DECEMBER 1, 2021

(Ferrari images)
The Ferrari Daytona SP3 is a limited edition that joins the Icona series, which debuted in 2018 with the Ferrari Monza SP1 and SP2. It's an homage to the legendary Ferrari 330 P3/4, one of the most beautiful racing cars ever built. On February 6th 1967, Ferrari swept the top three places at the 24 Hours of Daytona in the first round of that year’s International World Sports Car Championship. (It was also the last sports car victory for Ferrari that year, as the Ford Mk IV won the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.) The three cars that took the checkered flag that day – 1. Bandini/Amon (No. 23 330 P3/4); 2. Parkes/Scarfiotti (No. 24 330 P4) and 3. Rodriguez/Guichet (No. 26 412 P) – represented the pinnacle of development of the Ferrari 330 P3, a model that chief engineer Mauro Forghieri had significantly improved in each of the three racing car fundamentals: engine, chassis and aerodynamics. The 330 P3/4 perfectly encapsulated the spirit of the sports prototypes of the 1960s, a decade now considered the golden era of closed wheel racing and an enduring reference point for generations of engineers and designers. The name of the new Icona - Ferrari Daytona SP3 - pays tribute to that legendary 1-2-3 finish, and it was presented at the Mugello Circuit during the 2021 Ferrari Finali Mondiali on November 20th. The Daytona SP3’s design "is a harmonious interplay of contrasts, sublimely sculptural, voluptuous surfaces alternating with the kind of sharper lines that revealed the burgeoning importance of aerodynamics in the design of racers such as the 330 P4, 350 Can-Am and 512 S," according to Ferrari PR minions. The choice of a ‘Targa’ body with a removable hard top for the Daytona SP3 "not only delivers exhilarating driving pleasure but also usable performance," according to Ferrari. From a technical perspective, the Daytona SP3 features a naturally-aspirated, mid-rear-mounted V12. The most iconic of all Maranello’s engines, this engine delivers 829HP – making it the most powerful engine ever built by Ferrari – along with 697 Nm of torque and maximum revs of 9500 rpm. The chassis is built entirely from composite materials using Formula 1 technologies that have not been seen in a road car since the LaFerrari, Maranello’s last supercar. The seat is an integral part of the chassis to reduce weight and guarantee the driver a driving position similar to that of a competition car. And, just like the machines that inspired it, the aerodynamic research and design focused on achieving maximum efficiency purely using passive aero solutions. Thanks to unprecedented features, such as chimneys that extract low-pressure air from the underbody, the Daytona SP3 is the most aerodynamically efficient car ever built by Ferrari without resorting to active aero devices. Because of the clever integration of these technical innovations, the car can accelerate from zero to 100km/h in 2.85s and from zero to 200km/h in just 7.4s. "Exhilarating performance, an extreme set-up, and the intoxicating V12 soundtrack deliver completely unparalleled driving pleasure," the Ferrari PR minions concluded (We concur -WG). How much? It doesn't really matter, but it's probably somewhere north of $2 million. And they're probably all sold anyway, but they may build 500 of them (or fewer). Editor-in-Chief's Note: Okay, so this machine put me right over the edge. The Ferrari 330 P3/P4 was one of my all-time favorite racing cars. And this Daytona SP3 is the most desirable Ferrari ever built, in my estimation. Just, wow. -PMD

(BMW images)
BMW M GmbH unveiled its BMW Concept XM at Art Basel’s 2021 Miami Beach show this week. It allegedly "looks ahead to the most powerful BMW M car ever to go into series production," according to BMW PR minions. In case you're wondering, the BMW Concept XM provides a preview of the new front end design for BMW’s forthcoming luxury-class models (Oh, joy- WG). The series-production model – the BMW XM – will begin production at the end of 2022 at BMW Group Plant Spartanburg in South Carolina. BMW M will therefore be introducing its first standalone vehicle since the legendary BMW M1 in the year it celebrates its 50^thanniversary. The BMW XM will be available only as a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and exclusively as an M model. The bold exterior styling of the BMW Concept XM reflects the vehicle’s exceptional performance attributes: power, agility, and precision, plus an all-electric range of up to 80 km (WLTP) and up to 30 miles (preliminary estimate, not an official EPA value), according to BMW. The newly developed M Hybrid drive system in the BMW Concept XM brings together a V8 engine and a high-performance electric motor to develop a maximum output of 750HP and peak torque of 737 lb-ft. It will be the first electrified vehicle from BMW M GmbH in the high-performance segment. “The BMW Concept XM represents a complete re-imagining of the high-performance vehicle segment,” says Franciscus van Meel, CEO of BMW M GmbH. “It underlines the ability of BMW M GmbH to break with established conventions and push boundaries in order to offer fans of the brand the ultimate driving experience. The series-production vehicle – the first pure BMW M model since the legendary BMW M1 – also shows how we are approaching the step-by-step electrification of our brand.” Editor-in-Chief's Note: From the sublime Ferrari Daytona SP3 to... this. I see BMW designers are pushing their "Gaping Maw" design language to ridiculous extremes, because, well, why not? No one seems to care anyway. Yes, I know this is a "concept," but who's kidding whom here? You know this will basically be it. I will say this much for it, the interior is scrumptious. So, there's that. And so it goes. -PMD 

