(GMC HUMMER)
The GMC HUMMER EV Pickup is going through a rigorous off-road testing program prior to its production debut this fall. Traversing legendary trails across Moab, the team’s testing and calibration included Adaptive Air Suspension hardware, Extract Mode, Terrain Mode, One-Pedal Driving control, e4WD and torque distribution, eLockers, stability control, rear steering, CrabWalk and more. Available Terrain Mode - part of the GMC HUMMER EV’s Drive Mode Control - will offer two braking calibrations, with a mild braking option for two-foot driving and a purpose-designed One-Pedal Driving control in low-speed off-road driving. As pioneered by General Motors for other electric vehicles, One-Pedal Driving enables the driver to accelerate and decelerate using only the accelerator pedal. With Terrain Mode, that same One-Pedal Driving control is adapted with unique calibrations for speed-limited off-road driving, helping the driver to negotiate steep grades, rock crawling and other challenging terrain without having to toggle between the accelerator and brake pedal. “One-Pedal Driving offers a great feeling of control by optimizing the regenerative braking, friction braking and drive motor torque all through the accelerator pedal,” said Aaron Pfau, GMC HUMMER EV lead development engineer. “Drivers will quickly realize the benefits once they try it off-road.” The upcoming available Extract Mode feature enables the Adaptive Air Suspension height to be raised approximately six inches in order to help the GMC HUMMER EV negotiate extreme off-road situations, such as clearing large boulders and fording deeper water. “The GMC HUMMER EV was a blank slate that was filled out by a dedicated team of engineers who are hardcore off-road enthusiasts,” said Pfau. “Features like One-Pedal Driving, Terrain Mode and Extract Mode result in an absolute off-road beast that will take you to new places.”
(Automobili Lamborghini images)
Automobili Lamborghini has opened a newly-minted private space and NYC flagship in the Chelsea neighborhood on Manhattan’s west side. The Lamborghini Lounge New York City is a 5,400-square-foot Lounge providing "an immersion into the brand’s ethos and DNA within an exclusive, invite-only venue reminiscent of Lamborghini’s facilities in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy," according to Lamborghini PR minions. Projected as a "state-of-the-art brand destination," the Lamborghini Lounge NYC offers guests exclusive access to never-before-seen vehicles, Italian culinary experiences and bespoke exhibitions. The space can also be utilized for private meetings and events. “We are opening the doors to a private space our customers and friends can call their own with exclusive access,” said Stephan Winkelmann, President and Chief Executive Officer of Automobili Lamborghini. "Following the success of our Lamborghini Lounge venues across the globe, this new flagship in Manhattan will create a vibrant and personal connection to share the Lamborghini lifestyle; a true reflection of our fine Italian heritage. I look forward to visiting our Lamborghini customers and friends in New York soon.” The two-story gallery-style venue offers a variety of private spaces for guests to enjoy with an exclusive concierge at their service. An Ad Personam design studio provides customers with the opportunity to configure their own Lamborghini vehicle with infinite color palettes and material selections. Meeting spaces and the full-service kitchen with exclusive design and finishes by Italian luxury kitchen manufacturer La Dolce Vita, are also available to host private gatherings with a dedicated Italian chef at their disposal. “This unique space will serve as Lamborghini’s outpost in one of the world’s greatest cities,” said Federico Foschini, Chief Marketing and Sales Officer of Automobili Lamborghini. “The Ad Personam studio provides an extension and personal touchpoint, which could previously only be found at our home in Sant’Agata, and we look forward to offering this and access to never-before-seen limited-edition models to VIP visitors of the Lounge NYC.”
(Volkswagen)
Editor-in-Chief's Note: The Golf GTI has been my personal favorite all-around car since I had a first-generation GTI (I have had a more recent one, since). VW has released this summary of the eight generations of Golf GTIs for enthusiasts who are interested. -PMD
Golf GTI Mk 1
The original GTI hit the scene in Europe in 1976, sporting a front grille with a red border and a simple design. The inside of the black radiator grille on the original GTI featured eleven thin horizontal lines. The headlights, protruding from under the hood of the lightweight compact car, formed the external end points. The early GTI can be identified by the narrow bumper that was replaced by broader, plastic-covered bumpers in 1978. The first GTI emblem is chrome and intentionally presents a stark contrast with the black Volkswagen logo.
Golf GTI Mk 2
The design of the second-generation Golf GTI was larger, wider, and more comfortable. Initially sporting twin headlights, like its predecessor, the 16-valve version of the second-generation GTI came with integrated foglights from 1988 — each located next to the headlights. The grille is still outlined in red, while the bumper itself also features a red GTI line. Under this, for the first time, comes an additional air intake. On the whole, the design continues the conceptual course of the first generation. The Volkswagen logo remains black.
