286hp Through The Front Wheels?
We've already mentioned the TL's plight when it comes to the torque-steer boo-birds, but with another 28hp and 23lb-ft being fed to the front wheels, the chorus has been cranked up by more than a few decibels. What was Acura thinking? After driving the TL Type-S, I've come to the conclusion that they were thinking "No Sweat", because the TL's chassis has no difficulty coping with this newfound thrust. No, it's not quite as satisfying as slithering a perfectly balanced FR sedan between apexes (or apices, if you prefer), but I can assure you that the TL-S will flat hustle. The optional summer tires (available on both the 5AT and 6MT Type-S models) provide an impressive level of cornering grip, and the torque afforded by 300cc's of additional displacement really provides for quite an astonishing boost in motivation. You feel it nudging you with more urgency in every gear, but the way this car gains speed even up fairly steep grades is rather impressive.

Even though the 5AT model makes do without the benefits of the 6-speed's helical limited-slip differential, it was surprisingly adroit at delivering all of the power to the road. Of course, applying too much throttle in too tight of a turn will inevitably result in some degree of wheelspin and perhaps VSA intervention, but during my time with the Type-S, this occasion arose far less frequently than I anticipated.

Did Somebody Say Torque Steer?
Hearing the cries of its critics, for the 2006 TL Acura quietly introduced electronic measures designed to mitigate any effects of "torque steer" on TL's equipped with the 6MT transmission. We use quotes because the truth is, what people were complaining about wasn't really torque steer in the conventional sense (torque steer being defined as an inherent tendency to deviate from a straight path under full throttle in otherwise normal straight ahead conditions). Instead, Acura terms the condition "self steer" and it stems mostly from the torque transfer activities of the helical limited-slip differential that's standard on 6MT TLs. To mitigate this effect, Acura leveraged the capabilities of the drive by wire system to limit the full throttle torque delivered in first and second gear, in measures varying relative to steering angle and throttle position. We don't yet know the exact percentages for the 2007 model TL (we'll update the article if we hear back from Acura), but we do know that on the '06 TL 6MT this effect varies from a (full throttle) torque reduction of 13% to 27% in first gear and between 0% and 10% in second gear, with the amount varying based upon steering angle input. For those who dislike any such artificial intervention, this system is linked to the vehicle's VSA system and is defeated along with the VSA system if the VSA's dash mounted switch is toggled.

Can't Say Enough About This Motor
While we were a little underwhelmed by this motor in the RL, in the TL it really shines, flinging the car around with more authority than any past Honda or Acura drivetrain short of the NSX's mid-ship mounted 3.2L gem. No doubt about it - this is the meanest, most capable sedan ever offered in the US by Honda or Acura.

How Much Performance?
During our briefing, Acura's engineers indicated that the 2007 TL Type-S shaves a full second off of the 0-60 and 1/4 mile times (surpassing the Infiniti G35 and BMW 330i in its charts). This claim left me scratching my head a little bit, because the last TL 6MT we tested returned a 1/4 mile time of 14.2 seconds at 98mph at our favorite drag strip. The Type-S feels quite a bit stronger, but I'm skeptical it would be able to get out of the hole quickly enough to return a 13.2. I'm guessing with enough practice on the launch we might be able to push it to a 13.5 or 13.6. And we feel the same about the 0-60 time - the '04 TL 6MT was capable of hitting 60 in 5.8 seconds, a number published by one or more car magazines and a number that we were able to verify. Trimming that figure to under 5-seconds would be a real feat, considering the biggest previous limiting factor was grip. The Type S wears the same sized tires as before and weighs a bit more, so getting it launched won't be any easier.

What About the Turns?
From a handling perspective, the stiffer spring rates and stiffer sway bars certainly help, but Acura seems to have done a much better job of matching the damping rates to the springs on both TL models this time around, and this results in a car that is much more confidence inspiring when you're giving it the stick. While the inherent tendency towards understeer remains, it's quite subtle. Yes, it's difficult to fully conceal the Type-S' 3600-3700lb curb weight, but the car still just consumes the road like it's free beer at a fraternity party. The Brembo brakes (included on both 5AT and 6MT versions of the Type-S) felt pretty strong and provided good feedback - the arrest rate isn't mindblowing, but it's sufficient to pull the car down from speed quickly and safely. The tires generate quite a bit of grip and with the prodigious torque of the J35 motor, the TL is able to carry speeds that would send the town elders scrambling to rewrite community penal codes. And that's the 5AT model. The 6-speed's Limited Slip Differential allows the Type-S to carry even more speed through the corners (and on the straights connecting the corners), and you'll feel it tightening the line in situations where the open diffed 5AT model would start pushing. The "selfsteer" tendency that apparently freaked out some '04 and '05 6MT TL drivers has been mitigated by a fair extent thanks to the torque limiting logic that was introduced in the 2006 model, but thankfully it still carves a tighter line on the throttle than off. I wasn't able to provoke any lift throttle oversteer traits, but being that we were on unfamiliar public roads, I wasn't really trying either.

Ear Candy
When the first TL Type-S debuted in the 2002 model year, one of the things that sold me on it was the wonderful intake note. The 2004 TL (particularly in 6MT trim) carried forward with that tradition, and now in 2007, the Type S takes it up one more notch. Exhaust flow has been increased by 13%, this achieved through the use of lower density catalytic converters (for two of the TL's three cats) and by increasing the flow rate through the exhaust pipes and the quad tipped silencers. On the intake side, the airflow rate has been increased only slightly - by a factor of 4% - but thanks to the additional torque output of the 3.5L motor, the Type-S sounds substantially meaner than that figure would indicate since the revs build so much more quickly than they did with the 3.2L motor. One of the downsides of the freer flowing exhaust and the increased displacement of the motor is a cabin boominess at low rpms (from about 1200 to 1500 rpms). This problem was addressed with an active noise cancellation system that reduces the booming noise by up to 17dB. The ANC works as advertised and the TL Type-S sounds great. Acura seems to have managed to design an aural signature that delivers sportiness and aggressiveness when you want to feel and hear it, yet purrs when you want to cruise in a relaxed mode. This is in contrast to a few vehicles whose sporting sound qualities are accompanied with irritating and fatiguing droning during steady state cruising.