Acura Vigor
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The Acura Vigor was a midsized, front wheel drive sedan made by Acura from 1992 to 1994. The very first Vigor rolled off the assembly line on June 24, 1991 as a 1992 model. It used an unusual 5-cylinder engine mounted in a longitudinal --rather than transverse-- arrangement.
The Vigor was panned in the automotive press as being too small and too stiff. Potential customers noted its similar styling to the Honda Accord of the time. Its main competition, the Lexus ES, itself a thinly disguised Toyota Camry, was softer, roomier, and more appealing to the market. In 1993 and 1994, Acura softened the Vigor, increased rear seat room by making the front seats thinner, and lightened the steering in an attempt to put the car more in-line with market expectations. These modifications proved futile. Its first year, 1992 remained its number one years in sales.
Acura clearly missed the mark with the Vigor. Honda bet the market was moving toward smaller, faster, sportier sedans. Toyota put their money on the softer, larger ES300. The result were two completely different vehicles targeted at the same customers.
Despite bad press, the Vigor has developed quite a cult following amongst owners. Despite its 1-cylinder deficiency to the ES300, the Vigor was, in fact, faster and handled better. In nearly all performance categories, the Vigor was clearly a superior automobile.
All Vigors were built in Saitama, Japan. Production ended on May 13, 1994, with the Vigor being replaced by the new Acura TL.
External links
- Acura Vigor Club (http://www.acuravigorclub.com/)
- Acura Vigor And Legend Club (on Yahoo Groups) (http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/acuravigorandlegendclub/)
- Acura Vigor Section (of Acura-Legend.com) (http://www.acura-legend.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=43)