Honda has broken ground for its $15m Acura Design Centre, the latest expansion of the automaker’s product design and development capabilities in North America.
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The centre, scheduled to open in summer 2007, will play a key role in the development of new concepts and designs that will lead directly to future Acura products developed in North America. The facility is next to Honda R&D America’s existing Los Angeles Centre in Torrance which will continue designing future Honda products.
Separately, the company is opening a new advanced design studio in Pasadena that will work to advance new future design concepts, giving Honda four R&D facilities in California alone.
“As we continue to deepen our roots in North America, Honda’s US R&D operations will play an increasingly important role in meeting the needs of our customers in North America and globally,” said Honda R&D Americas president Hirohide Ikeno. “The creation of this new facility will lead to the development of distinctive and leading edge designs that will further strengthen the appeal of Acura products.”
The groundbreaking ceremony was conducted on the 20th anniversary of the creation of the Acura brand. Launched on 27 March, 1986, it was both the world’s first Japanese luxury nameplate and, eventually, the first to design, develop and manufacture its vehicles in North America, beginning with the 1997 Acura CL coupe.
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By GlobalDataNearly two-thirds of all Acura vehicles now sold in America are researched, designed, developed and manufactured exclusively there, including the TL sedan and MDX luxury sport-utility vehicle.
Honda R&D Americas began operations in California in 1975 with local market research and has steadily grown its capabilities over the past 30 years to include all aspects of new vehicle design and development.
With the addition of the Acura design centre and the advanced design studio, the company will operate 10 major facilities in North America with more than 1,300 designers, engineers and support personnel engaged in the development of Honda and Acura cars, motorcycles and power equipment products for North America and global markets.
Its main centers of operation include the Los Angeles Centre responsible for market research, concept development and styling design; the Ohio Centre (in Raymond) responsible for complete product development, testing and support of North American supplier and manufacturing operations; and two dynamic test facilities in the Mojave desert, California, and East Liberty, Ohio.
