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Acura's new TLX GT Package is all bark and no bite whatsoever

What better way to honor motorsport than by tacking some plastic onto a road car?

Andrew Krok Reviews Editor / Cars
Cars are Andrew's jam, as is strawberry. After spending years as a regular ol' car fanatic, he started working his way through the echelons of the automotive industry, starting out as social-media director of a small European-focused garage outside of Chicago. From there, he moved to the editorial side, penning several written features in Total 911 Magazine before becoming a full-time auto writer, first for a local Chicago outlet and then for CNET Cars.
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Andrew Krok
2 min read
Dylan Schwartz

Some automakers bring parts to the SEMA aftermarket trade show that will eventually be sold in dealerships. Chevrolet is doing that with its Blue Line concepts, and now Acura has announced that it will do the same with its TLX GT Package.

Acura claims its GT Package is inspired by Acura's TLX GT racecar in the Pirelli World Challenge series. But man, it's hard to see that. The GT Package adds front and rear spoilers, side sills, a rear underbody spoiler and an optional 19-inch wheel and tire package. That's it.

The issue with the "race-inspired" claim is that racecar development places a strict focus on keeping weight down. These plastic bolt-ons do the opposite, adding a bit of weight where there was none before. It likely won't change the performance, since it's not that much weight, but it kinda flies in the face of racing's tenets.

The GT Package can be added to any trim of the TLX. Whether you're looking at the 2.4-liter, 206-horsepower I4 or the 3.5-liter, 290-horsepower V6, you can slap that silly body kit on. Want all-wheel drive with that? No problem. Looking for a manual transmission? You're out of luck there, champ.

Acura's site doesn't mention a price, but considering the current body-kit accessories total over $2,000, and that doesn't include the $3,600 19-inch wheel upgrade, expect to spend a pretty penny adding exactly zero performance cred to your mid-size premium sedan. The kit will be on display at SEMA next week in Las Vegas.