Acura restored 1997 SLX SH-AWD for the ‘80s and ’90s-themed Radwood Show

MANILA: Acura restored and modified a 1997 SLX SUV for the ‘80s and '90s–themed Radwood car show in Orange County, California.

For avid car collectors, restore models are all the rage lately. Classic cars like Dodge Chargers with modern Hellcat V-8 engine swap and Ford Broncos fitted with brand-new Mustang engine are on high demand among classic car enthusiasts. Now, Acura has joined in on the fun with a 1997 SLX.

If you can’t recall the retro SUV, the SLX is a rebadged Isuzu Trooper from the 1990s. The Acura SLX was marketed by Honda as a luxury SUV that just didn’t take off due to some ‘bad marketing’ and ‘poor performance’ with auto critics claiming that the company has no business making luxury SUVs. But Honda—Acura’s parent company, is having the last laugh as it unveiled a restored and modified first-generation Acura SLX.

The restored 1997 SLX was purchased from an avid Acura fan who owns five immaculately preserved early-'90s Acuras and even designed his garage after an early 90s Acura dealership.

Acura wanted to remain faithful to the original look of the car, so it was careful to keep the boxy interior as close to the original as possible. The minimal modifications that the brand did was to paint the SLX in modern Performance Red Pearl color currently available in MDX, ILX, TLX, and RDX but did maintain the champagne lower moldings for authenticity; the stock wheels were replaced with a set of 17-inch Fifteen52 Tarmac wheels but with same design and finish to the original wheels; a body-colored, hard-shell spare tire cover; and a minimalist "SH-AWD" badge at the rear.

Inside, the interior was restored to mimic the original with gray leather upholstery, gray wood trims, old-school dashboard brimming with buttons and knobs. Updates include RDX's push-button starter and shifter buttons placed on the center console, shift paddles behind the original steering wheel and an aftermarket instrument cluster.

Under the hood, Acura engineers removed all the original parts that have to do with accelerating, turning, and braking and fitted it with Honda’s race-tuned turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four with VTEC engine that is capable of producing 350 Hp of power and 461 Nm of peak torque.

The Remod Acura SUV also features a custom intake, exhaust, and ECU tuning partnered with a 10-speed automatic transmission and the RDX's super-handling all-wheel drive (SH-AWD) drivetrain with torque vectoring.

The restored 1997 Acura SLX SH-AWD will be on display during RADwood LA alongside a 1986 Integra and an original 1996 SLX.

Also Read:- Chevrolet Suburban received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame