Next up on my reawakening as a driver was the gorgeous Acura TL Type-S with a 5 speed automatic transmission with Sequential SportShift. Basically this means that it’s got Formula 1 style paddle shifters. I was a little leery of hitting the track with an autobox, but I’d heard that the Acura shifters were sweet and the transmission actually shifts when you ask it to.

Heading out onto the track, I was a little surprised at how quick the TL was off the line. Of course a bit of research after the fact shows that this classy looking sedan is packing a 286 horsepower punch. No wonder it’s quick. The other thing that was apparent right away is that the upshifts are lightning quick. My first downshift was a bit of a surprise, as I reached for the paddle only to find that I had grabbed the headlight stalk. No need to reach here, as the paddles are in very close quarters to the wheel, keeping the driver’s hands where they belong.

The TL is quite a neutral machine, with a small amount of throttle on understeer and throttle off oversteer. There really wasn’t any excitement to speak of, just a fair bit of stick and lots of go. One problem is that the seats don’t have enough side bolster to keep the driver in place. That may not be much of an issue on the street, but for a sport sedan that can generate this much side load it can be a might tiring as one struggles to stay upright by using a death grip on the wheel. In my case, it actually aggravated an old rib injury that continued to bother me in cars with poor bolstering all day.

For the bulk of the first lap, I learned that the Sequential SportShift is an incredible system. On the upshift, pop the right paddle and it shifts crisply and immediately. On downshifts, the shift is equally crisp but just a tiny bit slower. All that means is that one must anticipate when one wants the transmission to shift and plan for it. With that in mind, the system worked flawlessly.

On the second lap, I decided to see what the TL had for me on the banked straight. It surely did not disappoint. Accelerating hard through around the right that makes the apex of the tri oval, the TL feels stable, solid and confident. Confident to the tune of 120 miles per hour at the end of the straight. At this point, I was praying that the tranny would downshift and the brakes would stop the beast, as I really left it far too late. The Type-S took it like a champ, downshifting twice right when asked and the brakes did their job perfectly. Back on the gas through the apex of the infield right and smooth through the esses. Entering the pit lane, there was no question that i had pushed the car hard. As we used to say in the rally days: Big stinky brakes!

The Acura TL Type-S is a great looking sedan with loads of power and superb handling. It would be a fantastic street car and occasional lapping day car. With more lateral support in the driver’s seat, it could be a great track day car.