OCTOBER 22, 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

(Mercedes-Benz images)

Mercedes-Benz has entered a new era of iconic design. Representing this evolution, the Vision Iconic show car "embodies the freedom to think beyond convention – a creative expression that introduces new perspectives and bridges past and future," according to Mercedes-Benz PR minions. A central feature is the reinterpretation of one of the most recognizable elements in automotive history: the Mercedes-Benz radiator grille. This iconic grille, first introduced with the all-new electric GLC, expresses both emotion and intelligence, and enables Mercedes-Benz to stand out from the sea of sameness. Never shy about touting his work, Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer Mercedes-Benz Group AG had this to say: "Inspired by the golden era of automotive design of the 1930s, this show car embodies the pure essence of Mercedes-Benz. With its hood giving it a majestic presence, sculptural flowing lines and a touch of Art Deco, it rises to become a true icon of automotive beauty. The interior with its continuous bench seat and the elegant rear, evoking memories of the legendary 300 SL. Our Vision Iconic is more than just an automobile – it is a sculpture in motion, an homage to timeless elegance and a statement for the future. The symbiosis of traditional craftsmanship, state-of-the-art technology and an unmistakable design language makes it the ultimate expression of value, prestige and grace: the most beautiful, most prestigious kind of thing." (Well, alrighty then! -WG)

The interior of Vision Iconic "redefines automotive elegance through an opulent Art Deco-inspired composition of the finest craftsmanship and exclusive materials," according to Mercedes-Benz minions. The key highlight of the instrument panel is the "Zeppelin" floating glass structure – "a sculptural form that reveals a captivating interior of artfully designed details and a refined interplay of analog and digital instruments."

As the door is opened, the instrument cluster comes to life with a cinematic, entirely analog animation inspired by high-end chronographs. The pillar-to-pillar screen concept blends technology seamlessly into the interior. At the center, one of the four clocks is shaped like the brand logo, acting as an AI companion.

Behind the "Zeppelin," a generous decorative surface unfolds into a distinctive inlay of lustrous mother-of-pearl look, offering both visual depth and artisanal finesse. Intricate mother-of-pearl trim also graces the door panels, encircling finely crafted and polished brass door handles in silver-gold tones before flowing into a radiant star pattern that elegantly frames the rear seat. The driver and passenger share the spacious, sumptuously upholstered front bench seat in deep blue velvet – fostering a sense of relaxation and luxury experience.

The four-spoke steering wheel features a Mercedes-Benz logo floating inside a glass sphere, clasped by the spokes like a jewel. The floor of the interior is clad in elaborate straw marquetry, a luxurious decorative technique dating back to the 17th century and revived in the 1920s. "Rendered in a classic fan-shaped Art Deco motif, this handcrafted finish brings historic artistry into the modern era," according to Mercedes-Benz PR minions.

Mercedes-Benz is researching innovative solar modules that could be seamlessly applied to the body of electric vehicles, similar to a wafer-thin paste. The photovoltaic-active surface could be adaptable to various substrates. When applied to the entire vehicle surface of Vision Iconic, additional electric range could be harnessed from the sun, depending on geographical location and local conditions. For example, an area of 118 square feet (equivalent to the surface of a mid-size SUV) could produce energy for up to approximately 7,450 miles of range per year under ideal conditions. The coating does not contain any rare earths or silicon and can be easily recycled. The solar cells have a high efficiency of 20 percent and continuously generate energy – even when the vehicle is switched off.

