JULY 9, 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

(Porsche images)

Editor-in-Chief's Note: We thought things were a bit too quiet of late at Porsche. After all, the industry's reigning "Greed Merchants" hadn't come up with a new revenue generating scam in a while. But our wondering didn't last long, because a new press release from Porsche touting its "new" 911 variants for 2026 appeared in our email box this morning (7/2). -PMD

And what is this breathless news from Zuffenhausen? Porsche is expanding the 911 model range with three all-wheel drive models for the 2026 model year: The 911 Carrera 4S coupe and Cabriolet, as well as the Targa 4S. All three models gain more power, improvements in standard equipment and enhanced brakes compared to their predecessors. With their arrival, the range of new 911 models with all-wheel drive grows to six variants. 

And what's new? The new all-wheel drive variants of the 911 adopt the upgraded engine of the Carrera S. Its 3.0-liter twin-turbo six-cylinder boxer engine produces 473HP (353 kW) and 390 lb.-ft. of torque. That is 30HP (22 kW) more than in the predecessor. This increase in performance is partly due to the optimized intercooling, the design of which comes from the 911 Turbo. An eight-speed Porsche dual-clutch transmission (PDK) transmits power to all four wheels. The 911 Carrera 4S coupe accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds using Launch Control with the optional Sport Chrono Package, and is capable of a top track speed of 191mph. One good thing in this latest missive from Porsche is the fact that the standard equipment for the Carrera 4S and Targa 4S models is significantly enhanced. The improvements include: Sport Exhaust with tailpipes in silver, brakes taken from the previous generation 911 Carrera GTS models measuring 408 mm on the front axle and 380 mm on the rear axle; uprated dampers with optimized hydraulics are more responsive and improve ride quality over the preceding model. Performance-focused standard features of the prior model remain, including Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV+) and staggered 20/21-inch Carrera S wheels. Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB) are available as an option, as is PASM Sport Suspension, which lowers the ride height by 10 mm. Rear axle steering is optionally available on the Carrera 4S and Carrera 4S Cabriolet. The system offers increased agility at low speeds and greater stability at high speeds. If equipped, this system also includes a quicker steering ratio and revised front axle kinematics. The 911 Targa 4S has rear-axle steering as standard. How much is all of this going to cost? Porsche isn't saying, which means that you can count on a significant price increase. In other words, bring plenty of ca$h-ola. These new variants arrive at the end of this year, we'll know more then. 

 

The AE Song of the Week 

You say I only hear what I want to
You say I talk so all the time so.

And I thought what I felt was simple,
And I thought that I don't belong,
And now that I am leaving,
Now I know that I did something wrong 'cause I missed you.
Yeah, I missed you.

And you say I only hear what I want to:
I don't listen hard,
I don't pay attention to the distance that you're running
Or to anyone, anywhere,
I don't understand if you really care,
I'm only hearing negative: no, no, no (bad)

And so I, I turned the radio on, I turned the radio up
And this woman was singin' my song:
The lover's in love and the other's run away,
The lover is cryin' 'cause the other won't stay.

Some of us hover when we weep for the other who was
Dying since the day they were born.
Well, this is not that:
I think that I'm throwing, but I'm thrown.

And I thought I'd live forever, but now I'm not so sure.

You try to tell me that I'm clever,
But that won't take my anyhow, or anywhere with you.

You said that I was naive,
And I thought that I was strong.
I thought, "hey, I can leave, I can leave."
Oh but now I know that I was wrong, 'cause I missed you.

You said, "I caught you 'cause I want you and one day I'll let you go."
You try to give away a keeper, or keep me 'cause you know you're just so scared to lose.
And you say, "Stay."

You say I only hear what I want to.

"Stay (I Missed You)" by Lisa Loeb, from the album "Reality Bites Soundtrack" (1994).* Written by Lisa A. Loeb. Publisher: REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING. Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind. Watch the Official Music Video here.

*In a Songfacts interview with Lisa Loeb, she told the story behind "Stay." Said Loeb: "At the time, I was having arguments with my boyfriend, who was actually my co-producer as well - we made records together. And then I go off into some other areas: I remember somebody close to me was going through severe, severe depression. A lot of times in my songs, I get into some phase where I describe some other situation, and there's a whole verse in there about somebody who is very, very depressed. But yeah, it was a story about a breakup I was going through, and that situation where it's gotten into your head too much. Partially because somebody else is telling you that you're only hearing what you want to, and that puts you in a little bit of a tailspin. It puts me in a little bit of a tailspin, because you can't figure out what's actually real, are you only seeing things through your own eyes? Are you actually seeing things the way that they really are, or are you making things up? And at what point do you know whether you're seeing things the way that they really are?" This song was used in the movie Reality Bites. Loeb's friend, Ethan Hawke, brought it to the attention of Ben Stiller, who saw Loeb perform and used her song in his movie. It was a huge break for Loeb, who did not have a record deal at the time. When she found out the song was going on the soundtrack, she knew it was the end of her temp work - (she had a gig with the consulting firm Ernst & Young at the time).(Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)

 

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