Issue 1265
September 18, 2024
 

About The Autoextremist

@PeterMDeLorenzo

Author, commentator, "The Consigliere."

Editor-in-Chief of Autoextremist.com.

Follow Autoextremist

 

On The Table


Sunday
Jun252023

JUNE 28, 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 

 

(Singer Vehicle Design images)
In response to requests from clients, Singer Vehicle Design - the California-based luxury specialist that restores air-cooled Porsche 911s in collaboration with their owners - has evolved the Dynamics & Lightweighting Study (DLS) to incorporate turbocharging. These latest restoration and modification services result in another Porsche 911 reimagined by Singer - the DLS Turbo - to celebrate the victorious 934/5 endurance racers of the 1970s. The process begins when the owner of a Type 964 Porsche 911 sends their car to Singer with the request to carry out a personalized restoration. The owner’s car is carefully disassembled. The interior is removed, as are the exterior bodywork and all mechanical components, until the steel monocoque (chassis) is revealed. The chassis is painstakingly assessed, cleaned, strengthened and prepared so that it is in optimal condition for the next stages of the restoration. A modified carbon fiber bodywork is used to reduce weight and increase stiffness. The shape of the carbon fiber bodywork is influenced by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis - to optimize aerodynamic performance. A central front intake and hood vent optimize cooling performance, while rear fender intakes and NACA ducts aid brake and turbocharger cooling. Some owners prefer their restoration be track-focused (shown in Blood Orange), while others prefer a road-focused restoration (shown in Moet Blanc). As with all Singer’s restoration and modification services, the engine from the owner’s Type 964 Porsche 911 is the starting point. The engine is disassembled down to the engine block before being restored using high performance components and modifications to optimize performance. The unique, 3.8L, 4-valves per cylinder flat-six uses twin turbochargers, with electric wastegates, air-to-water intercooling and a horizontally mounted, electrically powered fan. This evolution of the engine developed for DLS restorations enables power outputs over 700HP at more than 9000 rpm. Each restoration is unique. Every owner is able to share their personal preferences and requirements for bespoke engineering as part of the process of working with Singer to personalize their own 911. Prices for Singer's restoration services are dependent on the requests by each car’s owner. A limited number of restorations will be commissioned. In other words, you probably can't afford it, but if you want to see one up close, you can attend the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK from July 13-16, 2023, or the Monterey Peninsula in Northern California for Car Week in August 2023.

 

 

(Honda)

Honda calls the lightweight and minimalist 2024 CB300R its "ultimate entry-level sport-naked machine." It features exposed hardware and a cutaway tail, and it touts premium features from its larger-capacity siblings, making the CB300R "an affordable, approachable naked sport bike." It is available in Matte Black Metallic or Pearl Dusk Yellow (shown). How much? It has an MSRP of $5,149, and it will be available in July.




Father's Day in Beverly Hills.

By Tom Pease

Beverly Hills. This Sunday marked the 28th time the City of Beverly Hills celebrated Father’s Day with the annual Concours d’Elegance, this time back on Rodeo after a couple years of alternate events because of Covid. In anticipation of the crowds the event started an hour early, and the crowds were already starting to, well, crowd into the three blocks under the morning June Gloom. Fisker and Lucid were there showing things I didn’t care about, so sorry, no photos. But please enjoy a selection of photos of the cars that caught my eye. And if you happen to find yourself in Los Angeles next Father's Day, be sure to stop by the Concours 2024.
(Images by Tom Pease)

 



The AE Song of the Week:

People living their lives for you on TV
They say they're better than you and you agree
He says, "Hold my calls from behind those cold brick walls"
Says, "Come here, boy, there ain't nothing for free"
Another doctor's bill, a lawyer's bill
Another cute cheap thrill
You know you love him if you put in your will but

Who will save your souls when it comes to the powers now?
Who, who will save your souls after all the lies that you told, boy?
And who will save your souls if you won't save your own?
La di-di-da, di-da, di-da-da, da-la-da

We try to hustle them, try to bustle them, try to cuss 'em
The cops want someone to bust down on Orleans Avenue
Another day, another dollar, another war, another tower
Went up where the homeless had their homes
So we pray to as many different Gods as there are flowers
But we call religion our friend
We're so worried about saving our souls
Afraid that God will take His toll
That we forget to begin but

Who will save your souls when it comes to the babies now?
Who, who will save your souls after those lies that you told, boy?
And who will save your souls if you won't save your own?
La di-di-da, di-da, di-da-da, da-la-da

Some are walking, some are talking, some are stalking their kill
Got social security but it doesn't pay your bills
There are addictions to feed and there are mouths to pay
So you bargain with the devil, but you're okay for today, say
That you love them, take their money and run
Say it's been swell, sweetheart, but it was just one of those things
Those flings, those strings you've got to cut
So get out on the streets, girls, and bust your butts

Who will save your souls when it comes to the babies now?
Who, who will save your souls after those lies that you told, boy
And who will save your souls if you won't save your own?


"Who Will Save Your Soul" by Jewel, from the album "Pieces Of You" (1994).* Written by Jewel Kilcher. Publisher: BMG Rights Management, Downtown Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc. Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind. Watch the Original Music Video here

*Jewel wrote this when she was 16. She traveled a lot in those days, and took a trip to Mexico where she hitchhiked around the country. She was amazed to see how many people looked like they were waiting for someone to save them. She told Entertainment Weekly: "I started street-singing along the way, and that's when 'Who Will Save Your Soul' came. I didn't know any chords - I played the same four over and over and just started improvising lyrics. I sang and gave foot rubs to tourists at the docks in Cabo, and hitchhiked without being murdered or raped. I always carried my little skinning knife. It wasn't little, actually. It was a pretty big knife." This was Jewel's first single. It was first released in 1994, and took a long time to find an audience. Two years later, as female singer/songwriters like Sheryl Crow, Sara McLachlan, and Alanis Morissette became very popular, radio stations started adding the song to their playlists, and it was re-released as a single. This time, it became a hit, peaking at #11 in August 1996, 18 months after the Pieces Of You album was issued. Geoff Moore directed the music video, which was shot in a bathroom at Los Angeles City Hall. Jewel regards restrooms as sanctuaries. She told Entertainment Weekly: "I grew up outdoors and in nature, and I found the only place in cities I could be alone was the bathroom." Moore recruited his friends to play the characters in the video, including the drag queen, who was My Fair Lady actor Rex Harrison's grandson. Most of the album was recorded at Neil Young's Broken Arrow Ranch in Redwood City, California. Ben Keith, who produced Pieces of You, is known as a pedal steel guitarist in Young's band, and a co-producer for the album Harvest Moon, which was a favorite of Jewel's. The music video was nominated for Best Female Video at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1996, but lost to Alanis Morissette's "Ironic." This earned Jewel a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1997, but Toni Braxton won for "Un-Break My Heart." (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)


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