APRIL 12, 2023

(BMW images)
BMW M GmbH is calling this "an even more powerful, more exclusive version of its first-ever electrified high-performance vehicle." The 2024 BMW XM Label Red features an M HYBRID drivetrain "with additional power and unique design accents that clearly announce its exceptional performance capabilities." Maximum system output is 738HP (a 94-hp increase over the standard BMW XM) with 738 lb-ft. of torque, so the BMW XM Label Red is "the most powerful BMW M road vehicle ever made." The BMW XM Label Red makes its world debut at the Auto Shanghai international motor show in April 2023. Production will begin in August 2023 at BMW Group Plant Spartanburg in South Carolina. Key details - like the price - have been left out. And the weight wasn't released either, but something tells us that this "thing" approaches 6,000 lbs, if not more. Editor-in-Chief's Note: Why does it even exist? Well, that's another thing altogether. This is what unmitigated greed looks like while BMW is in pursuit of every niche - both real and imagined - that it can get its hands on. The image erosion of this once-great brand has been prodigious and stupefying. It is flat-out depressing. And really stupid. -PMD

(Toyota)
The new Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid "is value-priced and packed with features not typically found in a small crossover," according to Toyota PR minions. The Corolla Cross Hybrid features the Fifth Generation Toyota Hybrid System with increased performance + efficiency; it's available in S, SE and XSE configurations and All-Wheel Drive is standard. It has 196HP and an EPA-estimated 42 combined MPG for all grades. Arriving in dealerships this June, Corolla Cross Hybrid will have a starting MSRP of $27,970. This just in: They'll probably sell the shit out of 'em.

(Stellantis)
Stellantis unveiled its all-new, all-electric 2025 Ram 1500 REV – the first battery-electric light-duty pickup truck from Ram Truck – at the New York International Auto Show on Wednesday (4/5). The 2025 Ram 1500 REV will offer customers two all-electric options, including a standard 168-kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery pack with a targeted range of up to 350 miles and an optional 229-kWh large battery pack with a targeted range of up to an unsurpassed 500 miles. (Emphasis on the word "targeted" here; in other words, we'll believe it when we see it. -PMD.) Both can add up to 110 miles of range in approximately 10 minutes with 800-volt DC fast charging at up to 350 kW, according to Stellantis PR minions. Other stuff? Vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid bi-directional charging will allow the Ram 1500 REV to charge another Stellantis battery-electric vehicle, or provide power back to the grid. An onboard power panel in the bed can provide up to 7.2 kW while an available onboard power panel in the front trunk provides up to 3.6 kW. Other targeted performance figures include a 0-60 mph time of 4.4 seconds, 654HP and 620 lb.-ft. of torque, up to 24 inches of water fording, up to 14,000 pounds towing and a maximum payload capacity of 2,700 pounds. No pricing info was released, and we don't expect it to show up in market for 20 months at the earliest.

(Petersen Automotive Museum images)
In collaboration with Porsche Cars North America, a 40-car display titled “We Are Porsche” will celebrate the storied marque’s 75th anniversary, and feature key models, along with motorsport and celebrity personalities behind the brand’s success at the Petersen Automotive Museum. Cars like the 1959 Porsche 718 RSK (above), 1964 Porsche 904 GTS and the 1958 Porsche 356 Carrera GT Speedster raced by Bruce Jennings - among many others - will be on display.

The AE Song of the Week:

Welcome to your life
There's no turning back
Even while we sleep
We will find you

Acting on your best behaviour
Turn your back on mother nature
Everybody wants to rule the world

It's my own design
It's my own remorse
Help me to decide
Help me make the most

Of freedom and of pleasure
Nothing ever lasts forever
Everybody wants to rule the world

There's a room where the light won't find you
Holding hands while the walls come tumbling down
When they do I'll be right behind you

So glad we've almost made it
So sad they had to fade it
Everybody wants to rule the world

I can't stand this indecision
Married with a lack of vision
Everybody wants to rule the world
Say that you'll never, never, never, never need it
One headline why believe it?
Everybody wants to rule the world

All for freedom and for pleasure
Nothing ever lasts forever
Everybody wants to rule the world

"Everybody Wants To Rule The World" by Tears for Fears, from the album "Songs From The Big Chair" (1985).* Written by Christopher Merrick Hughes, Ian Stanley and Roland Orzabal. Publisher: BMG Rights Management, Songtrust Ave., Tratore, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc. Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind. Watch the Original Music Video here. 

 *This song is about the quest for power, and how it can have unfortunate consequences. In an interview with Mixmagazine, the band's producer Chris Hughes explained that they spent months working on "Shout," and near the end of the sessions, Roland Orzabal came into the studio and played two simple chords on his acoustic guitar, which became the basis for the song. Said Hughes: "'Everybody Wants to Rule the World' was so simple and went down so quickly, it was effortless, really. In fact, as a piece of recording history, it's bland as hell." This was the first US #1 hit for Tears for Fears. "Shout" went to #1 two months later. "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" is a line from the 1980 Clash song "Charlie Don't Surf." Did Tears for Fears lift it? Joe Strummer of The Clash thought so. He recounted a story to Musician magazine about confronting Roland Orzabal in a restaurant, informing Orzabal that "you owe me a fiver." Strummer said that Roland reached in his pocket and produced a five pound note, ostensibly as compensation for poaching the line for his hit title. Although musically this is quite a jangly and catchy song, its lyrical theme is actually pretty dark. "The concept is quite serious - it's about everybody wanting power, about warfare and the misery it causes," Curt Smith of Tears For Fears explained on the band's website. (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)

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