AUGUST 26, 2020
Sunday, August 23, 2020 at 09:32AM 
The latest from the "Bring A Ton Of Cash-Ola" File: Mercedes-AMG has pumped-up its 2021 GLE 63 S Coupe "with more power, more technology and more style than ever before," according to Mercedes PR minions. The (still) handcrafted AMG 4.0-liter V8 biturbo engine features an electrified EQ Boost starter-generator and produces 603HP and 627 lb-ft of torque, just perfect for picking up the kiddies from school. Zero to 60 mph? 3.7 seconds. The interior also features the most advanced user interface from Mercedes-Benz, the Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) with touchscreen, voice control and new AMG-specific displays. The 2021 Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S Coupe arrives in U.S. dealerships late this year. How much? It starts at $116,000.
From the "Huh?" File: No, it's not April 1st. Hyundai has unveiled a new project coming from its European design center, Hyundai Design Center Europe. The teaser image reveals the shape of a yellow soapbox derby-type car, with the Hyundai logo visible on the side. The "soapbox" refers to the motorless, gravity-propelled vehicles that were a staple in this country for decades. Originally made from discarded wooden soap crates, today they apparently boast more modern and sophisticated designs. They are particularly popular in Europe and North America, where many soapbox derbies take place. More details, including Hyundai’s plans to make a design inspired by the traditional soapbox accessible for customers around Europe, will be revealed soon. Alrighty then!
The Porsche Panamera is "significantly enhanced and redesigned for the 2021 model year," according to Porsche PR minions. The new Panamera Turbo S model features changes to the crankshaft, connecting rods, timing chain drive and torsional vibration dampers, as well as new fuel injectors and a reduced compression ratio in its uprated 4.0 liter twin-turbo V8. It now delivers 620HP and 604 lb.-ft. of torque, which eclipses the previous Panamera Turbo (550HP and 567 lb.-ft.). This new engine enables the Panamera Turbo S sedan and Sport Turismo models to run from 0 to 60 mph - using Launch Control - in 2.9 seconds, 0.5 seconds quicker than the previous Panamera Turbo models. All Panamera Turbo S models reach a top track speed of 196 mph. The twin-turbo V8 in the Panamera GTS gets a 20HP increase to 473HP and 457 lb.-ft., and its throttle calibration is said to be tuned to resemble the responsiveness and finesse of a naturally aspirated engine even more closely. Porsche is also expanding its hybrid offering with a new plug-in hybrid model for 2021: the Panamera 4S E-Hybrid. An electric motor paired with a 2.9 liter twin-turbo V6 engine results in a system power of 552HP and 553 lb.-ft. of torque. The Panamera 4S E-Hybrid sedan can reach 60 mph - using Launch Control - in 3.5 seconds, and has a top track speed of 185 mph, which is similar performance to the previous 550HP Panamera Turbo. For the 2021 model year, all Panamera E-Hybrid models now feature a 27 percent larger hybrid battery capacity (up to 17.9 kWh from 14.1 kWh previously), as well as recalibrated drive modes to maximize the performance and efficiency of the powertrain. The standard Panamera models now feature a 2.9 liter twin-turbo engine making 325HP, replacing the previous 3.0 liter single-turbo unit. They arrive here next spring if all goes to plan.
If you want the 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, it'll cost you: $80,995 (excluding destination) to be exact. But for that you get the most powerful SUV ever built with a supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI® Hellcat V8 delivering 710HP and 645 lb.-ft. of torque coupled to a slick-shifting TorqueFlite 8HP95 eight-speed automatic transmission. How quick is it? 0-60 in 3.5 seconds, a quarter-mile elapsed time of 11.5 seconds - as certified by the NHRA - and a top speed of 180 mph. Dodge will build the Durango SRT Hellcat exclusively for the 2021 model year.
AE Song Lyrics of the Week:
It's nature's way of telling you something's wrong
It's nature's way of telling you in a song
It's nature's way of receiving you
It's nature's way of retrieving you
It's nature's way of telling you
Something's wrong
It's nature's way of telling you, soon we'll freeze
It's nature's way of telling you, dying trees
It's nature's way of receiving you
It's nature's way of retrieving you
It's nature's way of telling you
Something's wrong
It's nature's way, it's nature's way
It's nature's way, it's nature's way
It's nature's way of telling you
It's nature's way of telling you
Something's wrong
It's nature's way of telling you
It's nature's way of telling you
In a song, oh-h
It's nature's way of receiving you
It's nature's way
It's nature's way of retrieving you
It's nature's way
It's nature's way of telling you
Something's wrong, something's wrong, something's wrong
"Nature's Way" - by Spirit from the album "12 Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus" (1970)*, written by Randy California; Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management. Listen here.
*This song is a reflection on mortality, and also a lament for the fate of the Earth, as nature is telling us that something is wrong. The song was written long before climate change became a hot topic, but even in 1970, some ecologically minded songwriters were concerned about Mother Earth. This was written by Spirit's guitarist, Randy California. It was a very personal song, and in some ways, his maxim. The song deals with how nature guides you, and that's just what he did throughout his career. Spirit reached No. 25 US in 1969 with "I Got A Line On You," a track from their second album, but the group remained on the fringes of breakout success, in part because they turned down an invitation to play Woodstock. California got heavy into LSD and became even more mercurial. In 1970, he was riding a horse on the streets of Topanga Canyon when he fell off and fractured his skull. The same year, he wrote "Nature's Way," which was included on Spirit's fourth album, Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus. California left the group in 1972 and the band splintered soon after. Sardonicus found a following and eventually sold over a million copies, prompting an iff-fated band reunion in 1976. California died in 1997 when he drowned while swimming in Hawaii.David Briggs, who was one of Neil Young's producers, produced this track. The band was dealing with a lot of internecine conflict at the time, and Briggs helped keep them focused and productive enough to complete the album. Randy California recorded various versions of this song as a solo artist. In interviews, he sometimes talked about never being able to get it right. The album is named after a 1963 horror movie called Dr. Sardonicus, about a man whose face is frozen in a creepy grin after he digs up his father's grave. (Knowledge courtesy of songfacts.com)