JUNE 14, 2023
Sunday, June 11, 2023 at 07:57AM 
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
(Buick)
Buick is giving a preview of its upcoming new 2024 Envision, which introduces a refreshed design update inside and out influenced by the Wildcat EV concept (if you squint real hard, maybe -PMD). For the first time, Buick drivers will have the option to experience Super Cruise, the industry’s first true hands-free driver assistance system, compatible on more than 400,000 miles of roads in the U.S. and Canada. Additional vehicle details and more information on the new 2024 Envision will be released later in the year.
(Porsche images)
Celebrating 75 years of Porsche sports cars, the German manufacturer has revealed its newest concept car: the Mission X. "As a design study, not offered for sale, with production to be decided in due time, the Mission X is a glimpse into what the sports car of the future could look like," according to Porsche PR Minions. “The Porsche Mission X is a technology beacon for the sports car of the future. It picks up the torch of iconic sports cars of decades past: like the 959, the Carrera GT and the 918 Spyder before it, the Mission X provides critical impetus for the evolutionary development of future vehicle concepts,” says Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG. “Daring to dream and dream cars are two sides of the same coin for us: Porsche has only remained Porsche by constantly changing.” Michael Mauer, Head of Style Porsche, says: “The Mission X is a clear commitment to the core of the brand. The continuing, enhanced expression of our brand and product identity is an important compass for us to navigate the development of our series-production models. The concept study symbolizes a symbiosis of unmistakable motorsport DNA with a luxurious overall impression.”
Measuring approximately 177 inches long and 78.7 inches wide, the Mission X concept study is a relatively compact hypercar. With a wheelbase of 107.4 inches, it has the dimensions of the Carrera GT and 918 Spyder. For aerodynamic purposes, the concept car has staggered tires, with 20-inch wheels at the front and 21-inch wheels at the rear. The battery is installed centrally behind the vehicle’s seats. This ‘e-core layout’ centers the mass in the car. As with a conventionally powered mid-engine car, this provides the basis for excellent agility. Watch the Porsche Mission X video here.
This is what Porsche expects the Mission X to deliver IF it reaches production:
- Be the fastest road-legal vehicle around the Nürburgring Nordschleife
- Have a power-to-weight ratio of roughly one hp per 2.2 lbs.
- Achieve downforce values that are well in excess of those delivered by the current 911 GT3 RS
- Offer significantly improved charging performance with its 900-volt system architecture and charge roughly twice as quickly as the current Porsche frontrunner, the Taycan Turbo S
Editor-in-Chief's Note: There is no "if" about the Mission X. You can bet that Porsche has a production plan for it that will be revealed in due time. -PMD
But I could look away and you'd be gone
Cause we live in a time
When meaning falls in splinters from our lives
And that's why I've traveled far
'Cause I come so together where you are
And all of the things that I said that I wanted
Come rushing by in my head when I'm with you
Fourteen joys and a will to be merry
And all of the things that we say are very
Sentimental gentle wind
Blowing through my life again
Sentimental lady, gentle one
(All I need is you)
Sentimental gentle wind
Blowing through my life again
Sentimental lady, gentle one
Sentimental lady
Yeah all of the things that I said that I wanted
Come rushing by in my head when I'm with you
Fourteen joys and a will to be merry
And all of the things that we say are very
Sentimental gentle wind
Blowing through my life again
Sentimental lady, gentle one
(All I need is you)
Sentimental gentle wind
Blowing through my life again
Sentimental lady, gentle one
(All I need is you)
All of the things that I said that I wanted
Come rushing by in my head when I'm with you
Fourteen joys and a will to be merry
And all of the things that we say are very (all I need is you)
All of the things that I said that I wanted
Come rushing by in my head when I'm with you
Fourteen joys and a will to be merry
And all of the things that we say are very
*When we asked Bob Welch about this song, he explained: "The lyric was probably referencing my first wife (at the time) Nancy. The original placeholder/dummy lyrics for the chorus (before I had 'real' lyrics) were, 'my legs are sticks and my feet are stones.' I have the old songwriting cassette I used, and that's what I'm saying ;-). The Fleetwood Mac version had two verses, the 'hit' solo album version (five years later), had only one verse, in order to get it down to less than three minutes, for radio." Bob Welch was a member of Fleetwood Mac from 1971-1974. He died in 2012 at age 65. Songs he wrote for Fleetwood Mac include "Hypnotized" and "The Bermuda Triangle." Bob Welch joined Fleetwood Mac in 1971, and they recorded this song on their 1972 album Bare Trees. It became a hit when Welch recorded it on his first solo album in 1977. Christine McVie and Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac sang backup on Welch's solo version. Welch wrote this at the Gorham Hotel on 55th Street in New York City. The hotel no longer exists. In the 2010 Adam Sandler movie Grown Ups, this is fondly remembered as the song the guys would use as a make-out song. Many Fleetwood Mac aficionados cite the band's original version as their first song to explicitly reference the softer, more commercial West Coast sound that they would later make their own. (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)
Editor's Note: You can access previous issues of AE by clicking on "Next 1 Entries" below. - WG