OCTOBER 18, 2023
Sunday, October 15, 2023 at 08:57AM 
The original - and still our favorite - Autoextremist logo.
The AE Quote of the Century: Everybody loves The High-Octane Truth. Until they don't. -WG
(BMW images)
The 2024 BMW X2 will make its world debut at the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo (formerly the Tokyo Motor Show) on October 26, 2023. The new X2 is longer, wider and higher. It is 7.6 inches longer than its predecessor and its wheelbase is now 106.0 inches (+ 0.9 inches). The new X2's width has grown 0.8 inches to 72.6, and its overall height is now 62.6 inches, up 2.5 inches compared with the previous generation. Inside, the new BMW X2 has seating for five adults. Both the driver and front passenger and those in the rear seats benefit from noticeable increases in shoulder and elbow room. Kneeroom in the second row of seats has been expanded by a full inch. The rear seat backrests can be folded in a 40:20:40 split. With all the seats in use, the new BMW X2 can accommodate 25.3 cubic feet of cargo. A maximum of 51.7 cubic feet of storage is available with the rear seats folded. The 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo 4-cylinder engine at work in the X2 xDrive28i (shown in red) has been extensively revised. The new engine incorporates a Miller combustion cycle, as well as a new dual (direct and port) injection system and a revised combustion chamber geometry. The engine now makes 241HP between 4,500-6,500 rpm, and torque has increased to 295 lb-ft between 1,500-4,000 rpm – resulting in a 0-60 mph time of 6.2 seconds. The all-new BMW X2 M35i xDrive (shown in blue) is more potent. Among the 2.0-liter unit’s M-specific highlights are a new, stronger crankshaft, an optimized oil supply system for the pistons with cooling channels, and main bearing shells and caps carried over from the latest-generation 6-cylinder engines. It is also equipped with VANOS variable camshaft timing with optimized oil supply for the actuator and VALVETRONIC fully variable valve timing. The result of these enhancements is 312HP between 5,750 and 6,500 rpm, and peak torque of 295 lb-ft from 2,000 to 4,500 rpm. The new BMW X2 M35i xDrive sprints from 0 to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds. The new BMW X2 will be produced at BMW Group Plant Regensburg for worldwide distribution. The US market launch of the new X2 will begin in March 2024.
When I'm out walking
I strut my stuff
And I'm so strung out
I'm high as a kite
I just might stop to check you out
Let me go on
Like I blister in the sun
Let me go on
Big hands, I know you're the one
Body and beats
I stain my sheets
I don't even know why
My girlfriend, she's at the end
She is starting to cry
Let me go on
Like I blister in the sun
Let me go on
Big hands, I know you're the one
When I'm out walking
I strut my stuff
And I'm so strung out
I'm high as a kite
I just might stop to check you out
When I'm out walking
I strut my stuff
And I'm so strung out
I'm high as a kite
I just might stop to check you out
Body and beats
I stain my sheets
I don't even know why
My girlfriend, she's at the end
She is starting to cry
When I'm out walking
I strut my stuff
And I'm so strung out
I'm high as a kite
I just might stop to check you out
Let me go on
Like I blister in the sun
Let me go on
Big hands, I know you're the one
"Blister In The Sun" by the Violent Femmes, from the album "Violent Femmes" (1982).* Written by Gordon Gano. Publisher: Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd. Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind. Watch a video here.
*Written by Violent Femmes lead singer Gordan Gano, some people thought the song was an ode to masturbation. Gano says it isn't, and that he didn't hear that interpretation until years later. "I don't think there's a whole lot to understand with the lyrics," he told the Village Voice. "But I can see where people could get that idea." Gano is coy in discussing the song, but he has explained that it's about the strung out feeling that comes from drug abuse. The girlfriend is at her wit's end because he keeps staining the sheets, as he lacks sexual control. This is the first song on the first Violent Femmes album, introducing the band with the famous guitar riff and snare hits. The band made inroads with songs like this one about adolescent insecurities delivered in a deprecating tone. Gordon Gano was just 19 when the album was released. The song had a cult following and was favorite on American college radio in the '80s. In the early '90s, as "alternative" and "modern rock" radio stations went on the air, it got a lot of airplay because it was considered a classic of the genre. The album gradually sold over one million copies and earned the Violent Femmes a formidable fan base. In 2007, the song was used in commercials for the fast-food purveyor Wendy's. Gordon Gano authorized its use, which triggered a lawsuit by the group's bass player Brian Ritchie, who stated: "I don't like having my sound misappropriated to sell harmful products, such as fast food… that's not why we made the music. It should not be hijacked." Ritchie cited misappropriation of jointly owned intellectual property as the basis for his suit. Ritchie also blasted Gano in the publication OnMilwaukee, where he wrote, "When you see dubious or in this case disgusting uses of our music you can thank the greed, insensitivity and poor taste of Gordon Gano, it is his karma that he lost his songwriting ability many years ago, probably due to his own lack of self-respect as his willingness to prostitute our songs demonstrates. Neither Gordon (vegetarian) nor me (gourmet) eat garbage like Wendy's burgers." The band was still touring when this went down, but they broke up soon after. They didn't return to action until 2013, when they played the Coachella festival. The song was featured in the 1997 John Cusack film Grosse Pointe Blank. The soundtrack includes two versions of the song, the original 1982 release and a remake entitled "Blister 2000." The remake is slower and has kind of a funky instrumental sax solo in the middle. A multi-instrumental cover of the song was used in a 2012 television commercial for the Hewlett-Packard DV6T notebook. In the ad, the song in played in various styles, including gospel, Mariachi and metal. The Violent Femmes album went Gold four years after its release and reached Platinum sales status four years later, despite never reaching the top 150 of the Billboard 200 album chart. Peter's cousin, Victor, was the original drummer and founding member of the Violent Femmes. (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)
Editor's Note: You can access previous issues of AE by clicking on "Next 1 Entries" below. - WG