World Superbike Championship racing with its RSV Mille, and during 2000, Aprilia acquired Moto-Guzzi and Laverda, both historic heritage Italian marques.

Minor update to 2nd-generation Integra. Both bikes used a variation of a Rotax 1000cc engine. New NSX model introduced. In 1998 Aprilia launched what is its current flagship model the RSV Mille, a 1000cc V-Twin Superbike, and the Falco, a 1000cc V-Twin sport tourer with emphasis on sport. New 2nd-generation Legend introduced. Also in 1995 Aprilia launched the two stroke RS 125 and RS 250 sports bikes. New Vigor model added to Acura's line-up. In 1995, Aprilia commission Philippe Starck to design the Motò which was shown in New York’s Modern Art Museum.

New 2nd-generation Integra introduced. Later Aprilia launced additional scooters such as the Leonardo, the SR and the Gulliver, to name a few. The Acura brand is introduced to North America by Honda. In 1993 Aprilia launched a large diameter wheel scooter reusing the name Scarabeo with a four-stroke, four-valve engine.
. In 1992, Aprilia introduced the Amico LK and the twin cylinder Pegaso 125, both with catalytic converters. . Also in the 1990s, Aprilia entered the scooter market starting in 1990 with Italy’s first all-plastic scooter, the Amico.

And while the slow-selling NSX has been discontinued for the 2006 model year, Acura has promised a redesigned model sometime in 2007 or 2008. Many world champions started on Aprilia such as Biaggi, Capirossi, Gramigni, Locatelli, Sakata and Rossi. It should debut in mid-2006 as a 2007 model. Since then, Aprilia has 124 times won 125 and 250 cc class Grand Prix, 15 Road Racing World Championship titles, and 16 European speed titles. In the future, Acura will introduce the RDX, a smaller SUV set to feature the RL's SH-AWD (Super Handling All Wheel Drive). Also in 1992, Tommy Ahvala won the World Trials Championship on an Aprilia Climber. The company has now re-established itself with a consistent performance-oriented image, while also maintaining its reputation for outstanding customer service and reliability. In 1992 Aprilia rider Alessandro Gramigni won the World 125 Road Racing Championship title.

Acura's new models—particularly the RL and TSX—have been well received by the motoring press. In 1990 Aprilia launched the Pegaso 600, a road bike derived from off-road mechanics. A new RL debuted in 2005, this time with a 300-hp V6, more exciting styling, and innovative Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD), a system capable of sending almost all of the RL's power to just one wheel in a turn. Two seasons later, on August 30, 1987, at San Marino Grand Prix in Misano Loris Reggiani’s AF1 won the first World Speed Championship. This model became the only 4-cylinder sedan in Acura's line-up, replacing the Integra sedan. In 1985 Aprilia rider Philippe Berlatier contended for the trials world championship reaching fifth place, and Loris Reggiani rode an Aprilia GP 250 with Rotax engine to sixth place in the road racing World Championship. The same year, Acura introduced the TSX, a European-market Honda Accord loaded with features, as a cheaper alternative to the BMW 3-series. In 1986 Aprilia launched the AF1; a small sports model, and the Tuareg; a large tanked bike for African rallies.

A new TL debuted in 2004, equipped with sharp, Italianate styling and a 270-hp V6, and available with a 6-speed manual transmission led to a dramatic increase in sales for Acura. In 1985 Aprilia launched a 125 STX and 350 STX. Other cars in Acura's line-up during this time included the 3.2 TL, 3.2 CL, RSX (formerly the Integra), and the supercar, the NSX. In 1985, Aprilia started outsourcing engines for some models to the Austrian company Rotax. It was given top honors by Car and Driver in its first comparison test against seven other SUVs. In 1984 Aprilia launched an improved model called STX, and an enduro, called the ET 50. The MDX was a car-like and fun-to-drive crossover SUV with little off-road capability that catered smartly to the demands of the luxury SUV market. In 1983 Aprilia launched to St 125 road bike.

The MDX replaced the slow-selling SLX, which was little more than a rebadged Isuzu Trooper. In 1981 Aprilia introduced the TL320 trials machine. In the early 2000s, Acura refreshed its line-up, arguably beginning with the introduction of the MDX, a popular three-row crossover SUV based on the Honda Odyssey minivan. In the 1980s Aprilia added enduro, trials and road bikes of between 50 and 600 cc. This reputation has continued to this day, especially with the new RSX and TSX (see below.). In 1978 Alborghetti closed the season with two third places in individual races and sixth place in the World Championship. Parent company Honda's reputation as a maker of easy to tune and rev-happy engines with this demographic rubbed off onto Acura, and the Integra became a popular tuner car. In 1977 Ivan Alborghetti from Milan, Italy won the Italian 125 and 250 cc motorcross championships on Aprilias.

Despite these letdowns, Acura did gain prominence in the 1990's with a younger group of people, the import tuner set. Produced until the end of the 1970s, the Scarabeo came in 50 and 125 cc versions. Even the swoopy NSX lost sales as Acura barely changed the car from its original 1989 trim. Aprilia later produced a motocross bike in 1970 called the Scarabeo. Its sluggish 210-horsepower V6 (later bumped to 225 hp) and front-wheel drive, together with anonymous styling that cautiously aped the larger, more powerful and more engaging Lexus LS400, did little against more prestigious, attractive and faster offerings from BMW, Audi, and Lexus, among others. The first production Aprilia mopeds were named Colibrì, Daniela and Packi. The 1996 3.5RL, which replaced the well-loved Legend, was seen by many as the epitome of Acura's new-found blandness. Alberto’s son, Ivano Beggio, took over the helm of the company in 1968 and he constructed a 50 cc "motorcycle" with a dozen or so collaborators.

During this time, Acura switched to an alphanumeric formula for nomenclature. Aprilia was founded immediately after the Second World War by Cavaliere Alberto Beggio, as a bicycle production factory at Noale, Italy in the province of Venice. Unfortunately, after this strong start, the mid- to late 1990s, Acura's model line-up became less and less inspiring and consequently, sales suffered. . The car's meticulously engineered quality and sterling reliability were icing on the cake. It is most recently best known for its flagship 1000 cc V-Twin Superbike, the RSV Mille. The NSX, an acronym for "New Sports eXperimental", was hailed as the first (and perhaps, to date, the only) Japanese car capable of taking on Ferrari and Porsche. Aprilia started as a scooter manufacturer, but has more recently come to be known for its race-winning sportsbikes.

In 1989, Acura introduced the NSX, a swoopy 276-hp two-door sports car. Aprilia is an Italian motorcycle company, which in recent times bought the historical Moto-Guzzi and Laverda brands. Automotive journalists were impressed particularly by the Acura Legend. Forum for aprilia enthusiasts. Other Japanese luxury brands (Toyota's Lexus and Nissan's Infiniti) sprang up in North America shortly after Acura's introduction of the Legend, a V6-powered coupe and sedan, and the Integra, which was offered with a 4-cylinder engine only. Aprilia. Before Acura, automobiles from Japan were primarily economical and were seen as reliable above all else.

Acura is credited with creating or being the first to tap into a market for luxury Japanese cars outside Japan. The brand will be expanded to the Chinese market in 2006 and the Japanese domestic market in 2008. Acura is a Japanese brand name used by Honda in the US, Canada, Mexico, and Hong Kong since March 1986 to market luxury automobiles and near-luxury vehicles. RSX.

RL (new 2nd-generation). NSX. MDX. TSX.

TL. EL (Canada only). Models sold: