Here in 2026, motor shows in the form they once existed — multi-day showcases of excess, interviews and shrimp, where carmakers would pull the covers off their newest and most important models — have largely faded away like old soldiers. Even so, a few automotive gatherings still remain where the motoring world comes together to unveil and examine what is current and what is coming next, and none carries more weight than the coastal California event built around the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, known as Monterey Car Week.

Acura has been a regular presence at Car Week for years, using the occasion to present special-edition versions and exotic-looking concept cars that can attract attention alongside the cutting-edge exotica and near-unobtainable one-offs shown by the world’s most exclusive carmakers. This year is no exception, with Honda’s luxury arm set to bring yet another new concept. And, as the single image released on Friday makes clear, the brand’s latest piece of metal will ... indeed have a rear end.

Acura’s statement released with the image was almost as vague as the teaser itself, saying little more than that the styling will influence future products “beginning with the fourth-generation Acura RDX Hybrid set to arrive in the coming years.” What is apparent, however, is that the taillamp design language — particularly the sharp, vertically and diagonally arranged angles of the slim strakes — marks a noticeable shift away from several of the brand’s recent concepts, including the RSX Prototype Acura revealed at last year’s Monterey Car Week. That electric crossover was supposed to enter production this year, until Honda chose to scrap its existing EV strategy and take a multi-billion-dollar write-off now rather than face potentially larger losses later.

Considering Honda and Acura’s habit of showing concept vehicles that look very close to eventual production models, I would fully expect the uncamouflaged version of the shadowy machine seen at the top to offer a fairly meaningful indication of that future RDX, along with the broader styling direction for next-generation versions of the manufacturer’s other upcoming crossovers — and, to the extent that they remain part of the range, its sedans and hatchbacks as well. We should all have a much clearer picture after its official reveal at The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering, on Friday, August 14th.