For those in the dark about what the new and totally redesigned RDX is all about, allow us to elaborate a little. For starters, this premium small crossover is going to get a new engine: a naturally-aspirated 3.5-liter V6 that takes over for the outgoing 2.3-liter four-cylinder. Not that the old motor was a slouch, but the new one adds an extra 23 horsepower, pushing the number up to 273 hp, and it will also now get a class-leading 20/28 mpg, meaning it’s both more powerful and more efficient than the outgoing model.

To top that off, the redesign itself is worth nothing. When it comes to running a dealership in Los Angeles, Acura cars have always been easy to sell because they’re so good-looking, but there’s no doubting that the new look of the RDX is definitely more refined than the one it replaces. It’s also bigger inside, including more cargo space, and a revised all-wheel drive system makes some trims better than ever to drive.

We don’t have a definite date for arrival yet, but trust us that it’s coming. We can’t wait for it to get here!

For all the glitz and glamour of L.A., the culture of New York, the history of Boston, and the industry of Chicago, none of them have quite the unique flavor and, let’s face it, heart of N’awlins. If you want to spend a week in a city that will feed you the best seafood of your life while you listen to the best live jazz in the world, that’s the place you want to be. Especially if you go the week of Jazz Fest.

Why would a L.A. dealership like Center Acura be telling you to go visit another city when there’s plenty of great food and music right here? It’s not that we’re trying to get rid of you; we’re just proud to admit that Acura is a major sponsor for Jazz Fest, which this year features a slew of major artists like Bruce Springsteen, The Eagles, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Eddie Vedder, the Foo Fighters, Zac Brown Band, Al Green, Florence + the Machine, John Mayer, Bon Iver, and a whole host of amazing local jazz groups. It’s a party, which is something that New Orleans is sort of known for. Seriously, if you want to have some fun this weekend, that’s the way to do it.

Back here in Los Angeles, Acura TL and MDX models probably won’t see much of a boost because of a jazz festival halfway across the country. But for the overall betterment of the brand? This is great. Everyone loves music, and everyone loves the heart and determination of New Orleans.

Acura is proud to play a part in that.

A lot of media outlets are calling the ILX a “gateway” vehicle because it introduces potential Acura customers to the brand in a relatively inexpensive and inoffensive manner. The ILX is just a more luxurious version of a standard compact sedan, but the really exciting thing is that the hybrid offering for the car is the first hybrid component we’ve ever put in an automobile. And now they’re finally being manufactured. That means it’s only a matter of time before every Acura dealer in Calabasas features them on their lots. This, to put it lightly, is extremely exciting for us.

There will be three engine options for the ILX, including the hybrid version mentioned above. That one includes a 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine with a hybrid component, but there are two other engine options that provide more a bit more power. These include a 2.0-liter model capable of 150 hp and a 2.4-liter version that gets just a shade over 200 hp.

All three look and drive great, and they provide luxury to customers that haven’t necessarily experienced it before. Like we said, this is a model that gets curious consumers through the door, and the fact that they’re already getting put together is great for us. It’ll be even better when they finally get delivered and we can begin selling them!

But despite the fact that we really don’t have any “bad” seasons, the summer months are just as hot and grueling here as they are everywhere else in the country, and that can take a toll on your beloved Acura vehicle. According to AAA, the roadside assistance company that saves stranded drivers all year round, approximately 8.7 million vehicles will break down between Memorial Day and Labor Day, which means there are a few measures you should take to protect your vehicle now, before things get too sweltering hot in June and July.

Your first step is paying a visit to a mechanic, preferably our in-house service department here at Center Acura, so we can check your fluids, air conditioning solvent, and switch you over to a higher-viscosity motor oil since that tends to think out so much in extreme heat.

Beyond that, drivers need to be aware of how they’re treating their car. In Los Angeles, Acura TL and Acura TSX drivers can give their cars a lot of abuse and still have those machines keep on chugging, but if you’re traveling long distances, make sure you avoid rapid acceleration to preserve fuel efficiency, and if you’re towing anything, plan in a few breaks for your engine to rest. This, AAA says, would cut down on their need to help stranded drivers by quite a bit.

It’s shaping up to be a really fun summer, but make sure your car’s ready for it. It’ll thank you, and you’ll thank us, as a result.

For starters, it’s going to be a hybrid, which requires a certain level of technology in and of itself. The system in the new RLX, which should end up being pretty close to the concept version we saw in New York a couple weeks ago, is going to look pretty similar to the hybrid system in the current NSX. Expect a direct-injection 3.5-liter V6 engine supplemented by a dual electric motor to power the rear wheels, with plenty of power and 30+ MPG.

