New Acura Waits in Wings

The Acura RS-X sports coupe will arrive in July, replacing the venerable Integra, as Honda Motor Co. works to boost U.S. sales of its luxury marque.

Honda plans to display an RS-X prototype next month at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The company won’t talk pricing just yet for the three-door, four-passenger RS-X. But it has revealed an artist’s rendering (pictured) and styling cues that include a wide stance, truncated front and rear overhangs and a front fascia featuring four-lamp headlights and the brand’s signature five-sided grille.

The production version will be the first North American model to use Honda’s next-generation engine with i-VTEC, an enhanced version of its electronically controlled variable-timing technology.

Honda, Japan’s No. 2 auto maker, will also use the Detroit show to unveil its 2002 Acura 3.2TL sedan and a prototype of a new compact sport-utility vehicle, which will wear the Honda badge.