1. Honda Financial Services continues to
build on its success as it develops even
closer ties with its dealer network,
according to David W. Paul, recently
appointed to Assistant Vice President of
Field Operations and Sales.
The organization will unveil new
products and services but will continue
to count on the dedication of its
employees to keep ahead of the
financial services pack, Paul says.
“I’m impressed with many of the
new systems and products that Honda
Financial Services has introduced to
respond to dealerships and to the
market,” Paul says. “But I’ve been even
more impressed with the passion that
our people have for Acura. They realize
that we’ve got a tremendous brand, and
we have to deliver service that matches
the quality of our vehicles.”
A co-founder of BMW Financial
Services after previously starting his
career at Chrysler, Paul joined Honda
Financial Services in April from Toyota
Financial Services.
“I’ve been fortunate to work with
some strong brands over the years,”
Paul says. “I will work very hard to
nurture and protect the Acura brand
with every dealership and customer.”
PaulnotesthatHondaFinancialServices
has made dramatic improvements in
recent years and is currently near the top
of the list in National Automobile Dealers
Association surveys on competitiveness
and satisfaction. He also mentioned
several new programs that are being
considered—such as providing financing
onallusedmakesandmodels—toprovide
evenmoresupporttodealers.
Still, it’s the people of Honda Financial
Services that make the most difference,
Paul maintains.
“I was able to visit all nine regional
offices shortly after joining the
organization, and I was really impressed
with the relationships they had
developed with their dealerships. My
role is to build on that passion to ensure
our focus stays on dealerships and their
customers. I want dealerships to know
that they won’t find a more proactive
partner than Honda Financial Services—
our interests are completely aligned
with theirs.”
Building the futureContinued from Page 1
Acurainfocus
Acura is supporting the launch of the all-new
RL with a series of programs, events and
sponsorships that will integrate with the national
advertising strategy.
To help promote the arrival of the RL and drive
traffic into the dealerships, a direct-mail piece will
communicate the message that the all-new RL is an
advanced technological sedan that is much more than
meets the eye. In an intriguing way, the piece will
highlight the innovative features that make the RL the
most technologically advanced vehicle in the Acura
line, including several industry firsts. The target is the
successful, independent-thinking 45-50-year-old
male with a household income of $150K who makes
purchase decisions based on performance rather than
image. The piece will be mailed to approximately
90,000 Acura owners, 23,000 defectors and 85,000
in-market conquests.
We will be celebrating the launch of the RL with a
dealer event. By now, you should have signed up for
launch-party kits and selected which day during the
week of November 8-12 works best for you. You also
should have received your invitations. This year, the
kits include materials to help support your launch
party, as well as create excitement and awareness
for the arrival of the RL. You’ll also receive banners
and counter cards that you can keep on display after
the event. If you have any questions, feel free to call
RL Launch Party Headquarters at (310) 633-6990.
As an extension of the RL advertising, we will also
connect with our target market through alternative
marketing channels. A series of events/sponsorships,
similar to those created for the TL launch, has been
assembled for the RL. Our objectives are to select
exclusive properties with a technology and/or high
design content reflective of the RL, and to intercept our
target in a pressure-free environment where we can
encourage interaction with the RL and demonstrate its
innovative technical features. Sponsorship details will
be provided before the start date.
Good luck with your launch party. We join you in
looking forward to a successful 2005 RL launch.
Growing
support
forlaunch
of flagship
AcuraRL
Acuragears
upfor2004
SEMAShow
The eBusiness Division has
produced a broad base of Internet
tools designed to help Acura
dealers maximize success in all
areas of their dealerships. Although
each of these tools is powerful,
together they form the foundation
of a best-in-class Internet presence.
From Dealer Web sites and Lead
Manager to Owner Link and eStore,
Acura dealers can now take
advantage of the most powerful
suite of Internet services in the
automotive industry. Model Year
2005 promises to be a landmark
year for these initiatives, with new
client-focused technologies.
The personal touch – Owner Link
expands services
Service Scheduling and Express
Checkout
Acura clients can now use their
Owner Link accounts to schedule
dealer service appointments, create
service preferences profiles, obtain
vehicle status updates and pay for
service. Owner Link’s new Service
Scheduling and Express Checkout
enables eStore-certified dealers to
reduce a time-consuming circle of
phone calls and streamline the
service transaction. Learn more about
Service Scheduling through iN’s
Online University or simply complete
service appointment setup at
iN>Service>Service Appointments.
