APRIL 28, 2021

(Audi)
Audi of America has announced updates for its Audi Sport lineup for the 2022 model year, including the addition of a number of requested features customers are eager for, and can anticipate seeing in the U.S. starting late this summer. The 2022 model changes introduce new “RS design” packages for the RS 5 Coupe and Sportback (444HP), RS 6 Avant and RS 7 (591HP), and RS Q8 (591HP). Additionally, Dynamic Ride Control (DRC) will now be available for the RS 6 Avant and RS 7 models. Following the 2021 introduction of the rear-wheel drive R8 as a series production model, the brand’s halo sports car returns for 2022 with a new R8 rear-wheel drive performance model (above), replacing last year’s entry into the R8 family. The 2022 R8 performance RWD receives a power increase from 532HP to 562HP, and a torque increase from 398 lb-ft. to 406 lb-ft. Two new packages are now available for the RWD models – Sport exhaust package and Dynamic package. The Sport exhaust package includes a four button steering wheel with Performance modes and a sport exhaust system with black exhaust tips. The Dynamic package includes ceramic front and rear brakes, 20-inch 5-double-spoke-dynamic design, milled-cut, titanium finish wheels, and Racing shell seats in Fine Nappa leather. 

(Mercedes-Benz)
Mercedes-Benz has announced yet another uninspired-looking SUV with big power. The new 2022 Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S SUV is powered by a AMG 4.0L eight-cylinder biturbo engine, delivering 503HP and 516 lb-ft of torque. This engine features the positioning of the two turbochargers not on the outside of the cylinder banks, but inside the cylinder "V". The main advantages of this design are the compact engine construction and optimal response, according to the manufacturer. One highly skilled technician assembles each GLC 63 S engine in Affalterbach according to the "one man - one engine" principle. The distinctive sound of the GLC 63 S comes courtesy of the AMG Performance Exhaust system with adjustable flap technology. These are map controlled to automatically operate depending on the AMG DYNAMIC SELECT drive program, the power dictated by the driver, and the engine speed. Apropos of absolutely nothing, when launched in Europe in 2018, the GLC 63 S SUV recorded an officially measured and notarized lap time of 7.49.369 on the North Loop of the Nürburgring. Standard feature highlights for the 2022 AMG GLC 63 S include: AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 9-Speed transmission, AMG DYNAMIC SELECT drive modes, AMG RIDE CONTROL+ air suspension with adaptive damping adjustment, electronically controlled differential lock, dynamic engine mounts, AMG Performance Exhaust System with adjustable flap technology, AMG steering wheel with Touch Control buttons and steering wheel buttons, AMG DRIVE UNIT controls, AMG DYNAMICS with agility modes, 20” AMG design wheels, LED High Performance headlamps and tail lamps, Multimedia Package with Augmented Video for Navigation, 12.3" Digital Instrument Cluster as well as the MBUX infotainment system with AMG-specific functions and displays, touchscreen display and voice control. U.S. deliveries of the 2022 Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S SUV begin in the fourth quarter of 2021.

(GM)
General Motors introduced Ultium Charge 360 on Wednesday, "a holistic charging approach that integrates charging networks, GM vehicle mobile apps, and other products and services" to simplify the overall charging experience for GM electric vehicle owners. “GM agrees with the customer need for a robust charging experience that makes the transition to an EV seamless and helps drive mass adoption,” said Travis Hester, GM’s chief EV officer. “As we launch 30 EVs globally by the end of 2025, Ultium Charge 360 simplifies and improves the at-home charging experience and the public charging experience – whether it’s community-based or road-trip charging.” Ultium Charge 360 offers: Access to Charging; GM will continue to work with a variety of third parties, including charge point operators, electric utilities and government agencies to make home, workplace, public and fleet charging ubiquitous for customers. Mobile Apps; GM will continue to update the GM vehicle mobile apps to provide an even more intuitive mobile experience that makes navigating to a charging station, plugging into a charger and paying for charging simple. Products and Services; To help ensure the transition to an EV is seamless, GM is working to offer EV owners charging accessories and installation services tailored to their lifestyle. For example, GM will cover standard installation of Level 2 charging capability for eligible customers who purchase or lease a 2022 Bolt EUV or Bolt EV in collaboration with Qmerit. In addition to introducing Ultium Charge 360, GM also announced that it has signed agreements with seven major charging providers: Blink Charging, ChargePoint, EV Connect, EVgo, FLO, Greenlots and SemaConnect. Through their GM vehicle mobile apps, EV customers will soon be able to easily see real-time information from nearly 60,000 charging plugs throughout the U.S. and Canada, find stations along a route and initiate and pay for charging. The first GM and EVgo sites are now live in Washington, California and Florida, nine months after a commitment to add more than 2,700 fast chargers in cities and suburbs by the end of 2025 was first announced. Each site is capable of delivering up to 350 kilowatts and averages four chargers per site. GM and EVgo are on track to have approximately 500 fast charging stalls live by the end of 2021. 

