SOUL-SUCKING, JUICE-SAPPING, CANDY APPLE NIGHTMARES, GOATS IN TREES AND THE DAWN OF THE NEW LEVIATHANS…IT WAS GOOD. AND HARD. AND FAST. YES, IT'S TIME FOR THE AUTOEXTREMIST YEAR IN REVIEW!
Tuesday, December 14, 2021 at 08:25AM By Peter M. DeLorenzo
Detroit. To say that 2021 has been “tumultuous” doesn’t even begin to cover it. I have used that word to describe this business for going on half a decade now, because the chaos continues. The auto industry – along with every other industry in this country – has been turned upside down with shortages and supply chain issues. We’re living in perilous times, and on every imaginable societal level too. Sometimes writing about this business seems trivial at best, but then again it isn’t, because this industry is leading the way to greener pastures for this nation, whether we’re ready for it or not.
It’s no secret that this “Grand Transition” to Battery Electric Vehicles will be fraught with peril, missteps and wrong turns. No, a switch can’t be “flipped” and it won’t all be figured out with our collective finger snaps either. It will take serious, intensive, all-consuming work in battery development, the judicious use of essential resources, the building out of the charging infrastructure and dramatic improvements in the supply chain to pull this off. And that doesn’t even begin to get at the most difficult marketing challenge in automotive history, which is to create the fundamental desire and want to for BEVs.
While the Sturm und Drang continues over this transition, the pushback from people who either don’t believe it will ever happen or don’t believe that it should happen seems to be gaining strength by the day. The reasons are many: The infrastructure isn’t there and won’t be there for years to come. Range continues to be a perceived problem. Charging remains an issue, both for the time it takes and because it in fact excludes apartment dwellers en masse. The list goes on from there. Some people are just disinclined to entertain BEVs under any circumstance, when it comes right down to it.
And I get it, I really do. As someone who grew up immersed in some of the finest high-performance ICE machines ever built, a world that doesn’t echo with the sound of hungry V8s rumbling across the landscape is simply hard to imagine. But then again, as I’ve said repeatedly, those machines will be around for decades to come. They will be collected, nurtured and preserved indefinitely. And that is a very good thing from my perspective.
And, it’s not as if your local “Donuts, Lotto ‘n Gas” station is going to disappear overnight, taken over by charging islands. It is going to take time. A long time. But it’s also clear that for a large portion of the driving population, BEVs will become a staple in every geographical region here in the United States. And I am fine with that.
The onset of BEVs doesn’t mean that the car “thing” will go away. In fact, it might be a good time to take a step back and understand what this car “thing” has meant to this nation.
How did the car “thing” evolve from desiring faster horses to the building of transportation that transformed the world? What propelled the automobile from being an extravagant convenience to a cultural touchstone that’s such an inexorable part of the American fabric that even the most hostile of the anti-car hordes can’t seem to dampen our collective enthusiasm for it?
Is it the fashion statement? The fundamental sense of motion and speed? The image-enhancing power that automobiles possess? Or all of the above?
If anything, I keep going back to the one thing that’s undeniable about our collective love for the automobile, the one thing that no computer simulation – no matter how powerful or creatively enhanced – can compete with. And that is the freedom of mobility. And that will not change in the upcoming BEV era.
The ability to go and do, coupled with the freedom to explore and experience, is not only a powerful concept, it is fundamental to the human experience, which is why the automobile in all of its forms remains so compelling and undeniably intoxicating.
That the automobile has progressed from a device built around convenience and comfort to something more, much more, is easy to understand. The rush of freedom that we’ve all experienced in our first solo drives in an automobile is something that cannot be duplicated or brushed aside. It is ingrained in our spirit and etched in our souls.
I have talked to the most strident anti-car people over the years. But even for those who merely like to inform me that “I’m not into cars,” inevitably, after acknowledging that it’s fine that they don’t share my passion for the automobile, something very interesting happens.
If the conversation is allowed to percolate long enough, every single anti-car person I have encountered in going on 23 years of doing Autoextremist.com comes around to saying something like, “Well, there was this one car that my uncle (or aunt, or friend, or brother, or father, or grandfather, etc.) had that I’ll never forget…” And they then proceed to tell me about a car that is so indelibly carved into their memories that they start talking about it in detail, including where they were, how old they were, who was with them, where they were going, what happened, etc., etc., etc.
