NOVEMBER 6, 2024

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 

(Hyundai images)

From the giant "We'll See" File, Hyundai Motor Company has unveiled its INITIUM hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) concept at its "Clearly Committed" event held at Hyundai Motorstudio Goyang. INITIUM is a Latin word meaning ‘beginning’ or ‘first,’ "representing Hyundai Motor’s status as a hydrogen energy pioneer and its commitment to develop a hydrogen society," according to Hyundai PR minions. INITIUM is a preview of a new production FCEV that Hyundai Motor plans to unveil in the first half of next year. The concept not only encapsulates the company’s 27 years of hydrogen technology development to date, but it also marks the debut of Hyundai Motor’s new design language – called "Art of Steel – embodying the character of HTWO, Hyundai Motor Group’s dedicated hydrogen value chain business brand.

 

(Porsche images)

Porsche has announced that the enthusiast-focused 911 Carrera T is back for the 2025 model year as a coupe, and for the first time it will also be available as a cabriolet model. The 911 Carrera T uses the same 3.0-liter twin-turbo boxer engine as the standard Carrera. It generates 388HP and 331 lb.-ft. of torque, and is capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds as a coupe or 4.5 seconds in Cabriolet form. The top track speed of the Coupe and Cabriolet is 183 mph and 182 mph, respectively. Interesting Note: A standard six-speed manual transmission sends power to the rear wheels and uses the first six ratios of the seven-speed manual used previously in the Type 992.1 Carrera models. Notably, the shift lever is topped with a walnut ball that helps distinguish this as a special model every time the driver changes gears. (Like the famous shift knob on the 917 -PMD). The car comes standard with an auto-blip feature that rev-matches the engine to the appropriate transmission speed. This feature can be manually disabled, and is part of the Sport Chrono package, which is standard equipment on the Carrera T, and offers the convenience of a dial integrated in the leather-wrapped GT Sport steering wheel for quick access to Normal, Sport, Sport Plus and Wet drive modes. This also includes the Track Precision app, and a tire temperature display in the instrument cluster display area. A Sport Exhaust system is also standard equipment, and in combination with reduced sound deadening material this creates an especially emotional driving experience. More? Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), which is also standard and lowered by 10 millimeters compared to the 911 Carrera, is tuned specifically for the Carrera T. As is the case with the standard 911 Carrera, the braking system improves for this generation by upgrading to 350 mm front and rear brake discs (+20 mm versus the prior generation) and six-piston fixed calipers on the front axle in replacement of the four-piston fixed calipers used in the predecessor. As a result of rear-axle steering becoming standard equipment, the steering ratio also quickens compared to the 911 Carrera. The front and rear anti-roll bars have also been revised to make the car more even agile and stable during enthusiastic driving. Porsche Torque Vectoring, which uses a mechanical rear differential lock and targeted brake interventions to direct power to the rear outside wheel while cornering is also standard equipment. Carrera T specific aerodynamic adjustments also contribute to the overall balance of the car. Carrera S alloy wheels in staggered 20-inch front and 21-inch rear diameter are also standard equipment, and come wrapped in 245/35 ZR20 tires in front and 305/30 ZR21 tires on the rear. Lightweight glass, reduced sound deadening material and a six-speed manual transmission all contribute to a lower curb weight than the standard 911 Carrera. Optional carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) bucket seats offer customers the option for an even sportier experience that can save further weight. And, as is the case with Porsche, there's much, much more. The 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T and 911 Carrera T Cabriolet can be ordered right now and is expected to begin arriving in U.S. Porsche Centers next summer. How much? MSRP for the coupe and Cabriolet models will be $134,000 and $147,300, respectively, and before a delivery, processing and handling fee of $1,995. Editor-in-Chief's Note: What, you were expecting a deal? -PMD