(Honda images)
Honda has revealed what it is calling "the most fun-to-drive and technologically advanced Civic Sedan in the model’s nearly 50-year history," according to Honda's PR minions. Never content to leave the Civic in limbo, Honda has improved the all-new 2022 Honda Civic with a cleaner, more modern design, a more high-tech, human-centered interior, and equipped it with advanced active and passive safety systems. The 11th-generation Civic "continues the tradition of innovation, design leadership and class-leading driving dynamics," according to the manufacturer. Key to the new Civic’s exterior look was moving the bottom of the windshield pillars rearward by nearly 2 inches (1.96 inches), which elongates its hood for a more premium silhouette. A low beltline with horizontal windowsills and door-mounted side mirrors improve visibility while maintaining the clean lines of the exterior. A sharp shoulder character line carves a gentle arc from the front fender to the taillights, giving continuity to the design. The lower character line carries up from the bottom of the front door, rising across the rear doors, and through the rear fenders for an enhanced sense of motion. The additional stability provided by its new wider rear track is emphasized by stronger rear shoulders, wide-set LED taillights, and the upswept and aerodynamically efficient trailing edge of its trunk lid. LED lighting is used extensively for the exterior, including the wide-set headlights, daytime running lights, parking lights, and available fog lights. What else is new? The first all-digital LCD instrument display for Civic (on the Touring model); Standard new 7-inch color touchscreen with Apple CarPlay® & Android Auto™ integration; Available new HD 9-inch color touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay® & Android Auto™ integration; A striking metal honeycomb mesh accent stretches from door to door across the instrument panel which serves both form and function, creating a dramatic visual dividing line between the audio, information displays and the climate controls, while the intricate flow-through design conceals the air vents that would otherwise mar the uncluttered and harmonious look of the I.P.; A Bose premium sound system with 12 speakers, a first for Civic (on Touring); Qi-compatible wireless charging (on Touring); Enhanced architecture and stronger "thin and light" body (although it weighs 100 lbs. more); More powerful and fuel-efficient 1.5-liter turbo engine; Updated suspension and steering tuning for improved handling and ride; Groundbreaking new front airbags designed to reduce traumatic brain and neck injuries; Civic-first rear seat side airbags and an updated Honda Sensing® system with new front wide-view camera, plus new Traffic Jam Assist and Low Speed Braking Control (on Touring). Americans have purchased more than 12 million Civics since 1973, making it one of the top three best-selling passenger cars in America over the past 48 years. 

