Acura Teases New Concept Set to Inspire Next RDX and More

Acura will unveil a new concept car during Monterey Car Week, offering the first official look at a updated design direction intended to guide the brand's next generation of production vehicles.

Led by Acura Creative Director Yasutake Tsuchida, the design language will debut publicly on August 14 at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, followed by a display on the Concept Lawn at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance on August 16. The aesthetic established by the concept will first reach showrooms on the upcoming fourth-generation Acura RDX Hybrid.

The debut forms part of a broader presence for Honda Motor Co. at Monterey, where the automaker is celebrating eight decades of two- and four-wheel racing history.

Eight Decades on the Track

Honda and Acura's showing on the Monterey Peninsula features more than 20 championship-winning race cars and motorcycles drawn from private collections, team partners, and company halls in Ohio and Motegi, Japan. The display spans entries from Formula 1, IndyCar, IMSA, SCCA, Dakar, MotoGP, and the Isle of Man TT.

Among Honda's competition milestones are:

• 17 Indianapolis 500 victories (the most of any major automaker)
• 25 premier-class Grand Prix and MotoGP Constructors' Championships
• 6 Formula 1 Drivers' Championships and 6 Constructors' titles

"Our founder, Soichiro Honda, believed in competition as a means to improve our company, our engineers, and our products," said David Salters, president of Honda Racing Corporation USA (HRC US). "Honda has won at the highest levels of motorsports here and around the world, and we’re excited to share our rich motorsports heritage at Monterey Car Week."

Strategic Pivot to Hybrid Powertrains

The design reveal arrives alongside a significant corporate realignment at Honda Motor Co. Following its first-ever fiscal year loss, Global CEO Toshihiro Mibe announced a strategic adjustment to address cooling consumer demand for battery-electric vehicles in core markets.

While Honda maintains its goal of net-carbon neutrality by 2050, the company is reallocating near-term capital away from pure EVs to expand its hybrid portfolio. The plan targets a consolidated operating profit exceeding 1.4 trillion yen (approximately $9 billion USD) by the fiscal year ending March 31, 2029.

North American Operations

North America serves as the primary operational anchor for this rollout. Key structural shifts include:

• Manufacturing Conversion: All North American assembly plants, including facilities in Ohio, will be adapted to support hybrid production alongside internal combustion vehicles.
• Local Component Scaling: In-region production of electric motors and inverters will quadruple to mitigate supply friction and tariff exposure.
• Reallocated Battery Infrastructure: Portions of the L-H Battery Company joint-venture facility with LG Energy Solution are being converted from EV-exclusive lines to supply hybrid battery packs.
• Large-Segment Expansion: Starting in 2029, Honda will introduce D-segment hybrid models tailored to North American demand, including updated powertrains for the Honda Pilot and Passport.

Honda plans to invest 4.4 trillion yen into internal combustion and hybrid development over the next three years. By using hybrid margins to secure near-term profitability, the manufacturer aims to generate the capital required to fund its eventual transition toward full electrification.