Sunday
Sep062020
SEPTEMBER 9, 2020
Sunday, September 6, 2020 at 11:27AM 
Editor-In-Chief's Note: General Motors is entering into a strategic partnership with Nikola. What the agreement entails: 1. GM will receive $2 billion equity stake in Nikola - representing an 11 percent ownership stake - in exchange for certain in-kind contributions. 2. GM will engineer, validate, homologate and build the Nikola Badger for both the battery electric vehicle and fuel cell electric vehicle variants as part of the in-kind services. 3. Nikola anticipates saving more than $4 billion in battery and powertrain costs over 10 years and more than $1 billion in engineering and validation costs. 4. GM expects to receive in excess of $4 billion of benefits between the equity value of the shares, contract manufacturing of the Badger, supply contracts for batteries and fuel cells, and EV credits retained over the life of the contract. 5. GM will be exclusive supplier of its Hydrotec fuel cells globally (outside of Europe) to Nikola for Class 7/8 trucks, providing validation and scale in a multi-billion dollar total addressable market. The Badger is anticipated to enter production by year-end 2022. Yes, this is another Big Frickin' Deal, folks. GM is aggressively leveraging and projecting its technology in its quest to be a global leader in BEVs and fuel-cell-powered vehicles. And with each move, the company is gaining serious momentum in the race to a zero-emissions future. -PMD
(Lamborghini)
Automobili Lamborghini and Cervélo Cycles have unveiled the Cervélo R5 Automobili Lamborghini Edition, a street bike in an ultra-limited edition. A special version of the high performance Cervélo R5 sports a livery dedicated to the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, the car that in 2018 set the record on the Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit with the time of 6:44.97. To celebrate the year the Sant’Agata Bolognese company was founded, only 63 units of the Cervélo R5 Automobili Lamborghini Edition will be produced. This R5 limited edition street bike is equipped with a Campagnolo Super Record EPS mechanical assembly, Campagnolo Bora One wheels, Deda Elementi stem, Vittoria Corsa Pro tires and Fizik Aliante saddle. The retail price is $18,000 and can be ordered from official Cervélo resellers and dealers.
Automobili Lamborghini and Cervélo Cycles have unveiled the Cervélo R5 Automobili Lamborghini Edition, a street bike in an ultra-limited edition. A special version of the high performance Cervélo R5 sports a livery dedicated to the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, the car that in 2018 set the record on the Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit with the time of 6:44.97. To celebrate the year the Sant’Agata Bolognese company was founded, only 63 units of the Cervélo R5 Automobili Lamborghini Edition will be produced. This R5 limited edition street bike is equipped with a Campagnolo Super Record EPS mechanical assembly, Campagnolo Bora One wheels, Deda Elementi stem, Vittoria Corsa Pro tires and Fizik Aliante saddle. The retail price is $18,000 and can be ordered from official Cervélo resellers and dealers.