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Mercedes-Benz designers have been playing with this basic form for years. In this latest iteration, it has taken on a maturity that clearly signals the company's future design direction. The press release went on and on about the machine's autonomous driving capabilities, but I was more interested in the fact that they chose black for this concept's visual presentation, which is unexpected and a stunning look. I like it a lot, and it's clear that Mercedes-Benz is still going all-in on its EV product development. A giant "we'll see" as we like to say around here. -PMD

The AE Song of the Week:

I'm sailing away
Set an open course for the virgin sea
'Cause I've got to be free
Free to face the life that's ahead of me
On board I'm the captain
So climb aboard
We'll search for tomorrow
On every shore and I'll try
Oh Lord, I'll try
To carry on

I look to the sea
Reflections in the waves spark my memory
Some happy some sad
I think of childhood friends and the dreams we had
We live happily forever
So the story goes
But somehow we missed out
On that pot of gold
But we'll try best that we can
To carry on

A gathering of angels
Appeared above my head
They sang to me this song of hope
And this is what they said
They said, come sail away, come sail away
Come sail away with me (lads)
Come sail away, come sail away
Come sail away with me
Come sail away, come sail away
Come sail away with me (baby)
Come sail away, come sail away
Come sail away with me

I thought that they were angels
But to my surprise
We climbed aboard their starship
We headed for the skies

Singing, come sail away, come sail away
Come sail away with me (lads)
Come sail away, come sail away
Come sail away with me
Come sail away, come sail away
Come sail away with me
Come sail away, come sail away
Come sail away with me
Come sail away, come sail away
Come sail away with me
Come sail away, come sail away
Come sail away with me
Come sail away, come sail away
Come sail away with me
Come sail away, come sail away
Come sail away with me
Come sail away, come sail away
Come sail away with me
Come sail away, come sail away
Come sail away with me

"Come Sail Away" by Styx, from the album "The Grand Illusion" (1977)*. Written by Dennis De Young. Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group. Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind. Listen to it here.

*Written and sung by Styx keyboard player Dennis DeYoung, this song is about following your dreams by embarking on a journey into the unknown. In the second verse, he misses out on the pot of gold, but continues to carry on. The song is a personal one for DeYoung, who wrote it about struggling to break through to the next level with Styx. Formed in the early '70s, they grew a solid fanbase but were always the support act (for Bob Seger, Foghat, Rush, Kiss, Aerosmith, etc.), never the headliner. Released as the first single from The Grand Illusion, "Come Sail Away" helped get them to this next level, as the Styx became one of the top arena rock acts of the next few years. At the end of this song, the journeyman is visited by aliens, who at first, he thinks are angels. "Come sail away with me" they tell him, before riding off in their spaceship. This was a very intergalactic time, as the album was released a little over a month after Star Wars hit theaters.

In a 2020 Songfacts interview with Dennis DeYoung, he talked about the meaning behind this song. "'Come Sail Away' is a song about yearning to be in a better place," he said. "How do you get there? You go on a boat, on a ship, angels waving their wings as you ascend to heaven with them. Is there something going on? A starship to the stars? Are they aliens? Is it Captain Kirk? You tell me."

Running 6:05 (in the album version), this song plays like a ballad for the first 2:20, then kicks in with the big guitars and chorus. It's quite a transition, and one that quickly brought couples apart on the dance floor. In the first episode of the first (and sadly, only) season of the 1999 TV series Freaks and Geeks, this song is playing when a geeky freshman finally gets to dance with his dream girl, but as soon as they hit the dance floor, the song goes from ballad to rocker, so they end up dancing apart.

Dennis DeYoung loves this scene. "I watched it cold and had tears in my eyes because of what it captured," he told Songfacts. "All we want as human beings is approval, a pat on the head, to have somebody tell us we're OK and 'we love you.' At that moment, it showed the vulnerability of all of us."

This being the '70s, radio stations played a big role in promoting songs, and program directors could often be swayed with gifts of money and drugs. Payola, was of course, illegal, but that didn't stop Styx guitarist Tommy Shaw and the band's promo man Jim Cahill from traveling to many of the stations with bags of cocaine in an effort to get more airplay for this song. The tactic worked; Cahill explained on the Styx Behind The Music that program directors were like penguins, since they'd follow you around if you had "snow." (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)

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