For even those most dispassionate about the automobile – at least on the surface anyway – I find there are always stories if you dig a little deeper. Stories of coming of age, of adventure, of harrowing close calls, of love, and life and lives lived. And memories. Countless, colorful memories that live on forever.
The automobile business itself can be mind-numbingly tedious at times, as I’ve well documented over the years. And it is without question one of the most complicated endeavors on earth, made up of so many nuanced ingredients that it almost defies description. But the creation of machines that are safe, reliable, beautiful to look at, fun to drive, versatile or hard working – depending on the task they’re designed for – is more than just a cold, calculated business. It is and has been an industrial art form that has come to define who we are collectively.
The automobile obviously means more to me than it does for most. I grew up immersed in this business, and the passionate endeavor surrounding the creation of automotive art has never stopped being interesting for me. And it is very much art, by the way. Emotionally involving and undeniably compelling mechanical art that not only takes us where we want to go but moves us in ways that still touches our souls deeply.
As I’ve reminded everyone many times over the years, I for one will never forget the essence of the machine, and what makes it a living, breathing mechanical conduit of our hopes and dreams.
WG and I have put together the following highlights from AE from the past year. And don't forget to check out "The Best Of On The Table," "Fumes" and "The Line." I’ll be back at the end with a few closing thoughts.
LET'S CALL THE SUPERCAR OBSESSION FOR WHAT IT IS: SWINGING DICKISM WRIT LARGE. And why, exactly? Possession? The need to have something that no one else does, as if this delusional pursuit has any merit whatsoever? Performance? These cars are rarely – as in never – driven. Why? Because their performance envelope is beyond mere mortals, and they cost so damn much that the thought of rolling one up into a ball at a track day is, well, remote, at best. No, I attribute this supercar obsession to the ultimate example of Swinging Dickism, a pathetic affliction that doesn’t have a statute of limitations, because it has been a part of this business for almost as long as the invention of the car itself. The only difference now is that the cost of being The Biggest Tool in the Shed has grown to the point over the last half-decade of being beyond absurd. – “2021? SAME AS IT EVER WAS.” (1/6/21)
WE'RE BMW, AND WE DON'T HAVE A FRICKIN' CLUE AS TO WHAT'S GOIN' ON. BMW operatives have decided to take the brilliant marketing approach of insulting their older buyers – you know, the ones who put and have kept BMW on the map – by suggesting they are out of touch and not worth keeping around anyway. And when those buyers registered their unhappiness with BMW’s marketing approach, company marketers responded with the now comical “Ok, Boomer.” Which, naturally, unleashed a furious torrent of derision aimed at BMW, and deservedly so. But that monumentally misguided waste of time brought to life by BMW marketers was only setting the table for an even more egregious mistake: a remarkably insulting and flat-out stupid video that BMW operatives had the temerity to unveil at the recently completed CES. You can watch it here, but I warn you that you won’t get through it without a few well-placed "WTFs?" and "OMGs!" – “AN ENTIRELY NEW DIMENSION OF ABJECT STUPIDITY BROUGHT TO YOU BY BMW.” (1/20)
WAIT, YOU MEAN THERE ARE STILL RUNAWAY EGOS IN THE AUTO BIZ? WHO KNEW? Enough of that and yes, probably much more than you need to know, but it provides a proper introduction to the rest of my column. The other phenomenon I would like to talk about today? Auto executives with runaway egos. Wait, you thought those days were relegated to automotive history books with the departure of Sergio “The Great” or the exodus of Carlos “I’m The Ghosnster And You’re Not” Ghosn? Wrong, Lithium breath. – “GOATS IN TREES AND OTHER PHENOMENA.” (1/27)
(National Geographic)
I SPENT 100 GRAND ON THIS? It was a fleeting moment in time in our formative enthusiast years when the sun was brighter and the sky was bluer. Everything seemed to be on an upward trajectory back then, and the machines that defined that era are permanently etched in our collective memories as soul-stirring monsters that left an indelible impression that sticks with us to this day. But again, the reality was so much different. I can’t tell you how many hard-core enthusiasts I’ve talked to over the years who recounted lengthy stories to me about the one car that they lusted after in their youth, and then, after finally getting their hands on their dream machine, how an empty disappointment soon came over them. The idea of the car was one thing, while the reality of actually driving a decades-old machine left a lot to be desired. – “OUR MOTOR MEMORIES PLAY TRICKS ON US.” (3/10)
