Acura CL History
Acura's personal luxury coupe — two brief generations spanning 1997 to 2003, sharing platforms with the TL.
Photo: “Acura 2.3 CL (1999) (53487999655)” by Charles from Port Chester, New York / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0
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The CL debuted for the 1997 model year as a two-door personal luxury coupe derived from the second-generation TL platform, offering 2.2-liter four-cylinder and 3.0-liter V6 powertrains. A fully redesigned second generation arrived for 2001 on the new TL platform, pairing a 3.2-liter V6 with a standard six-speed manual on the Type-S variant — one of the few Acura coupes to offer a proper performance gearbox. The CL was discontinued after the 2003 model year without a direct successor.
Generations
First generation · YA1 (1997–1999)
Photo: “Acura 2.3 CL (1999) (53487999655)” by Charles from Port Chester, New York / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0
Four-cylinder and V6 coupes; derived from 2nd-gen TL platform.
1997 Photo: “1997-1999 Acura 3.0CL — 04-25-2026” by BuickCentury04 / Wikimedia Commons — Public domain
1998 Photo: “1998-1999 Acura CL -- 04-11-2012 1” by IFCAR / Wikimedia Commons — Public domain
1999 Photo: “Acura 2.3 CL (1999) (53487999655)” by Charles from Port Chester, New York / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0
Second generation · YA4 (2001–2003)
Photo: “2002 Acura 3.2 CL Type-S 2017.5.26” by Kevauto / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
3.2L V6; Type-S with 6-speed manual; discontinued without replacement.
2002 Photo: “2002 Acura 3.2 CL Type-S 2017.5.26” by Kevauto / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Body styles
- Coupe
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