A lot of modern cars are badged with forgettable (and sometimes downright confusing) “alphabet soup” names like RCF, QX60, RDX, G70 or CX90. Talk about tongue-twisters. Remember when cars had actual words for names? This car had a great one:
The Pick of the Day is a 1992 Acura Vigor GS listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Champlain, New York. (Click the link to view the listing)
“One owner, only 15,998 original miles,” the listing begins. “Certified, unrestored. All original survivor.”
Finished in Cassis Red Pearl (paint code R-82P), the car is a survivor indeed. The black leather interior is fresh. The car is in fact a Canadian-market example, but its overall equipment and amenities are mirrored with United States cars – with exception of the silver-painted wheels (versus machined aluminum) and a kilometers-per-hour instrument cluster. The seller says, “Original paint, never [in an] accident, clean Carfax.”
The Vigor was an oddball car – both in design and in cylinder count: It employed a unique longitudinally-mounted “G25” inline-five that was rated at 176 horsepower and 170 lb-ft of torque. The logic behind the engineering, at least according to Acura’s promotional materials of the era, was to build a car with the fuel efficiency of a four-cylinder and the power of a V6. From a price point perspective, the Vigor slotted at around $25,000 when new – putting it squarely between the entry-level Integra and the flagship Legend.
The press release introducing the Vigor said, “The Vigor is targeted to appeal to the kind of driver who wants a balance of performance and understated luxury.” It went on to say, “The Vigor is designed to provide sporty but sophisticated styling, excellent performance, aggressive but refined cornering characteristics and an understated luxury environment.”
The listing doesn’t go into detail about how or why this Vigor accrued fewer than 16,000 miles in its 33-year life, but the car offers a great opportunity for Acura fans who have wondered what it’s like to drive a five-cylinder car.
Lifespan for the “middle child” Vigor was relatively short – only three model years – but today, the Vigor maintains a devout (albeit small) enthusiast following. And speaking of enthusiasts, the photos in the listing show the Vigor parked next to a first-generation Acura NSX. Clearly someone is a fan of 1990s Acura rides! (And I totally approve.)
The asking price is $8,999.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com