Test drive: Acura RSX Type S A-spec

Love 'em or hate 'em, there is a lot of money to be made in spoilers, body kits, lowering springs, and other automotive add-ons. It's called the aftermarket, and it's a huge industry -- so much so that now the automakers are starting to get in on it themselves. Toyota has been manufacturing high-quality enhancements under the TRD brand name for ages, and now Acura is getting in on the deal with its A-Spec line. For $4,281 plus six hours of labor at the local dealership rate, you can have your Acura RSX Type S turned into an RSX Type S A-Spec: Body kit, new wheels with Yokohama rubber, and suspension upgrades. Chances are you'd spend a lot more money adding this stuff bit by bit, plus you get the quality and exacting fit that comes with parts designed by the people who designed the car. Though Jason Fogelson lamented the lack of any sort of power-boosting device (something Toyota offers with their TRD superchargers), he found the RSX Type S A-Spec to be an impressive package -- provided you're into this sort of thing, which I don't believe Jason is. (Come on, Jason -- you don't think that wing would look cool on that old 4-Runner you drive?) -- Aaron Gold