Acura released a 40th‑anniversary press release that revealed a shortlist of proposed brand names — including "Avatar" — for the luxury marque it introduced on March 27, 1986.
Honda commissioned San Francisco firm NameLab in 1984 to name the brand, then codenamed Channel 2, and instructed the agency to convey "precision and quality." Other names considered included Ascara, Fulmar, Artiga, Cigna (or Signa), Tucano, Tamano, Formula and Jarama.
The chosen name, Acura, draws on the Latin "acu" meaning "precise" or "sharp" and evokes "accurate," and the initial "A" enabled the caliper‑shaped badge linking the marque to precision. Acura launched with the Legend and the Integra and emphasized racing early on.
Acura entered the Integra in the IMSA International Sedan Series and won manufacturers' and drivers' championships from 1987 to 1990, and the company built a replica of that first Integra race car for its 40th anniversary as questions about its future product direction persist.
Read the full article at thedrive.com.
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