JANUARY 11, 2023

(Ram images)
Ram PR minions call the Ram Revolution BEV Concept "a visionary road map showing how the industry’s leading truck brand will redefine the pickup segment once again." (Hyperbole has always been one of Ram operatives' signatures.) The Ram 1500 Revolution Battery-electric Vehicle (BEV) Concept "demonstrates Ram’s commitment to electric vehicle (EV) leadership," according to the manufacturer. (And this next bit could be from any BEV manufacturer.): "Loaded with advanced technology, the concept reinvents the customer experience by integrating leading-edge technology, a fully connected customer experience and advanced mobility features." (Alrighty then!) You can count on one thing, however; the exterior design telegraphs the future of Ram trucks. The Ram 1500 BEV Concept offers "an industry-first feature": third-row jump seats. The powered mid-gate features mounted jump seats with a removable lower section that allows for multiple flexible seating configurations and enables a pass-through (and into the frunk) that can fit objects up to 18-ft. long. (Long is always good. -WG) The Ram Revolution BEV Concept is built on a new STLA Frame body-on-frame architecture designed specifically for full-size electric vehicles. The battery pack is incorporated efficiently with full underbody aero panels and a active diffuser. Other stuff? The concept is powered by two electric drive modules (EDMs) and features all-wheel-drive capability and all-wheel steering with up to 15 degrees of articulation. The Ram 1500 Revolution BEV Concept can add up to 100 miles of range in approximately 10 minutes with 800-volt DC fast charging at up to 350 kW. The Ram 1500 BEV production model is expected in 2024. Editor-in-Chief's Note: 2024? A giant "we'll see" at this point. -PMD  


(BMW Group images)
The BMW Group presented its vision of the future digital experience, both inside and outside the vehicle, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2023 in Las Vegas last week. The BMW i Vision Dee is the futuristic mid-size sedan with a new and pared-down design language. The name “Dee” stands for Digital Emotional Experience – "and that is precisely its aim: to create an even stronger bond between people and their cars going forward," according to BMW PR minions. BMW is predicting that future digital functions will go far beyond the level of voice control and driver assistance systems we are familiar with today. The BMW Head-Up-Display extends across the full width of the windscreen, providing a glimpse of the next vehicle generation. From 2025 on, this innovation will be available in the models of the NEUE KLASSE. The BMW Group has also refined its use of color-change technology. Having unveiled the BMW iX Flow Featuring E Ink, with the ability to change from black to white at the last CES, BMW i Vision Dee can now curate its exterior in up to 32 colors. “With the BMW i Vision Dee, we are showcasing what is possible when hardware and software merge. In this way, we are able to exploit the full potential of digitalization to transform the car into an intelligent companion. That is the future for automotive manufacturers – and, also, for BMW: the fusion of the virtual experience with genuine driving pleasure,” said Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG. “At the same time, BMW i Vision Dee is another step on the road to the NEUE KLASSE. With this vision, we are looking far into the future and underlining the tremendous importance of digitalization for our upcoming product generations.” Editor-in-Chief's Note: We can hardly... oh, who's kidding whom? We can definitely wait. -PMD

(McLaren Automotive)
McLaren Automotive has announced the renewal of its partnership with Gulf Oil International as its Official Lubricant and Fuel Partner for 2023. As McLaren’s official engine oil supplier, and following rigorous powertrain testing in 2021, the renewal of the relationship means Gulf Formula Elite will remain first fill lubricant in all McLaren Automotive supercars and hypercars leaving the McLaren Production Centre. The creation of Gulf Formula Elite - an advanced full synthetic engine oil - was the result of both technology teams working collaboratively, developing and testing a lubricant that would offer the ultimate protection for McLaren’s high performance V8 and V6 engines.


Editor-in-Chief's Note: Evolution of the "car chase" from Turner Classic Movies. Worth a watch. -PMD 

Editor's Note: In case you want one more look at "The Best Of on The Table" from last year, go here. -WG


The AE Song of the Week:

It's bad bitch o'clock, yeah, it's thick-thirty
I've been through a lot but I'm still flirty (okay)
Is everybody back up in the buildin'?
It's been a minute, tell me how you're healin'
'Cause I'm about to get into my feelings
How you feelin'? How you feel right now?