I'LL MATCH MY CEO'S FALSE HUMILITY AND SYRUPY PERSONA AGAINST YOURS ALL DAY LONG. It is marked by an unfailing belief in their own press clippings – there’s that giant ego thing again – and inevitably masked by a faux humility and syrupy persona crafted by the dutiful PR minions assigned to polish and project that “aw shucks, I’m just a normal guy looking out for our employees and stakeholders” (or something like that) image. And all of this contributes to clouding their thinking, which then propels them to assume that all of their plans are perfectly logical and fail safe, to assume that their product decisions are infallible, to assume that market conditions will be stable and to assume that their brilliance will be there in living color for all to see. But to assume that this business is any way, shape, or form predictable is a fool’s errand that inevitably leads to disastrous consequences. Because this business can go from “happy days are here again!” to, “uh-oh, I think we might be screwed” in less than a quarter, which when it comes to making cars and trucks, is as close to a blink of an eye as you can get. – “THE DREADED ASSUMPTION DISEASE.” (5/5)
WILL I MISS THE ICE AGE? YOU HAVE NO IDEA. I believe that technical innovation will transform what has been a transformative industry since its very beginnings and propel it – and us – to new and unimaginable heights. Will I miss the Internal Combustion Engine era? Oh yes, very much so. But we will celebrate the ingenuity, the technical achievements, the speed and, of course, the breathtaking style for many decades to come. – “RAGING AGAINST THE DYING OF THE LIGHT.” (6/16)
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR US LATELY? ANYONE? BUELLER? It’s a funny thing about hype. It’s easy to generate, and it’s easy to absorb and react to positively with a bullish burst of optimism from the practicing swells on Wall Street, which translates into euphoric statements after analyst calls and rosy predictions from the more notorious and self-absorbed analysts. But even the most creatively crafted hype has a shelf life of, oh, about five minutes in this 24/7 media-saturated world we exist in today. And even though the denizens of Wall Street may give their blessings to the latest maneuvers coming from Detroit and anoint a New Messiah (no matter how undeserved), it won’t take very long before the inevitable chorus of “What have you done for us lately?” descends over the Motor City like a black cloud of doubt. – “HYPE, INC.” (6/23)
WE'RE TOYOTA, AND YOU'RE NOT. It is one of the auto industry pillars here and around the globe, and one of the largest automotive conglomerates in the world. But in its quest to become all things to all people in this market – while consistently pawning itself off as a U.S. automaker – Toyota has developed a homegrown arrogance and cynicism about what it views as its place in the world, which rears its ugly head every so often. And over this past weekend, we got a full-blown dose of that arrogance and cynicism that no amount of PR “spin” can negate. – “THE MOST CYNICAL CAR COMPANY IN THE WORLD.” (6/30)
WE'RE GOOD ENOUGH, WE'RE SMART ENOUGH AND DOGGONE IT, PEOPLE LIKE US! But amazingly enough, all of that hard work to come up with those brand positioning statements can instantly go off the rails when those brand statements end up creeping into the actual advertising. This usually happens when clients become attached to the brand positioning language because it makes them feel good about their respective brands – and themselves. But when that happens, it usually never ends well. Brand positioning statements are just that, and they're not meant to end up in the advertising. But it happens all too frequently, and it results in “less than” advertising that doesn’t do justice to the brand. And I'm being kind. – “IT’S NOT CALLED BRAND POSITIONING HELL FOR NOTHIN’.” (7/14)
HOW DO THEY SLEEP AT NIGHT? I would agree that packaging dictates much of the look and feel of today’s vehicles, at least up to a point. But then again, how do you explain the look and feel – and the design sameness – of the vehicles below? What, do designers plug the parameters into a computer and out pops the basic shape and they go from there? Because that’s what it looks like to me. I mean, really, how can designers stand behind this work and call it... good? I can just hear them now... “Ahem, given our Belchfire EV’s advanced powertrain and the passenger and cargo packaging requirements, we feel this ‘four-door coupe’ design presents the finest expression of our brand, blah-blah-blah…” Or something like that. Ah yes, the “four-door coupe.” This is the design trend originating in Germany that emerged from a battle of one-upmanship between BMW and Mercedes-Benz. And in design terms: it sucks. There is no such thing as a “four-door coupe” of course, but thanks to those two German luxury manufacturers we’re all stuck with this design abomination until further notice. So, take a look at the cars below – forgetting the price points – and revel in the relentless sameness and the blandtastic design executions. – “BLANDTASTIC DESIGN? LOOK AROUND YOU.” (7/21)
The Audi E-Tron Sportback: Searching for even a shred of visual interest? You won't find it here.
