Issue 1265
September 18, 2024
 

About The Autoextremist

@PeterMDeLorenzo

Author, commentator, "The Consigliere."

Editor-in-Chief of Autoextremist.com.

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On The Table


Sunday
Jul312022

AUGUST 3, 2022

(PPG)
PPG has announced that a custom 1969 Pontiac Firebird featuring PPG paint captured the coveted Goodguys 2022 PPG Street Machine of the Year award at the Goodguys 24th Summit Racing Nationals. Presented by PPG, the event took place July 8-10 at the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus, Ohio. BBT Fabrications of Mahomet, Illinois, built the twin-turbo 1969 Firebird, which is owned by Brad Sather. Relic Restomods of Richmond, Illinois, painted the vehicle in McLaren Racing Green using the PPG DELTRON® refinish system.
(PPG)
In the PPG Best Use of Color category, a 1960 Buick LeSabre owned by Danielle Korek took the honor. Her husband, Ryan Korek of Korek Designs, painted the cruiser with a one-of-a-kind custom green color that he created with the PPG Deltron refinish system.
(Ford)
Well, Ford couldn't leave well enough alone, apparently. The Maverick pricing seemed to be well contained, until now. 
A new Maverick Tremor™ Off-Road Package becomes available on XLT and Lariat series trucks and includes a 1-inch lift for greater ground clearance, exclusive Trail Control™, unique off-road-tailored front and rear suspension, advanced all-wheel drive with four-wheel-drive lock and 2.0-liter EcoBoost® engine. Distinctive Tremor design cues include blacked-out Ford logos, headlamps and taillamps, signature Tremor Orange tow hooks, updated fender vent and new grille. If that isn't enough, you can get an available Tremor Appearance Package. The 2023 Ford Maverick Tremor Off-Road Package costs $2,995 MSRP and the Tremor Appearance Package costs $1,495. Both packages are available for ordering in September. Production for the Ford Maverick begins this fall.

(Chevrolet images)
Chevrolet has introduced the all-new 2023 Colorado, offering customers "greater performance, capability and customization, plus a refreshed exterior and interior design," according to Chevy PR minions. Designers and engineers focused on three key categories to improve the Colorado: elevated design, enhanced performance, and new and useful technology. The new Colorado pickup lineup is streamlined around a single wheelbase and single cab configuration. The 2023 Colorado lineup includes Work Truck (WT), LT, Z71, ZR2 and for the first time, Trail Boss models. The lineup features three distinctive chassis stances to optimize each model’s capabilities:
 Standard: WT, LT and Z71 trims. 2-inch Factory-Lifted, Ultra-Wide Stance: Trail Boss. And High-Performance 3-inch Factory-Installed Lift & Wide Stance: ZR2Along with new exterior styling and proportions, the 2023 Colorado has an all-new interior "that blends refinement and functionality with work-ready durability and comfort," the PR minions continued. Across the 2023 Colorado lineup, there are now four unique interior trims choices, which include a standard 11.3-inch-diagonal color infotainment touchscreen and a segment-first standard 8-inch-diagonal fully digital color instrument display, both of which are customizable. The four distinct new interior options feature round outboard vents, wrapped and stitched knee pads on the doors and center console for select models, and more contrast stitching on select models. A 2.7L Turbo engine - already proven in the full-size Silverado - is new for Colorado and powers all five models with three distinct output variants that exceed the output of the current model. The engine receives several enhancements in the 2023 model year, including a more rigid cylinder block casting and a 30% stiffer crankshaft, which complement a fully forged bottom end as well as materials used in diesel engines to deliver the durability customers expect.This single advanced engine delivers more horsepower and torque than the previous three engines offered. The new base 2.7L Turbo engine in the Colorado has 237HP and 259 lbs-ft. of torque. In addition, the higher-output versions of the 2.7L engine lineup produce more horsepower and torque than the current model’s available 3.6L V-6 and 2.8L turbo-diesel engines. The 2.7L Turbo Plus has 310HP and 390 lbs-ft. of torque; the 2.7L Turbo High Output has 310HP and 430 lbs-ft. of torque. A second-generation eight-speed automatic transmission pairs with the new engines. The new gearbox is said to excel in low-speed mobility, particularly in off-road scenarios. All models are built on a new chassis that gives the 2023 Colorado a 3.1-inch longer wheelbase than the current Crew Cab/short box model. A shortened front overhang also significantly improves the truck’s approach angle. The Trail Boss features a 2-inch lifted suspension and wide chassis that produce more ground clearance and a 3-inch wider front track than WT and LT for enhanced off-road driving capability. ZR2 is the most capable of them all, with a high-performance 3-inch lifted suspension and upgraded Multimatic DSSV dampers.


