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A car writer's year in new vehicles [w/video]

Christmas is only a week away. The New Year is just around the corner. As 2014 draws to a close, I'm not the only one taking stock of the year that's we're almost shut of. Depending on who you are or what you do, the end of the year can bring to mind tax bills, school semesters or scheduling dental appointments. For me, for the last eight or nine years, at least a small part of this transitory time is occupied with recalling the cars I've driven over the preceding 12 months. Since I started writing about and reviewing cars in 2006, I've done an uneven job of tracking every vehicle I've been in, each year. Last year I made a resolution to be better about it, and the result is a spreadsheet with model names, dates, notes and some basic facts and figures. Armed with this basic data and a yen for year-end stories, I figured it would be interesting to parse the figures and quantify my year in cars in a way I'd never done before. The results are, well, they're a little bizarre, honestly. And I think they'll affect how I approach this gig in 2015. {C} My tally for the year is 68 cars, as of this writing. Before the calendar flips to 2015 it'll be as high as 73. Let me give you a tiny bit of background about how automotive journalists typically get cars to test. There are basically two pools of vehicles I drive on a regular basis: media fleet vehicles and those available on "first drive" programs. The latter group is pretty self-explanatory. Journalists are gathered in one location (sometimes local, sometimes far-flung) with a new model(s), there's usually a day of driving, then we report back to you with our impressions. Media fleet vehicles are different. These are distributed to publications and individual journalists far and wide, and the test period goes from a few days to a week or more. Whereas first drives almost always result in a piece of review content, fleet loans only sometimes do. Other times they serve to give context about brands, segments, technology and the like, to editors and writers. So, adding up the loans I've had out of the press fleet and things I've driven at events, my tally for the year is 68 cars, as of this writing. Before the calendar flips to 2015, it'll be as high as 73. At one of the buff books like Car and Driver or Motor Trend, reviewers might rotate through five cars a week, or more. I know that number sounds high, but as best I can tell, it's pretty average for the full-time professionals in this business.

'CSR Racing 2' mobile game adding 'Fast & Furious' pack

Popular mobile drag-racing game CSR Racing 2 (CSR2) is constantly adding new cars, new events, and new features to keep the game fresh. In March, CSR2 released the stunning McLaren Speedtail into the game, and for April, a "Fast & Furious"-themed pack is on the way. CSR2 recently celebrated 100 seasons of racing (the game runs on its own calendar) and announced a new update is on the way. Many new vehicles are coming, including a McLaren F1 LM, a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Coupe, a Bugatti EB110 Super Sport, a Honda NSX-R, a C3 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, a Lamborghini Countach LP5000 Quattrovalvole, a Porsche Carrera GT and a Shelby Cobra 427 S/C.  Through various events, players will also be able to unlock more cars such as the Aston Martin Valhalla Concept, the Ferrari Monza SP1 and SP2, a TVR Griffith, a Toyota GR Supra, a Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport, a BMW M8 Competition Coupe, and for the first time in a video game, the Mini John Cooper Works GP. But possibly the most hyped vehicles included in the new update are not cars that come straight from the production line. Update 2.11 will add character cars from the "Fast & Furious" franchise.  As part of a series of special events within the game, CSR2 customers will be able to race with numerous F&F cars such as the 1970 Dodge Charger Daytona, the 2001 Veilside Honda S2000, and Jesse's iconic 1995 Volkswagen Jetta. There are no details about the specifics of the events, but the first will launch in mid-April and the rest will slowly drip the rest of the year. The new cars come after CSR2 released the "Fast & Furious" Toyota Supra, Veilside Mazda RX-7, and Mitsubishi Eclipse back in 2019.  For more information about CSR2 and the upcoming update, visit CSR2's Tumblr. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery CSR Racing 2 Fast and Furious Pack Auto News Toys/Games TV/Movies Dodge Honda Volkswagen Fast & Furious Honda S2000

Honda announces 2015 Pilot Special Edition

Honda doesn't have any exciting new mechanical or aesthetic changes for the 2015 Pilot eight-passenger crossover, but it is adding a new trim level to give families a compromise between the EX and EX-L models.
The new Special Edition trim is available on either the front-wheel or all-wheel drive versions of the Pilot, and it adds Pewter Gray aluminum wheels, a power moonroof, a rear seat entertainment DVD system and Sirius XM radio. Prices come to $33,950 for the two-wheel drive version, after the $830 destination charge, or $35,550 for all-wheel drive after destination.
Prices for the rest of the trims are up $200 over last year, and they all still come standard with remote entry, a rearview camera and Class III trailer hitch. Power is still provided by a 3.5-liter V6 with 250 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque with a five-speed automatic. Fuel economy is unchanged as expected with front-wheel drive models rated at 18 miles per gallon city, 25 mpg highway and 21 mpg combined, and four-wheel drive models make 1 mpg less at 17 mpg city, 24 mpg highway and 20 mpg combined. Scroll down to read the official release.