(Mercedes-Benz images)

On December 1, 2021, in lieu of an intimate press event, Mercedes-Benz pays tribute to Virgil Abloh by opening the doors of the Rubell Museum to showcase Project MAYBACH to the public from December 1st – December 2nd. A humble contribution to Virgil's vast legacy, the Mercedes-Maybach show car "exemplifies the possibilities of future design and is the result of an on-going cooperation with the polymath artist, architect, creative director, fashion designer and philanthropist; driven by a shared passion to enrich the conversation around luxury design," according to the manufacturer. "Mercedes-Benz is devastated to hear of the passing of Virgil Abloh. Our sincere thoughts are with Virgil's family and teams. Now opening the world of our collaboration, and Virgil's unique vision, to the public, we want to respectfully celebrate the work of a truly unique design talent, who created endless possibilities for collaboration through his unbridled imagination and inspired all that knew his work." Every element of Project MAYBACH has been built from scratch. Abloh, collaboratively with Gorden Wagener, has interpreted Mercedes-Maybach's luxury identity with a new design language that pushes the boundaries of function, style, and creativity. Inspired by the great outdoors and executed from a distinctly off-road perspective, the 2-seater, battery-electric off-road coupe combines huge Gran Turismo proportions - it's nearly 20 feet long - large off-road wheels and distinctive attachments. A key focus for both Abloh and Wagener was a responsible vision of future design. Complete creative freedom – untethered by production requirements - enabled the design teams to conceptualize what the future of electric travel could look like. For example, under the transparent surface of the front hood of the concept are solar cells that increase the imagined range of the Project MAYBACH. The concept channels Abloh's passion to challenge the status quo and re-write the rule book of aspirational design. The X-Factor nature of Project MAYBACH results not only from its breathtaking size, but above all from its unique contrasts; most notably how Mercedes-Maybach design elements are combined with a new Outdoor Adventure design motif. The Project MAYBACH design teams teams thank Virgil Abloh for the inspiration to explore the power of cross-industry dialogue to imagine a better, more inclusive future.

The AE Song of the Week:

Who's gonna ride that chrome three wheeler
Who's gonna make that first mistake
Who wants to wear those gypsy leathers
All the way to Fire Lake

Who wants to break the news about uncle Joe
You remember uncle Joe
He was the one afraid to cut the cake
Who wants to tell poor aunt Sarah
Joe's run off to Fire Lake
Joe's run off to Fire Lake

Who wants to brave those bronze beauties
Lying in the sun
With their long soft hair falling
Flying as they run
Oh they smile so shy
And they flirt so well
And they lay you down so fast
Till you look straight up and say
Oh Lord
Am I really here at last

Who wants to play those eights and aces
Who wants a raise
Who needs a stake
Who wants to take that long shot gamble
And head out to Fire Lake
Head out
Who wants to go to Fire Lake
And head out
Who wants to go to Fire Lake
And head out (who wants to go to Fire Lake)
Head out, head out (who wants to go to Fire Lake)
Out to Fire lake
Who's gonna do it (who wants to go to Fire Lake)
Who's gonna wanna do it (who wants to go to Fire Lake)
Who wants to do it, who wants to do it, yeah (who wants to go to Fire Lake)

"Fire Lake" by Bob Seger, from the album "Against The Wind" (1980) *. Written by Bob Seger. Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC; Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind.

*For years, Seger never publicly commented on the actual place this song was written about. There were theories that it is symbolic of the biblical Lake of Fire, and it was noted there is an actual Fire Lake in Iron County, Michigan (the state where Seger grew up), as well. Seger eventually stated that it is about a lake in Michigan called Silver Lake. He told the Toledo Free Press in March 2011: "It was written about Silver Lake in Dexter, about being in the Pinckney-Hell-Dexter area." His good friends Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Timothy B. Schmit of the Eagles sang backup for Seger on this song. A year earlier, Seger came up with the chorus to the Eagles hit "Heartache Tonight." Seger has said that this lyric is one of his favorites. As a song about taking risks, Seger says this song broke away from his past efforts in style and content, which proved serendipitous. This song was written seven years before its inclusion on the Against the Wind album. It was originally intended for Beautiful Loser, but was left off that album as it had a different sound and didn't quite mesh with the rest of the cuts - and that is also specifically why it was chosen as the first single to come from Against the Wind. This is one of the songs Seger recorded in Alabama at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, where the studio owners, Barry Beckett (keyboards), Roger Hawkins (drums), David Hood (bass), and Jimmy Johnson (guitar), backed him up. Seger recorded some of his most memorable songs at MSSS, including his hit "Old Time Rock And Roll." Many Soul artists recorded at the studio in the '60s and '70s, but the disco era slowed this business considerably. Seger helped keep the studio in business, as he gave them a production credit on his songs that was quite profitable. David Hood explained in our interview: "Everything we recorded with Bob Seger, we get a production royalty on. And as it turns out, we recorded 'Fire Lake,' and 'Old Time Rock and Roll,' and 'Mainstreet,' just a whole bunch of things with them. And so that became a very lucrative thing. We don't even have a real contract on that, but he's always paid us for the records that we played on, we were co-producers on, as well. And that's what I think about Bob Seger. He's a very honest man. He and (manager) Punch Andrews are honest people who stick to their word. That's rare in the music business." (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)