Golf GTI Mk 3
The third GTI was somewhat softer and has even more of a wedge shape. The double headlamps of the second-generation GTI disappear under a combined diffuser lens. They give the radiator grille, which now consists of just three thick horizontal bars, a narrower appearance. The front spoiler is finished in the same color as the car, and is lowered and wider. This lower area also features a split air intake, which becomes a typical feature of generations 4 through 6. Another new feature is the striking red line below the halogen lighting unit, while the GTI emblem, now in red, is moved closer towards the chrome Volkswagen logo, which is now in chrome.
Golf GTI Mk 4
The 1998 Golf GTI is the first and only GTI not to sport the red stripe on the radiator grille. And yet the model is celebrated to this day as the starting point for a new, clean era of vehicle design. The lighting units (including the turn signals and foglights) were installed in a compact module. The front and rear aprons, side sills and roof-edge spoilers were painted the same color as the car itself, while many elements were once again broader than those of its predecessor. The GTI logo shifted from the right to the left for the first time.
Golf GTI Mk 5
The design of the fifth-generation GTI featured red trim around the radiator grille. One new style element was the honeycomb design of the grille. The round twin headlights were back, grouped in a unit behind dark glass. Just like its ancestor, the foglights are located low down in the front apron.
Golf GTI Mk 6
The sixth-generation of the Golf GTI featured two fine red trim lines that ran across the grille and linked the bi-xenon headlamps. The front air dam was now adorned with striking air intakes with three sharp fins on each side. The vertical foglights were also located low. The spoiler takes up the central alignment of its predecessor, but broadens it. A splitter is also installed for the first time.
Golf GTI Mk 7
The continuous red GTI trim on the seventh generation runs into the slim, full-LED headlights. The hood arched right down to the grille, while sharp lines ran from the headlights up to the A pillar. One interesting element is the daytime running lights with their “Wings” design, which also featured the red GTI trim. The front spoiler, with its typical GTI honeycomb pattern, combined with wider front bumpers extended further outwards and broader side sills.
Golf GTI Mk 8
The deep-set headlights are enough to set the eighth-generation GTI apart and reinforces the current design movement to "light is the new chrome". The familiar red GTI trim can be found immediately below the hood. While its predecessor’s bumper was divided by fins, the honeycomb design is now completely open. Located to the left and right are the new GTI wings, which integrate the optional LED fog lights in an X shape to create a different visual impression.
AE Song of the Week:
Well I don't know why I came here tonight,
I got the feeling that something ain't right,
I'm so scared in case I fall off my chair,
And I'm wondering how I'll get down the stairs,
Clowns to the left of me,
Jokers to the right, here I am,
Stuck in the middle with you
Yes I'm stuck in the middle with you,
And I'm wondering what it is I should do,
It's so hard to keep this smile from my face,
Losing control, yeah, I'm all over the place,
Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right,
Here I am, stuck in the middle with you
Well you started out with nothing,
And you're proud that you're a self made man,
And your friends, they all come crawlin,
Slap you on the back and say,
Please, please
Trying to make some sense of it all,
But I can see that it makes no sense at all,
Is it cool to go to sleep on the floor,
'Cause I don't think that I can take anymore
Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right,
Here I am, stuck in the middle with you
Well you started out with nothing,
And you're proud that you're a self made man,
And your friends, they all come crawlin,
Slap you on the back and say,
Please, please
Well I don't know why I came here tonight,
I got the feeling that something ain't right,
I'm so scared in case I fall off my chair,
And I'm wondering how I'll get down the stairs,
Clowns to the left of me,
Jokers to the right, here I am,
Stuck in the middle with you,
Yes I'm stuck in the middle with you,
Stuck in the middle with you, here I am stuck in the middle with you
"Stuck In The Middle With You" by Stealers Wheel, from the album "Stealers Wheel" (1972).* Written by Gerald Rafferty and Joe Egan; Publisher: BMG Rights Management; Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind. Listen here.
*This Stealers Wheel classic was co-written by the group's guitarist Gerry Rafferty and keyboard player Joe Egan. In his obituary of Rafferty for the January 5, 2011 issue of the Daily Telegraph, Martin Chilton said of this song that it was "Written as a parody of Bob Dylan's paranoia, it ridiculed a music industry cocktail party, with the lyrics:
Clowns to the left of me
jokers to the right
here I am, stuck in the middle with you
To Rafferty's utter disbelief his parody, composed as little more than a joke but with a catchy pop arrangement, struck gold, selling more than a million copies. The song reached a new generation of listeners when Quentin Tarantino used it in his 1992 movie Reservoir Dogs. This was the group's first album. After two more albums, Rafferty went on to a solo career and had a hit with "Baker Street." He was replaced by Luther Grosvenor from the band Spooky Tooth. This was produced by the team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. They wrote many hit songs, including "Hound Dog" and "On Broadway." (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)