MARCH 10, 2021

(VW)
Volkswagen is giving a first design preview of Project Trinity. This is what VW says: The electrically powered sedan is to be built in Wolfsburg from 2026 and is expected to set new standards in terms of range, charging speed and digitization—as well as being able to drive highly automated according to Level 4. The project name Trinity is derived from the Latin “trinitas” and stands for the tri-unity. Accordingly, Trinity stands for three crucial themes: a newly developed electronics platform with state-of-the-art software, the simplification of the supply structure, and fully networked and intelligent production at the main plant in Wolfsburg. Editor-In-Chief's Note: 2026? WTF? Why are you talking about it now?

(Mercedes-Benz)
We know our readers just can't wait for pricing information the new-generation Mercedes-Maybach S-Class. Mercedes PR minions say: The Mercedes-Maybach S Class "offers an elegant combination of sublime beauty, refinement and tailored craftsmanship, alongside its industry- leading innovations in terms of intelligent drive, connectivity and driving comfort." Alrighty then! How much? It will be priced from $184,900 and will arrive in U.S. dealerships in mid-2021. That is all.

(Lamborghini images)

Exactly 50 years ago at the Geneva Motor Show, one of the most famous supercars ever built was introduced: the Lamborghini Countach LP 500. At ten o’clock in the morning in the exhibition space of Carrozzeria Bertone, this prototype made its first public appearance. Its unveil was so successful that the company raced against time to satisfy the customers’ requests and transform the futuristic show car into a production car, though in a small series. The decision to unveil the Countach LP 500 in Carrozzeria Bertone’s space was motivated by the fact that Lamborghini’s stand featured the latest arrival of the House of the Raging Bull: the Miura SV, perfected after five years of production. In the months following Geneva, the Countach LP 500 was featured in all the international automotive magazines. The Countach project, with internal code number LP112 - where LP indicates the rear longitudinal position (“Longitudinale Posteriore” in Italian) - of the 12-cylinder engine, stemmed from Ferruccio Lamborghini’s desire to maintain the image of a company at the forefront of style and technology following the Miura. Engineer Paolo Stanzani, who had been with Lamborghini since 1963, and in 1968 was named General Manager and Technical Director, was directly responsible for the mechanical part of the Countach. The beautiful, clean, futuristic lines of the Countach - the original LP 500 is still by far the best (PMD) - were styled by Marcello Gandini, Design Director of Carrozzeria Bertone. Gandini was also responsible for the decision to use the scissor doors, which since that time have characterized the production of Lamborghini’s 12-cylinder models. The LP 500 was a substantially different car than the Countach that would go into production in 1974. It had a platform frame rather than a tubular one, it was equipped with a 12-cylinder 4971cc engine (one of a kind), the engine air intakes had a shark gill design, and inside it featured sophisticated electronic instrumentation. The origin of the name of this car lies in the dialect of the Piedmont region. In its final stages of assembly, the car was hidden in a shed for agricultural machinery on a farm near Grugliasco (province of Turin) to avoid possible work stoppages related to labor unrest, and was “discovered” by a farmer who exclaimed in amazement and enthusiasm, “Countach!” (a word in the Piedmontese dialect expressing wonderment). When Piedmont-born Marcello Gandini became aware of the fact, he thought that this word had a particularly strong communicative force and also convinced Nuccio Bertone, Ferruccio Lamborghini and his colleague Paolo Stanzani of this. Following the LP 500’s success in Geneva, Lamborghini’s chief test driver Bob Wallace used the car, equipped with a more reliable 4-liter engine, for every possible kind of road test. The career of this extraordinary car ended at the beginning of 1974, when it was used for the crash tests required for the homologation of the production car and subsequently scrapped. From 1974 to 1990, 1,999 Countachs in five different series were produced, representing a model that, in addition to ending up displayed on the bedroom walls of an entire generation and being used in dozens of films, allowed Lamborghini to survive the most difficult years of its history.    

(Maserati images)
Exactly 50 years have passed since March 11, 1971, when the Maserati Bora was unveiled at the Geneva International Motor Show. The Bora was produced until 1978, with 564 cars built. Maserati asked Giorgetto Giugiaro of Italdesign to come up with a mid-mounted rear engine sports car with enhanced performance, design, comfort and safety. The Bora engine was the tried and tested 4,700 cc Maserati V8, producing 310HP at 6,000 rpm. It would be joined by the 4,900 cc unit two years later. The engine was mounted lengthways on a subframe installed on the monocoque. The Bora’s distinctive features included retractable headlights, a projecting differential on the rear axle, independent suspension on all wheels, four-wheel disc brakes, dry-mounted single disc clutch, 5-speed gearbox and telescopic suspension dampers. The Bora had a top speed of over 174 mph (280 km/h). While the car’s engineering was orchestrated by Giulio Alfieri, the aerodynamics and styling were by Giorgetto Giugiaro, who created a two-seater coupé on simple, elegant lines which gave the Maserati Bora a balanced appearance. The approach was futuristic, with a low, slender, almost tapered front styled to cut through the air, while the front grille included two rectangular air vents with a Maserati Trident in the center. The sleek sides were centrally divided by a thin black rubber trim, while the rear ended in a Kamm tail. A total of 564 cars were built, with production ending in 1978. 

