JANUARY 19, 2022

(Cadillac images)
Cadillac has released images of its 2023 Cadillac Escalade V-Series, which will be the first SUV to don the high-performance V-Series badge. "With nearly two decades of racing-inspired prowess, the V-Series designation is reserved for vehicles that encompass the peak of Cadillac performance, bold, distinguished design, and innovative technology," according to Cadillac PR minions. More information about the 2023 Cadillac Escalade V-Series, including full vehicle specs, will be revealed in the spring of 2022. Watch a video here. 

(Porsche images)
It must be "Let's Hose Our Customers Week" for the luxury automakers. Hot on the heels of "the last V12" from BMW (see below) comes word that Porsche is unveiling the 2022 Porsche 911 Edition 50 Years Porsche Design (Just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it? -PMD). This special car "commemorates the 50th anniversary of Porsche Design, the firm founded in 1972 by Ferdinand Alexander (F. A.) Porsche, designer of the 911 and son of Ferry Porsche." Based on the 911 Targa 4 GTS, the new model is limited to 750 units globally and features special aesthetic elements inspired by the first product his new company designed: the Chronograph 1. All examples of the limited model will be finished in black as an acknowledgement of the Porsche Design Chronograph 1 – the first all-black watch. Additionally, several sections of the exterior are finished in Satin Platinum. These include 20/21-inch center-locking 911 Turbo S wheels, the Targa bar and PORSCHE DESIGN logos on the doors. Brake calipers in high gloss black and a special “50 Years Porsche Design” badge on the engine grille are included. An elevated level of standard equipment also sets this model apart from the 911 Targa 4 GTS that it is based on. That list includes 18-way Adaptive Sport Seats Plus, seat belts in Slate Grey, and the Sport Chrono Package with Porsche Design Subsecond Clock, distinguished in this case by a red second hand. It is powered by the 3.0-liter, twin-turbo flat-six engine that’s unchanged from the conventional model, with 473HP and 420 lb.-ft. of torque, standard Porsche Traction Management (PTM) all-wheel drive, a standard eight-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) transmission with the option for a seven-speed manual at no additional cost, and Sport Exhaust. Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV+) is also included as standard with the eight-speed PDK, while the seven-speed manual transmission includes a mechanically locking rear differential (PTV).
The interior has a silver, numbered badge on the dashboard trim indicating that this is a limited-production vehicle. The center console lid also bears the signature of Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, founder of Porsche Design and son of Ferry Porsche. Sport-Tex seat centers with a checked pattern in Black and Cool Grey, headrests embossed with the 50 Years Porsche Design logo and a center marker on the GT Sport steering wheel in Slate Grey are also all special to this model. 
Porsche Design couldn't let this opportunity pass without announcing two new timepieces: the Chronograph 1 – 911 50 Years of Porsche Design and the Chronograph 1 - 1972 Limited Edition. The former represents the first instance of a Chronograph 1 true to the design of the original Chronograph 1 first released by Porsche Design in 1972, and is an accompanying accessory to the new 911 Edition 50 Years Porsche Design. In place of the historic brand design, the current logo and lettering were used, and it includes a sapphire crystal case back to reveal a winding rotor that shares its design with the wheel of the special edition 911. This version of the watch is also engraved with the same number out of 750 as its corresponding vehicle. The car and watch are sold together for an MSRP of - GULP - $195,850, excluding $1,350 for delivery, processing and handling. The latter watch is limited to 500 units worldwide and is available for customer purchase individually for an MSRP of $7,700. This version of the watch remains completely unchanged from the original in terms of size and design, and features a solid titanium case back with the historic Porsche Design logo. The 911 Edition 50 Years Porsche Design is expected to begin arriving in U.S. dealers in spring of 2022. (We can wait. -WG)