(Cadillac images)
The production debut of the 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ "illuminates the brand’s future and resets the fundamental notions of luxury motoring," according to Cadillac PR minions, and "is the culmination of a century of innovation and the beginning of a great new era." Since testing of Cadillac’s inaugural luxury SUV is running ahead of schedule, the brand announced that customers may place order reservations beginning in September 2021, with initial availability starting the first half of 2022. “Throughout the next decade, Cadillac will define the future of luxury transportation through a series of exciting new electric vehicles, and it all begins with LYRIQ,” said Rory Harvey, vice president, Global Cadillac. “The 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ’s stunning design and artfully integrated technology combined with GM’s Ultium Platform will deliver a high-performance luxury experience unlike anything that has come before it, setting a new standard for Cadillac.”
At launch, LYRIQ will have a 12-module, 100 kilowatt-hour battery pack and a rear-wheel-drive Ultium Platform delivering a Cadillac-estimated 340HP and 440 Nm of torque; with a Cadillac-estimated over 300 miles of range with a full charge. LYRIQ also offers high-speed DC fast charging for public stations at 190 kW, enabling customers to add an estimated 76 miles of range in about 10 minutes of charging time. For home charging, LYRIQ offers a segment-leading 19.2 kW charging module, which can add up to 52 miles of range per hour of charge. LYRIQ will also feature next-generation variable Regen on Demand technology, along with the convenience of One-Pedal Driving. With Cadillac’s new variable Regen on Demand, drivers can control how quickly LYRIQ slows down or comes to a complete stop using a pressure-sensitive paddle located on the steering wheel. Both technologies make use of regenerative braking to help maximize electric driving efficiency.
The interior is clean and simple with a focus on secondary and tertiary design elements, including intricate laser etched patterns through wood over metal decor, which has never been done before. The large, curved LED screen is the centerpiece. Additional 2023 LYRIQ highlights include: Available Super Cruise, the industry’s first true hands-free driver-assistance technology for compatible roads; A 33-inch-diagonal advanced LED display with the ability to emit over 1 billion colors; Cadillac’s next-generation Active Noise Cancellation system; Slim-line LED headlamps with choreographed lighting sequence; AKG Studio 19-speaker audio system with headrest speakers; KeyPass digital vehicle access; Dual level charge cord and standard 20-inch split six-spoke alloy wheels or optional 22-inch dynamic split-spoke Reverse Rim alloy wheels.
Perhaps the most striking aspect of the LYRIQ is its distinctive black crystal grille. “We wanted to give the vehicle a face, making sure it looks distinctly Cadillac,” said Smith. The signature vertical lighting is emphasized through lighting choreography. The exterior lighting is a major technological breakthrough, allowing Cadillac to deliver on the promise of truly vertical lamps, an industry first. Customers will be able to select from Satin Steel Metallic or Stellar Black Metallic exterior colors, and Sky Cool Gray or Noir for the interior. “LYRIQ represents a clean-sheet design that sets the standard for the future of Cadillac,” said Andrew Smith, executive director of Cadillac Design. “The objective I gave my team was to design the LYRIQ with the level of detail that they would a show car. The customer should feel like they’re driving in the future.”
The detailed exterior lighting on the new LYRIQ is one of its most impressive features.
The 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ is expected to go into production in the first quarter of 2022, with pricing starting at $59,990. It will be produced at GM’s Spring Hill, Tennessee, assembly facility, which is receiving a $2 billion investment to facilitate electric vehicle production. GM is investing an additional $2.3 billion in an all-new battery cell manufacturing plant at Spring Hill, by Ultium Cells LLC, the joint venture between GM and LG Energy Solution. New advertising featuring the 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ debuts April 25, during the Oscars broadcast.

AE Song of the Week:

You woman have heard of jalopies
You heard the noise they make
Let me introduce you to my Rocket '88
Yes, it's great, just won't wait
Everybody likes my Rocket '88
Baby, we'll ride in style movin' all along

V-8 motor and this modern design
Black convertible top and the girls don't mind
Sportin' with me, ridin' all around town for joy
Blow your horn, rocket, blow your horn

Step in my rocket and don't be late
We're pullin' out about a half past eight
Goin' on the corner and havin' some fun
Takin' my rocket on a long, hot run
Ooh, goin' out, oozin' and cruisin' and havin' fun

Now that you've ridden in my Rocket '88
I'll be around every night about eight
You know it's great, don't be late
Everybody likes my Rocket '88
Girls will ride in style, movin' all along

"Rocket 88" by Ike Turner, from the album "Chicago Blues, Volume 2" (1951)*. Written by Jackie Brenston; Publisher: Warner Chappell Music, Inc., Royalty Network; Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind. Listen here. 

*The song is about the Oldsmobile "Rocket 88" which came out in 1949 and was the fastest car on the road at the time. A small car with a big, overhead valve V8 engine, it was one of the first muscle cars and dominated NASCAR races in the '50s. The car was advertised as having a V-8 "Rocket" engine, with the slogan, "Make a Date with a Rocket 88." This song was produced by Sam Phillips, who formed Sun Records in 1952. Phillips later became famous for recording Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis. Jackie Brenston, who was a member of Ike Turner's Rhythm Kings, sang lead. The single was credited to "Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats" because Phillips wanted to release a different record credited to Turner. This was a #1 R&B hit. There were no rock charts at the time. In 1991, after a great deal of debate, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame recognized this as the first rock and roll song ever recorded. Turner was in jail at the time for cocaine possession, so his daughter accepted the award. (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)