MARCH 1, 2023

(Honda images)
From the "Why The Hell Not?" File, comes something called the Honda CR-V Hybrid Racer from Honda Performance Development. The machine will make its debut this weekend at the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg NTT INDYCAR SERIES race. “This project vehicle is an INDYCAR ‘beast’ in Honda CR-V ‘sheep’s clothing’,” said David Salters, president and technical director for Honda Performance Development, the North American racing arm of American Honda and Acura. “The CR-V Hybrid Racer is our ‘rolling electrified laboratory’, to investigate where the talented men and women of HPD and Honda could go with electrification, hybrid technology and 100% renewable fuels." Conceived and designed by the engineers at Honda Performance Development (HPD) in California and designers from the North America Auto Design Division (NAAD) of American Honda, then built at Honda Automotive Development Center (ADC) in Ohio by the Honda of America Racing Team (HART), the CR-V Hybrid Racer places a 2.2-liter twin-turbocharged, electrified Honda V6 INDYCAR power unit and transmission under 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid bodywork to create the “rolling laboratory” for the continued development of electrified technology by Honda and HPD. The CR-V Hybrid Racer runs on Shell’s 100% renewable race fuel, and features world-leading Skeleton Supercapacitors and Empel MGU hybrid motor technology. The Chromoly steel tube chassis of the Honda CR-V Hybrid Racer is clothed in suitably “hybrid” bodywork designed by NAAD. From the beltline up, the Hybrid Racer utilized a standard production sixth-generation CR-V steel body, including the glass windshield, windows and even the sunroof. The lower half is of carbon-composite construction, incorporating a massive front splitter and louvered, flared fenders. An equally large rear wing and butterfly half-cut doors on either side for the driver and passenger complete the bodywork. The finished Honda CR-V Hybrid Racer is clothed in a one-of-a-kind wrap, designed by Lili Melikian, Honda senior exterior designer. The eye-catching design contains a variety of “easter eggs” including ghosted images of the powertrain and INDYCAR SERIES circuits. While under development, the project carried the code name “The Beast”, with looks reminiscent of the silhouette GT racing and Group B rally cars of the 1980s and ‘90s. But the technology under the skin is strictly 21st century. Besides this weekend, the Honda CR-V Hybrid Racer will also appear - complete with on-track demonstrations and static displays - at multiple INDYCAR events, including the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach (April 14-16), the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix (April 28-30), the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio (June 30- July 2), the Honda Indy Toronto (July 14-16), the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix in Nashville (August 4-6), the Grand Prix of Portland (September 1-3), and the season-concluding Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey (September 8-10). The CR-V Hybrid Racer will also make additional appearances at select events throughout 2023. Watch a cool intro video here. 

(Maserati images)
Maserati concluded its second appearance at the I.C.E. St. Moritz, which brought together the rarest and most appealing classic cars (and collectors) at the prestigious Swiss venue on February 24 and 25. The Italian luxury brand, partner of the I.C.E. (International Concours of Elegance) – St. Moritz, took part by displaying some of its most desirable creations from the past and future. One that drew a lot of attention was the Maserati 420M/58 Eldorado – created for the second 500 Miglia in Monza (above) - held in 1958. Others included the fabulous 1954 Maserati 250 F Grand Prix car and the Maserati 450S sports racer, of which nine cars were built between 1956 and 1958.