Seasonal offers highlight eStore’s
accessories
Through Owner Link’s eStore,
clients can purchase Genuine Acura
Accessories for their Acuras from
their dealer online. To encourage
clients to shop at eStore, Acura
is sending quarterly Seasonal
Accessories promotions via e-mail
and postal mail to all Owner Link
accounts. Be sure to refer to the
promotions calendar and set up
complimentary Owner Link offers
through iN’s Dealer Relationship Tool
(DRT). See iN for details.
Get an e-ducation with Web-
Based Training
Dealers needing a quick and easy
way to get ready do business 24/7 can
find all-new Web Based Training
(WBT) on iN’s Online University.
These WBT sessions include complete
tutorials for using Owner Link, DRT,
eStore, Service Scheduling and
Express Checkout.
Advantage iN
The new iN 3.0 provides a more
dealer-focused environment. Dealers
can take full advantage of iN,
incorporating its tools into their daily
business processes. For example,
with the Customer Information
Center (CIC) installed on any PC in
their showrooms, dealers can easily
add the CIC to their sales process.
Dealers can also obtain AHM
corporate discounts from such
suppliers as FedEx, Dell, IBM and HP
at iN’s eMall, and stay up-to-date
with News Flashes from their District
Sales, Parts and Service Managers.
Support your business 24/7
with new, client-focused Internet
initiatives that personalize service in
our high-tech world.
eBusinessDivisionprovides
innovativeInternettools
As Acura unveiled its RL Prototype
luxury performance sedan at the
New York International Auto Show
on April 7, acura.com debuted its RL
Prototype minisite to an equally
enthusiastic audience.
Less than a month after its launch,
nearly 130,000 visitors had called up
more than 1.7 million pages on the
site, including a rich gallery of images,
vehicle specs, technology overviews
and videos. To date, nearly 4.2 million
pages have been viewed by nearly
300,000 users.
The RL Prototype minisite
translates Acura’s high-performance
focus online, featuring live-motion
footage of the vehicle’s revolutionary
all-wheel-drive system and real-time
traffic capability. In addition, visitors
have the option to sign up for
e-mail updates and view vehicle
measurements, as well as read
about the latest safety and
technology enhancements.
Slated for release this September, the
2005 RL minisite will profile the actual
production vehicle, giving users the
chance to interact with the car they
can test-drive at the showroom. In the
meantime, however, the RL prototype
minisite is generating the kind of buzz
and anticipation deserved by this
breakthrough Acura model.
RL minisite interacts
through Internet
iN Acura home page.
The 2004 Acura display at SEMA will feature
several showstopping modified vehicles.
The new RL direct-mail piece goes out to
consumers October 18.
Securing its position as a leader
in luxury performance, Acura is
introducing Super Handling All-Wheel
Drive™ (SH-AWD™), a revolutionary
all-wheel-drive system, on its premium
2005 RL Sedan. A groundbreaking
innovation, SH-AWD will incorporate all
the safety aspects of a typical all-wheel-
drive system, but will be the world’s
first dedicated to actively enhance dry-
weather handling and performance.
Contrary to popular belief, all-wheel-
drive vehicles do not always improve
dry-weather performance. In fact, some
all-wheel-drive vehicles trail their two-
wheel-drive counterparts in several
performance aspects (cornering,
acceleration). This is because in addition
to the increased weight of the all-
wheel-drive system, intervention only
occurs when the wheels begin to slip,
e.g., when driving on wet or slippery
roads. Thus, many manufacturers
promote their all-wheel-drive systems
as a safety enhancement only for
inclement road conditions.
By contrast, while SH-AWD does help
stabilize the vehicle during wet-weather
conditions, dry-weather performance is
also dramatically improved through the
system’s ability to actively overdrive an
outer rear wheel when turning. This
action causes a “steering” effect on the
rear end of the car, making SH-AWD the
first all-wheel-drive system in the world
to have this capability.
To better understand how SH-AWD
works, think of a rowboat. Paddling
faster on one side of the boat will
cause it to steer in the other direction.
For example, paddling faster on the
right side causes the boat to turn left.
The same thing occurs when paddling
faster on the left—the boat inherently
turns right. SH-AWD follows this
general principle.
