Carmakers are shelling out loads of cash to get their products featured during Super Bowl 50, but it’s pretty clear which car will get the most hype — the 2017 Acura NSX.
The highly-anticipated coupe will star in the brand’s 30-second “What He Said” TV spot, which will air during the first quarter of the big game. Designed, developed, and manufactured in the U.S., Acura calls the NSX “the only supercar made in America,” a theme highlighted by the commercial’s red, white, and blue color scheme. An extended version of the clip can be seen on Acura’s YouTube page.
The NSX is an intense car with a sharp, modern charm, so the equally intense wailings of David Lee Roth and Van Halen fit in perfectly. Previously unlicensed for advertising, the group’s “Runnin’ With The Devil” single has never been used in a commercial before.
Acura will begin accepting orders for the second-generation NSX on February 25, the same day the vehicle’s online configurator goes live. Prices start at a very supercar-like $156,000 (including $1,800 for destination and handling), but with options like different wheels, carbon-ceramic brakes, a carbon fiber roof, and an interior trim package, the cost can surge up to $205,700. For reference, a 2005 NSX costs around $90,000.
The new version only offers one powertrain option — a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 paired with three electric motors, one at the rear axle and two up front. With their efforts combined, the NSX sends 573 horsepower and 476 pound-feet of torque through a nine-speed dual-clutch to all four wheels, allowing the car to sprint to 60 mph in just 3.0 seconds. Given a long enough stretch of road, the car will reach its top speed 191 mph.
Super Bowl 50 goes down February 7 and features a clash between the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.