(Dodge)
The Dodge Last Call Powered by Roadkill Nights Vegas event will host the worldwide debut of the final 2023 Dodge “Last Call” special-edition model on Monday, March 20th. The event will mark the end of an era – the last of the Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger in their current HEMI®-engine-powered forms. Dodge Last Call Powered by Roadkill Nights Vegas includes a full day of drag racing, Dodge thrill rides, Challenger SRT Demon simulators, a cruise-in car show, sponsor/vendor midway areas, a post-reveal concert and more. (It is also meant to celebrate the birth of a new era of Dodge electrified performance, but we couldn't care less about that.) The seventh and final 2023 "Last Call" special-edition model, commemorating the Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger will join the six Dodge "Last Call" models that have already been introduced: the Dodge Challenger Shakedown, Dodge Charger Super Bee, Dodge Challenger and Charger Scat Pack Swinger, Dodge Charger King Daytona and Dodge Challenger Black Ghost. In addition to the seven “Last Call” special-edition models, Dodge is also celebrating its 2023 model lineup by bringing back three beloved heritage exterior colors, B5 Blue, Plum Crazy purple and Sublime green, and one popular modern color, Destroyer Grey. 2023 Charger and Challenger R/T models will also feature new “345” fender badging, a shout-out to the 345-cubic-inch HEMI engine, and all 2023 Dodge Charger and Challenger models will carry a special commemorative “Last Call” plaque under the hood. The Dodge Horsepower Locator tool, as well as information on the brand's 24-month Never Lift plan, is available at DodgeGarage.com.

 (Toyota)
Toyota Motor North America has announced that the GR Corolla Circuit Edition will continue to be produced for model year 2024, which is interesting, especially since the 2023 version hasn't even hit the dealers as of yet. Available at Toyota dealerships this coming spring, the 2023 GR Corolla Circuit Edition’s standard features will include a vented bulge hood, forged carbon fiber roof, gloss black sporty rear spoiler, front and rear Torsen® Limited-Slip Differentials (LSD), and red-painted GR logoed calipers. There will be around 1,500 Circuit Edition units produced for the continental U.S. for model year 2023. Other standard features on the 2023 Circuit Edition include Brin Naub® suede and synthetic leather-trimmed sport seats with red accents, heated front seats and steering wheel, a leather-wrapped MORIZO signed shift knob, and eight-speaker JBL® Premium Audio with amplifier. Available colors include Ice Cap, Supersonic Red and Heavy Metal. The 2024 GR Corolla Circuit Edition will carry over some of the standard features of the 2023 model; complete details will be announced later this year.

(Meyers Manx)
Meyers Manx has unveiled its first-ever Remastered Kit, which empowers enthusiasts to build and customize the world’s most iconic dune buggy according to their personalized specs. The all-new Meyers Manx Remastered kit benefits from modernized production techniques that leverage 3D scanning, digital design tools and CNC technology to deliver the most precise self-assembly set to date. The result is an easier-to-build kit boasting higher quality construction that honors Bruce Meyers’ groundbreaking creation while incorporating updates by legendary designer Freeman Thomas. The re-imagined kit introduces new features for the first time since 1970, including: An all-new, locking rear trunk; An easily-removable dash assembly; Integrated wiring tubes; New remastered classic kit colors, including a solid gel-coat and metal flake gel-coat hues, along with a UV clear coat that serves as an additional layer of protection.The kit includes key body, dashboard, and trim components. Additional parts are available separately. “It is a privilege to work on the Manx Dune buggy, which is such an iconic piece of California cultural history,” Thomas said. “The goal of the Remastered program was to preserve [founder] Bruce Meyers’ unmistakable design while incorporating modern touches that make full assembly accessible to more people.” Meyers Manx chairman and Trousdale Ventures founder Phillip Sarofim added that the most authentic and satisfying Manx experience involves building and customizing a buggy kit. “The 1960s were all about can-do spirit, from grassroots car customizers to the Space Program,” Sarofim said. “We’re bringing a taste of that era back with a modernized, easier-to-build version of the original dune buggy kit that launched an automotive cultural movement. The original Meyers Manx has been prolifically emulated but never duplicated, and this is an opportunity to build and drive an authentic legend.” The Remastered Kit has already stoked interest from Alois Ruf, founder of Ruf Automobile. “We’ve always loved how the classic Meyers Manx Buggy drives,” he said. “Knowing that at-home assembly has been a challenge for some, the Remastered Kit should make it easier for a new group of enthusiasts to build their dream cars at home.” Meyers Manx also recently announced that 2023 will mark the debut of the Meyers Manx 2.0, the electric version of the classic buggy. The company is expected to announce further production details soon. 