(Land Rover images)
The 2021 Land Rover Defender X-Dynamic bridges the gap between Defender and Defender X with a tougher exterior look and unique interior fittings to set it apart from the rest of the lineup. The Defender X-Dynamic can be enhanced further with a choice of S, SE and HSE Specification Packs. Other details? A maximum payload of up to 1984lbs, static roof load of up to 661lbs, dynamic roof load of 370lbs, towing capacity of 8,201lbs and wading depth of up to 35.43 inches. Land Rover Terrain Response® technology offers a new Wade program and off-road Configurable Terrain Response® allowing experts and novices to optimize traction in various conditions. The 2021 Land Rover Defender is available to order now, priced from $46,100 in the U.S. You can configure one at www.landroverusa.com
The 2021 Land Rover Defender X-Dynamic bridges the gap between Defender and Defender X with a tougher exterior look and unique interior fittings to set it apart from the rest of the lineup. The Defender X-Dynamic can be enhanced further with a choice of S, SE and HSE Specification Packs. Other details? A maximum payload of up to 1984lbs, static roof load of up to 661lbs, dynamic roof load of 370lbs, towing capacity of 8,201lbs and wading depth of up to 35.43 inches. Land Rover Terrain Response® technology offers a new Wade program and off-road Configurable Terrain Response® allowing experts and novices to optimize traction in various conditions. The 2021 Land Rover Defender is available to order now, priced from $46,100 in the U.S. You can configure one at www.landroverusa.com
(Maserati images)
Oh look! Yet another supercar, this time from Maserati. The MC20 was unveiled in Modena on September 9th. The new MC20 (MC for Maserati Corse and 20 for 2020) is "the Maserati everyone was waiting for," according to Maserati PR minions. (Really? Not feeling it at the moment, but okay.) It features the new "Nettuno" engine, a 621HP V6 with 538 lb-ft of torque that delivers 0 – 60 mph in under 2.9 seconds and a top speed over 202 mph. The Nettuno is the first engine with MTC (Maserati Twin Combustion) technology, the "ground-breaking" combustion system was developed in-house by Maserati. The MC20 weighs 3306 pounds, which yields a weight/power ratio of 5.3 pounds/HP. The MC20 was designed in Modena and will be built at the Viale Ciro Menotti plant, where Maserati's models have been built for more than 80 years. The new production line, created in the spaces where the GranTurismo and GranCabrio models were assembled until November 2019, is now ready for action in the historic plant. The site also features a new paint shop incorporating innovative, environment-friendly technologies. Nettuno will also be built in Modena, at the newly established Maserati Engine Lab. The new MC20 will be connected at all times with the Maserati Connect program. The full range of services includes connected navigation, Alexa and Wifi Hotspot and can also be managed through the Maserati Connect smartphone or smartwatch App. For the launch, Maserati has also developed six new colors to characterize MC20: Bianco Audace, Giallo Genio, Rosso Vincente, Blu Infinito, Nero Enigma and Grigio Mistero. Each of them has been conceived, designed and developed exclusively for this car and they all convey important themes: a strong reference to Made in Italy, to Italian identity and to the land, as well as one linked to Maserati tradition. The production launch is scheduled for the end of 2020 with orders accepted beginning September 9th.
Oh look! Yet another supercar, this time from Maserati. The MC20 was unveiled in Modena on September 9th. The new MC20 (MC for Maserati Corse and 20 for 2020) is "the Maserati everyone was waiting for," according to Maserati PR minions. (Really? Not feeling it at the moment, but okay.) It features the new "Nettuno" engine, a 621HP V6 with 538 lb-ft of torque that delivers 0 – 60 mph in under 2.9 seconds and a top speed over 202 mph. The Nettuno is the first engine with MTC (Maserati Twin Combustion) technology, the "ground-breaking" combustion system was developed in-house by Maserati. The MC20 weighs 3306 pounds, which yields a weight/power ratio of 5.3 pounds/HP. The MC20 was designed in Modena and will be built at the Viale Ciro Menotti plant, where Maserati's models have been built for more than 80 years. The new production line, created in the spaces where the GranTurismo and GranCabrio models were assembled until November 2019, is now ready for action in the historic plant. The site also features a new paint shop incorporating innovative, environment-friendly technologies. Nettuno will also be built in Modena, at the newly established Maserati Engine Lab. The new MC20 will be connected at all times with the Maserati Connect program. The full range of services includes connected navigation, Alexa and Wifi Hotspot and can also be managed through the Maserati Connect smartphone or smartwatch App. For the launch, Maserati has also developed six new colors to characterize MC20: Bianco Audace, Giallo Genio, Rosso Vincente, Blu Infinito, Nero Enigma and Grigio Mistero. Each of them has been conceived, designed and developed exclusively for this car and they all convey important themes: a strong reference to Made in Italy, to Italian identity and to the land, as well as one linked to Maserati tradition. The production launch is scheduled for the end of 2020 with orders accepted beginning September 9th.