BMW was one of the co-conspirators – along with Mercedes-Benz – of the “four-door coupe.” This is the X4 M. Even if you squint it doesn't inspire... much of anything.
The Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 Coupe: Just because it has a giant three-pointed star plastered on the front doesn’t make it good.
The Ford Mustang Mach-E: No, it hasn't grown on me one bit. Not a shred of originality in sight, and it looks even more uninspiring on the road. “A Mustang for the Next Generation!” according to Ford. To that we say, UGH.
HE WROTE THE BOOK ON HOW IT'S DONE. It’s one thing to do provocative concepts that shine under the auto show lights, but it’s quite another to bring those high-concept executions to the street. Bill Mitchell, the exceptional design legend who inherited the mantle from Harley Earl and propelled GM to incredible heights during the company’s heyday (1957-1977), specialized in bringing concept car looks to the streets and byways of mainstream America. It was a 20-year period unrivaled in automotive history, in fact. No one did it better, and no one influenced contemporary automotive design quite like Bill Mitchell did. The 1959 Corvette Sting Ray racer; 1963 Corvette Sting Ray; the Mako Shark concepts; the 1963 Buick Riviera (although I prefer the ’65), the Oldsmobile Toronado; the Cadillac Eldorado; the Chevrolet Camaro; the Pontiac Firebird, Grand Prix and GTO; and the list goes on and on. – “DESIGN MATTERS, PART III.” (8/11)
(GM)
Bill Mitchell and the 1959 Corvette Sting Ray racer. The Autoextremist's all-time favorite car.
(GM)
The 1963 Corvette Sting Ray.
(GM)
The 1963 Buick Riviera.
(GM)
The 1961 Corvette Mako Shark I and 1965 Corvette Mako Shark II.
AND YOU THOUGHT MARKETING THE EDSEL WAS TOUGH. Despite the Lightning pickups and Mach-Es being wheeled by Ford operatives, and the Hummer EVs piloted by GMC execs (even Polestar made an appearance near Pasteiner’s) up and down The Strip, this EV thing has a long way to go. It doesn’t matter how fast EVs go (more on this in a moment), and it doesn’t matter how – allegedly – they will improve your life (the overpromising is being taken to ridiculous levels by certain manufacturers – yeah, you know who you are), the fact remains that the vast majority of the driving population is going to have to be sold on the merits of EVs. And it’s shaping up to be the most formidable marketing challenge the auto industry has ever seen. – “I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW (EVEN IF THE RAIN ISN’T GONE).” (8/25)
FULL-ZOOT ROUGH RIDERS AND ALL-TERRAIN MASHERS: WELCOME TO SUBURBIA. After all, that’s what the manufacturers think people want in order to traverse the Costco canyons and Home Depot hollers. Even if you aren’t planning to go to Moab next week, you could if you wanted to, right? And therein lies the hook. The “hook” that auto manufacturers have exploited since people traded in their horses. (Way back when the hooks were: You could sit on the front row at Indianapolis in your BelchFire8, if you wanted to; or you could qualify for Le Mans in your SuperSqualo Meteor, if you wanted to. And even recently: You could qualify for an IMSA GT race in your Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, if you wanted to.) Those hooks are lethal, and highly profitable. As I’ve said repeatedly since founding this website, the automobile business is first and foremost a fashion business. It is consumed by trends, fads and what’s perceived as “hot” at the moment. And before we’re immersed in the Next Big Thing – the coming EV Revolution – these vehicles designed to take us on adventures to nowhere are going to be the thing until further notice, which is not exactly good news in my book. – “LAST TRAIN TO NOWHERE.” (9/1)
