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
(Cadillac images)
How much do you like the Cadillac Escalade? A lot? Well, Cadillac has something for you. This is the 2027 Escalade-V 125th Anniversary Collector Series, which was unveiled ahead of the United States Grand Prix last weekend in Austin, TX. The first Escalade-V 125th Anniversary Collector Series "combines the commanding presence of Escalade, the performance character of V-Series and design details created for collectors," according to Cadillac PR minions. “The Escalade-V 125th Anniversary Collector Series celebrates Cadillac’s heritage and our uncompromising approach to performance luxury,” said Kristian Aquilina, Vice President, Global Cadillac. “From its exclusive design to its highly limited availability, this special edition gives collectors a distinctive way to celebrate Cadillac’s legacy while looking ahead to its future.”
Really? So, what do you get?
Customers will have the opportunity to select their VIN and serial number (Wow. - WG). The special edition will be offered in two signature finishes: exclusive Midnight Stone Frost and Vibrant White Tricoat. Each color will have vehicles labeled 1902-2027, commemorating each year of Cadillac’s history. What else? Unique forged 24-inch wheels; Carbon-fiber grille surround, lower rear fascia, mirror caps and engine cover; Blue brake calipers and dark-finish badges; and Heritage V-8 puddle lamps Inside, the Collector Series treatment carries into the cabin with "a refined combination of contrasting materials, commemorative details and exclusive accents," Cadillac's PR minions continued. Inspired by the blue within the V-Series emblem’s Mondrian pattern, Santorini Blue was developed as a visual link between the fifth-generation V-Series and the Cadillac V-Series.R race car. First introduced on the Cadillac Project GTP concept, Santorini Blue has since appeared across V-Series race cars, road cars and concept vehicles. It now carries that lineage into the first Escalade Collector Series as its defining interior accent. Special touches include: Black and Sheer Gray two-tone interior with Santorini Blue stitching; Unique illuminated sill plates that mark the special occasion; Exclusive interior badging; Santorini Blue seat belts; Premium floor mats created for the Collector Series; and an Exclusive blue key fob! (I mean, double wow. -WG)
Let's cut to the chase. How much? With its exclusive run of 252 units, the 2027 Cadillac Escalade-V 125th Anniversary Collector Series will be sold in the United States and Canada and is now available for ordering. Pricing starts at approximately (GULP) $239,000, including the destination freight charge, and excluding tax, title and dealer fees. Remember, the dealer sets final price, so prepare to be hosed above and beyond that. Editor-in-Chief's Note: You have to be fucking kidding me! You must really want to be the Biggest Tool in the shed to crave one of these that bad. I could say that it's a monumental waste of time and money, but most people out there already know that. And so it goes. -PMD
Editor-in-Chief's Note: This week, our video features an inside look at the Jaguar Type 01 from Harry's Garage. Watch it here. -PMD
Now I've been happy lately
Thinking about the good things to come
And I believe it could be
Something good has begun
Oh, I've been smiling lately
Dreaming about the world as one
And I believe it could be
Someday it's going to come
'Cause out on the edge of darkness
There rides the peace train
Oh, peace train take this country
Come take me home again
Now I've been smiling lately
Thinkin' about the good things to come
And I believe it could be
Something good has begun
Oh, peace train sounding louder
Glide on the peace train
Ooh—ah, ee—ah, ooh—ah
Come on now, peace train
Yes, peace train holy roller
Everyone jump upon the peace train
Ooh—ah, ee—ah, ooh—ah
Come on now, peace train
Get your bags together
Go bring your good friends too
Because it's getting nearer
It soon will be with you
Now come and join the living
It's not so far from you
And it's getting nearer
Soon it will all be true
Oh, peace train sounding louder
Glide on the peace train
Ooh—ah, ee—ah, ooh—ah
Come on now peace train
Peace train
Now I've been crying lately
Thinkin' about the world as it is
Why must we go on hating?
Why can't we live in bliss?
'Cause out on the edge of darkness
There rides a peace train
Oh, peace train take this country
Come take me home again
Oh, peace train sounding louder
Glide on the peace train
Ooh—ah, ee—ah, ooh—ah
Come on now, peace train
Yes, peace train holy roller
Everyone jump upon the peace train
Ooh—ah, ee—ah, ooh—ah
Come on, come on, come on
Yes, come on, peace train
Yes, it's the peace train
Ooh—ah, ee—ah, ooh—ah
Come on now, peace train
Oh, peace train
Ooh—ah, ee—ah, ooh—ah
"Peace Train" by Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam) from the album "Teaser And The Firecat" (1971).* Written by Yusuf Islam. Publisher: BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group. Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind. Watch him performing it live here.