(BMW)
From "The ICE Age Continues To Fade away" File: Next June (2022), BMW will produce the very last V12 engine ever to be fitted to a BMW series production road vehicle. To mark the occasion - and to make sure a select few pay dearly through the nose for the privilege - BMW will offer The Final V12, a limited series of 12 vehicles for customers in the US. Based on the BMW M760i xDrive, these will be 12 of the last V12 BMW vehicles crafted for the US market and will be distinguished by unique badging, wheels, and a choice of exterior colors and upholstery offered by BMW Individual. The Final V12 displaces 6.6 liters and features BMW M TwinPower Turbo technology. Two mono-scroll turbochargers combine with infinitely variable valve control (Double VANOS and Valvetronic) and high-precision direct injection to produce 601BHP between 5,500-6,500 rpm. This engine, together with an 8-speed Sport Automatic transmission, moves The Final V12 from 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds. Externally, The Final V12 will be identifiable from other 7 Series models by a simple “V12” icon at the rear. Special 20-inch Style 760M double-spoke light alloy wheels are uniquely painted the customer’s choice of either Window Grey or Jet Black, then burnished to reveal a dark silver surface highlight. The wheels surround M Sport brakes with a choice of blue or black calipers. Moving inside, threshold plates at each door sill are inscribed with “THE FINAL V12,” as is a plate on the cover atop the 12-cylinder engine. BMW Individual Piano Black Finish trim surrounds the interior and features a console-mounted plaque commemorating the vehicle as “1 OF 12.” The Final V12 will be offered only in a fully-equipped configuration. To make their vehicle a uniquely personal statement, customers may select from more than 80 exterior colors and several tones of opulent Full Merino leather from BMW Individual. Soon after the customer has taken delivery, they will receive a custom-built desk trophy to commemorate their specific vehicle - and their standing as one of the Biggest Tools in the Shed - recognizing the special order paint, leather and vehicle identification number as one of The Final V12 vehicles. With The Final V12, "BMW has a unique opportunity to recognize and appreciate a group of enthusiasts who over the years have shown their enduring passion for the ultimate luxury sports sedan." What does that mean? In the coming days, clients with a long history of V12 7 Series ownership will be approached through their preferred BMW centers with an invitation to purchase the vehicle. Production will commence in June 2022, with deliveries expected in July. How much? We have no idea, but we can only imagine it's quite reasonable. Not.

(Bugatti images)
Renowned automobile designer and son of Ettore Bugatti, Jean Bugatti, was born on January 15, 1909, in Cologne, Germany. His full name was Gianoberto Carlo Rembrandt Ettore Bugatti, in honor of his father Ettore’s Italian roots, from which he later derived his French moniker, Jean. Ettore, at the time of Jean’s birth, was employed as head of the production department of the gas engine company Deutz AG in Cologne. Jean’s passion for engineering led to the creation of some of the most extraordinary vehicles in history. Jean’s passion for cars emerged during his childhood. When Ettore first opened his manufacturing plant in Molsheim in January 1910, Jean spent most of his time in the workshop and production facilities of the young and creative company. As a teenager, his talent flourished from the craftsmanship and skill he learned in Molsheim. From the late-1920s onwards, the combined expertise of Jean and Ettore Bugatti established the company as one of the most famous names in the automotive industry. Then, in 1936, at the young age of 27, Jean was handed the keys to his father’s company, ready to lead Bugatti into a prosperous future. In addition to cutting-edge automotive technologies, Jean's passion was the design of vehicles. With an extraordinary eye for form and aesthetics, he created timeless automotive shapes that would influence the industry for decades to come. At the age of just 21, he designed the first vehicles for Bugatti. In 1926, Ettore Bugatti presented the Type 41 Royale, the most powerful, largest and most luxurious automobile in the world, characterized by incomparable power and an opulent interior. Two years later, Jean Bugatti designed the six-meter-long Type 41 Royal Roadster Esders. The two-seater convertible for textile manufacturer Armand Esders still impresses today with its unique elegance. Since Armand Esders wanted to drive his vehicle exclusively during the day, both headlights were dispensed on the Roadster - a clear contribution to greater elegance. Versions of the Type 46, Type 55 and Aerolithe vehicles also came from Jean Bugatti's masterful pen strokes. Jean Bugatti's most famous creation was the Type 57 SC Atlantic in 1936: a coupe with flowing forms and a unique riveted fin, sitting almost flush to the road beneath it. The innovative machine embodied the manifesto of Bugatti's three pillars - speed, luxury and elegance - with a particular focus on aesthetics. Today, the model is considered to be one of the world's most exclusive and valuable cars. Only four Atlantics were ever built, and only two are preserved in their original condition to this day. The second of the four Atlantics built was for Jean himself, which famously went down in automotive history as "La Voiture Noire." This mythical automobile has been untraced since 1938, presumed lost during the Second World War. Its disappearance remains one of the great mysteries of the automotive world. Jean Bugatti died on August 11, 1939, at the age of 30, in a car accident in Duppigheim, not far from the Bugatti factory. During a test drive, he had to swerve to avoid a collision with a cyclist and was fatally injured in the accident. A small monument was erected in his honor at the site of the accident. Nearby, in the Château St. Jean and on the Bugatti grounds in Molsheim, the legacy of Jean and his father Ettore lives on to this day.