The AE Song of the Week:

How many times do I have to try to tell you
That I'm sorry for the things I've done
But when I start to try to tell you
That's when you have to tell me
Hey, this kind of trouble's only just begun
I tell myself too many times
Why don't you ever learn to keep your big mouth shut
That's why it hurts so bad to hear the words
That keep on falling from your mouth
Falling from your mouth
Falling from your mouth
Tell me

Why
Why
I may be mad
I may be blind
I may be viciously unkind
But I can still read what you're thinking
And I've heard it said too many times
That you'd be better off
Besides

Why can't you see this boat is sinking
Let's go down to the water's edge
And we can cast away those doubts
Some things are better left unsaid

But they still turn me inside out
Turning inside out turning inside out
Tell me
Why
Tell me
Why
This is the book I never read
These are the words I never said
This is the path I'll never tread
These are the dreams I'll dream instead
This is the joy that's seldom spread
These are the tears

The tears we shed
This is the fear
This is the dread
These are the contents of my head
And these are the years that we have spent
And this is what they represent
And this is how I feel
Do you know how I feel?
'Cause I don't think you know how I feel
I don't think you know what I feel
I don't think you know what I feel
You don't know what I feel

"Why" by Annie Lennox, from the album "Diva" (1992).* Written by Calvin E. (Gene) Taylor. Publisher: DistroKid, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Songtrust Ave. Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind. Watch the Official Music Video here. 

*This was the first single Annie Lennox released after the 1990 breakup of Eurythmics, her duo with Dave Stewart. Unlike Stewart, Lennox is rather introverted and often questioned herself. And while Stewart was always very encouraging, she wasn't sure she could make music without him. In November 2007, Lennox was interviewed extensively by Malcolm Bragg on The South Bank Show. In this program she said that "Why" was a personal song related to her going solo; she wasn't sure that she could write songs by herself, or where she was going in music or in life. It took her about 10 minutes to write. "It's weird," she added, "Some songs are like that, while others are not." "Why" showed that Lennox had the goods to go solo, something her fans already knew. It charted in a number of territories and impelled the Diva album to #1 in the UK. The album sold particularly well in America, moving over 2 million copies. Lennox had plenty to write about when she started work on the Diva album: She had recently become a mother, her father had died, and she was just getting going as a solo artist. All these tribulations bonded together into this song, where she asks a simple question: Why? When asked about this song in Daniel Rachel's book The Art of Noise: Conversations with Great Songwriters, Lennox replied: "It's basically about the point we humans inevitably come to when we realize that the knots and twists in relationships simply can't be untangled, and we're left dangling with a massive question mark with no apparent resolution. Why? Why? Why? Haven't we all asked that question of ourselves and the universe?" Annie Lennox blogged regarding this song, when promoting her 2009 greatest hits album: "I think this song expresses something of a sense of 'I need to take a stand, and say this.' It's almost testifying, like 'My Way,' or something. The world can be so baffling at times, so you find yourself constantly trying to figure it out... It's also about looking at the aftermath of things. After all this darkness and disappointment with the personal battles you've gone through... Contemplating the ashes of experience, and questioning what it was ever all about. It's like the remains of a building that's crashed and burned to the ground." Lennox wrote this track herself, but she had a lot of help putting it together. Her primary collaborator was Marius De Vries, a keyboard player/programmer who worked on the track. It was produced by Stephen Lipson, who had worked on the Frankie Goes To Hollywood album Welcome To The Pleasuredome. This won the 1992 Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically. The music video, directed by Sophie Muller, features Lennox getting ready for the album cover photo shoot. The clip won Best Female Video at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards. Muller also directed clips for Lennox's "Walking On Broken Glass," "Little Bird" and "Angel." Lennox was 37 when the album was released. Adapting to her maturity influenced this song. "I feel vulnerable about aging, but perhaps I can be like Edith Piaf, with that chanson sense of grief or melancholy," she told Q in 1992. "I think 'Why' has a little of that. Maybe people will value the texture of age in me. Or maybe I will come to feel I'm too old, it's a kids' game, and go off to write film music." Lennox performed this on a number of TV shows, including Top Of The Pops and Saturday Night Live. (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)

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