I AM THE PASSENGER. I AM A TECHNICOLOR DREAM CAT RIDIN' THIS KALEIDOSCOPE OF LIFE. I’ve seen some things, indeed, more than most. Magic things. Loud things. Fast things. – “IT WAS GOOD. AND HARD. AND FAST.” (9/8)
SOULLESS CONVEYANCES? TRY AISLE 5. As for the fact that a lot of auto-journos and wannabe auto journos are canonizing the Mach-E GT and its variations (how ‘bout those prices, folks?) for its performance, let me be crystal clear on this: Just because an EV is blistering fast doesn’t make it a desirable high-performance or track car. I’ve said repeatedly that without the visceral appeal of the sound that goes with contemporary performance cars, the “performance” EVs are a soul-sucking exercise, and there is no amount of computer-enhanced interior audio programs that are a suitable substitute for the lack of those sounds. For the record, just in case you think I’m piling on Ford’s EV crossover, I drove a Porsche Taycan, and I was so underwhelmed and disappointed that it was painful. Bloated at over 5,000 lbs., the Taycan is about as far removed from the Porsche ideal as you can possibly get. Even with the enhanced cockpit audio that you can dial up, there is no “there” there. And without that, it becomes crystal clear that it’s a soulless conveyance with a Porsche badge and a Porsche price tag to boot. But yeah, people are lining up for them, which is their prerogative, I guess, but “include me out,” as Samuel Goldwyn once famously said. – “THE SOUL-SUCKING, JUICE-SAPPING, CANDY APPLE NIGHTMARE.” (10/13)
THEY ASKED "WHY NOT?" INSTEAD OF "WHY BOTHER?" To me it's what Shelby and his band of California hot-rodding geniuses accomplished. It is simply mind-boggling to contemplate and a singular achievement that will stand the test of time. The birth of the Cobra and the subsequent five-year run of triumphs by Shelby American on the world racing stage will never be repeated or recreated in this era of ROI racing and corporate political hand-wringing. How can it be? The time of Shelby and the rise of the Cobra represented such a different time and a different era for this country that there is no scenario that could be put together today that would even come close to it. This country was still very much on an upward trajectory, and the burning question back then was “Why not?” as opposed to today’s too-often-heard refrain of “Why bother?” And the way things fell into place for Shelby was simply magical. “THEY DID IT THEIR WAY.”(10/20)
(Ford Racing Archives)
Carroll Shelby drives a Ferrari 4.9 (next to Marvin Panch in his No. 98 Ford "Battlebird") at the New Smyrna Beach Airport Races, in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, in 1957. 
(Dave Friedman)
Dan Gurney and Carroll Shelby talk before a night pit stop at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1966.
Ford's Don Frey and Carroll Shelby at the end of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in 1967. Dan Gurney and A.J. Foyt dominated in magnificent fashion in their Shelby American-entered Ford Mk. IV after the European press said they would break early.
Carroll Shelby at Le Mans in 1965.
(Dave Friedman)
The great Dan Gurney crests the hill in his Shelby American Cobra at the famed turn 7 at Riverside International Raceway (California) during a three hour endurance race in 1963.
(Dave Friedman)
The first Cobra 427 race car is readied for a Riverside test at Shelby American's Venice, California, facility in late 1964.
(Dave Friedman)
The first competition Shelby Mustang GT350 R is readied for a Riverside test in 1964.
(Dave Friedman)
Bill Krause at speed in the first Cobra race car in its very first race during the L.A. Times Grand Prix in Riverside, California in late 1962. Krause was leading when the left rear hub broke and put him out of the race, but the writing was on the wall for Corvette: The Cobra was the new hot thing.
