SEPTEMBER 13, 2023

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 

(GMC images)

GMC unveiled its 2024 Acadia at the Detroit Auto Show, saying that it "sets new standard for premium SUVs; greater versatility, sophisticated interior and exterior design, advanced tech and luxe cabin experience," according to GMC PR minions. It is - big surprise - longer, wider and taller, with increased passenger spaciousness, extended third-row cargo space and increased front-row leg room. Other stuff? A portrait-oriented 15-inch-diagonal infotainment screen, available Super Cruise hands-free driver assistance feature and compatible Google built-in technology. The manufacturer also said that it will offer the "most capable Acadia AT4 ever" with lifted ride height, Active Torque Control AWD system and off-road suspension. It will be available next spring, supposedly.

(Cadillac images)

Cadillac introduced a refreshed and more advanced 2025 CT5 at the Detroit Auto Show, calling it "a bolder vision of the luxury sport sedan," according to Cadillac PR minions. The 2025 CT5 features a revised front fascia, and offers more standard comfort, safety and technology features, while also incorporating the brand’s 33-inch-diagonal LED color touchscreen display. The 2025 CT5 is distinguished by a new, bolder front-end design, which complements its dramatic fastback profile. The updates include a lower and wider front grille with redesigned Cadillac signature vertical lighting and stacked LED headlamps. Additionally, the CT5 Sport trim features a performance black mesh grille and black surrounds. The 2025 Cadillac CT5 will be produced at GM’s Lansing Grand River Assembly facility in Michigan, with production to begin in spring 2024. Additional details and pricing will be announced in the future.

(Ford images)

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Ford unveiled its new 2024 Ford F-150^® truck at the Detroit Auto Show. Available starting early 2024, "the truck is designed to enhance the ability to tackle challenges with purposeful features and tech. It has Built Ford Tough^® capability to handle tough pursuits. And it has a tough new design, including the new available Pro Access Tailgate for even more access and utility," according to Ford PR minions. Stuff? Increased production of PowerBoost™ Hybrid for 2024, trims from XL through Platinum Plus, and off-road ready models like Tremor (shown), Raptor and Raptor R. Engine choices include a 2.7-liter EcoBoost, 3.5-liter EcoBoost, 3.5-liter PowerBoost, 3.5-liter High Output (F-150^® Raptor^®), 5.0-liter V8 and 5.2-liter supercharged V8 (F-150^® Raptor R^®). The Big News, at least according to Ford, is its trick tailgate, which opens not only the traditional way but also from the side. Ford is touting this as some cosmic breakthrough, but there's not much new under the sun in this business, and those readers out there of a certain age will recall many '60 and '70 model station wagons with similar tailgate operation. Oh well, Ford operatives are pleased and proud of themselves, at least for a day. -PMD

(Jeep images)

Jeep PR minions are calling the 2024 Gladiator "the most capable and refined Gladiator yet." The 2024 Gladiator features a new seven-slot grille, a windshield-integrated trail-ready stealth antenna and seven all-new wheel designs. It also offers a folding windshield, three roof choices and three door choices, including available half doors and removable doors. The Gladiator can deliver up to 7,700 pounds max towing and can handle up to 1,725 pounds max payload. Other stuff? A refined interior with more technology, including available 12-way power adjustable front seats, and all-new instrument panel featuring the Uconnect 5 system with best-in-class standard 12.3-inch touchscreen and standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with improved speech intelligibility. Two new models - Mojave X and Rubicon X - expand Gladiator’s portfolio with integrated off-road camera, steel bumpers and Nappa leather-trimmed 12-way power adjustable front seats. 

