Rick Kranz over at Automotive News has nominated the Acura ZDX as "the most disappointing new vehicle of the year.

Ouch.

He is correct in calling the crossover-sport-hatc​hback mash-up an "odd duck." It's a weird-looking vehicle, no doubt. It has also posted sales figures low enough to live up -- down? -- to the title of "most disappointing": 79 sales late last year, when it hit dealerships; only 2,850 sold in total. Acura expected to sell more than double that -- 6,000 -- this year and 10,000 next year.

OK, it's weird-looking and doesn't sell -- not to mention it's priced at about $46,000 to start. It's a strong contender. So I'll post the same question to our commenters as Kranz did to those at Automotive News: Are there other candidates for this dubious distinction? 

 

Over at Jalopnik, Ray Wert is asserting that the American version of "Top Gear" will "quickly become better than any on-air American automotive show." Strong words, to which we say: We really hope you're right, because that would excellent. Who wouldn't want an awesome domestic version of one of the best shows on TV? You don't have to choose sides if they're both good.

You know who else thinks the show is going to be awesome? The three hosts. Tanner Foust, Rutledge Wood and Adam Ferrara all say the show will be a hit, which they made very clear to Wert when he sat down with the trio. 

 

By now the resto-mod phenomenon -- that is, restoring an old car with updated and/or custom components and modern amenities -- is well-established. Over the past decade, it has become popular among aging enthusiasts looking to relive past glories or build the car they wish they’d had in high school. With a twist, of course.

 

With enough thought, time and money thrown into the project, a resto-mod can make for a fun occasional driver. But they are rarely ideal -- and by that we mean these rides are almost never hassle-free. Sure, they are often more powerful and have superior handling and braking capabilities than their forebears. But timed-out rubber parts, long-forgotten hidden damage, fatigued metal and ancient technologies can conspire to turn these dream cars into surreal nightmares quickly, and often without notice.

 

So why not come at the target from the opposite direction? Start with a new-model vehicle and make it look like a classic. Sounds logical, right?

 

Our SEMA coverage might focus on the cool cars, trucks and SUVs on display at the Las Vegas Convention Center, but they are only part of the story. SEMA is actually all about the gadgets and accessories that you can buy to soup up your ride, and electronics are a huge part of that. From bumpin' car-stereo systems to slick remote-start devices, here are our picks for the eight coolest, most innovative and most useful of these new "plug and play" offerings.

 

 

iMotion CarPlay Direct Connect

Monster’s iMotion CarPlay Direct Connect charging device features an innovative in-car hand motion control connection that lets drivers use simple hand gestures to control their iPod, iPhone or iPad. You may look like a lunatic, but total control will be yours. Price yet to be announced; www.monstercable.com​

 

 

 

Cobra iRadar iPhone Detection System

You may be looking at the future of radar detection. The Cobra iRadar links your radar detector with your iPhone, via Bluetooth, letting you view radar alerts, control settings, log alert history and be warned of upcoming speed and red-light cameras right through your iPhone’s display. It also allows you to control radar-detection settings through your iPhone. $170; www.cobra.com

 

Hybrids found themselves on unfamiliar ground here in Las Vegas: Under the spotlight at the SEMA show.

This aftermarket show is all about generating horsepower -- a mindset counter-intuitive to hybrids' "green" side. And yet it was power-tuned hybrids that dominated two separate booths.

Honda featured the CR-Z gas-electric, with examples ranging from Bisimoto Engineering’s turbocharged 533-horsepower monster to styling exercises with body kits and basic engine bolt-ons. Lexus featured the LS 600h L and HS 250h hybrids, both tuned with big wheels, slammed suspensions and pristine paint.