(Dave Friedman)
The first production Cobra being assembled at Dean Moon's shop in Sante Fe Springs, Calif., in 1962.
(Dave Friedman)
Venice, California, 1963. Carroll Shelby with the three Shelby American Cobra team cars that would win the 1963 USRRC Manufacturer's Championship, before they were shipped to Sebring.
(Dave Friedman)
One of the True Believers, brilliant race and development driver extraordinaire Ken Miles at the 24 Hours of LeMans, in 1966. Miles' contributing role in the success of Shelby American was almost incalculable.
(Dave Friedman)
Carroll Shelby at the wheel of a brand new Cobra production car in Venice, California, 1963.
UNBRIDLED INSANITY? JUST ANOTHER CHAPTER IN THE MUSKIAN NIGHTMARE. According to The Wall Street Journal, “Tesla’s valuation has soared unusually quickly. It took less than two years for Tesla’s market value to grow from $100 billion to $1 trillion, according to Dow Jones Market Data. By contrast, it took Amazon more than eight years to cover that ground.” Read that statement to yourselves again. I don’t know about you, but to me that is just unbridled insanity, especially for a company that’s about to come under severe scrutiny from the National Transportation Safety Board because of the safety deficiencies in its relentlessly promoted driver assistance technologies. I would be shocked if Tesla isn’t nailed for egregious malpractice over this, as it is the only auto manufacturer in the world that has allowed its customers to be the beta-testers for a system that has never worked as advertised. Trust me on this one, folks, this is not going away, and Tesla’s liability could soar into the billions. – “PERSPECTIVE HAS LEFT THE BUILDING.” (10/27)
ICE-POWERED VEHICLES? BEVs WOULDN'T EXIST WITHOUT 'EM. Why? Because those ICE-powered trucks, SUVs and crossovers (and a few sedans) are where the profits are being generated to sustain the manufacturers through the transition, which realistically will go on well past 2030. Yes, you read that correctly, well past 2030. In fact, 2035 is closer to reality. And even then, I don’t see EVs capturing more than 50 percent of the market at that point. Make no mistake, that is a lot of EVs, but still, this talk of achieving 100 percent EVs like flipping a switch? Nah, it isn’t that simple, and it’s not going to happen that way. – “BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARDER-TO-GET-TO PLACE.” (11/10)
DO YOU LOOK BACK? OR JUST WALK AWAY? A common litmus test for enthusiasts is to ask this question: When you close the door and walk away from your ride, do you glance back at it for another admiring look? Or do you press the “lock” button and just keep walking? Needless to say, if I were driving the new Integra, I wouldn’t even give it a second glance. I love driving Hondas, but I sure don't like looking at them. – “ACURA: WANDERING AROUND IN THE DESERT OF DESIGN MEDIOCRITY.” (11/17)
The darkness beckons at 3:00 a.m.
A cup or two or three to jump-start me
The news is weird, spinning like a top
On one side, sketchy optimism
On the other, the ugly reality
Believe your eyes, not the stories
On the way to the EV Promised Land
The bumps and grinds and promises
Are getting to be a bit too much
The Future is starry bright, if we just hang on
But '23, '24, '25?
Who has that kind of time?
Flying cars and IPOs
Takeovers in the search for more control
The bootlickers and the shallow men
Hankerin’ for another piece
Elbows out juggling empty lots
Something tells me we’ve lost the plot
- “IT’S ALL HAPPENING.” (11/25)
THE NEW LEVIATHANS ARE COMING. They’re seamless and impressive and somewhat fun to drive, but the visceral thrill and unforgettable sound of ICE-powered high-performance machines will never be replaced. Yes, you can dial up incredible amounts of horsepower equivalents in the coming wave of EVs, but the lack of a defining, signature sound and the prodigious battery weight that comes with them will hinder every aspect of performance other than in a straight line. These are no dancing lightweights with cat-quick agility, to be charitable, no matter how much the manufacturers protest. These are leaden, cumbersome machines with severe limitations when it comes to dynamic performance. – “GOODBYE TO ALL THAT.” (12/1)
MUTED VACUUM CLEANERS AND GLORIFIED SLOT CARS. WHAT A WORLD, WHAT A WORLD. Without enhanced or projected electronic sounds, these EVs all sound like glorified slot cars. So, every automaker has to come up with a ‘sound signature’ that will define them going forward. And I don’t see these companies doing that. I mean, the Taycan sound enhancement sounds like a muted vacuum cleaner. Not. Good. Enough. That would be my priority No. 1 for these EV manufacturers. – “A LONG STRANGE TRIP INDEED.” (12/8)
AS HOLIDAY TREATS GO, YOU CAN'T BEAT JIMMY AND SONNY. And finally, a special Holiday Treat for our readers: Here is “FOREVER FU-KING MOTORS” from last July. The world is a better place thanks to Mr. James “Jimmy” Fu and Mr. S.L. “Sonny” King.