(Lotus images)

This is the new Lotus Emeya, an electric grand tourer designed for drivers. "It brings together the company’s rich history, with sports car levels of performance and latest technologies," according to Lotus PR Minions. Lotus claims that the Emeya is one of the fastest electric GTs in the world, with acceleration of 0-62mph (0-100km/h) in under 2.8 seconds. Emeya will be the flagship model in the Lotus lineup of luxury performance electric vehicles, with production scheduled to begin in 2024. (A giant "we'll see" as we like to say. -PMD) Lotus has also created Studio Emeya, a three-day immersive experience in New York City that will be open to the public on Saturday, September 9th. You can experience the Emeya here. The video features an original soundtrack from Burial, with spoken word from James Massiah. Editor-in-Chief's Note. The Lotus Emira we can get excited about. This? No. -PMD

(GM Design/Cadillac)

The Goddess has returned on CELESTIQ, paying homage to Cadillac’s illustrious design history and symbolizing the personalized, handcrafted artistry built into each and every bespoke vehicle. “Reimagining the Goddess was a beautiful experience because it required me to study the past and understand the evolution of what Cadillac is today,” said Cadillac Creative Sculptor Richard Wiquist, who came to the GM Design studios with a background in figurative art. “This rendition introduces a new, soaring form that reflects the brand’s heritage while also driving it into the future.” The Goddess was introduced in 1930, at the height of popularity for automotive mascots. In an era that lasted more than 25 years, several iterations were created, as the impressionistic form evolved with the brand’s design language and shifting cultural aspirations. Early examples reflected more classical influences, while later versions such as those of the 1950s took on a more abstract aesthetic that reflected popular Jet Age design trends. “The Goddess always represented the aesthetical zeitgeist,” said Wiquist, who found his inspiration in the 1933 Goddess that distinguished Cadillac’s legendary V-16 models of the era. “The 1933 figure had a great sense of motion conveyed through drapery that appeared to flow from the figure." In addition to the production Goddess figures that served as inspiration, the GM Design Center’s library provided additional perspective for Wiquist, with art history references of drapery incorporated in sculpture over hundreds of years. “Every detail in a sculpture holds meaning or is intended to evoke an emotional response,” said Wiquist. “For the new Goddess, it had to have context and imbue the personal connection the figure represents between Cadillac and its clients through vehicles such as CELESTIQ.” With no constraints on his design, Wiquist spent months handcrafting the new form in clay, refining the delicate impressionistic style until its gesture captured the essence of motion with a soaring stance — and a lithe, ethereal quality conveyed with meticulous sculpting craftsmanship. There wasn’t a mandate on how the new Goddess would be incorporated on CELESTIQ. The goal was simply to reinterpret the form for a new age, while other Cadillac artists would incorporate the imagery into the all-new CELESTIQ. The Goddess found its way on a pre-production prototype parked in the hallway of the Cadillac design studio. They included front-fender plaques on the exterior and, on the interior, the multi-function controller on the center console. Watch the video here.

(Jeep)

Editor's Note: On the heels of last week's global ad push for the Jeep Wrangler, Stellantis has launched a new commercial for the Grand Cherokee. "Dents" follows the story of a family through the years, as its older model Grand Cherokee gets various scrapes and blemishes, which only serve to make the dad reminisce about all of the family's experiences. "There are no dents or scratches. Only memories." No question, "Dents" is the kind of emotional storytelling that has become marketing chief Olivier Francois' trademark. But Jeep parent Stellantis is also confronting Jeep dealership inventory that is growing by the day, and Jeep is desperate to avoid a fifth consecutive year of declining sales in the U.S. Jeep sales fell 12 percent in the first half of 2023, which is the largest decrease among the top 33 brands and comes at a time when the industry overall gained 13 percent. -WG  Editor-in-Chief's Note: There's a lot of hand-wringing currently going on out in Auburn Hills about declining Jeep sales over the last four years. They're blaming various things - including our favorite, sunspots! - but the fact of the matter is Stellantis got greedy and jacked-up Jeep pricing to the point that it is turning off consumers in droves. Plus, consumers finally have a legitimate alternative in the Ford Bronco. Stellantis needs a serious reality check with the Jeep. If they want to arrest the sales slide, they need to cut Jeep prices by at least 15 percent, and Right Now. Will they do it? Oh, of course not. Greed is insidious in this business, and Stellantis operatives are consumed by it. -PMD





The AE Song of the Week:

Something different this week as we present Heart performing "Stairway to Heaven" live at the Kennedy Center Honors in tribute to Led Zeppelin, with the band members - Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones - looking on, and Jason Bonham - original drummer John Bonham's son - on drums. It is simply fantastic. Watch it here.

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