MARCH 31, 2021

(Lexus images)
Lexus has unveiled “LF-Z Electrified,” a conceptual BEV that "incorporates driving performance, styling, and technologies envisioned for realization by 2025," according to Lexus PR minions. It features "ideal dynamic balance achieved through the optimal placement of the battery and electric motors," as well as, among others, a new four-wheel driving force control technology known as “DIRECT4” that generates highly flexible driving performance.

(GMC)
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation will receive $2.5 million from the sale of the first retail production unit of the 2022 GMC HUMMER EV Edition 1 at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction. The amount raised for the GMC HUMMER EV was the full hammer price achieved during the Saturday, March 27, auction (Barrett-Jackson waived the fees and commissions typically associated with their collector vehicle auctions). “We are thrilled with the auction results and what the proceeds will mean for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation,” said Duncan Aldred, global vice president of Buick and GMC. “We also recognize the support of Barrett-Jackson for this special occasion, which made it a 100 percent charitable endeavor.” Established to honor the memory of Sept. 11 first-responder Stephen Siller, the foundation builds mortgage-free, accessible smart homes for the most catastrophically-injured veterans and provides mortgage-free homes for Gold Star families and the families of first responders killed in the line of duty. More information is available at www.tunnel2towers.org. “One-hundred percent of the hammer price from this auction will resonate across America,” said Frank Siller, chairman and CEO of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. “This donation from the HUMMER EV Edition 1 will help build homes for our catastrophically-injured veterans to give them their independence and a better quality of life.” The HUMMER EV Edition 1 is the specially appointed and fully equipped launch model of GMC’s first full-electric vehicle, featuring a white exterior and unique Lunar Horizon interior. It is powered by General Motors’ new Ultium platform and is designed to be an off-road beast. HUMMER EV Edition 1 features include: Extreme Off-Road Package with 18-inch wheels, 35-inch-OD tires, underbody armor, underbody cameras and more; Adaptive Air Suspension with available Extract Mode capability; Four-Wheel Steer with CrabWalk diagonal-drive functionality; Three-motor e4WD propulsion system (including torque vectoring) with GM-estimated 1,000 horsepower and GM-estimated 11,500 lb-ft of torque; 800-volt DC fast charging capability at any of the new 350-kilowatt high output public DC fast charging stations; Watts to Freedom for maximum acceleration capability, including a GM-estimated 0-60 mph in approximately 3 seconds; the latest version of Super Cruise, an available driver-assistance feature offering hands-free driving on more than 200,000 miles (approximately 322,000 km) of enabled roads, and featuring new Lane Change on Demand. Though reservations for Edition 1 models are full, reservations for the rest of the available models are being accepted at gmc.com/HummerEV. Initial production begins in late 2021, at GM’s Factory ZERO Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center — a nearly 40-year-old facility that has been re-purposed and retooled with a $2.2 billion investment devoted to electric vehicle production. Future production vehicles out of the factory will offer zero emissions.

(Mercedes-Benz)
Mercedes-Benz is teasing the I.P. of its EQS, the all-electric luxury sedan from Mercedes. The EQS is also the first model from Mercedes to be based on its modular architecture for luxury and executive-class electric vehicles. With a Cd value starting from 0.201 it "sets a new aerodynamic benchmark for production vehicles," according to Mercedes PR minions. The EQS will be produced together with the S-Class and the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class on a completely carbon-neutral basis in "Factory 56" at the Sindelfingen plant, Mercedes-Benz's most modern automotive production facility. The battery systems are produced at the nearby Mercedes-Benz Untertürkheim location in the Hedelfingen plant part. The EQS will launch in the U.S. market in the fall of 2021. 

(Jeep images) 
This year’s Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah, will feature a lineup of custom-built concept vehicles created by Jeep® brand and Jeep Performance Parts (JPP). Enthusiasts from all over the world will gather March 27 to April 4 in Moab for an extended holiday week of trail rides and technical off-roading on some of the most challenging and picturesque terrain. The concepts include the Jeep® Magneto: A BEV concept for the Jeep Wrangler.

The Jeepster Beach is a Resto-Mod update of a 1968 Jeep Commander (C-101) that blends a vintage body with a modern drivetrain.


The Jeep Red Bare is a fully custom Gladiator Rubicon concept that pairs stout 4x4 capability with ultimate performance with a 91:1 crawl ratio, EcoDiesel fuel efficiency and driving range.


The Jeep Orange Peelz is a straight-up tribute to "the long-standing, open-air, fun-and-freedom lifestyle that makes the Jeep Wrangler a global icon."

AE Song of the Week:

Love I get so lost, sometimes
Days pass and this emptiness fills my heart
When I want to run away
I drive off in my car
But whichever way I go
I come back to the place you are

All my instincts, they return
And the grand facade, so soon will burn
Without a noise, without my pride
I reach out from the inside

In your eyes
The light the heat
In your eyes
I am complete
In your eyes
I see the doorway to a thousand churches
In your eyes
The resolution of all the fruitless searches
In your eyes
I see the light and the heat
In your eyes
Oh, I want to be that complete
I want to touch the light
The heat I see in your eyes

Love, I don't like to see so much pain
So much wasted and this moment keeps slipping away
I get so tired of working so hard for our survival
I look to the time with you to keep me awake and alive

And all my instincts, they return
And the grand facade, so soon will burn
Without a noise, without my pride
I reach out from the inside

In your eyes
The light the heat
In your eyes
I am complete
In your eyes
I see the doorway to a thousand churches
In your eyes
The resolution of all the fruitless searches
In your eyes
I see the light and the heat
In your eyes
Oh, I want to be that complete
I want to touch the light,
The heat I see in your eyes
In your eyes, in your eyes
In your eyes, in your eyes
In your eyes, in your eyes

"In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel from the album "So" (1986)*. Written by Peter Gabriel; Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC. Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind. Watch the Official Music Video here. 

*According to Gabriel, the lyrics could refer to either the love between a man and woman or the relationship between a person and God. The West African musician Youssou N'Dour sang backup on this track, giving it a distinctive vocal texture. Gabriel learned about him in 1984 when N'Dour was performing in England. They became friends and collaborators, with a mutual respect for each others' music. N'Dour joined Gabriel on the So tour and was very well received - he was part of an extended version of "In Your Eyes" and also sang on "Biko." In 1991 Gabriel performed the song in N'Dour's native country of Senegal before a crowd of 70,000. This song was featured in the 1989 movie Say Anything in a scene where John Cusack plays it from a Boom Box he holds over his head to win the heart of Ione Skye. Cameron Crowe, who directed the film, was going to use Billy Idol's "Got To Be A Lover," but it didn't work with the scene. Crowe got the idea to use this when he played a tape from his wedding which had the song on it. Because it was a deeply personal song, Gabriel did not want to let him use it, but when Crowe called and sent him a tape of the movie, Gabriel loved it and gave his approval. The producers of Say Anything were charged about $200,000 to use the song, but it was worth the price as it became one of the most famous scenes in movie history. The scene became a cultural touchstone, which was a little strange for Gabriel. He told Rolling Stone in 2012: "I've talked to John Cusack about that. We're sort of trapped together in a minuscule moment of contemporary culture." A special 7:14 mix of this song was released to radio stations by Geffen Records. It features extended singing by Youssou N'Dour. This promotional copy also included a 6:15 version of the song, and an 8:36 of Gabriel's "Biko." This is one of the few slow songs that gets consistent airplay on rock radio. It was not very popular when it came out, but continues to get constant airplay on a variety of formats, as listeners never seem to tire of it. (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)