JUNE 8, 2022

The AE Quote of the Week: Everybody loves The High-Octane Truth, until they don't. -WG

(Cadillac images)
Cadillac is starting to tease glimpses of its CELESTIQ show car, which "represents the purest expression of Cadillac design, technology and performance," according to Cadillac PR minions. The CELESTIQ show car will be "challenging the ultra-luxury space with the spirit of futurism and the avant-garde," according to Cadillac. “From its unique proportions and a new effortless, sophisticated form language, to the precision and attention to detail, CELESTIQ is unlike anything on the road today,” said Magalie Debellis, manager, Cadillac Branded Advanced Design. “From its inception, the CELESTIQ show car was crafted to reincarnate the ‘Standard of the World.’” Follow General Motors Design on Instagram for more early looks at the CELESTIQ show car throughout the summer.

(Honda images)
In the current environment of $6.00+/gallon gas prices, a new ICE vehicle available in the market may not seem like a big deal, but the all-new 2023 Honda HR-V merits attention, because until more mainstream EVs arrive it is vehicles like this that will resonate with a lot of buyers. According to Honda PR minions, the all-new 2023 HR-V "appeals to young, active buyers with a stylish, sporty exterior and roomy, feature-rich interior." What do you get? The second-generation HR-V is longer and its wheelbase has been lengthened. The front and rear tracks are also significantly wider, creating "an athletic stance and improving stability," according to Honda. Other stuff? A larger, more responsive 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine with 158HP @ 6,500 rpm and 138 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4,200 rpm, an all-new platform with independent rear suspension, and a clean, high-tech interior with standard digital instrumentation display and Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ compatibility are all part of the new HR-V's package. Safety features include standard Honda Sensing®, next-gen front airbags, as well as standard side-impact and front occupant knee airbags. The new HR-V will begin arriving at dealerships in early June.

(Buick images)
Buick unveiled the Wildcat EV concept on Wednesday (June 1). The 2+2 Coupe is "an expressive vision of the brand’s new design direction as it transitions to an all-electric future," according to Buick PR minions. The Wildcat was developed to convey the all-new design language that will influence Buick production models for the foreseeable future. Buick’s new tri-shield logo, mounted prominently on the body front and rear, symbolizes the design transformation and new production models will wear it starting next year. “The Wildcat EV concept represents the real design future for the brand,” said Sharon Gauci, executive director, Global Buick and GMC Design. “Buick has always been forward looking and this expression is a glimpse of where we’re going, and the optimism we have for the limitless possibilities of an electric future.” The Wildcat EV concept also introduces a new, expressive face for Buick, "distinguished by a bold, forward-leaning front-end appearance that features a low-mounted, trapezoidal grille. Sharp, high-mounted and horizontal check mark-shaped lighting flanks the vehicle, while the outer edges of the grille house primary lighting," Buick's PR minions continued. “From every angle, the vehicle looks like it’s ready to pounce,” said Bob Boniface, director, Global Buick Design. “It’s the result of careful attention to the proportions and sculptural beauty derived from the intersection of forms, not lines.” Additional exterior design highlights include:

• Distinctive semi-swing doors for easy entry and exit.
• Unique aluminum trim that appears to flow seamlessly into the interior seat structures.
• Micro-LED lighting technology and thin-beam projector lenses for the front lighting.
• Blade-style taillights embedded in the roof’s sail panels, culminating in check mark-style horizontal lamps that echo the front lighting signature.
• An external “state of charge” indicator visible in the exterior hatchback glass.
• Jet Age-inspired 18-spoke “turbine” wheels.

“The more you look at the Wildcat EV concept, the more the details reveal themselves,” said Boniface. “Its timeless proportions acknowledge the brand’s rich design legacy, while our latest technology moves you forward.” The Wildcat EV concept is built to be a platform for futuristic features such as artificial intelligence, biometrics and aromatherapy. The vehicle is designed to detect an elevation in driver heart rate and automatically adjust vehicle settings to calm them down. For example, when Zen Mode is activated, it will dim the cabin lights, disperse calming aromatherapy scents and activate massaging seats. “We are on the cusp of true change, and this concept is a tangible vision of it,” said Gauci. “It inaugurates the next chapter in Buick’s design heritage, as we make the crucial transition to our all-electric future.” Watch the presentation video here. Editor-in-Chief's Note: The Wildcat name was always reserved for the most innovative and progressive concepts created by GM Styling for Buick. The first Wildcat was introduced in 1953 as a concept for a future Buick design direction. The Wildcat II and III concepts followed in 1954 and 1955. Another Wildcat made a brief appearance in 1985 as a mid-engine AWD supercar to showcase advanced technologies. To me, the three greatest names in Buick's historical portfolio are Riviera, Wildcat and Electra. Buick also announced on Wednesday (June 1) that Electra would be the signature name in Buick's future EV portfolio. In addition, Buick will not launch any ICE vehicles after 2024, and its entire portfolio of Electra EVs will be in place by 2030. This is a superb effort from GM Design, one that will take its place as one of its best designs of the last decade. -PMD

