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Acura is livestreaming an augmented reality race on Facebook

Honda's luxury car brand Acura is set to livestream an augmented reality race featuring its 2018 TLX A-Spec sedan. The event will see four drivers hit a real track while wearing AR helmets that will create new virtual environments for each lap. Aside from spectating, viewers will also be able to interact with the racers on Facebook Live. The race will see each driver attempt to clock the fastest overall time during a three-lap time trial. That sounds simple enough, until the AR environments come online and really begin altering what the drivers see. As a result, each lap will trigger a new mixed-reality environment, visible to both the drivers and viewers. Central to the virtual experience will be the computer-connected helmets worn by the racers. Within each helmet is a HD screen with a two-way mirror that allows the driver to see the AR overlaid onto the real track. A computer rig in the backseat, powered by the Acura's battery, will generate the environments. To ensure the experience runs smoothly, Acura will have to track the objects on the tarmac and the movement of the car itself. Of course, this isn't Forza, so you can't just rewind the action should something go wrong, so Acura will use custom-made tracking gear to ensure the drivers don't plough into a wall because their eyes deceive them. You can tune into the race on Monday at 8pm ET on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. Viewers will be shown the action courtesy of cameras placed on the drivers' helmets and around the track. Facebook Live audience members will also be able to offer hints and tips. Acura claims the interactions will transform viewers into a virtual pit crew. But all you'll really be doing is smashing a Facebook reaction at a given time to reveal a shortcut to the driver -- which isn't quite the same, is it?This article by Saqib Shah originally appeared on Engadget, your source for this connected life.Related Video: Marketing/Advertising Motorsports Acura Racing Vehicles Sedan augmented reality acura tlx

Acura MDX Prototype reveals slick new looks, with Type S close behind

The next-generation Acura MDX is here, almost. This three-row crossover you’re looking at is technically being called the MDX Prototype by Acura, but itÂ’s about as close to production as any prototype can get. And what a looker it is. Acura has followed up the slick TLX sedan with another attractive design. With the MDX now the best-selling Acura nameplate of all time, this one was even more important for Acura to get right. Just like the TLX, it benefits from a much longer dash-to-axle dimension, measuring in six inches longer than the outgoing MDX. The pentagon grille, and Chicane-shaped DRLs in the headlights now grace a much wider car. Acura gave this MDX a wider track and a three-inch longer wheelbase, both aiding in making it appear far more graceful and sporty. Acura clearly isnÂ’t holding much of anything back with this MDX Prototype versus the final production car, and weÂ’re liking what we can see so far. Many of the design elements we liked so much on the TLX are transferred over to this crossover body style, and Acura has done so with class. The MDXs you see here are riding on new 21-inch wheels that are bolted up to a new light truck platform and chassis specifically tailored for the MDX. Acura says it provides for more athletic handling, greater ride comfort and a quieter cabin versus the outgoing MDX. ItÂ’s even more rigid than the RDXÂ’s body. Just like the new TLX, Acura has gone with a double wishbone front suspension design to make the MDX an even sportier driver. ThereÂ’s more excitement in the powertrain options for the new MDX, too. Acura promises a Type S version of the MDX is coming with the same 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 youÂ’ll find under the hood of the TLX Type S. It will make 355 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque (same as the TLX) in this application. The standard engine will continue to be AcuraÂ’s 3.5-liter V6 that makes 290 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque. Both engines will be mated to AcuraÂ’s 10-speed automatic transmission and send power to all four wheels using the latest fourth-generation SH-AWD system. Not all of the performance details are available yet, but Acura says the MDX can be had with four-piston Brembo brake calipers and comes with a drive mode selector that allows you to adjust ride, handling, steering, suspension and powertrain characteristics. More Type S-specific details will need to wait. The interior matches the exterior for flair and elegance.

2024 Acura TLX Type S First Drive: Give it some more credit

The latest generation of the Acura TLX wormed its way into our hearts from the moment we got behind the wheel. It’s a driverÂ’s car, and AcuraÂ’s made that clear from the get-go. Then we tried out the TLX Type S and liked it enough to even give it the nod over a BMW M340i in a head-to-head comparison test. Now that itÂ’s been a few years since the sport sedan came out, Acura has a mid-cycle refresh ready to sweeten the pot a little more. Our first go-around with the updated model is this 2024 Acura TLX Type S, but most of the updates apply to the pared-down collection of other trim levels (more on that later). The interior sees the most substantive upgrades, including a new set of screens for both the infotainment system and the analog-turned-digital gauge cluster. The latter is the more controversial of the bunch because even though a digital cluster is largely seen as an upgrade these days, the white-trimmed gauges of the pre-refresh car were a beautifully distinctive touch in an age of mostly anonymous digital clusters. Nevertheless, the cluster is now a 12.3-inch screen that comes standard on all TLX models. There are a few different views including a traditional two-dial approach, one that pushes the gauges all the way to the edges, and exclusive to the Type S, a third that features a horizontal tach reminiscent of the S2000Â’s rev counter.  The ADAS graphics in the center are a nice touch, and the screen is rather crisp, though weÂ’re not sure that everyone will find it to be an upgrade over the analog cluster. At the very least, couldnÂ’t Acura have replicated the old white-trimmed gauges (below, white) to maintain some continuity and appease purists like us? The 2024 MustangÂ’s retro Fox Body gauge design shows such things are possible. The infotainment display is bumped from 10.3 inches to 12.3, though the ever-controversial Acura Precision TouchPad remains. It responds quicker and more fluidly to inputs than before, and the newly-added wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto capability is a nice-to-have. And as the cherry on top, Acura added a new customizable head-up display and a 360-degree camera to the Type S. The rest of the TLXÂ’s interior is familiar. You sit low and are surrounded by easy-to-operate buttons, knobs and scroll wheels aplenty. The rear seat is still a scrunched affair for the TLXÂ’s footprint, but Acura never meant for this sedan to be a limo. Step outside, though, and youÂ’re met with some subtle but impactful design changes.