New Honda and Acura Vehicles Could Make 2017 a Great One
The new year is here! Will it be any better than 2016? We have no idea. What we do know is that we’re looking forward to a lot of Honda- and Acura-related action in the new year, including these five exciting moments…
1. Driving the New Acura NSX
As responsible automotive writers, we feel it’s our responsibility to thoroughly test-drive and review the pinnacle of Acura’s performance and engineering abilities. We’re just that dedicated. The fact that the new NSX looks like a spaceship and has 573 horsepower has nothing to do with our motivation…
2. Finding Out If the 2017 Honda CR-V is as Good as It Looks
New looks, available turbocharged power, and higher fuel economy? Sign us up and hand us the keys.
3.) Discovering If the 2017 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid is Boring Inside and Out
Sure, the 2017 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid isn’t the most visually exciting sedan we’ve ever seen, but its total output of 377 horsepower, dual-clutch gearbox, and advanced all-wheel drive system has us mentally excited.
4. Getting Our Hands on the Civic Type R…
The Civic Type R is coming to the U.S. and we’re waiting for it as patiently as we can. So are tuners, who are eager to turn their wrenches on it…and convert the souped-up Civic into an even faster car. We’ll welcome the CTR with a heavy right foot and high-rpm shifts.
5. …and the Civic Si
OK. OK. We weren’t exactly dazzled by the sight of the new Civic Si at the LA Auto Show. In all fairness, we haven’t driven it. We’ll see if it pleasantly surprises us once we get behind the wheel. It’s not 2017 yet, but we’re crossing our fingers that it does right now.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
