NOVEMBER 12, 2025

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 

SPECIAL EDITOR'S NOTE: We'd like to remind you that Peter's first work of fiction, "St. Michael of Birmingham" is out now. Make no mistake, it doesn't resemble anything you've read from him before. In fact, it is quite a dramatic departure. It is mystical. It is sexy. It is funny. It's moving. And it is a flat-out wild ride unlike anything you've experienced. Having said that, it is definitely not for everyone, but then, it is from PMD, so that probably shouldn't come as a surprise! Check it out on Amazon Kindle here. -WG

(Toyota images)

We're at the point where the auto manufacturers are showing off their latest thinking at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Toyota unveiled a new off-road concept using the now forgotten Scion name. The Scion 01 Concept is an engineering exercise that reimagines a side-by-side, all-terrain vehicle "designed for the ultimate outdoor adventure experience," according to Toyota PR minions. The project was led by North American Toyota engineers with a passion for off-roading, resulting in a high-output turbocharged hybrid setup "that blends Toyota’s legendary durability with Scion’s experimental DNA to imagine new possibilities for exploration, performance, and design," Toyota PR minions continued. (Editor's Note: Scion's experimental DNA? That's a laugh. -WG)

The Scion 01 Concept is powered by Toyota’s High-Output, Turbocharged Four-Cylinder Hybrid powertrain. The hybrid engine is derived from Toyota’s truck lineup and delivers over 300HP while also offering a Silent Mode, which allows you to use EV power "to glide through trails in serenity, fully immersed in nature’s beauty."

Purpose-built from the ground up, the concept can tackle a variety of challenging off-roading scenarios, including high-speed racing, rugged trail running and technical rock crawling. With exceptional suspension articulation, balanced track width and a nimble footprint for tight trails, the Scion 01 Concept aims to surpass current SXS products in power, capability and range.

 

The AE Song of the Week:

I can't stand to fly
I'm not that naive
I'm just out to find
The better part of me

I'm more than a bird, I'm more than a plane
I'm more than some pretty face beside a train
And it's not easy to be me

I wish that I could cry
Fall upon my knees
Find a way to lie
'Bout a home I'll never see

It may sound absurd, but don't be naive
Even heroes have the right to bleed
I may be disturbed, but won't you concede
Even heroes have the right to dream
And it's not easy to be me

Up, up and away, away from me
Well, it's all right, you can all sleep sound tonight
I'm not crazy or anything

I can't stand to fly
I'm not that naive
Men weren't meant to ride
With clouds between their knees

I'm only a man in a silly red sheet
Digging for kryptonite on this one way street
Only a man in a funny red sheet
Looking for special things inside of me
Inside of me
Inside of me
Yeah, inside of me
Inside of me

I'm only a man
In a funny red sheet
I'm only a man
Looking for a dream

I'm only a man
In a funny red sheet
And it's not easy, ooh ooh ooh

It's not easy to be me

"Superman (It's Not Easy)" by Five for Fighting from the album "America Town" (2000).* Written by John Ondrasik. Publisher: Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Reservoir Media Management, Inc. Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind. Watch the original Music Video here. 

*This song about trying to fit in was written from Superman's point of view. The superhero is portrayed as misunderstood and not as powerful as people see him: "I'm only a man in a funny red sheet." Superman may be invincible, but he has feelings too, and while he's off saving the world he sometimes wonders if anyone thinks about what he is going through.

The song reflects what John Ondrasik (who is Five For Fighting) felt at the time - he released his first album, Message for Albert, in 1997 and it went nowhere. Explaining what led him to write the song, which appeared on his next album, Ondrasik told us it was "frustration about the inability to be heard." He later explained: "I've learned 10 years later that it's pretty damn easy to be me. I could never write that song now." 

This song very popular after the September 11 attacks. The reflective tone fit very well with the mood of the United States, and many radio stations put it in heavy rotation. Ondrasik heard from emergency workers and others who found it a source of comfort after the attacks. Ondrasik performed this song on October 20, 2001 at the "Concert For New York," a tribute to the police, firefighters, and rescue workers involved in the World Trade Center Attacks. It was a very touching moment, and he called this performance "the most important thing I'll ever do musically." Ondrasik stood next to James Taylor and Pete Townshend at the end of the show when they all sang "Let it Be." 

The video was done in one shot using a motion control technique where a robotic camera is used to create smooth movements, stopping at key points along the way. It was shot in front of green screens so the backgrounds could be composited in later. The clip starts with a shot of John Ondrasik's pregnant wife, Carla, who is holding their young child. At the end of the video, they show up again on a bed, and we see Ondrasik join them.

Ramaa Mosley, who directed the video, told Songfacts.com: "When I wrote the idea for the video, I knew that John was married and his next baby was on the way. I knew that while on the road he really missed his family, so I came up with the idea of the video ending with him reunited with them. It just felt like 'Superman' was a metaphor for John going out into the world to accomplish big things but always carrying his family in his heart."

The band name comes from a hockey term. If you get a penalty for fighting, you serve five minutes in the penalty box. The band is actually just Ondrasik. Superman does not appear in the lyrics and the character was not used in any promotional materials for it. Since Superman is owned by DC Comics, Ondrasik had to be careful not to violate the copyright. (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)





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