AE Song of the Week:

It's all the same, only the names will change
Everyday, it seems we're wastin' away
Another place where the faces are so cold
I drive all night just to get back home

I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride
I'm wanted dead or alive
Wanted dead or alive

Sometimes I sleep, sometimes it's not for days
The people I meet always go their separate ways
Sometimes you tell the day
By the bottle that you drink
And times when you're all alone all you do is think

I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride
I'm wanted (wanted) dead or alive
Wanted (wanted) dead or alive

Oh, and I ride!
(Yeah!)

Oh, and I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride
I'm wanted dead or alive

I walk these streets
A loaded six-string on my back
I play for keeps 'cause I might not make it back
I been everywhere, still, I'm standing tall
I've seen a million faces
And I've rocked them all

I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride
I'm wanted (wanted) dead or alive
I'm a cowboy, I got the night on my side
I'm wanted (wanted) dead or alive
And I ride, dead or alive
I still drive (I still drive) dead or alive
Dead or alive, dead or alive, dead or alive, dead or alive


"Wanted Dead Or Alive" by Bon Jovi, from the album "Slippery When Wet" (1986).* Watch the Official Music Video here. 

*This song uses Old West cowboy imagery to describe the lonely life of a rock star. At the time, starting with their debut album in 1984, Bon Jovi played about 300 shows a year, using the remaining time to work on albums. When it came time to write for their third album, Slippery When Wet, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora wrote this song about what they knew: performing to lots of people who all blended together after a while. This was the song that kickstarted the "Unplugged" craze. At the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora performed this with just their acoustic guitars, giving the network the idea for the "Unplugged" series. The video was directed by Wayne Isham, who did most of the band's early videos. Shot in black-and-white (they didn't have color TV in the Old West), the band is shown not just performing, but going through the process of traveling from city to city. With lots of sweaty, slow motion shots showing the band laying it out there for the fans, the video's forebear was Paul Young's "Everytime You Go Away," which had a similar look and theme. That video was directed by Nice Morris, who told us that Jon Bon Jovi asked him to submit a treatment for the "Wanted Dead Or Alive" video. "He said, 'We've got a song called 'Wanted' on our album, and that's going to be how we do the video: We're going to do it in slow motion, we're going to show how rock and roll is as exciting as it's exhausting,'" Morris said. Unfortunately, Bon Jovi's label convinced Morris that the band was looking for a more jovial video with the band larking about, and that's the treatment he submitted, which was rejected. Said Morris: "I learnt to my cost as I watched the Bon Jovi video that what they wanted was something a bit more like Jon had originally discussed. That taught me a lesson to go with your instincts and not necessarily the advice you get." The producers of Young Guns II (1990) wanted to use this in the movie, but Jon Bon Jovi didn't think it fit lyrically, since the song is not about a literal cowboy. He met with the movie executives and played some songs on acoustic guitar, one of them being "Blaze Of Glory," which was used in the film and released as his first single as a solo artist. Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora wrote this in the basement of Sambora's mother's house. They wrote it in one day - it came easily because it was about their actual experiences touring. The album was going to be titled Wanted in homage to this song, and cover was set to have a cowboy theme. Photographer Mark Weiss did a photo shoot with the band dressed in Old West garb, but it looked ridiculous - their '80s hair belied the look. "They needed a stronger image, so another photo was taken of a single lady wearing a cut-up shirt doused in water with the album title on it," Weiss told Songfacts. With the new title Slippery When Wet, Weiss did a new photo shoot at Bradley Beach in New Jersey with Angela Chidnese, a girl they found nearby, as the cover girl. That artwork was ready to go, but Bon Jovi's record company nixed it when retailers told them they might not stock it because of the cover. Weiss did a third shoot, this one of a garbage bag. "I got a call from Jon saying, 'I'm coming over to your studio, and we're going to do a new cover. Just have a black plastic bag there for me," he said. "He walks in the door, and says, 'Hang up the bag, throw some water on it.' I sprayed some water on it so you saw droplets on the bag, and he just wrote 'SLIPPERY WHEN WET.' And he walked out! He didn't even stick around for the Polaroid. I sent it in, and that was it." "Six string on my back" refers to the guitar; "steel horse" is the tour bus. This song was written during a time when Jon had just broken up with his longtime girlfriend, Dorothea Hurley. Good news - they got back together and got married. (Knowledge Courtesy of Songfacts.com) Editor-In-Chief's Note: This happens to be one of my all-time favorite rock videos. -PMD