MAY 24, 2023

(Mercedes-Benz images)
Mercedes-AMG has unveiled the SL 43, a "technically innovative" - according to Mercedes PR minions - new entry model for the AMG SL roadster. Under the hood is an AMG-enhanced 2.0-liter turbocharged M139 engine featuring an electric exhaust gas turbocharger. This technology is a direct derivative of the development successfully used by the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team. The new form of turbocharging guarantees spontaneous throttle response across the entire rpm range to deliver an even more dynamic driving experience. The turbocharger is operated via the 48-volt electrical system, which also feeds the belt-driven starter-generator (RSG). As a result, the SL 43 has an output of 375HP and a maximum torque of 354 lb-ft. The SL 43 will arrive at U.S. dealerships this summer, with prices starting at $109,900.

(Cadillac)
The Cadillac ESCALADE IQ will be revealed later this year and "promises the same commitment to craftsmanship, technology and performance that has helped the Escalade nameplate dominate the large luxury SUV segment for the last 20 years," according to Cadillac PR minions. The ESCALADE IQ will join the LYRIQ and the upcoming CELESTIQ as Cadillac continues to build an all-electric portfolio. The IQ designation is Cadillac’s EV nomenclature that first debuted on the LYRIQ.

(BMW images)
BMW is presenting the world premiere of its BMW Concept Touring Coupé at the opening of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2023. The closed two-seater, which was developed for one-off production - we're assuming this means that an individual commissioned BMW for this one-off build - is a machine BMW is calling "a timeless symbol of freedom on four wheels" according to BMW PR minions. It's clearly BMW Design's reimagined take on the shooting brake concept. The interior boasts "precisely crafted leather surfaces from Italian manufacturer Poltrona Frau" to create a luxurious ambience. The compartment behind the seats provides ample room to stow luggage for spontaneous trips; the luggage itself was also exclusively custom-made at the Schedoni leather workshop in Modena. The world premiere of the BMW Concept Touring Coupé at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2023 places the vehicle in a historical context. Surrounded by classic motors from automotive history that have brought joy to their owners and observers alike for decades, this unique car will be presented in Cernobbio, Italy, as a tribute to the timeless fascination of the automobile. “The BMW Concept Touring Coupé celebrates the original Sheer Driving Pleasure,” says Domagoj Dukec, head of BMW Design. “A highly emotional vehicle like this shows that the passion for everything that goes into driving pleasure has been essential through the ages and will be for the future.” The hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind BMW Concept Touring Coupé are reminiscent of the BMW 328 Touring Coupé that won the Mille Miglia endurance race back in 1940. The functionality of the shooting-brake concept is a nod to the BMW 02 Series model variants of the early 1970s, which featured “Touring” in their name to distinguish them from sedans. The styling of the signets on the rear and inside this unique vehicle was inspired by the model inscription of this historic predecessor. The BMW Concept Touring Coupé is powered by the brand's hallmark six-cylinder in-line engine, with performance characteristics and refinement that confirm its status as a symbol of pure, unadulterated Sheer Driving Pleasure. Editor's Note: Well alrighty then! -WG