Oh, I've been so down and under pressure
I'm way too fine to be this stressed, yeah
Oh, I'm not the girl I was or used to be
Uh, bitch, I might be better

Turn up the music, turn down the lights
I got a feelin' I'm gon' be alright
Okay (okay), alright
It's about damn time (time)
Turn up the music, let's celebrate
I got a feelin' I'm gon' be okay
Okay (okay), alright
It's about damn time

In a minute I'ma need a sentimental
Man or woman to pump me up
Feeling fussy, walkin' in my Balenci-ussy's
Tryna bring out the fabulous
'Cause I give a fuck way too much
I'ma need like two shots in my cup
One to get up, one to get down
Mm, that's how I feel right now

Oh, I've been so down and under pressure
I'm way too fine to be this stressed, yeah
Oh, I'm not the girl I was or used to be
Uh, bitch, I might be better

Turn up the music, turn down the lights
I got a feelin' I'm gon' be alright
Okay (okay), alright
It's about damn time
Turn up the music, let's celebrate
I got a feelin' I'm gon' be okay
Okay (okay), alright
It's about damn time

I'm comin' out tonight (let's go), I'm comin' out tonight (comin' out tonight)
I'm comin' out tonight, I'm comin' out tonight (woo)
I'm comin' out tonight, I'm comin' out tonight (comin' out tonight)
Okay (okay), alright
It's about damn time
I'm comin' out tonight (let's go), I'm comin' out tonight (comin' out tonight)
I'm comin' out tonight, I'm comin' out tonight (woo)
I'm comin' out tonight, I'm comin' out tonight (comin' out tonight)
Okay (okay), alright
It's about damn time

I'm comin' out tonight, I'm comin' out tonight (bitch) (woo)
I'm comin' out tonight (yeah, yeah), I'm comin' out tonight (it's about damn time)
I'm comin' out tonight, I'm comin' out tonight
Okay (okay), it's alright
It's about damn time
I'm comin' out tonight, I'm comin' out tonight
I'm comin' out tonight, I'm comin' out tonight
I'm comin' out tonight, I'm comin' out tonight
Okay, alright
It's about damn time

"About Damn Time" by Lizzo, from the album "Special" (2022)*. Written by Ricky Reed, Blake Slatkin, Eric Frederic, Larry Tyrone Price, Malcolm Robert Andrew McLaren, Melissa Viviane Jefferson, Ronald Larkins, Stephen Eric Hague and Theron Makiel Thomas. Publisher: Peermusic Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc. Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind. Watch the Original Music Video here.

*Lizzo wrote "About Damn Time" as music therapy for when she's down about herself and wants to feel better. The funky track is Lizzo's melodic medicine for her blues. "I think life had thrown some major traumas and hard experiences at us, especially globally these last few years," she told Audacy's Julia. "And I wanted to write a song that allowed us to take a moment and celebrate our survival, and celebrate how far we've come. And I think 'About Damn Time' does just that - it does it for me honey." Lizzo wrote "About Damn Time" with her go-to producer Ricky Reed; Songwriter and producer Blake Slatkin and Songwriter Theron Thomas. Because "About Damn Time" samples "Hey! DJ" by The World's Famous Supreme Team, the writers of that 1984 hip hop classic - Larry Price, Malcolm Mclaren, Ronald Larkins and Stephen Hague – also get credited. Lizzo released "About Damn Time" as the lead single from her fourth studio album, Special. The funk-inspired disco number was the last song she penned for the record, written after she thought she'd completed the project. When Reed and Slatkin informed her in February 2022 they'd come up with another track, Lizzo told them she wasn't coming to the studio unless it's a hit. When they played her the track, she told the producers she'd be with them in 10 minutes. Lizzo wanted something on her album that felt like "Good As Hell," and their instrumentation fit the bill. "This was intentionally disco, funk, something to walk to coming out of this dark time," she told Apple Music's Zane Lowe. Lizzo studied the flute at the University of Houston and often plays the instrument on her releases, including this song. (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com.)

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