Beyond that, though, we’ll also see tech features like forward collision alert and lane departure warning, and for infotainment the RLX will get a great Aha system that syncs up with smartphones to give drivers hands-free access to things like streaming online radio, social media sites, and real-time GPS with emphasis on points of interest.

In all, there isn’t an Acura dealer in Calabasas that would shrug off the technological developments of the new RLX, and the fact that it remains powerful and has gotten more fuel efficient in the process makes it a car we’re really looking forward to getting somewhere down the road. We know that our customers have to be looking forward to it, too.

Of those four blockbuster films, we here at Center Acura are most pumped up about “The Avengers,” which is the culmination of several years of superhero films put into production for the sole purpose of releasing a mega-film this very year. Our connection to the movie is that Acura vehicles play a pretty significant role. We’ve already seen Tony Stark’s $9 million Acura sports car, and now there’s a commercial out there advertising both the film and the Acura RDX, one of our best-selling models.

The ad involves an everyday American couple driving down the exploding streets of a major metropolis, while aliens due to star in “The Avengers” shoot all kinds of havoc at them to make their daily commute that much more difficult. When it comes to Acura cars in Los Angeles, few would do better in such dire conditions than the RDX sport utility vehicle, and we’re proud to say that even giant, destructive aliens can’t stop our vehicles from being the best in the industry.

If you’re interested in checking out the ad, here she is, in all her explosion-filled glory:

It’s in this light that we eagerly anticipate the debut of the new Acura RLX (at least that’s what we think it’s going to be called—word has slipped out that our higher-ups have already gone through the U.S. patent office to reserve that name). This month’s auto show in New York will serve as the stage for our new flagship sedan’s debut, and there are a couple items of note that could be considered pretty significant changes. Exciting changes, but changes all the same.

Let’s start with the hybrid all-wheel drive system that the new RLX is expected to use. The front wheels will be powered by the beastly V6 hybrid engine under the hood, but the rear wheels will be powered by two electric motors individually rotating each axel. It’s a hybrid system, but we’re being told it will perform much closer to a standard V8 than a standard V6. Plus, the components that make up the system are lighter than the outgoing RL, meaning this car will not only look and feel updated, but it will be more fuel-efficient, as well.

Change is a necessary thing in this business, and we’re looking forward to the onward and upward nature of our new flagship sedan. In just a few short weeks, we’ll finally get to see what she’s all about.

So what, exactly, has come out of this partnership? It’s a video campaign called “From Silver Lake to Austin,” and it features Rhapsody editors driving around the country in an Acura TSX. Along the way, the interviewers meet up with musicians to talk about their craft. Artists involved in the interviews included the Smashing Pumpkins, interviewed right here in L.A., as well as Panic! At The Disco, G. Love (of G. Love and Special Sauce fame), and BrokeNCYDE, and Rhapsody is reporting over a million ad impressions already, meaning this is ad money working well towards its intended purpose.

It’s not easy to come up with advertising partnerships that are relevant to both parties involved and interesting to the potential customers taking in the ads, but that’s exactly what’s happened with the “From Silver Lake to Austin” series of videos, which continue to grow in popularity. It’s great for the 2012 Acura TSX to join Los Angeles Acura lovers and music lovers to enjoy the same five-minute chunks of content, and we’re looking forward to seeing where this team goes in the future. For now, we’re just happy with the road trip we’re being given.

But one of the ways the internet is not always immediate is in the arena of customer service. The “Contact Us” button on a lot of businesses websites don’t necessarily lead to quick and speedy responses. In that instance, it really is more efficient to just want until the morning to call.

Acura, however, is among the best in the industry at reciprocating internet communication, according to findings by the Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index. Our company name was right there at the top of the list, leading the charge in getting back to customers who inquire for help online.

The good news for all online shoppers is that performance went up across the board in 2011, with two-thirds of auto brands actually communicating faster than they did a year ago. In fact, the numbers for online communication are getting closer to the numbers for phone calls, which means we’re getting closer to the internet being better and faster for literally everything. But, we suppose, it was only a matter of time before that happened.

That’s why we were so excited to read about leaked images of what appears to be a convertible version of the Acura NSX supercar. It was one thing to have the hard-topped version of the car officially debut in Detroit earlier this year, then get its own Super Bowl commercial in February, but if the images we’ve seen really are an indication of what’s to come for this amazing model down the road, well… we couldn’t be happier.

One obvious question is, how do we know the pictures are legit? Well, these images were registered by Honda with the European Patent Office on February 22nd of this year. Most of the pictures are wire-frame sketches, but there are 3D renderings of both the standard and convertible versions of the car accompanying them. It all looks great, making an undeniably cool car even cooler, if such a thing were even possible.

For those that drive Acura cars in Los Angeles, you know that looking cool while driving isn’t that hard, but an NSX Spider? We’re having a hard time imagining anything better. Hopefully this is one rumor that actually proves true.