Finally, after all the talk and presentations, we were invited to drive the cars. 15 cars were divided between 30 journalists, obviously putting 2 people in each car. The day's driving consisted of 3 segments of public road driving, then a break for lunch and some chalk talk before taking the cars out onto Pacific Raceway, and finally a 4th segment of street driving back to the hotel.

For the first segment of the drive, I was the passenger in a 6-speed Anthracite TL which was equipped with the Navigation system. As we pulled away from the hotel, my first thought from the passenger's seat was that there was a little more engine note than I had remembered in the '03 CL Type-S 6-speed we tested last summer. This surprised me a bit, as in our presentations just moments earlier, Acura claimed to have engineered the acoustics of the drivetrain to be quieter below a certain point in the rpms, and then above that it's designed to play louder than last year's motor. Regardless, the sounds were good.

As we picked up speed, I noted the virtual absence of wind noise. To this point, the car was engineered to slip through the air with a 0.29 coefficient of drag, the exterior mirrors minimize air deflection onto side windows (which are thicker than last year's), and even the windshield features Acura's first application of a vinyl acoustic layer sandwiched between the glass. These measures result in a roughly 3dB reduction in wind noise vs. last year's TL Type S.

Seattle's roads are amongst the coarsest paved roads I've ever driven across, so it's no surprise that the key contributor to any cabin noise apparent in the TL was related primarily to the tires. The suspension soaked up impacts quietly and I did not detect a single creak, groan, or rattle coming from anywhere. From a ride comfort standpoint, the suspension was taut, but in no way was it punishing - a nearly perfect blend of ride and handling.

After roughly 15-20 miles of highway travel, our route took us on to some more interesting 2-lane roads. As the driver started pushing the car harder through some kinks in the road, I could feel that there was loads of grip and very little body roll. But through one or two particular segments, I sensed a funny "wiggle" coming from the rear of the car. To make a long story short, it turns out that our 6MT car had some improperly torqued suspension components (remember, these preproduction cars are largely assembled by hand), resulting in some very disconcerting motions from the rear. Unfortunately, I was unable to get an accurate feel for the 6MT's handling in "normal" street conditions.

All was not lost, however, as I was fully able to exercise the drivetrain, and as expected the 6-speed TL is a really potent ride. While the transmission was lifted almost wholesale (with the exact same ratios and all) from last year's CL Type-S, the clutch-shifter interface seems to have been improved dramatically. Clutch takeup no longer exhibits the "double-hitch" feel that we noticed on our CL Type-S 6MT test car last year, and the rate of clutch engagement seems much quicker now, allowing for noticeably crisper upshifts and downshifts (and hopefully slightly better acceleration at the track). Perhaps due to the steeper slope of the power curve (due to this year's enhancements), the lower end of the RPM range seems a little less potent than last year's 260hp version. A proper dyno test will reveal the true details, but the good news is that on the flipside, this motor seems to have more juice in the upper half of the rev range. It pulls smoothly and willingly right into the rev limiter, again rewarding the senses with wonderful intake and exhaust notes.

The steering feel is somewhat light, but it remains accurate and provides ample feedback. Heavy throttle application through small and even some medium radius turns will allow you to feel the LSD working through the steering wheel. Some people might mistake it for torque steer at first, but once you acclimate yourself to the feel, you will appreciate being able to lay down power through virtually any corner. Much like the CL Type S 6MT, this car is astounding in its ability to put so much power to the ground through the front wheels. We did not encounter any situations on the street where we were lacking traction or the ability to put power down coming out of turns. Only on the most severe portions (and these were artificially imposed) of the track did I manage to overwhelm one of the front tires. The Brembo brakes and EBD provide amazing stopping power and there's virtually zero chance of fading them on the streets. If you somehow manage to overwhelm them on the street, you are probably driving well beyond sane, safe, and sensible limits.

At the next checkpoint, it was time to switch from our 6MT car to a 5AT model, and this was the last street segment to go before reaching the track. Unfortunately for me it was the other driver's turn to take the wheel, I didn't get much "street" time driving the 5AT model either. From the passenger seat, I could sense that there was still a tremendous level of grip afforded by the all-season tires. The car felt quite stable as we pitched it through the turns, and there was virtually no audible protest from the tires. Even without the benefit of the 4-piston Brembo brakes, the braking felt reassuringly strong. The all-new transmission execute smooth and quick shifts, working in harmony with the new drive-by-wire throttle system. Acceleration felt really strong, particularly at the upper reaches of the rpms, and particularly following a downshift. As in the 6MT model, the '04 5AT TL seems to launch a little softer than the '02-'03 5AT TL Type S did. I attribute this sensation to two things: A) The torque converter in the new transmission was redesigned to make for less jarring launches - which probably means the stall speed was lowered somewhat and B) The fortified upper portion of the rpm band makes the lower rpm output seem weaker than it is. Much like the '03 Accord's 5AT, the TL's transmission seems to work with greater efficency, having a superfluid, almost frictionless quality to it. The car seemed to launch best without brake torquing it - just lift off the brake and romp the throttle simultaneously for best effect. The additional width of the tires minimizes wheelspin now as well.