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Russian videographer nails this real-life 'Need for Speed' recreation

Aaron Paul and Kid Cudi tried. They really did. They put forth a decent acting effort, played with some incredible replica supercars, and filmed at some remarkable settings. But it's 2019, and 2014's "Need for Speed" sits at a 6.5/10 on IMDB, a 39 on Metacritic, and a 57% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The studio attempt to bring "Need for Speed" to life was lukewarm, so a Russian videographer took a shot at the idea with this impressive digital short. Unearthed by Reddit user, AbuDab1, the clip is the work of Russia-based videographer @Chekunov_v. Clearly a fan of all things fast and fancy, as seen by his Instagram, Chekunov recreated the start screen, the garage with car and mod selection, and the race sequences from the video game. The video starts with an Acura RSX Type-S (labeled as the Integra Type R) with familiar theme music playing in the background. Accompanied by video game sound effects, the spotlight switches between a Toyota Celica, a Toyota Supra and a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo. The Supra and Evo are locked, so the user settles on the Celica. He goes on to select mods, including a new spoiler, new wheels and a new color, again to the tune of the proper sound effects, menus and camera views. The car exits the garage and rolls onto the road, where the screen now shows a tachometer and an N2O gauge. The Celica is met with a race challenge, and the car lines up with a Mazda RX-8, an Acura RSX Type-S and a Subaru WRX STI. After a terrible launch, the Celica uses some NOS and takes the victory. Unfortunately, the video is a bit 2 fast, 2 short for our taste. It's well done, has some unique video work, and takes us back into one of our favorite video game series. Maybe this guy can direct the studio sequel.

Junkyard Gem: 1997 Acura SLX

By the second half of the 1990s, the tremendous sales success of the Ford Explorer (introduced as a 1991 model) and Jeep Grand Cherokee (introduced as a 1993 model) had made it clear clear that the future of the American road would be trucks. Any automotive manufacturer not selling a full line of SUV-ish machinery here would be irrelevant soon after the dawn of the new century, and the car-and-bike-centric American Honda Motor Company was therefore in big trouble. The Civic could be used as the basis for a small crossover SUV (which debuted here as the 1997 Honda CR-V), but Honda needed to buy time to design and produce the platform that would underpin the 2001 Acura MDX and 2003 Honda Pilot. That time was purchased via a deal to sell rebadged Isuzu trucks as Hondas and Acuras. Today's Junkyard Gem is one of those Honda-ized Isuzus, found in a Colorado boneyard. Honda began selling the Isuzu Rodeo as the Passport (recycling the name they'd used on the U.S.-market Super Cub motorcycle) for the 1994 model year, and Acura dealers started moving SLX-badged Isuzu Troopers in the 1997 model year. Just to make things interesting in the Isuzu-Honda world, North American Isuzu dealers sold Honda Odysseys with Isuzu Oasis badges at the same time. Isuzu had gone all-truck for the American market after the last Styluses (and closely related Geo Storms) were sold here as 1993 models. Sadly, Isuzu's final (non-commercial) new vehicles sold here were rebadged Chevy Trailblazers and Colorados, more than 30 years after Chevrolet began selling Isuzu Faster pickups here with LUV badges. Honda never did build any body-on-frame trucks, but that proved unnecessary in order to make some money during the CUV/SUV era. The SLX never sold particularly well, but it gave Acura dealers a luxury truck to park next to the Integras, TLs, RLs, CLs and NSXs in their showrooms. After 1999, the SLX was gone, leaving just the 2000 model year as a blank spot for Acura-badged SUVs. This truck held together like a real Honda product, getting fairly close to the 300,000-mile mark (I've found junkyard Accords with better than a half-million miles on their odometers, plus one apiece Civic and CR-V that got past 400,000 miles during their lives). The original owner's manuals were still in the glovebox when I found this truck. At the end, it appears that it was towed away for being parked illegally. Maybe the engine or transmission failed and its final owner just walked away.

New Acura Integra teased, and it looks good

We've been expecting a number of big announcements and debuts this week, like the two-row Jeep Grand Cherokee and Rolls-Royce's "historic" announcement about electrification, both happening tomorrow. What we weren't expecting was Acura to shock us again with another Integra tease. Honda's luxury arm posted a seven-second clip to Twitter flashing the new Integra's rear-three-quarter. That tweet came with a link to a landing page at Acura's site with the image you see above.  Although the ILX features the same design language, the switch to a hatch gives us late-model Hyundai Genesis Coupe vibes. That's not a ding on the Integra, and we have faith in what's to come. Other than realizing the teased Integra tailgate has a completely different shutline to the 2022 Honda Civic hatchback, the only info we have on the car came in the caption above the image: "Integra Returns In 2022. The fifth-generation Integra will be a premium sport compact with a striking five-door design. More details about the all-new Integra will be available closer to its 2022 introduction." Most of this we already knew from the first teaser that dropped in August. The single new addition to our knowledge is the word "sport." An icon, resurrected. #ReturnOfIntegrahttps://t.co/gfMmNbE298 pic.twitter.com/0tyLyOFZlK — Acura (@Acura) September 28, 2021 This is a fertile time for reborn nameplates, although not every attempt has stuck the landing — looking at you, Acura NSX and Lamborghini Countach. When the Autoblog staff mooted ideas for what they'd like a new Integra to be, this writer liked Road Test Editor and Integra owner Zac Palmer's wish for "a small, affordable car directed toward enthusiasts," the kind Acura hasn't had for a while. A commenter's note on that line suggested "The first-gen TSX could probably be considered that car." The first-gen TSX was special, and offered a manual transmission. We'd be happy with a return of the original Integra and TSX philosophies with modern underpinnings. Whatever we get, we hope Acura gets it bang on this time. It can't be that hard to re-create a legendary nameplate that lasted 21 years and still compels pining and lust, can it? Until the next digital hint drops, we'll go back to pretending not to wait for a surprise from Japan. Related video: 2021 Acura TLX 2.0-liter turbo-four soundtrack | Autoblog