(Jeep images)
FCA has unveiled its Jeep Grand Wagoneer Concept. Calling it the "Ultimate Premium SUV Redefined," Jeep PR minions went on to say that the Wagoneer will become a portfolio of vehicles that redefines “American Premium” and delivers a unique customer experience. (Gee, we've only heard that about 1000 times before. -WG) Jeep's PR minions said lots of other grandiose things, but all you need to know is this: Production Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer vehicles will be built in metro Detroit beginning next year. Editor-In-Chief's Note: I'll wait to see it in the flesh, but for now the exterior design is tepid and the interior is not distinctive. A giant "we'll see" as we like to say. -PMD
FCA has unveiled its Jeep Grand Wagoneer Concept. Calling it the "Ultimate Premium SUV Redefined," Jeep PR minions went on to say that the Wagoneer will become a portfolio of vehicles that redefines “American Premium” and delivers a unique customer experience. (Gee, we've only heard that about 1000 times before. -WG) Jeep's PR minions said lots of other grandiose things, but all you need to know is this: Production Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer vehicles will be built in metro Detroit beginning next year. Editor-In-Chief's Note: I'll wait to see it in the flesh, but for now the exterior design is tepid and the interior is not distinctive. A giant "we'll see" as we like to say. -PMD
The Jeep Wrangler 4xe might be overshadowed by the Grand Wagoneer reveal, but we feel it may be as important. Jeep PR minions say that the 4xe vehicles will "provide new levels of efficiency, environmental responsibility, performance and capability, on and off the road." The Wrangler 4xe’s turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine is combined with two electric motors to deliver 375HP and up to 25 miles of pure electric operation for daily commutes. It is equipped with a eight-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission. The 400-volt, 17 kWh, 96-cell battery pack mounts beneath the second-row seat to preserve the interior space. The Wrangler 4xe retains its "Jeep-ness" with Trail Rated running gear including solid front and rear axles, full-time 4x4 two-speed transfer case, fully articulating suspension and 30 inches of water fording capability. The Jeep Wrangler 4xe will be available in the United States by early 2021.
(Honda)
You can go home again, apparently. Sixty years after Honda introduced customers to the joys of casual on- and off-road riding, the all-new 2021 Honda Trail 125 ABS (CT125) resurrects a revered brand by injecting a healthy dose of practical design and hassle-free technology to create a miniMOTO that — much like the Super Cub and Monkey — "pays tribute to the past while adapting easily to modern lifestyles." The new 2021 Honda Trail 125 expands upon the scope of the popular Super Cub C125 to include casual riding in rural settings, including two-track roads and trails. Honda strengthened the C125 chassis, increased suspension travel and improved fuel range. The engine is the same 125cc four-stroke, single-cylinder overhead-camshaft design operating two valves, but with a high-mounted air intake and up-swept exhaust to enhance low-end and mid-range power. As with the Super Cub, the Trail 125 has a four-speed semiautomatic transmission. The engine guard adds protection from obstacles like large rocks and tree stumps. “When American Honda was established in 1959 and began offering the Honda 50, Idaho dealer Herb Uhl started modifying it for off-road use, resulting in Honda producing the Trail 50,” said Lee Edmunds, Senior Manager of Powersports Marketing for American Honda. “That model became ubiquitous in American campgrounds and on motorhome bumpers in the ’60s and ’70s and led to a number of successors. For that reason, the CT brand has a special history with the U.S. market, and it’s great to see it return with the Trail 125 which, like the Super Cub and Monkey, harkens back to a golden era of American motorcycling but with modern technology and reliability.” The 2021 Honda Trail 125 is scheduled for release in November and will be available in Glowing Red. The MSRP is $3,899.
