JULY 22, 2026

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 

(Aston Martin images)

Aston Martin has unveiled the limited-edition Vanquish 25, an exclusive celebration of, and tribute to, three generations of this iconic British automotive nameplate crafted through the marque’s bespoke service, Q by Aston Martin.

No more than 50 examples of the new Vanquish 25 will be produced for markets worldwide, with this special Q by Aston Martin creation offered in either Coupe (25 examples) or Volante (25 examples) body styles and in 2+0 or 2+2 seating configurations.

From the outside, the new Q by Aston Martin creation is identified by its exclusive Q Skye Silver paintwork, Q Commission metal foil detailing on the side sills and the shield vanes, bespoke Aston Martin script foil detailing, and the addition of Q Commission exhaust finisher, along with stainless steel side strakes, unique ‘Vanquish 25’ badging, and a new subtle ‘V’ highlighting of the 21-inch forged alloy wheels.

On the inside, the Vanquish 25 gains unique trim perforation patterns and trim splits, seatbacks embroidered with the exclusive ‘Vanquish 25’ logo, laser-etched Aston Martin trim inlays, a bright red start/stop button in the center console surrounded by bespoke rotary geometry, and a black Alcantara headlining. Three interior trim colors are available: Onyx Black, Oxford Tan, or Phantom Grey.

The Vanquish 25 is powered by a 5.2-liter Twin-Turbo V12 producing 835HP and 738 lb.ft. of torque. Other stuff? A bespoke chassis with state-of-the-art dynamics technology and carbon fiber bodywork. Top speed is 214mph, with a 0-62 mph time of 3.3 seconds.

Vanquish 25 will make its official global premier at Monterey Car Week in California (10-16 August), with first deliveries from Q4 2026.

  

(Toyota images)

Speaking of affordability, instead of featuring the latest "unobtanium" machine that bears no resemblance to reality, we thought we'd feature something that's eminently affordable. The 2027 Toyota Corolla Hatchback delivers quite a lot for your money. The SE comes standard with a 7-Inch Digital Gauge Cluster, while the new SE Premium Package includes a 12.3-Inch digital gauge cluster and the 10.5-Inch Toyota Audio Multimedia System. The XSE comes standard with a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and the 10.5-inch Toyota Audio Multimedia System. Other stuff? Newly available Toyota genuine accessory 18-inch gloss white alloy wheels. (Not our fave, to be sure.) The 2027 Toyota Corolla Hatchback is arriving at Toyota dealerships now. How much? The MSRP (excluding dealer processing and handling) for the SE starts at $24,780. The XSE starts at $27,875. Not bad. Not bad at all.

 

(RM Sotheby's images)

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Well, you certainly don't see this every day. RM Sotheby's is about to auction off one of the original Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sports at its Monterey Auction in August. How special is this glorious machine? It is one of the most significant factory-built competition Corvettes ever created, engineered as a purpose-built sports-racing prototype conceived by Zora Arkus-Duntov and with the direct involvement of Chevrolet engineering. It has built with hundreds of unique components different than any production Sting Ray. It is one of just five legendary Corvette Grand Sports constructed and the first of only three Grand Sport coupes. -PMD

How special iss the Grand Sport? The production frame was replaced by a lightweight tubular structure fabricated from seamless thin-wall steel, complemented by hand-formed aluminum cockpit bracing. Weight reduction became an obsession. Aluminum replaced steel wherever possible, while even seemingly insignificant components—including door hardware, hood hinges, steering components, differential housing, instrument housings, and windshield wiper mechanisms—were painstakingly redesigned using lightweight alloys. Magnesium was employed for specialized carburetor adapters, while custom steel forgings substituted for heavier production pieces where aluminum proved impractical.

Girling disc brakes with aluminum calipers, reinforced suspension components, lightweight radius arms, aluminum differential housing, relocated fuel tank, and competition-tuned chassis geometry transformed the Grand Sport into an altogether different machine.

The Grand Sport boasted an ultra-lightweight fiberglass body unlike any production Corvette. Hand-laid as a single-piece shell, the body featured thinner panels, broader fenders, revised aerodynamics, fixed headlamps, Plexiglas side and rear windows, and numerous subtle refinements born directly from competition. Every curve, vent, and contour reflected a singular purpose—speed.

Halibrand magnesium knock-off wheels completed the package, while an FIA-compliant luggage compartment with spare tire underscored the car's international racing ambitions. Inside, the cockpit remained purposeful and functional, stripped of unnecessary luxury while retaining the familiar Corvette instrument panel.

The result? Astonishing. Where a standard 1963 Corvette weighed approximately 3,200 pounds, the Grand Sport tipped the scales at roughly 1,900 pounds—an extraordinary reduction that fundamentally transformed the car's performance. It was powered by a specially designed and built all-aluminum 377-cubic-inch V8 breathing through four Weber 58 DCOE carburetors mounted atop exotic cross-ram intake manifolds. With the combination of brutal V-8 power, sophisticated chassis engineering, and relentless attention to detail, Arkus-Duntov had created precisely what he had envisioned: a Corvette capable of confronting—and defeating—the Shelby Cobra. At its debut at the Bahama Speed Week in December, 1963, the Grand Sport was ten seconds a lap faster than the factory Shelby American Cobras.