(The Petersen Automotive Museum)
Appearing for the first time in North America in more than 30 years, "Andy Warhol: Cars – Works from the Mercedes-Benz Art Collection" is now open at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, CA. The groundbreaking exhibition presents a rare and exclusive look at the relationship between the “Cars” artwork series and the vehicles it depicts. Taking place in the Armand Hammer Foundation Gallery on the museum’s first floor, the unique display features five of the eight Mercedes-Benz vehicles ultimately depicted in Warhol’s final commission. (Note: This includes a rare, West Coast appearance of the fabulous 1954 Mercedes-Benz 196R "streamliner" on loan from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.) To purchase tickets or for more information about the Petersen Automotive Museum, please visit www.Petersen.org.




The AE Song of the Week:

All: End of the spring and here she comes back
      Hi Hi Hi Hi there

     Them summer days, those summer days


That's when I had most of my fun, back

High high high high there

Them summer days, those summer days


Rose: I "cloud nine" when I want to


Freddie: Out of school, yeah


Larry: County fair in the country sun


Sly: And everything, it's true, ooh yeah


All: Hot fun in the summertime
      
Hot fun in the summertime 
      Hot fun in the summertime
      Hot fun in the summertime

All: First of the fall and then she goes back

     Bye bye bye bye there

    Them summer days, those summer days


Rose: "Boop-boop-ba-boop-boop" when I want to


Freddie: Out of school, yeah


Larry: County fair in the country sun


Sly: And everything, it's true, ooh yeah


All: Hot fun in the summertime 
      Hot fun in the summertime
      Hot fun in the summertime
      Hot fun in the summertime

"Hot Fun In The Summertime" by Sly and the Family Stone from the album "Greatest Hits" (1969)*. Written by Sylvester Stewart. Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, 
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind. Listen here.

*
It may be hot in the summertime, but everything's cool in this Sly & the Family Stone classic. Written and produced by Sly Stone, the song celebrates the balmy days when school is out and the sun is shining. The song is a showcase for the entire band; all seven members sing on the chorus and along with vocalists Sly and Rose Stone, guitarist Freddie Stone and bass player Larry Graham each get lines. Their horn players, sax man Jerry Martini and trumpet player Cynthia Robinson (a rare female horn player in a hit-making band) also get their due. Sly Stone was never known for punctuality, and he didn't deliver "Hot Fun In The Summertime" until August 1969. Epic Records rush released it, but by then the summer was almost over. It reached its US chart peak of #2 (behind "I Can't Get Next To You" by The Temptations) on October 18. This song was released shortly after the Woodstock festival, where the band did a memorable set. This helped pique interest in Sly & the Family Stone, and gave the song a nice boost on the charts. The song was released as a standalone single but has shown up on many compilations. It came at a time when Sly & the Family Stone were at their peak, shortly before Sly Stone slid into a drug-induced abyss, taking the band down with him. Sly became very unreliable and their music suffered. In 1972, key members Larry Graham and Gregg Errico left, and in 1975 the band broke up. Over the next 30 years, Stone made sporadic appearances but never staged a full-fledged comeback. (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)



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