MAY 28, 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're thrilled to announce the debut of Peter's first work of fiction, "St. Michael of Birmingham." 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

(BMW images)

BMW is presenting an exclusive new concept car at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2025, the renowned celebration of historic vehicles on the shores of Lake Como in Italy. The exclusive new concept car will subsequently be made available for purchase in a small series. The BMW Concept Speedtop "reimagines the sporty Touring, blending the elegance of a shooting brake with unique proportions," according to BMW PR minions. “A true BMW exudes dynamism and elegance even when it’s standing still,” says Adrian van Hooydonk, Head of BMW Group Design. “And that’s also the case with our new concept car. The BMW Concept Speedtop is characterized first of all by its profile. It is very unique in the automotive industry. In this way, we have created an exclamation mark for our entire lineup of vehicles, especially for the Touring models.” More? The high-styled interior invites weekend getaways for two. "High-quality materials, the focus on every detail, and the stylistic connection between exterior and interior are testaments to its true craftsmanship," according to the manufacturer. The BMW Concept Speedtop will be offered to collectors and connoisseurs in a strictly limited small series. “Last year, the presentation of the BMW Concept Skytop at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on Lake Como generated great enthusiasm among connoisseurs and automotive enthusiasts,” says Bernd Körber, Senior Vice President BMW Brand and Product Management. “This led to a strictly limited production run of 50 units. Thanks to this positive response, this year we have decided to also offer the BMW Concept Speedtop in a limited production series of 70 units. This extraordinary vehicle is now available for order. We are pleased to be able to offer collectors and enthusiasts another exclusive model.” How much? Don't ask.

  

(Toyota images)

Toyota has redesigned the best-selling compact SUV in the American market for 2026. The all-new, redesigned 6th generation RAV4 will be available in Core, Sport and Rugged styles across seven grades, including a new-look Woodland and newly offered GR Sport. The RAV4 will now be 100% electrified, in a choice of Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) or Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) powertrains. The new RAV4 Woodland grade will be available in HEV or PHEV with AWD standard; it also includes a higher ride height, all-terrain tires, split grille, and more. In addition, a RAV4 GR SPORT, developed in partnership with Toyota GAZOO Racing, will have GR-tuned handling, a more aggressive exterior look, a tuned PHEV powertrain with AWD, and more. The 6th generation PHEV powertrain in the new RAV4 will have up-to 320HP and 20% more all-electric drive range of 50 miles (manufacturer estimated, 42 miles previously). The RAV4 HEV models move to a 5th generation hybrid system and boost output to 236HP on AWD models and 226HP on FWD models – with FWD coming to RAV4 Hybrid for the first time. There's plenty of other stuff on the new RAV4, including the launch of Toyota’s Arene software development platform, which enables Toyota Safety Sense 4.0 and a new generation of the Toyota Audio Multimedia System. Editor-in-Chief's Note: That this is a huge deal for Toyota can't be stated enough, and the total re-do of the RAV4 appears to be a thoroughly developed and executed home run. There's only one problem, however. The Trump tariffs will handicap the launch of the new RAV4 to the point that any predictions of success will have to be a giant "We'll see." -PMD

 

   

The AE Song of the Week

I'm gonna fight 'em off
A seven nation army couldn't hold me back
They're gonna rip it off
Takin' their time right behind my back
And I'm talkin' to myself at night
Because I can't forget
Back and forth through my mind
Behind a cigarette

And the message comin' from my eyes
Says, "Leave it alone"

Don't wanna hear about it
Every single one's got a story to tell
Everyone knows about it
From the Queen of England to the Hounds of Hell
And if I catch it comin' back my way
I'm gonna serve it to you
And that ain't what you want to hear
But that's what I'll do

And the feelin' comin' from my bones
Says, "Find a home"

I'm goin' to Wichita
Far from this opera forevermore
I'm gonna work the straw
Make the sweat drip out of every pore
And I'm bleedin', and I'm bleedin', and I'm bleedin'
Right before the Lord
All the words are gonna bleed from me
And I will think no more

And the stains comin' from my blood
Tell me, "Go back home"

"Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes from the album "Elephant" (2003).* Written by John Anthony White. Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group. Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind. Watch the Official Music Video here.

*When Jack White was a kid, he misheard "Salvation Army" as "Seven Nation Army," which is how he got the title for this song. White will often take a distinctive phrase he finds interesting and use it as a song title. "Rag And Bone" is another good example of this. This song deals with The White Stripes' rising popularity and the negatives that came with it. After White came up with the riff, he devised a storyline in which a protagonist comes into town and all his friends are gossiping about him. "He feels so bad he has to leave town, but you get so lonely you come back," said White. "The song's about gossip. It's about me, Meg and the people we're dating." "Seven Nation Army" has one of the most famous basslines in music, but it wasn't created with a bass. The White Stripes didn't have a bass player, so Jack White played the riff using a guitar with an octave effect to sound like a bass. The music video was directed by the team of Alex Courtes and Martin Fougerol, who went on to make U2's "Vertigo." It uses lots of clever compositing, with each shot emerging from the background framed by a triangle in constant forward progression. It picked up the MTV Video Music Award for Best Editing but also gained a reputation as one of the most effective motion-sickness-inducing devices since the invention of spinning carnival rides. Jack White devised the riff at a soundcheck before a show at the Corner Hotel in Melbourne, Australia, on January 29, 2002. Jack White recalled to Rolling Stone: "There's an employee here at Third Man named Ben Swank, and he was with us on tour in Australia when I wrote that song at soundcheck. I was playing it for Meg and he was walking by and I said, 'Swank, check this riff out.' And he said, 'It's OK.' [Laughs] He added: "I didn't have lyrics for it until later on and I was just calling it 'Seven Nation Army' - that's what I called the Salvation Army when I was a kid. So that was just a way for me to remember which one I was talking about, but it took on a new meaning with the lyrics." 

The White Stripes were the duo of Jack and Meg White, who formed the band in 1997 a year after they got married. By 1998, Jack had two other bands that were getting more attention in the Detroit area (The Go and Two Star Tabernacle) but he fell out with both groups and set his focus on The White Stripes. By the time they released their debut album in 1999, Jack and Meg were separated. When they released their second album in 2000, their divorce was finalized. None of this hurt their musical chemistry. Meg was happy to let Jack set the musical direction - he did the songwriting and played most of the instruments while Meg held down the drums (he started out as a drummer and taught Meg how to play). Her unrefined drumming style became a hallmark of their sound and complemented Jack's unruly guitar and vocals very well.

Unlike most musical couples who have gone through a breakup (we're talking about you, Fleetwood Mac!), there's no trace of their relationship tribulations in their songs. In fact, they claimed to be brother and sister until an enterprising reporter found their marriage certificate in 2001. The group released their sixth and final album, Icky Thump, in 2007 and played their last concert that year. By the time they announced their breakup in 2011, Jack had two other bands going: the Raconteurs and The Dead Weather. Meg retreated from the public eye. (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)

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