You can go home again, apparently. Sixty years after Honda introduced customers to the joys of casual on- and off-road riding, the all-new 2021 Honda Trail 125 ABS (CT125) resurrects a revered brand by injecting a healthy dose of practical design and hassle-free technology to create a miniMOTO that — much like the Super Cub and Monkey — "pays tribute to the past while adapting easily to modern lifestyles." The new 2021 Honda Trail 125 expands upon the scope of the popular Super Cub C125 to include casual riding in rural settings, including two-track roads and trails. Honda strengthened the C125 chassis, increased suspension travel and improved fuel range. The engine is the same 125cc four-stroke, single-cylinder overhead-camshaft design operating two valves, but with a high-mounted air intake and up-swept exhaust to enhance low-end and mid-range power. As with the Super Cub, the Trail 125 has a four-speed semiautomatic transmission. The engine guard adds protection from obstacles like large rocks and tree stumps. “When American Honda was established in 1959 and began offering the Honda 50, Idaho dealer Herb Uhl started modifying it for off-road use, resulting in Honda producing the Trail 50,” said Lee Edmunds, Senior Manager of Powersports Marketing for American Honda. “That model became ubiquitous in American campgrounds and on motorhome bumpers in the ’60s and ’70s and led to a number of successors. For that reason, the CT brand has a special history with the U.S. market, and it’s great to see it return with the Trail 125 which, like the Super Cub and Monkey, harkens back to a golden era of American motorcycling but with modern technology and reliability.” The 2021 Honda Trail 125 is scheduled for release in November and will be available in Glowing Red. The MSRP is $3,899.
SMOKY BURNOUTS AND FRAPPUCCINOS.
By Tom Pease (AE's L.A.-based correspondent)
Beverly Hills. Perhaps it's a factor of age, perhaps that Mumsie and Da aren't paying any longer, or just that there aren't any $5 retreads to fit on that Tesla, but the smoky burnout part of the equation seems to me more of a headache than a thrill. Besides, all those burnt compounds aren't exactly singing “how green is my valley.” No, I am more interested in how long it will take to recharge it and where am I going to do it. I rent and am lucky that I have an assigned space that I could (conceivably) pay to have a charging station, running conduit from the electrical service on the other side of the building on the outside wall. My neighbors on either side, however, aren't in that position since their building doesn't have parking. This is LA, not even Boston or New York or even Chicago, where a parking space can, if you can get it, cost what a studio in Boise rents for. Charge at work? What work?
Now, I had a Chevrolet Volt to test for a week and loved it. I had easy (and at the time free) charging all over Beverly Hills, of course, and a gas engine for when the juice ran down. I would consider a Chevy Bolt, since it would be possible for me to wire my dedicated parking spot for a charger. If, however, I am making that frappuccino last for three hours so I can recharge at a public station (if I can find an open one), or thinking of running an extension cord out to the street, then perhaps not.
What I would really like is a fuel cell vehicle like the Toyota Mirai, but that's a case of “serious lack of infrastructure” that doesn't seem to be being addressed anytime soon. Too bad; I like the idea of nothing exiting from the tailpipe except water, even if it uses fossil fuels to create the hydrogen. So until that bright future comes I will continue to commute to the "office" via shanks' mare and save the car for the weekend, and getting that frappuccino to go.
By Tom Pease (AE's L.A.-based correspondent)
Beverly Hills. Perhaps it's a factor of age, perhaps that Mumsie and Da aren't paying any longer, or just that there aren't any $5 retreads to fit on that Tesla, but the smoky burnout part of the equation seems to me more of a headache than a thrill. Besides, all those burnt compounds aren't exactly singing “how green is my valley.” No, I am more interested in how long it will take to recharge it and where am I going to do it. I rent and am lucky that I have an assigned space that I could (conceivably) pay to have a charging station, running conduit from the electrical service on the other side of the building on the outside wall. My neighbors on either side, however, aren't in that position since their building doesn't have parking. This is LA, not even Boston or New York or even Chicago, where a parking space can, if you can get it, cost what a studio in Boise rents for. Charge at work? What work?
Now, I had a Chevrolet Volt to test for a week and loved it. I had easy (and at the time free) charging all over Beverly Hills, of course, and a gas engine for when the juice ran down. I would consider a Chevy Bolt, since it would be possible for me to wire my dedicated parking spot for a charger. If, however, I am making that frappuccino last for three hours so I can recharge at a public station (if I can find an open one), or thinking of running an extension cord out to the street, then perhaps not.
