JANUARY 29, 2025
Sunday, January 26, 2025 at 07:39AM 
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
LYRIQ-V features standard dual motor all-wheel drive and Cadillac-estimated 615HP and 650 lb-ft (880 Nm) of torque, delivering a Cadillac-estimated 0-60 time of 3.3 seconds with Velocity Max, a driver-selectable feature that unleashes the vehicle’s full performance capability, making it the quickest Cadillac ever. LYRIQ-V includes a 102 kilowatt-hour battery pack that will enable a Cadillac-estimated 285 miles of range. You also get:
- V-Mode takes performance customization further, allowing drivers to save performance-focused settings, including Competitive Mode and a unique sound experience. It’s intended to offer instant access to their preferred performance-driving settings via the V button, mounted on the steering wheel. V-Mode can also be accessed in the Drive Mode app within the 33-inch-diagonal advanced LED display.
- Unique, multi-layered sound experience. Interior and exterior signature sounds are synchronized for an orchestrated sonic experience.
- Launch Control, designed for consistently thrilling straight line acceleration. When engaged in V-Mode or Velocity Max, the vehicle will deliver a 0-60 time of 3.3 seconds.
- Competitive Mode enables a suite of traction management features specifically engineered to increase vehicle agility.
- Brembo® performance front brake calipers are standard. Available red calipers are accented with the V-Series logo.
- Standard Super Cruise, the industry’s first truly hands-free driver assistance technology (with three years of OnStar connected service).
- Unique to LYRIQ-V 22-inch wheels, with a dark sport finish and an etched V-Series logo come with a choice of standard summer or available all-season tires.
- LYRIQ-V will launch with a dual-plane Augmented Reality Head Up Display.
The AE Song of the Week:
Clean shirt, new shoes
And I don't know where I am goin' to
Silk suit, black tie (black tie)
I don't need a reason why
They come runnin' just as fast as they can
'Cause every girl crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man
Gold watch, diamond ring
I ain't missin' not a single thing
Cufflinks, stick pin
When I step out, I'm gonna do you in
They come runnin' just as fast as they can
'Cause every girl crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man
Top coat, top hat
But I don't worry 'cause my wallet's fat
Black shades, white gloves
Lookin' sharp, lookin' for love
They come runnin' just as fast as they can
'Cause every girl crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man
"Sharp Dressed Man" by ZZ Top from the album, "Eliminator" (1983).* Written by Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard. Publisher: BMG Rights Management. Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind. Watch the Official Music Video here.
*ZZ Top were never considered sex symbols or fashion icons, but they were convincing in this song about how rich, well-dressed men are irresistible to women. This being the '80s, a silk suit was considered fashionable, although ZZ Top were much more comfortable in denim. In a 1985 interview with Spin magazine, bass player Dusty Hill explained: "Sharp-dressed depends on who you are. If you're on a motorcycle, really sharp leather is great. If you're a punk rocker, you can get sharp that way. You can be sharp or not sharp in any mode. It's all in your head. If you feel sharp, you be sharp." According to Billy Gibbons, he got the idea for this song when he saw a movie and a character was listed in the credits as "Sharp-Eyed Man" (possibly the 1981 film The Amateur). The music video was the first that was a sequel. It picked up the story from the "Gimme All Your Lovin'" video of the down-on-his-luck gas station worker who is swept away by three beautiful women. In "Sharp Dressed Man," he's a valet, and he encounters the same three girls and is once again given the keys to the Eliminator, Billy Gibbons' 1933 Ford Hot Rod. This was one of the first ZZ Top songs to use synthesizers. Mixed with Billy Gibbons' distinctive guitar, it gave them a new sound without alienating their old fans. It also helped that ZZ Top used their synths for bass, keeping the sound more heavy and less Human League. Gibbons called it "a successful marriage of a techno beat with bar band blues." After the second chorus, Billy Gibbons solos on guitar for over a minute before the third verse appears. He filled this section with lots of twists and turns to keep it interesting, and layered two guitars to create a compound track. For one of those guitar lines, he played a Fender Esquire with a slide; the other he played on his 1959 Les Paul ("Pearly Gates") in standard tuning. The final chorus ends three minutes into the song, followed by another minute or so of instrumental outro. These instrumental sections were truncated on the single, which was cut down to 3:01 from the 4:13 album version. The video used the full song. This song attracted a slew of new fans to ZZ Top when the video ran constantly on MTV. Their long beards made them instantly recognizable and the babes certainly helped, but the car was the real star. Previous ZZ Top albums had a Tex-Mex vibe, but when it came time to sort out visuals for the album, the hot rod was finally ready - Gibbons had been working on it for years. It was good timing, giving them an MTV-friendly focal point just when they needed it. They had never made videos before and had no acting experience, but their videos provided everything MTV's target audience craved: girls, rock and roll, and a really sweet ride. The video vixens are Jeana Tomasino, Kymberly Herrin, and Danièle Arnaud. Tomasino would later become Jeana Keogh and star in The Real Housewives of Orange County. Eliminator was one of few albums that have sold over 10 million copies in America, earning Diamond certification. (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com) Editor-in-Chief's Note: All three of the ZZ Top videos from Eliminator - "Legs" "Gimme All Your Lovin'" and "Sharp Dressed Man" were directed by my friend Tim Newman, who also won the very first MTV Video Award for Best Director. Tim and I worked together on several advertising spots after his work for ZZ Top. -PMD
Editor's Note: Click on "Next 1 Entries" at the bottom of this page to see previous issues. - WG