The sport-tuned exhaust note has also been tweaked with both a larger intake duct and tailpipe to improve the mechanical sound,
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| The sport-tuned exhaust note has also been tweaked with both a larger intake duct and tailpipe. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press) |
and it can all be heard better thanks to upgraded sound deadening. Speaking of sound, the premium Acura/Bose stereo was, sadly, a letdown. What's a good car without a good audio system? Wait, I shouldn't slam the system too badly because it had almost everything I needed: a six-disc in-dash CD changer, an AM/FM stereo/cassette, and six speakers with a Richbass subwoofer.
It's all there, except it lacks bass, one of the essential components in a sports car stereo. Despite my fine tuning of the bass/treble ratio, it was no match in comparison to the thumping Harmon/Kardon system in the Cooper
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| The premium Acura/Bose stereo was, sadly, a letdown. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press) |
S or even the booming 200-watt Panasonic system in the Toyota Celica GT-S. Perhaps a few adjustments to the subwoofer could put this system on the map. What required no map is the cabin layout. All buttons and the new white-faced gauges were in familiar places in the dashboard, which now has a soft-touch woven material covering it. Titanium-look accents complement the new titanium stitching in the seats and the chrome shift lever garnish and handbrake knob. It is an all-around nice design.