(Toyota)
The 2024 Toyota Tacoma is entirely new for 2024 "with epic adventures in mind, improving upon every winning aspect that has made it a stalwart for truck buyers for years along with Toyota’s legendary quality, durability, and reliability and much, much more," according to Toyota PR minions. The new Tacoma was redesigned from the ground up and built upon the TNGA-F global truck platform shared with Tundra and Sequoia, and it was specifically designed and engineered for the U.S. market. For its fourth generation, Tacoma utilizes a new high-strength boxed, steel-ladder frame, adds numerous features for off-road enthusiasts, features an available fully redesigned multi-link coil rear suspension that improves ride and handling, and offers two powerful and efficient turbocharged four-cylinder powertrains, including a top-of-the-line i-FORCE MAX hybrid producing 326HP and a massive 465 lb.-ft. of torque. Tacoma will also introduce Toyota’s all-new Trailhunter grade, first revealed at the 2022 SEMA show as a Trailhunter concept, which is a purpose-built overlanding rig available right off the dealer lot. Other Highlights: Standard i-FORCE turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine produces up to 278HP 317 lb.-ft. of torque. Available i-FORCE MAX turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder hybrid powertrain produces 326HP, 465 lb.-ft. of torque. All-new Trailhunter, a factory-developed overlanding rig built from the ground up with the latest integrated off-road equipment from ARB, Old Man Emu and RIGID. Baja-inspired TRD Pro debuts segment-first IsoDynamic Performance Seat for enhanced off-road driving control and comfort. Tacoma adds new XtraCab long bed configuration for enhanced interior functionality and cargo capacity. Available 14-inch touchscreen displays latest Toyota Audio Multimedia system. Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 standard on all models. The all-new 2024 Tacoma was designed, engineered and assembled for North America.

(Volkswagen)
On June 2nd, 2023, Volkswagen—in conjunction with The National Day Calendar—will celebrate the first ever International Volkswagen Bus Day. The inaugural celebration will take Type 2 (VW Bus) fans for a ride into the future with the debut of the three-row version of Volkswagen’s all-electric ID. Buzz in Huntington Beach, California. The three-row ID. Buzz is planned for sale in the North American market starting in 2024. Volkswagen enthusiasts seeking more information on the Huntington Beach celebration of International Volkswagen Bus Day can click here. Live broadcast coverage will be available starting at 11 a.m. EST on RadioWoodstock.com and on YouTube. 

(Bugatti)
We had no real reason to show you this Bugatti W16 Mistral roadster at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d’Este at Lake Como, but we decided to anyway. The roadster – named after a powerful wind in the south of France – "exudes freedom, elegance, and performance, embodying the spirit of Bugatti," according to Bugatti PR minions. Indeed.

(Mercedes-Benz)
Mercedes-Maybach has unveiled the Night Series – "the next chapter in the brand's mission of evolving its curated portfolio and creating moments in which magic is born," according to Mercedes PR minions. And then there's this: "Night Series is the most progressive Maybach design package – it's our already well-known supreme aesthetics, heightened with exquisite, darkened motifs. Our goal was to create an exciting new style, offering a playful sense of rebellion that is unexpected to what you usually see in a Mercedes-Maybach." -Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer Mercedes-Benz Group AG. Editor-in-Chief's Note: Self-absorbed doesn't even begin to describe this press release. Unmitigated bullshit is a more accurate description. Mercedes-Maybach has always been a brand searching for a reason for being, and it still isn't any closer to finding it. -PMD



Letter from L.A.

By Tom Pease

Beverly Hills. I know the BEV revolution is coming. I also know that I live in a state where the Governor has declared that the shiny, happy residents will not be able to buy anything else in a very short time. While, on the other hand, he's allowing developers free-rein to build new multi-family projects so under-parked that residents may be forced to run extension cords from their patios to top off that new Belchzap EUQ they’re forced to park at the curb. Not to mention the reality of Edison shutting down the grid if it looks as if there will be a wildfire, or the Internet going out in 90210 often enough that the local hardware store will sell you a big wrench and show you how to open your front gate for when the power is out in Trousdale. What about your must-not-miss filler and tooth-whitening appointment on Roxbury Drive? We can cross that bridge when we come to it. But in the meantime, could we at least stop the fan-dance of the groovy new models that also “won’t be long now”? Like the VW ID. Buzz? It has only been buzzing for a few years now and still won’t get here until next year. Like the disastrous launch of the retro T-Bird of years ago, it has been teased, photographed, written-off, etc. for so long now I feel like I've already tired of it, getting ready to return it at the end of the lease...