The Corvette Grand Sport program was one of the most ambitious engineering projects ever undertaken by General Motors, and one that would become the stuff of American motorsport legend.

The Corvette Grand Sport being auctioned (No. 003) was an integral part of the Mecom Racing Team's dominant 1963 Bahamas Speed Week effort, including a 2nd in class finish in the prestigious Nassau Trophy. It also finished 2nd in class at the 1964 12 Hours of Sebring and 3rd in class at the 1965 12 Hours of Sebring. It was also raced again at the Bahamas Speed Week in 1964. Grand Sport 003 was driven in-period by some of America's greatest racing talents, including A.J. Foyt, Jim Hall, Augie Pabst, Dick Thompson, John Cannon, and Delmo Johnson.

This machine was the subject of a sympathetic, no-expense-spared restoration during its current 23-year ownership, returning the car to its authentic 1964 Sebring livery. It has been meticulously maintained, expertly sorted, and it is accompanied by an extensive collection of spare components. It has appeared at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, and Sonoma Motorsports Festival. It is rarer than both the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe and Ferrari 250 GTO, representing one of the most coveted American competition cars ever built.

Thank you to RM Sotheby's for their contribution to this report. By the way, the company estimates that the auction for this spectacular machine will bring somewhere between $11,000,000 and $13,000,000 USD.

 

(RM Sotheby's images)

Editor-in-Chief's Note: As if that Corvette Grand Sport isn't enough, RM Sotheby's is also auctioning off one of Dan Gurney's fabulous F1 Eagles in Monterey. It is one of the most significant American racing cars in existence and the only American-built Formula 1 design ever to win a Grand Prix. The third of four AAR Eagle Mk 1s built by Dan Gurney’s All-American Racers Inc., it is one of three such chassis equipped with the extraordinary 2,997-cc DOHC Gurney-Westlake V-12 engine that produced 390BHP at 10,500 rpm. Driven in-period by the great Dan Gurney, as well as Richie Ginther and Ludovico Scarfiotti. It was acquired by the present owner in 2002 and retained in his private collection ever since. RM Sotheby's auction estimate? Between $7,000,000 and $9,000,000.

 

Editor-in-Chief's Note: This week, our video features the "1966 12 Hours of Sebring" featuring Chaparral, Ferrari and Ford.  Watch it here. -PMD

The AE Song of the Week:

Well, I've been out walking
I don't do that much talking these days
These days

These days I seem to think a lot
About the things that I forgot to do for you
And all the times I had the chance to

And I had a lover
But it's so hard to risk another, these days
These days

Now, if I seem to be afraid
To live the life that I have made in song
Well, it's just that I've been losin' for so long

Well, I'll keep on movin', movin' on
Things are bound to be improving these days
One of these days

These days I'll sit on corner stones
And count the time in quarter tones to ten, my friend
Don't confront me with my failures
I had not forgotten them

"These Days" by Jackson Browne, from the album "For Everyman" (1973).* Written by Jackson Browne. Publisher: DRIVE MUSIC PUBLISHING. Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind. Watch Jackson Browne perform it live on Austin City Limits here.

*This hauntingly sad, hurting song was originally written by Jackson Browne when he was just 16-years-old in either 1964 or 1965. It appeared on a Browne demo in early 1967 under the title "I've Been Out Walking." Later in the same year it gained its first release when Andy Warhol's protégé Nico recorded it on her Chelsea Girl album, with Browne playing acoustic guitar. Other artists covered it over the following few years, including the Nitty Gritty Junk Band on their Rare Junk album and Tom Rush on his 1970 self-titled set.

Browne himself recorded the song on his 1973 For Everyman LP, with an arrangement written by Gregg Allman (who also covered it around the same time on his Laid Back debut solo set). Browne's version differed from Nico's both in style and lyrics. In the latter case several lines were changed or omitted, such as a couple of lyrics about "rambling" and "gambling." This song has continued to be covered by a number of acts including Fountains of Wayne who used it as the B-side of their 1999 single "Troubled Times." Browne was very young when he wrote this song, but even then, he had a feel for heartbreak. Talking in a radio interview about the first breakup one endures, he said, "That can be the most formative time in your life. Trying to get through your early years is a harrowing experience for a lot of people."

Nico's version of the song has the original lyric:

I've stopped my dreaming
I won't do too much scheming

When Browne released his version, he changed it to the much more hopeful:

I'll keep on moving, moving on
Things are bound to be improving these days

"Over the rest of my teenage years and into my 20s I developed a kind of optimism, a kind of resoluteness, so I changed it to 'I'll keep on moving, keep improving,'" he said. "That's more to me what life is made of, the idea that I'll get through this, I'll continue looking." (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)

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