Please allow me to introduce myself, I’m a man of wealth and taste. That’s how the devil starts off in The Rolling Stones‘ famous “Sympathy for the Devil” — and boy does it tell some tales from there. Acura chose the tune to highlight the otherworldliness and devil-may-care attitude of the latest RDX, and it suits the brand like a Charlie Watts snare drum. Just the driving drums alone — the famous like-no-other beat that starts off “Sympathy” would be enough to set the stage for the deviltry the RDX gets up to on the open road. (here’s the drum track by itself – wow.)
But hey wait — that’s not Mick Jagger, and it ain’t Keith Richards either. It’s definitely the Stones’ song, but the version Acura chose is a classic cover by metal legend Motorhead. Yup, double points for authenticity, because not only is the RDX up for a bad time, it isn’t just luxury seekers to whom it appeals. Real motorheads will love this car, because it’s an Acura and it’s a bad ass.
Acura says it’s an “all-new 2019 Acura RDX. Featuring a turbocharged VTEC© engine, available next-gen Super Handling All-Wheel Drive™, and Precision Concept-inspired design.” But if that describes the brains and heart, the Motorhead cover represents this ride’s soul. Not everyone agrees, of course — or what would the internet be? Some commenters beg Acura not to conflate classic metal music with soccer mom crossover SUVs, but that’s the point. Acura says hey even the driver is a soccer mom, it’s got to be a soccer mom with some satanic energy. “Interesting marketing idea,” writes one comment, “asking Satan to endorse your SUV.”
Asked about the Motorhead version of “Sympathy for the Devil”, the late great Motorhead leader Lemmy Kilmister once said in an interview: “I thought we beat [the Stones]. I thought we beat it to death. I mean, I like the Stones’ version, but I like ours better.” Acura hears that. The track appears on Motorhead’s Bad Magic album from 2015.