As a reminder, Autoextremist.com debuted on June 1, 1999, as a weekly Internet magazine featuring my perspectives, insights and commentaries on all things automotive: specifically, the people, the products, the marketing, and all of the good, the bad and the ugly that entailed.
Observing this industry after being immersed in it from a young age has given me a perspective that not many can bring to the table, and I am grateful for that. My insights into the auto executive mindset have been well-documented – as WordGirl says, “It’s like a gift” – but I doubt if some of those execs on the receiving end of my searing insights appreciate it. Too bad.
I know I should be mellowing, according to what “they” say, but that just isn’t happening. My fury is growing, in fact. I am impatient with the Grand Transition to electrification. Every vehicle announcement of late is so premature that it is laughable. Any time a model year is given for a vehicle to arrive in-market you can add another year to that. As I’ve said before, at this rate 2025 is going to be bangin’. If we’re still awake for it, that is.
No matter what, the industry wheels keep churning. But pay attention, because promises are being made that can’t be kept. A reminder: Just because a car company has a glittering press conference does not mean that they will be able to follow through in a given time frame. That has been a proven fact of life in this business time and time again. And electrification or no, that is not about to change. I am gratified about one development of late, however, and that is that people are finally realizing that mainstream autonomous vehicles are decades away, and I view that to be exceedingly good news.
For WordGirl and me, this website has been the best of times, and the worst of times. As I have told my readers many times, there was no “plan” with AE. It was just me and WG creating commentary and content that was laser-accurate and uncomfortably scary to people in this town. Remember, this was a place that was used to existing in a “bubble” of rote press release regurgitation and endless softball stories passing for “coverage" of the auto industry. Everyone was walking around in a blissfully unaware stupor – that is, until we came along.
Creating content for AE has been exhilarating, debilitating, gratifying, frustrating and relentless. Usually all in the same day, in fact. And some days it has been “a pride swallowing siege” to quote a favorite line by Cameron Crowe from “Jerry McGuire.”
Having said all of that, it still doesn’t quite cover what it has been like over these 22-1/2 years. When I say relentless, you really have no idea. Because of the way we’ve conducted ourselves over the years our readers have come to expect a level of quality in our content that isn’t expected in other auto sites. It can be a burden, yes, but it also depends on how you look at it, because it also is a source of immense pride for us that we have established a very high standard. So, relentless it is, but frankly, at this point, we wouldn’t have it any other way.
So here we are, at the close of another year. We have accomplished a great deal with this website. We have rattled the sacrosanct cages, we have reduced certain grandiose executives to the egomaniacal weasels they truly are, and we have focused on the act of designing, engineering and manufacturing the automobile, which is still one of, if not the most, complicated endeavors on earth.
Needless to say, I (and we) don’t plan on going gently into the night. I will continue to hammer whatever I have for all it’s worth and make every single moment count with Autoextremist.com as long as I feel compelled to do it. I’m happy to defer to Robert Frost at this point:
"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on."
So, we go on, with great pride and renewed focus and fortitude. WordGirl and I want to thank all of our readers for reading and listening over the years and especially this past year.
And we wish all of you and yours a joyous Holiday season and a peaceful New Year. We'll see you back here on January 5th.
And that’s the High-Octane/Kilowatt Truth for 2021.