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
The AE Quote of the Month:
"That vast swaths of this business have a major case of 'buyers’ remorse' with what’s going on right now is understandable, but it’s definitely not forgivable. That these people weren’t paying attention, and that certain CEOs were actively courting the current occupant of the Oval Office figuring that it would hold them and their companies in good stead is simply naïve and laughable, if it wasn’t so painful. Those CEOs and key supplier executives got played by a person who not only doesn’t understand anything about this business, but simply doesn't care. He is, after all, someone who is only interested in dominating media coverage any which way he can, and if the U.S. Auto Industry becomes collateral damage in the process, then so be it. Remember this always: He and his handlers simply don’t give a shit.
The Tariffs being actively held over this industry’s head on an ongoing basis is the new – and ugly – reality for Detroit. Congratulations to all for signing up for four long years of this mayhem. You knew better, but you failed yourselves and everyone associated with this business. Will some of these CEOs and leaders of the big suppliers fall by the wayside because of their serial incompetence? One can only hope. Wait a minute, check that: you can count on it." -PMD (March 9, 2025)
Editor-in-Chief's Note: It's not just capricious tariffs wreaking havoc on everyday life around here. This, from the Detroit Free Press: "Food banks across Michigan are bracing for food shortages this year after the federal government stopped $4.3 million worth of shipments, including chicken, eggs and cheese ― even as many report that the need for food assistance is increasing. The canceled orders, meant to go to food banks between April and August, account for more than 2 million meals, according to a March 27 news release from the Food Bank Council of Michigan, which advocates for a network of seven regional food banks in places as far flung as Kentwood and Flint. Food banks are now left scrambling to fill in gaps with their own funds, food purchases and donations." Nicely done, Musk, you reprehensible asshole. -PMD
Editor's Note: Just how bad are these tariffs? The chart below shows the potential tariff impact on the most popular cars in the U.S. not produced domestically. -WG
(Data credit: iSeeCars)
(GM Design/Cadillac images)
Editor-in-Chief's Note: I've decided to revisit Cadillac's Opulent Velocity Concept, which GM Design presented last August. I wasn't particularly kind to it at the time, but upon further review, I decided to give it another look. First of all, I admit that the name was and still is a nonstarter for me. Cadillac PR minions called the concept "a pure expression of innovative design and prestigious performance. By combining advanced technology with bespoke luxury, the concept represents the future vision of electric performance for Cadillac V-Series." That's all well and good, but this was the first Cadillac concept from GM Design in more than two decades that didn't wear a proper name, and I feel it hurt this concept immeasurably. Cadillac's PR minions went on to say that, "The Opulent experience imagines the personal freedom that full autonomous mobility could enable." And, "The Velocity experience provides the user with the maximum thrill of a hypercar vehicle, while keeping the sense of luxury that has become synonymous with Cadillac V-Series." Again, all well and good, but it does a terrible disservice to this concept to hang a positioning statement on it in lieu of a name, which was a major misstep by the operatives involved with the project. As for the concept itself, if I remove the tedious nomenclature from the equation, it's actually is exceedingly good. So, there's that. Is it as impactful as the Cadillac SOLLEI Concept? Not even close, but the SOLLEI is simply the most beautiful Cadillac concept to come out of GM Design in history, so it was an impossible task to eclipse it. -PMD
The Cadillac SOLLEI Concept.
(Aston Martin images)
Aston Martin is calling the new Vanquish Volante "the world’s fastest, most powerful front-engine convertible." What do you get? A class-leading twin-turbo 5.2-litre V12 engine with 824BHP and 738 lb-ft of torque @ 2,500 – 5,000 rpm; A top speed of 214mph and 0-60 mph in just 3.3 seconds; Innovative "K-fold" roof and intelligent structural reinforcement; A chassis and structure extensively modified for optimal dynamic performance. It will be available in the third quarter of this year. How much? Aston isn't saying.
Editor-in-Chief's Note: Headline from Automotive News that had us shaking our heads: "Nissan says it’s here to stay at show-and-tell, plans wave of 10 products by ’27 in ‘critical’ U.S." To that we add, "Sure," "No Fucking Way," and "NotgonnahappeninThisLifetimedotcom. -PMD
The AE Song of the Week:
Drivin' home this evening
I coulda sworn we had it all worked out
You had this boy believin'
Way beyond the shadow of a doubt, yeah
Well I heard it on the street
I heard you mighta found somebody new, yeah
Well who is he baby, who is he
And tell me what he means to you, oh yeah
I took it all for granted
But how was I to know
That you'd be letting go
Now it cuts like a knife
But it feels so right
Yeah, it cuts like a knife
Oh, but it feels so right
There's times I've been mistaken
There's times I thought I'd been misunderstood, ooo yeah
So wait a minute darlin'
Can't you see we did the best we could, ooo we could
Wouldn't be the first time
That things have gone astray
Now you've thrown it all away
Now it cuts like a knife
Yeah but it feels so right
Oh it cuts like a knife
Yeah but it feels so right
Oh it's cut like a knife
But it feels so right, baby
Oh it cuts like a knife, yeah
I took it all for granted
But how was I to know
That you'd be letting go
Now it cuts like a knife
Yeah but it feels so right, mmm
Now it cuts like a knife
Yeah, but it feels so right
Yeah
Oh it cuts like a knife
Oh oh
But it feels so right, baby
Oh yeah
It cuts like a knife
Now give it to me now
Oh yeah, come on boys, awh
Cuts like a knife, yeah yeah yeah
Na, it cuts like a knife now
It feels so right, yeah yeah
It feels so right, baby
Na na yeah, it feels so right
And it cuts like a knife
"Cuts Like A Knife" by Bryan Adams from the album "Cuts Like A Knife" (1983)*. Written by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance. Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group. Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind. Watch the Official Music Video here.
*This song became the highest-charting song from the album of the same title, and has become one of his most popular songs, appearing on almost all of Adams' compilation albums. Jim Vallance has had a prolific songwriting career, having composed for Bonnie Raitt, Aerosmith, Carly Simon, Rod Stewart, Roger Daltrey, Tina Turner, Alice Cooper, Ozzy Osbourne, Anne Murray and Joe Cocker. He is a four-time winner of the Canadian Juno award for Composer of the Year; the only person to have such a distinction. Bryan Adams himself has an impressive trophy case to show off. He has been nominated for 17 Grammy Awards, three of which he won, all for his soundtrack work on the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Add to this one American Music Award (nominated three times), 18 Juno Awards (nominated fifty-five times), one MTV Video Music Award (nominated ten times), and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010. In a 1988 interview with Canada's Georgia Straight newspaper, Adams reveals that the chorus for this song came about when he was jamming on the guitar and singing "it cuts like a knife" over and over again. Vallance started chiming in with "but it feels so right." Vallance pointed out in deciding to go with a simple "na-na-na" backing chorus, he was intentionally invoking songs like The Beatles' "Hey Jude," Steam's "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" and Journey's "Lovin, Touchin, Squeezin." (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)
Editor's Note: Click on "Next 1 Entries" at the bottom of this page to see previous issues. - WG
Sunday, March 30, 2025 at 06:54AM 