What I would really like is a fuel cell vehicle like the Toyota Mirai, but that's a case of “serious lack of infrastructure” that doesn't seem to be being addressed anytime soon. Too bad; I like the idea of nothing exiting from the tailpipe except water, even if it uses fossil fuels to create the hydrogen. So until that bright future comes I will continue to commute to the "office" via shanks' mare and save the car for the weekend, and getting that frappuccino to go.
AE Song Lyrics of the Week:
Standing tough under stars and stripes, we can tell
This dream's in sight
You've got to admit it
At this point in time that it's clear
The future looks bright
On that train, all graphite and glitter
Undersea by rail
Ninety minutes from New York to Paris
Well, by '76 we'll be A-OK
What a beautiful world this will be
What a glorious time to be free
What a beautiful world this will be
What a glorious time to be free
Get your ticket to that wheel in space while there's time
The fix is in
You'll be a witness to that game of chance in the sky
You know we've got to win
Here at home we'll play in the city
Powered by the sun
Perfect weather for a streamlined world
There'll be spandex jackets, one for everyone
What a beautiful world this will be
What a glorious time to be free
What a beautiful world this will be
What a glorious time to be free
On that train, all graphite and glitter
Undersea by rail
Ninety minutes from New York to Paris
(More leisure for artists everywhere)
A just machine to make big decisions
Programmed by fellas with compassion and vision
We'll be clean when their work is done
We'll be eternally free, yes, and eternally young
What a beautiful world this will be
What a glorious time to be free
What a beautiful world this will be
What a glorious time to be free
What a beautiful world this will be
What a glorious time to be free
What a beautiful world this will be
What a glorious time to be free
"I.G.Y." (What A Beautiful World) by Donald Fagen; from "The Nightfly" (1982)* Listen here.
*The Nightfly was the first solo album by the Steely Dan co-founder. Unlike most of Donald Fagen's previous work, the songs are all autobiographical. "I was compelled to make this," he told Uncut in 2016. "I'd reached a certain age where I could feel some kind of internal dissonance compelling me to examine where I came from, who I was, that kind of thing." "It was essentially an identity crisis – a little late-coming identity crisis," Fagen continued. "But it was that all the same. Musicians being a kind of perpetual adolescent, I was able to postpone my appointment with the reality principle. It just happened." (Knowledge courtesy of songfacts.com)
Standing tough under stars and stripes, we can tell
This dream's in sight
You've got to admit it
At this point in time that it's clear
The future looks bright
On that train, all graphite and glitter
Undersea by rail
Ninety minutes from New York to Paris
Well, by '76 we'll be A-OK
What a beautiful world this will be
What a glorious time to be free
What a beautiful world this will be
What a glorious time to be free
Get your ticket to that wheel in space while there's time
The fix is in
You'll be a witness to that game of chance in the sky
You know we've got to win
Here at home we'll play in the city
Powered by the sun
Perfect weather for a streamlined world
There'll be spandex jackets, one for everyone
What a beautiful world this will be
What a glorious time to be free
What a beautiful world this will be
What a glorious time to be free
On that train, all graphite and glitter
Undersea by rail
Ninety minutes from New York to Paris
(More leisure for artists everywhere)
A just machine to make big decisions
Programmed by fellas with compassion and vision
We'll be clean when their work is done
We'll be eternally free, yes, and eternally young
What a beautiful world this will be
What a glorious time to be free
What a beautiful world this will be
What a glorious time to be free
What a beautiful world this will be
What a glorious time to be free
What a beautiful world this will be
What a glorious time to be free
"I.G.Y." (What A Beautiful World) by Donald Fagen; from "The Nightfly" (1982)* Listen here.
*The Nightfly was the first solo album by the Steely Dan co-founder. Unlike most of Donald Fagen's previous work, the songs are all autobiographical. "I was compelled to make this," he told Uncut in 2016. "I'd reached a certain age where I could feel some kind of internal dissonance compelling me to examine where I came from, who I was, that kind of thing." "It was essentially an identity crisis – a little late-coming identity crisis," Fagen continued. "But it was that all the same. Musicians being a kind of perpetual adolescent, I was able to postpone my appointment with the reality principle. It just happened." (Knowledge courtesy of songfacts.com)