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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.

2014 Acura RDX adds new standard features, starts at $34,520*

Coming off a complete redesign for 2013, the second model year the second-generation Acura RDX has received a few tweaks to its equipment packaging and a slight increase in pricing for 2014. With all models receiving a price hike of $200, the 2014 RDX will now have a base price of $34,520 (*not including $895 for destination).
New for the 2014 RDX, Acura has included even more technology to the standard models, including a push-button starter, rear-view camera and an updated audio system that delivers Pandora Internet radio, SMS text messaging and Active Noise Control. Buyers will still be able to add all-wheel drive and the optional Technology Package. Scroll down for a press release breaking down more features of the 2014 RDX and complete model pricing.

Race a Type S Concept and an 8-bit 1991 NSX in Acura's new video game

Acura has unveiled a new mobile video game that features a variety of the brand's notable cars from throughout the past three decades. The game is a spin-off of the brand's "Beat That" commercial, and each level is programmed to look how video games looked when the different cars were in production. Players have the option to drive a race car, new and old Acura sports cars, or a crossover. As part of the “Less Talk, More Drive” advertising campaign, Acura has released a series of commercials with the catchphrase, "Beat That." They're meant to demonstrate the company's competitive spirit, and now Honda's luxury brand has brought about a new way to get those fiery juices going. In the same week as the 2020 Chicago Auto Show, Acura has launched "Beat That" the mobile video game. The game has six levels, each of which features a different car. Each race is a time trial, and the graphics are designed in a way that they match the years of the vehicles. Level 1 takes place at the 8-Bit Beach and features the 1991 Acura NSX. Level 2 takes place at the Warehouse Complex and features the 1998 Acura Integra Type R. Level 3 features a Snowy Summit stage an includes the 2020 Acura RDX A-Spec, while Level 3 is at a Grand Prix Circuit with the ARX-05 Daytona Prototype racecar. A 2020 NSX drives on the Super Skyway in Level 5, and the Type S Concept can be driven in a Cyber Tunnel in Level 6.  The only way to reach the next level within the game is to beat a specific lap time designated for each level. Users can play against themselves, or they can send challenges to friends through social media or other chat platforms. To compete against the best of the best, users can click on a leaderboard time and compete against ghost cars from the previous record laps.  To play the game on a mobile device, click here.