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Introducing a new segment to our AE readers - we're calling it The Farley Follies - in honor of CEO Jim "Electric Boy" Farley and his chronic mismanagement of Ford. The newest evidence of Farley's rumblin' bumblin' and stumblin' is Ford's latest financial report, which has the company's third-quarter net income falling 26 percent. Now, this was largely attributed to Ford delaying some of its EVs - (Cue Johny Carson: "Gee, I did not know that." -WG), but it resulted in the company also lowering its full-year adjusted EBIT to “around $10 billion” after previously saying it could earn as much as $12 billion. But wait! Farley Apologist-in-Chief - CFO John Lawler - said it was all good, because the company's total adjusted earnings - before interest and taxes - rose 16 percent to $2.6 billion, with a revenue increase of 5 percent to $46 billion. Huzzah! “It’s a good proof point of our product strategy and our overall Ford+ strategy,” Lawler said on a call with reporters Oct. 28, as reported by Automotive News. “We grew the top line, we grew the bottom line, our balance sheet’s in great shape, so it was a solid quarter.” Really, John? That's all you got? Lawler went on to say that Ford has cut $2 billion in costs this year, but those reductions are being offset by inflation and higher warranty expenses. (Italics mine.) “We’ve got a great strategy, but cost is holding us back,” Lawler said. “It’s an opportunity for us to really unlock the full potential of Ford, and that’s why we’re focused on improving costs not only this focus but every quarter.” Lawler, without specifying an exact dollar amount, according to AN, said Ford’s warranty costs were slightly lower than at the same point a year earlier. That follows an $800 million year-over-year increase in the second quarter. This is Farley speak writ large. Pay no attention to that ol' bugaboo behind the curtain! Ford's abject failure to deal with its crushing warranty costs, which Farley promised to get a handle on from Day One, has permanently scarred the company, and that's directly due to Jimbo's serial incompetence. The Bottom Line for Ford? The Farley Follies continue unabated, and it is wreaking havoc on any of the good will accrued by Bill Ford and his fabulous resurrection of the Michigan Central station. And an ugly reality is looming for Bill Ford, because he has no succession plan for After Farley, which should be much sooner rather than later. I would like to point out to our readers that Jimbo "has plenty of money" as he took it upon himself to tell me repeatedly. (Yeah, he's a card-carrying Unctuous Prick, in case you were wondering.) So, there's no reason to fret about his future After Ford. He will just retreat to California and spend money like water on his vintage racing habit. In closing, in thinking about the consistently underwhelming performance by Farley, I'm reminded of the exceptional - and memorable - quote by Joe Pesci in Casino when describing an underperforming wise guy: "He could fuck-up a cup of coffee." That's an apt and painfully accurate description of Farley. -PMD Editor's Note: As if right on cue, Ford announced on Thursday (10/31) that it would idle its F-150 Lightning EV plant in mid-November for the rest of the year. How's that EV thing working out, "Electric Boy"? - WG

The AE Song of the Week:

Hey!

And she was lying in the grass
And she could hear the highway breathing
And she could see a nearby factory
She's making sure she is not dreaming

See the lights of a neighbor's house
Now she's starting to rise
Take a minute to concentrate
And she opens up her eyes

The world was moving she was right there with it and she was
The world was moving she was floating above it and she was
And she was

And she was drifting through the backyard
And she was taking off her dress
And she was moving very slowly
Rising up above the earth

Moving into the universe and she's
Drifting this way and that
Not touching the ground at all and she's
Up above the yard

The world was moving, she was right there with it and she was
(Hey, hey)
The world was moving, she was floating above it and she was
(Hey, hey, hey)

She was proud about it, no doubt about it
She isn't sure about what she's done
No time to think about what to tell him
No time to think about what she's done and she was
(Hey hey, hey hey, hey)

And she was looking at herself
And things were looking like a movie
She had a pleasant elevation
She's moving out in all directions oh, oh oh

Hey, hey, hey
Hey-hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey-hey hey!

Hey, hey, hey
Hey-hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey-hey hey!

The world was moving, she was right there with it and she was
(Hey, woo hoo)
The world was moving, she was floating above it and she was
(Hey, hey)

Joining the world of missing persons and she was
Missing enough to feel all right and she was

And she was
And she was
And she was
And she was
And she was
Hey!
And she was!
And she was
And she was!

"And She Was" by Talking Heads, from the album "Little Creatures" (1985)*. Written by David Byrne. Publisher: Warner Chappell Music, Inc. Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind. Watch the Official Music Video here. 

*According to David Byrne, who is the only writer credited on the track, this was written about a girl he knew who used to take LSD in a field next to the Yoo-Hoo drink factory in Baltimore. "Somehow that image seemed fitting, the junk food factory and this young girl tripping her brains out gazing at the sky," he told Q magazine in 1992. "But it wasn't a drugs song at all and I don't think people took it that way. I think it gives the impression of a spiritual or emotional experience, instantaneous and unprovoked. The sublime can come out of the ridiculous." The video was the first created by Jim Blashfield, who pioneered a collage-animation style with his short film, Suspicious Circumstances. That got the attention of Talking Heads, which wanted a similar motif for their "And She Was" video. The resulting clip earned MTV Video Music Award nominations for Best Group Video and Best Concept Video. Blashfield was commissioned for more videos in this style; his work can be seen in "The Boy in the Bubble" (Paul Simon), "Sowing the Seeds of Love" (Tears For Fears) and "Leave Me Alone" (Michael Jackson). Talking Heads never performed this live: They stopped touring in 1984 after their Stop Making Sense concert film was released. This is one of the first songs David Byrne brought to the band that was comfortably within his vocal range. On most earlier Talking Heads songs, he stretched on his vocals, which became a signature sound. There's a pretty prominent cowbell on this track. Steve Scales, who toured with Talking Heads and often added percussion to their studio recordings, played it. (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)

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