(Mecum Auctions)
1,750 collectible motorcycles will cross the auction block at the 2022 Mecum Las Vegas Vintage and Antique Motorcycle Auction, Jan. 25-29 at South Point Hotel & Casino. This year’s auction will be headlined by the Harley-Davidson Heritage Collection of 95 vintage Harley-Davidson motorcycles, all of which will be offered with no reserve. The collection includes beautifully restored models from every year of the Milwaukee motorcycle company’s history from 1910 to 1969. Most of the motorcycles in the collection were restored to an extremely high standard by the same hand-selected individual, resulting in remarkably consistent quality and universal appeal across the board. Approximately 20 other high-quality private collections will be offered at Las Vegas 2022 as well, with highlights a professionally restored and award-winning 1938 Brough Superior SS100 (above).





The AE Song of the Week:

Well I've been out walking
I don't do that much talking these days
These days
These days I seem to think a lot
About the things that I forgot to do
For you
And all the times I had the chance to

And I had a lover
It's so hard to risk another these days
These days
Now if I seem to be afraid
To live the life I have made in song
Well it's just that I've been losing so long

Well, I'll keep on moving, moving on
Things are bound to be improving these days
One of these days
These days I sit on corner stones
And count the time in quarter tones to ten, my friend
Don't confront me with my failures

I had not forgotten them 

"These Days" by Jackson Browne from the album "For Everyman" (1973)*. Watch a fabulous live recording with enhanced lyrics from just last December here. 

*This sad, hurting song was originally written by Jackson Browne when he was just 16 years old in either 1964 or 1965. It appeared on a Browne demo in early 1967 under the title "I've Been Out Walking." Later in the same year it gained its first release when Andy Warhol's protégé Nico recorded it on her Chelsea Girl album, with Browne playing acoustic guitar. Other artists covered it over the following few years, including the Nitty Gritty Junk Band on their Rare Junk album and Tom Rush on his 1970 self-titled set. Browne himself recorded the song on his 1973 For Everyman LP, with an arrangement written by Gregg Allman (who also covered it around the same time on his Laid Back debut solo set). Browne's version differed from Nico's both in style and lyrics. In the latter case several lines were changed or omitted, such as a couple of lyrics about "rambling" and "gambling." This song has continued to be covered by a number of acts including Fountains of Wayne who used it as the B-side of their 1999 single "Troubled Times." Nico's version featured in the 2001 film The Royal Tenebaums. Browne later recalled on KGSR Radio Austin that he'd forgotten that he'd licensed them to use this song. He explained: "This is one of those things that comes to you in the mail and you don't know what they're talking about and you simply give them their permission. You're sitting in the movie theater and there's this great moment when Gwyneth Paltrow is coming out of a bus or something like that. I'm thinking to myself, I used to play the guitar just like that. And then the voice comes on and it's Nico singing 'These Days,' which I played on." (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)