The AE Song of the Week

Well the times are gettin' hard for you little girl
I'm a hummin' and a strummin' all over God's world
You can't remember when you got your last meal
And you don't know just how a woman feels

You didn't know what rock and roll was
Until you met my drummer on a Grey tour bus
I got there in the nick of time
Before he got his hands across your state line, yeah

Now it's the middle of the night on the open road
The heater don't work and it's oh so cold
You're lookin' tired, you're lookin' kinda beat
The rhythm of the street sure knocks you off your feet

You didn't know how rock and roll looked
Until you caught your sister with the guys from the group
Halfway home in the parking lot
By the look in her eye she was givin' what she got

I said my, my, my, I'm once bitten twice, shy babe
My, my, my, I'm once bitten twice shy baby
My, my, my, I'm once bitten twice shy baby

Oh, woman you're a mess, gonna die in your sleep
There's blood on my amp and my Les Paul's beat
Can't keep you home, you're messin' around
My best friend told me you're the best lick in town

You didn't know that rock and roll burned
So you bought a candle and you lived and you learned
You got the rhythm, you got the speed
Mama's little baby likes it short and sweet

I said my, my, my, I'm once bitten twice, shy babe
My, my, my, I'm once bitten twice shy baby
My, my, my, I'm once bitten twice shy baby

Alright!

I didn't know you had a rock and roll record
Until I saw your picture on another guy's jacket
You told me I was the only one
But look at you now, it's as dark as it's gone

I said my, my, my, I'm once bitten twice, shy babe
My, my, my, I'm once bitten twice shy baby
My, my, my, I'm once bitten twice shy baby
I said my, my, my, I'm once bitten twice, shy babe
My, my, my, I'm once bitten twice shy baby

"Once Bitten, Twice Shy" by Great White from the album "Twice Shy" (1989)*. Watch the Official Music Video here. 

*The Los Angeles-based Great White had their biggest hit with "Once Bitten, Twice Shy," a cover of a 1975 song by Ian Hunter. The band had a shark motif going, and named their 1987 album Once Bitten. For the follow-up in 1989, they named the album ...Twice Shy, completing the expression, which means avoiding what hurt you in the past. Covering Hunter's song pulled it all together and worked out very well; the original wasn't a hit in America, so most listeners assumed it was written by Great White. The song is about life on the road as a rock and roll band, and the ladies they encounter along the way. "We loved it because it was about being on the road, which was our whole thing," Great White guitarist Mark Kendall told Songfacts. "We never went home. We were just literally on the road all time, so it fit in that sense." Great White wasn't familiar with this song; it was Izzy Stradlin of Guns N' Roses who had the idea for them to cover it. Both bands were managed by Alan Niven, who also co-produced the ...Twice Shy album. Stradlin suggested it to Niven, who brought it to Great White. Great White, though, didn't think this song was going to be a hit. "It wasn't a case where we were trying to hunt down some kind of a bitchin' cover song to do," Mark Kendall told Songfacts. "It was never the intention to make that the single, it just turned out so darn good that the record company goes, 'There it is. That's it. That's the one!'" Great White changed a few lyrics from the original, making the "Greyhound bus" a "grey tour bus." Hunter sings the chorus as "I, I, I..." but Great White lead singer Jack Russell made it "My, my, my..." The music video, directed by Nigel Dick, was huge on MTV. It shows that band performing the song in a warehouse with a bunch of lady friends, then heading out on their tour bus. One of the video vixens is Bobbie Brown, star of Warrant's "Cherry Pie" video. Great White's demise was like so many: gradual at first, then all at once. They released their debut album in 1984, and ...Twice Shy was their fourth. By this time, they had gradually built a following, with each album since their 1984 debut doing substantially better than the last. Once Bitten sold a million copies thanks to tracks like "Save Your Love" and "Rock Me"; ...Twice Shy sold 2 million, largely because of this song. But when grunge moved in, it displaced hair metal acts like Great White, and the band struggled. By 2003 they were playing small venues to a few hundred people each night. One of these shows was at The Station Nightclub in Rhode Island, which turned into one of the most tragic events in rock and roll history. The band's pyrotechnics started a fire that killed 100 people including their guitarist, Ty Longley. No member of Great White was criminally charged, but their tour manager did jail time. (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)

Editor's Note: You can access previous issues of AE by clicking on "Next 1 Entries" below. - WG