Accordingly, when making a left turn
in the 2005 RL, SH-AWD accelerates the
right rear wheel to assist in turning the
vehicle left. When turning right, the left
rear wheel is accelerated in the same
manner, helping turn the car right. The
end result: SH-AWD allows the Acura RL
(and its driver) to experience cornering
ability unlike any car in its class, while
providing incredibly neutral handling
during normal driving.
SH-AWD monitors the driver’s
inputs and driving conditions to
determine how much power to send
to the front and rear axles, distributing
up to 70% of the engine’s torque front
or rear through a sophisticated torque-
transfer system.
The difference between SH-AWD and
other all-wheel-drive systems is that
rear torque can be distributed up to
100% between the left and right wheels.
The selected wheel is then accelerated
beyond its normal rotation to cause the
rear of the car to rotate, providing much
sharper turn in response than is possible
on a typical all-wheel-drive or rear-
wheel-drive setup. Understeer is
virtually eliminated.
In addition to providing unparalleled
cornering ability, SH-AWD also
provides improved performance
during acceleration and deceleration
by varying torque distribution to the
front and rear axles. Paired with the
new 300-hp, 3.5-liter VTEC®
V-6
engine and carbon-fiber-reinforced
driveshaft, the 2005 RL provides an
exhilarating driving experience.
The Acura SH-AWD system is a
revolutionary achievement that truly
sets the RL apart from its competitors,
while setting new standards for all-
wheel-drive systems. Drivers no
longer have to sacrifice safety or
performance for the other; SH-AWD
combines the best of both worlds
without the traditional compromises
of current drive systems.
Acura introduces the world’s most
advanced all-wheel-drive system
drive system, an integrated print,
newspaper and outdoor campaign
will complement the “Yellow Line” TV
spot. An additional print execution
will highlight the RL’s luxurious and
technological amenities as well as its
new traffic-monitoring navigation
system. Print ads for the RL will begin
appearing in November issues of
Forbes, Fortune, Condé Nast Traveler
and Wine Spectator, which will be on
newsstands mid-October. A :60 RL
radio commercial will run in Tier 1
and 2 markets and special :10 and :15
announcements highlighting the
RL’s traffic monitoring feature will
lead into morning and afternoon
traffic reports. The RL will also
sponsor weather and traffic
channels on XM®
Satellite Radio
with :15 announcements.
Acura will also support the TL,
RSX, TSX and MDX with new
spread and page print advertising to
provide year-round presence for the
brand. TL, and MDX will also be
supported with :10 announcements
on NPR.
All-new SH-AWD: road-ripping
technology.
SH-AWD system overview.
Building on the performance image that the
automaker has created through exciting new high-
performance automobiles, Acura is gearing up for the
2004 SEMA show which will be held at the Las Vegas
Convention Center, November 2-5. Attracting nearly
100,000 industry leaders from around the world, the
annual SEMA show is the premier automotive
specialty tradeshow, featuring thousands of O.E. and
aftermarket accessories and hundreds of highly
modified vehicles.
Last year at SEMA, Acura successfully launched the
2004 TL High-Performance A-Spec™ kit and featured
a TSX A-Spec prototype. This year Acura will
showcase several exciting vehicles, including a 2005
RL fitted with a prototype A-Spec package.
In addition to the A-Spec RL prototype, Acura
models will be featured by several import “tuners”
and racing companies at SEMA. Dubbed the “tuner
scene guru,” car-builder and wheel-designer RJ
DeVera will put his mark on a 2004 TL to be shown
exclusively at the Acura booth. The DeVera TL will
feature a combination of Acura A-Spec and
aftermarket parts, including a supercharger, custom
suede interior and rear entertainment system.
Attendees can expect to see two uniquely
customized TSX vehicles by the international tuner
company Mugen and the championship-winning
RealTime Racing team. The Mugen TSX will feature a
racing-inspired interior, titanium dual exhaust and a
KMS engine kit, while the RealTime Racing TSX will
be fresh from the track following a highly successfully
racing season.
Numerous additional modified Acura vehicles,
including the RSX and NSX, will be on display
throughout the massive show. With the debut of the
all-new RL, as well as other exclusive project vehicles,
the Acura presence will be stronger than ever at the
2004 SEMA show.
The RL with the first-ever satellite-based traffic-monitoring service.