Acura confirmed the return of the V6 Turbo and Type S trim levels (along with some other details) which means the TLX will become a straight up beast of a sedan.

Earlier last year I reported that thanks to a couple of smart cookies over at Temple of VTEC, it looked like Acura was cooking up a bespoke V6 Turbo by Acura and only for Acuras. According to Honda News in an official press release, they dropped earlier today (Jan 15, 2018) Acura confirmed that not only do they have a V6 turbo in the works, it will only be for Acura models, and they’re bringing back the Type S as well.

According to Honda,

Building on the direction set forth by the the twin-turbocharged V6-powered NSX supercar, Acura will introduce a new V6 turbo powerplant. The new high-performance powerplant will be exclusive to the Acura lineup and will be paired with the latest generation of Acura Super Handling All-Wheel Drive™ (SH-AWD®), which is launching in the new 2019 RDX. The new Acura Turbo V6 will make its way into multiple products in the years ahead.

First, it’s refreshing to see that Acura’s halo car is actually setting some direction for the rest of the lineup. Acura’s SH-AWD system is among the best in the industry when it comes to torque vectoring in tricky situations so I’ll be keen to see how they’ve further improved it. Then there’s that V6 Turbo which will find it stuffed into multiple applications.

It goes without saying, but the new V6 Turbo will obviously be faster, lighter, and more fuel efficient than the J35Y6, the latest and greatest iteration of the J-series engine.

In the 2018 Acura TLX, the J35 puts out a generous 290 HP and 267 lb-ft which is presumably the peak at which Acura’s engineers feel comfortable pushing this V6 to keep reliability at Honda levels. MPG comes in at 24 combined.

Add on to this news that Acura is bringing back the Type S,

In addition, as part of its strengthening commitment to performance, Acura will bring back the much-heralded Type-S performance variant in the coming years. The Type-S badge last appeared on the 2008 Acura TL, which featured a track-tuned chassis, more powerful engine and brakes, high-performance tires and extensive, sports-oriented exterior and interior modifications. Like the new engine, the Type-S badge will make its way onto multiple Acura models in the future.

…and you have the ingredients for Acura’s best sedan ever, the 2020 Acura TLX Type S SH-AWD model.

Here’s my prediction for this awesome sedan. Acura will offer four trim levels for TLX; base, V6 Turbo, V6 Turbo A-Spec and V6 Type S. The V6 Turbo will put out something like 325 HP and 350 lb-ft, a true barn burner of an engine. But the Type S, like Type S models of yesteryear, will push that power level to a healthy 350 HP and 380 lb-ft thanks to a bit more turbo, a better exhaust, and ECU tweaks. In addition, the 2020 Acura TLX Type S SH-AWD will get better brakes and NSX inspired dynamic suspension.

The 2008 Acura TL Type S was lovingly referred to as the E39 of Japan. Will the 2020 Acura TLX Type S SH-AWD be a 2020 BMW 5-series beater? I’m betting that Acura will benchmark the 5-series.

It’ll turn out to be the best Acura sedan they’ve made yet.