OCTOBER 28, 2020

(Chevrolet images)
Chevrolet will showcase a 1977 K5 Blazer converted to all-electric propulsion at SEMA360. The K5 Blazer-E is a functional proof of concept of the upcoming Electric Connect and Cruise package Chevrolet Performance plans to sell in the second half of 2021. The new K5 Blazer-E retains as much of the stock Blazer as possible and approximately 90 percent of the new parts installed for the eCrate package are factory components from the Chevrolet Bolt EV. To convert the 1977 K5 Blazer, the team first removed from the Blazer the original 175-horsepower 400 cubic-inch V-8, three-speed automatic, fuel system and exhaust. Then, the team installed a Bolt EV electric motor, delivering 200 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of torque, paired with a Chevrolet Performance electronically controlled four-speed automatic. The rest of the Blazer drivetrain remains untouched, including the transfer case, driveshaft and axles. Power is supplied by a 400-volt Bolt EV battery pack with 60 kilowatt-hours of usable energy installed in the cargo area. Using production controllers and wiring harnesses preserves many Bolt EV features, including shock protection, battery heating and cooling, battery-overcharge protection and even regenerative braking. The aftermarket components include an electric power steering kit, an electric pump providing vacuum to the stock brake system, and an electronic controller to drive inputs to the vintage Blazer gauges – such as displaying the battery’s state of charge on the original fuel gauge. To prepare for the eCrate launch, Chevrolet Performance is certifying Electric Connect and Cruise installers. Participating Chevrolet dealers and aftermarket companies will receive the training, tools and equipment needed to work with high-voltage systems and charging stations to service customers’ vehicles. Lingenfelter Performance Engineering in Brighton, Michigan will be the first company to pilot the training and certification program. This experience will help inform the certification process for future installers. The 60-kWh Electric Connect and Cruise package, expected to be available in the second half of 2021, includes:

• 60-kWh battery pack
• 200-horsepower electric motor
• DC-to-AC power inverter to drive the electric motor
• DC-to-DC power converter to power low-voltage systems
• Wiring harnesses, controllers and water pumps for battery heating and cooling

Editor-in-Chief's Note: This is another significant step by GM. Leveraging their considerable EV technology knowledge and delivering it to enthusiasts who are interested in the E-conversion idea is going to pay huge dividends for the company in the aftermarket. -PMD

(Cadillac)
Cadillac has unveiled one of the first exterior images of its V-Series Blackwing vehicles: a close look at the cars’ exclusive magnesium wheels. The 2022 CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing will be the only GM products to offer magnesium wheels in the near future. The optional forged magnesium alloy wheels will help reduce the unsprung weight of the vehicle, improving ride, handling and the overall driving experience. The 2022 CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing will be available beginning the summer of 2021. Visit the V-Series Blackwing future vehicles page on Cadillac.com to sign up for future product updates.
Five facts about magnesium from Cadillac:
1. Magnesium has the highest strength-to-weight ratio of all commonly available metals.
2. Magnesium wheels absorb road vibration and transform it into heat, which is dissipated.
3. Magnesium was first discovered in 1755 and is the eighth most abundant element in the Earth’s crust.
4. Formula 1, MotoGP and World Endurance Championship teams use forged magnesium wheels to improve acceleration times and enhance safety.
5. Magnesium is a mineral needed by every cell in the human body.

(Ford)
Ford has opened its all-new Bronco build-and-price configurator, enabling customers to visualize the color and material choices for the first time (including the 2021 Bronco two-door and four-door). The site launched last Friday at midnight. Go here: Ford.com/Bronco.

(Bugatti images)
As fantasy cars go, this is a good one. Bugatti PR minions call the Bolide "reduced, raw, authentic." And it's the answer to the question (that no one was asking, by the way): What if Bugatti built a radically light vehicle around its iconic 8.0-litre W16 engine? The "experimental study" (lest you think it's real) of the Bugatti Bolide is a track-oriented hyper sports car featuring a W16 engine derived from its series production powertrain combined with a minimal body for maximum downforce. The Bugatti Bolide is "the most extreme, uncompromising, fastest and lightest vehicle concept in the company’s recent history." (Remember, it's a simulation.) It has a projected weight-to-power ratio of 0.67 kg per PS. This is made possible by the combination of the W16 engine with 1,850 PS and a vehicle weight of just 1,240 kilograms. The Bugatti Bolide "achieves figures that are almost on par with Formula 1, while its top speed is well above 500 km/h – without compromising maximum handling and maximum agility." (Man, the Bugatti PR minions were working overtime on this one.) The Bolide is projected to take 3:07.1 minutes to complete a lap of Le Mans and 5:23.1 minutes to get around the Nordschleife. A good time was had by all, apparently.

