Beverly Hills. So, I was invited (or to be more precise, Peter was, but I live closer) to Century City mall to preview the new Sony/Honda AFEELA, the “first production model”... “representing the company's vision of 'Mobility as a Creative Entertainment Space.'”

Now, I would be the first to tell you that I am perhaps the last person you should actually send to review this kind of thing, especially since the introduction had nothing to do with actually driving it. I mean, I don't even wear headphones when I am out walking, and after a year of owning my '03 Z-4 I have not bothered to upgrade the radio to bluetooth so I can answer the phone while driving. I am happy to shift my own gears and be able to find Chris Douridas, “Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!” and KJAZZ, happily clustered on the low side of the FM dial. I think I am skating the edge of high-tech having a key with buttons to pop the trunk and a power top that I don't have to unlatch. Tech neither frightens nor flummoxes me; some of it I just don't see the need for. But I don't need power assistance to open and close car doors.

Yet.

Some of the tech I applaud - the inside screens that should (but do not because of federal regs) replace the outside mirrors are such a no-brainer one wonders why DOGE hasn't done something about THAT - the inside screens are so naturally placed they make the outside mirrors seem as antiquated as tube tires and headlamps lit by acetylene gas. Same for the inside rearview mirror.

Less interesting to me is the dizzying array of apps that are available (or will be), which were spread across the pillar-to-pillar display, or the AI which cheerily asks you how your day is going when you get in - and apparently expects a response (one wonders what the response would be if you said you were having a bad one - a pep talk? Auto-pilot you to the nearest 7-11 for a revivifying slushee? Or perhaps Trembling Acres, where it has helpfully made you a reservation for a recycled rubber room? The mind wobbles, as Kelly Bundy was wont to say).

Since we did not actually get the car in motion, we were not able to experience any of the promised self-driving tech, which they assured would have at least semi-autonomous capabilities on city streets. We were also not able to interact with the mapping function. (They have not as yet disclosed who they are partnering with for mapping and/or real time traffic info.)

I would actually be interested in seeing how it drives; the steering column is capped with one of those yokes that Tesla briefly flirted with, and I wonder about. Do they have super-variable steering that will make the low speed turns toe-in quicker, or will you have to twirl that little thing around three or four times to get out of a parking space? I am much more interested in acceleration at the on-ramp and how touchy the brakes are than the fact that I can change the mood lighting or have Dolby Atmos pipe in three different engine noises depending upon my mood. I do have on occasion a need for a car that seats four, but not necessarily one that will allow passengers in the back to ignore each other by watching two different movies while the front-seat passenger uses their PS5, all with active noise canceling between the seats so the person playing Call of Duty doesn't bug the person streaming cat videos.

Perhaps the silliest thing on the car is the “Media Bar,” a literal Times Square Zipper on the front of the thing that allows you to give personalized messages to the unsuspecting on the street. First thing I asked was whether this was accessible while driving. The answer was “no” for obvious safety reasons. Dashing my hopes of cruising my 'hood with snarky messages like “Last season? Really?” or “Yes, I did go to Irv's Burgers again. So what?”

It's Sony/Honda, so it's all put together beautifully, with lovely finishes that whisper “I am very comfortable but would never be so vulgar as to flaunt it.” The outside is covered by a gorgeous non-metallic paint in what must be called “Forget Me Grey” and except for the lumps on the forward section of the roof that house the cameras, sensors, and LiDAR (and that “Media Bar”) smooth almost to the point of anonymity. It's a beautifully done technical achievement. And it does nothing at all for me.

Now, if you'll excuse, me I am going to shoo some darned meddling kids off my lawn...

(Tom Pease)

Toyota is Introducing the GR Supra MkV Final Edition at the Grand Prix of Long Beach. The MkV Final Edition Features Optimized Tuning, Improved Braking and Chassis and Suspension Updates. 3.0 and 3.0 Premium Grades Available and all grades Offer 382HP with 368 lb-ft. of Torque.

 


(Genesis Images)
Genesis unveiled the X Gran Coupe Concept and the X Gran Convertible Concept at the Seoul Mobility Show 2025 in Goyang, Korea. The X Gran Coupe Concept and the X Gran Convertible Concept are derivatives of Genesis’ flagship model, the G90. Both concepts "demonstrate the brand’s future position as an emotional luxury brand through distinct typologies," according to Genesis PR minions. “Each concept car is a unique expression of Genesis’ luxury ethos designed to provide a sophisticated and immersive driving experience,” said Ilhun Yoon, Head of the Genesis Design Center in Seoul.

 

(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.

 

 

The AE Song of the Week:

"Panama" by Van Halen.* Watch the Official Music Video here. 

*Panama is a country in Central America famous for its canal, but it has nothing to do with this song. The lyrics are about a stripper David Lee Roth met in Arizona. As he explained on The Howard Stern Show, the song came about after an interview Roth gave in the early '80s; the interviewer accused him of only writing lyrics about sex, drugs, and fast cars. Sometime either during or after the interview, Diamond Dave realized he'd never actually written a song about fast cars, so he started working on the lyrics to "Panama," which he later admitted in another interview that, as it turns out, he had been writing about a stripper he knew without realizing it. The finished lyrics were inspired by both the stripper and the car. "Panama" was one of the last Van Halen songs recorded with David Lee Roth as lead singer before he left the band to go solo. With Roth at the helm, the group built a huge following with five albums released from 1978-1982. They took a little more time before issuing their sixth, 1984, early in 1984. With the synth-driven lead single, "Jump," they landed a #1 hit and crossed over to a much wider audience, but they didn't leave their core fans behind. The rocker "I'll Wait" was the next single, followed by "Panama," which left no doubt where the group's priorities lay (girls, guitars, cars). "Hot For Teacher" was the last single, keeping the group on the airwaves throughout 1984.

With Roth gone, Van Halen entered a new era with lead singer Sammy Hagar. Their first album with him was 5150, released in 1986. Hagar's lyrics were more mature but still rocked. Hits from that album include "Dreams" and "Why Can't This Be Love?" Roth reunited with the band in 2007; they released their last album, A Different Kind of Truth, in 2012.

The car David Lee Roth drives in the video is from his own collection. It's a 1951 Mercury convertible (with four doors) christened the "California Girl." It later appeared in his video for "California Girls." 

In the video, Michael Anthony plays a bass shaped like a bottle of Jack Daniel's whiskey, which the company custom made for him. This was a product placement coup, since MTV had a strict policy against advertising within videos - they made ZZ Top remove a shot of Schlitz beer from one of their clips before they would air it. By integrating the product into Anthony's bass, there was no good way to remove it, and MTV wasn't about to turn down a Van Halen video in 1984.

During the bridge, after David Lee Roth says, "I can barely see the road from the heat comin' off it," you can hear the sound of a car revving in the background. The car is Eddie Van Halen's 1972 Lamborghini Miura S, a gift from his wife, Valerie Bertinelli, when they got married.

"Panama" was one of the first songs recorded at Eddie Van Halen's 5150 studios. "5150" is California police code for a mentally unstable person causing a disturbance. (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com) 

 

Editor's Note: Click on "Next 1 Entries" at the bottom of this page to see previous issues. - WG