The AE Song of the Week:

Hey, hey, hey, hey
Ooh, woah

Won't you come see about me?
I'll be alone, dancing, you know it, baby

Tell me your troubles and doubts
Giving everything inside and out and
Love's strange, so real in the dark
Think of the tender things that we were working on

Slow change may pull us apart
When the light gets into your heart, baby

Don't you, forget about me
Don't, don't, don't, don't
Don't you, forget about me

Will you stand above me?
Look my way, never love me
Rain keeps falling, rain keeps falling
Down, down, down

Will you recognize me?
Call my name or walk on by
Rain keeps falling, rain keeps falling
Down, down, down, down

Hey, hey, hey, hey
Ooh, woah

Don't you try and pretend
It's my feeling we'll win in the end
I won't harm you or touch your defenses
Vanity and security, ah

Don't you forget about me
I'll be alone, dancing, you know it, baby
Going to take you apart
I'll put us back together at heart, baby

Don't you, forget about me
Don't, don't, don't, don't
Don't you, forget about me

As you walk on by
Will you call my name?
As you walk on by
Will you call my name?
When you walk away

Or will you walk away?
Will you walk on by?
Come on, call my name
Will you call my name?

I say
La, la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
When you walk on by
And you call my name
When you walk on by

"Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds, from the album "The Breakfast Club Soundtrack" (1985).* Written by Keith Forsey and Steve W. Schiff. Publisher: BMG Rights Management, Songtrust Ave, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group. Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind. Watch the Original Music Video here. 

*"Don't You (Forget About Me)" is the big song from the 1985 movie "The Breakfast Club." Directed by John Hughes, it features many members of the "Brat Pack," including Ally Sheedy, Molly Ringwald, and Judd Nelson. The song is so associated with The Breakfast Club that it is often used in movies or TV shows any time they reference the film, often with a parody of the iconic ending shot where Judd Nelson throws his fist in the air (perhaps the most famous freeze-frame in movie history, although Rocky III, where Rocky and Apollo are frozen mid-punch, is also up there). Examples include the TV shows Scrubs, Psych, 30 Rock and Family Guy, and the movies "American Pie" and "Easy A." The 2001 film "Not Another Teen Movie" with a cameo by Molly Ringwald, has a version performed by Sprung Monkey. Keith Forsey and Steve Schiff wrote this song specifically for The Breakfast Club. Forsey, who also co-wrote "Shakedown" for Beverly Hills Cop II and the title song to Flashdance, was in charge of the music for the film. Schiff had been a guitarist in Nina Hagen's band and co-wrote one of her biggest songs, "New York / N.Y." Forsey and Schiff wrote a few other songs for the film as well, including "Fire In The Twilight" by Wang Chung and "Didn't I Tell You" by Joyce Kennedy. "Don't You (Forget About Me)" was the only hit from the soundtrack, but it was a big one, rising to #1 in the US. In The Breakfast Club, five high school students with very different personalities spend a Saturday together in detention and find some common ground. The question is, will they remember their time together and act any differently around each other when they return to school and face peer pressure to act their roles. Some dialog in the film when they bring this up gave Keith Forsey the idea for the song title. According to Keith Forsey, Bryan Ferry of Roxy Music was his first choice to record this song, but Ferry turned it down. Forsey was also a big fan of the Scottish band Simple Minds, so he tried to get them to record it by delivering a cassette demo. At the time, Simple Minds were gaining traction in the UK, with three modest hits from their 1984 album "Sparkle in the Rain." In the US, however, they had no luck, in large part because their US record company, A&M, didn't promote them. An A&R guy at the label named Jordan Harris tried to rectify that by having them record this song (The Breakfast Club soundtrack was on A&M), but the band wanted nothing to do with it because: 1) They didn't want to record a song they didn't write. And 2) Jim Kerr didn't like the lyric (especially the "vanity... insecurity" line). So why did they do it? They simply changed their minds. They met with The Breakfast Club director John Hughes and got a screening of the film, which put the lyric in better context. Forsey visited them in Scotland, and they got on well. While there, he convinced them to give it a go, and they recorded the track in a few hours at a studio in London. (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)

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