(Darin Schnabel © 2020 RM Sotheby's)

RM Sotheby's, in association with the Sotheby's Fine Art Division, has announced that it will offer the Alfa Romeo Berlina Aerodinamica Technica Concepts - a trio of incredible automotive and sculptural design achievements that were produced by Bertone for the Turin auto salons in 1953, 1954 and 1955, at Sotheby's upcoming Contemporary Art Evening Sale in New York, on October 28, 2020. Regarded by many as the seminal vehicle designs of the 20th century - B.A.T. 5, 7 and 9 - this trio of spectacular Alfa Romeo concepts will be offered as a single lot. The three cars were more than just design studies and a showcase of what the world's best artisans and craftsmen could create; they also made a lasting impact in design, engineering and aerodynamics, with a hitherto unseen blend of sculpture and efficiency, with more than a hint of fantasy and science fiction thrown in for good measure. Interestingly, the three B.A.T.s were never shown together in period, and the cars were sold off following their respective show circuit runs. In fact, the cars were not united until the 1989 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, sharing the spotlight with none other than Nuccio Bertone, the man who oversaw their commission and construction. Shortly after this, the current owner individually acquired each car, and the trio has been restored, maintained and kept as a group ever since. They have only ever made very occasional public appearances over the past 30 years, and the cars are undoubtedly one of the most important single collections of vehicles in existence. It is therefore fitting that the cars are being sold as a single lot, and befitting their unquestionable status as design icons and possibly the best example of ‘cars as works of art,’ the cars will be offered by Sotheby’s with a pre-sale estimate of $14,000,000 to $20,000,000.

AE Song of the Week:

Now and then I think of when we were together
Like when you said you felt so happy you could die
Told myself that you were right for me
But felt so lonely in your company
But that was love and it's an ache I still remember

You can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness
Like resignation to the end, always the end
So when we found that we could not make sense
Well you said that we would still be friends
But I'll admit that I was glad that it was over

But you didn't have to cut me off
Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing 
And I don't even need your love
But you treat me like a stranger and that feels so rough
No you didn't have to stoop so low
Have your friends collect your records and then change your number
I guess that I don't need that though
Now you're just somebody that I used to know
Now you're just somebody that I used to know
Now you're just somebody that I used to know

Now and then I think of all the times you screwed me over
But had me believing it was always something that I'd done
And I don't wanna live that way
Reading into every word you say
You said that you could let it go
And I wouldn't catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know

But you didn't have to cut me off
Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing 
And I don't even need your love
But you treat me like a stranger and that feels so rough
No you didn't have to stoop so low
Have your friends collect your records and then change your number
I guess that I don't need that though
Now you're just somebody that I used to know
Somebody, I used to know
(Somebody) Now you're just somebody that I used to know
Somebody, I used to know
(Somebody) Now you're just somebody that I used to know
I used to know, that I used to know, I used to know somebody

"Somebody I Used To Know" by Gotye (featuring Kimbra) from the album "Making Mirrors" (2011"*. Watch the video here. 

*Belgian-born Wally De Backer is an indie rock singer-songwriter who records under the name of Gotye. He moved with his family to Australia at the age of two and has been releasing music there since 2001. This is the second single from De Backer's third album, Making Mirrors. The LP was released in the summer of 2011 and went to No.1 in Australia. The song features New Zealand singer-songwriter Kimbra, who won her country's Critics' Choice awards in 2011; the award is intended to recognize and nurture upcoming talent. Gotye didn't begin writing this song as a duet, but after he finished the first verse, he realized he had nowhere to go with the character he was writing about, and needed to introduce another voice. "Somebody" was both produced and written by Gotye in his parents' barn on the Mornington Peninsula, south-east of Melbourne. It finds Gotye addressing a past lover, reminiscing about their relationship and break-up. The song draws from the aftermath and memory of several relationships, but he told Rolling Stone Australia that one does resound louder than the others. "There is an ex-girlfriend I know." he admitted. "It was five-six years ago. It wasn't a nasty breakup, but it was messy in the sense that we hurt each other more than we needed to because it wasn't a clean break. I guess it's closest to what the chorus is about. We both realized we had to move on and we haven't seen each other since." The song samples the guitar break from Brazilian musician Luiz Bonfá's track "Seville." The classical guitarist died in 2001 but was generously given a co-writing credit by Gotye. According to Australia's Courier Mail, Bonfá also inspired the song's first few lyrics; Gotye inked an early deal awarding 45% of the song's royalties to the Brazilian's estate. "Somebody" was a commercial success, topping the charts in a number of countries including England, the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. The music video for "Somebody That I Used to Know" was produced, directed and edited by Australian artist Natasha Pincus and filmed by Australian cinematographer Warwick Field. It shows Gotye and Kimbra naked throughout the clip, and as they sing, his skin is gradually painted into the backdrop via stop motion animation. (Knowledge courtesy of songfacts.com)