AlphaTauri and Acura-branded F1 in 2021?

[theriusDR3]

ACURA logo

Recently Red Bull and Toro Rosso (soon-to-be AlphaTauri) extend its engine deal with Honda until at least 2021 but AlphaTauri considering bringing ACURA brand to rebadge HONDA F1 V6 turbo hybrid engines. In the past Williams was offered by Lexus to rebadge Toyota V8 engines but Williams refused to bring Lexus due to Williams electing to utilize pure Toyota V8 engines. So Red Bull only use HONDA-branded engines while AlphaTauri use HONDA engines but under ACURA branding because AlphaTauri wants to promote ACURA cars. ACURA is a luxury automobile company in fact HONDA's sister company since 1986.

In the past ACURA brand ever displayed in both HONDA F1 drivers during 2007 Canadian Grand Prix


Both HONDA F1 drivers sported ACURA brand in their helmet visors.

In IndyCar Series, Jack Harvey also promote ACURA brand ahead of Long Beach Grand Prix

Jack Harvey's ACURA IndyCar car.

[Maritimer]

Got a source on that?

[raymondu999]

The Williams-Lexus point doesn’t make sense to me. Rebranding doesnt change an engine from being a “pure” toyota engine?

Also, would the market be big enough? Acura is only in North America right? The rest of the world (afaik) uses the Honda branding

[Maritimer]

Yes Acura is North America only. This seems like some made up garbage, quick search brings up this thread as the only mention of such a branding exercise on the web.

[marmer]

i really don't get the point of Acura as honda is still a thing in th USA is it not? charging more and only providing the higher end models is not worth making a whole other brand. at least toyata - lexus are different cars

[raymondu999]

i really don't get the point of Acura as honda is still a thing in th USA is it not? charging more and only providing the higher end models is not worth making a whole other brand. at least toyata - lexus are different cars

Disclaimer - I don’t live in the US

Doesn’t Honda vs Acura in the US carry different models too? I mean, other countries all the models are “Honda” but then some get rebadged to “Acura” in the US, no?

Toyota-Lexus don’t necessarily have different models. For reference, look at the 2008-make (nowadays its not the same anymore) Lexus RX class vs the Toyota Harrier models. Or the current Toyota Alphard, vs the Lexus LM class

[ENGINE TUNER]

i really don't get the point of Acura as honda is still a thing in th USA is it not? charging more and only providing the higher end models is not worth making a whole other brand. at least toyata - lexus are different cars

Toyota-lexis
Honda-acura
Nissan-Infiniti

All the same platforms and drivetrains mostly, biggest differences are in body panels and interior finish/materials.

[Maritimer]

Lexus vehicles are typically bespoke platforms, Infiniti and Acura are rebadged ones.

[raymondu999]

Lexus vehicles are typically bespoke platforms, Infiniti and Acura are rebadged ones.

The big Infiniti SUVs arent rebadges afaik; although I could be wrong. Lexus has a bit of each, bespoke vs shared. Acura I have no clue