*When he appeared on The Chris Isaak Hour in 2009, Yusuf Islam (the name Cat Stevens took when he became a Muslim in 1977) said of this song: "Musically, I was revisiting a very Greek-sounding riff - the kind of thing you'd hear on a Greek island. The words were attached to that time, my peace anthem. It ended every show that I did and was quite a show stopper. It was a very important song for me because it stated one of the big goals of my life which was heading straight for that peace."
Cat Stevens floated in from England like a gentle breeze, singing songs about peace, togetherness, and the wonders of nature. He established himself in the UK in 1967, when at 18, he had three hits: "I Love My Dog," "Matthew And Son," and "I'm Gonna Get Me A Gun." He didn't catch on in America until 1971, when mellow, insightful songs from the likes of George Harrison and Joni Mitchell were trending. His fourth album, Tea For The Tillerman, had "Wide World," his first hit in the US reaching #11. His next album, Teaser And The Firecat, had "Peace Train," which went to #7 and also rose to the top of the Adult Contemporary chart, establishing Stevens as one of the top guys with a guitar on the scene. Back in the UK, the song wasn't released as a single in a bid to boost album sales. He remained popular in his homeland, but most of his new fans were in America.
This became a hippie anthem, often used by protesters to spread a message of peace. Unlike many protest songs, there's no political bent to it, and it's relentlessly hopeful, with Stevens "thinking about the good things to come." Who wouldn't want to ride this train?
Yusuf Islam stepped off the Peace Train in 1989 when he condoned the death wish on Salmon Rushdie for for defaming the Prophet in his book The Satanic Verses. He never got over that scandal completely, but through persistent humanitarian work he gradually rebuilt his image enough to garner positive press when he started reissuing his Cat Stevens material in 2000.
Dolly Parton covered "Peace Train" on her 1996 album Treasures, backed by the African vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Released as a single, her version went to #97 in the UK and #119 in the US. Parton also sang it on a CBS special that ran to accompany the album's release. (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)
The AE Song of the Week:
Now I've been happy lately
Thinking about the good things to come
And I believe it could be
Something good has begun
Oh, I've been smiling lately
Dreaming about the world as one
And I believe it could be
Someday it's going to come
'Cause out on the edge of darkness
There rides the peace train
Oh, peace train take this country
Come take me home again
Now I've been smiling lately
Thinkin' about the good things to come
And I believe it could be
Something good has begun
Oh, peace train sounding louder
Glide on the peace train
Ooh—ah, ee—ah, ooh—ah
Come on now, peace train
Yes, peace train holy roller
Everyone jump upon the peace train
Ooh—ah, ee—ah, ooh—ah
Come on now, peace train
Get your bags together
Go bring your good friends too
Because it's getting nearer
It soon will be with you
Now come and join the living
It's not so far from you
And it's getting nearer
Soon it will all be true
Oh, peace train sounding louder
Glide on the peace train
Ooh—ah, ee—ah, ooh—ah
Come on now peace train
Peace train
Now I've been crying lately
Thinkin' about the world as it is
Why must we go on hating?
Why can't we live in bliss?
'Cause out on the edge of darkness
There rides a peace train
Oh, peace train take this country
Come take me home again
Oh, peace train sounding louder
Glide on the peace train
Ooh—ah, ee—ah, ooh—ah
Come on now, peace train
Yes, peace train holy roller
Everyone jump upon the peace train
Ooh—ah, ee—ah, ooh—ah
Come on, come on, come on
Yes, come on, peace train
Yes, it's the peace train
Ooh—ah, ee—ah, ooh—ah
Come on now, peace train
Oh, peace train
Ooh—ah, ee—ah, ooh—ah
"Peace Train" by Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam) from the album "Teaser And The Firecat" (1971).* Written by Yusuf Islam. Publisher: BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group. Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind. Watch him performing it live here.
*When he appeared on The Chris Isaak Hour in 2009, Yusuf Islam (the name Cat Stevens took when he became a Muslim in 1977) said of this song: "Musically, I was revisiting a very Greek-sounding riff - the kind of thing you'd hear on a Greek island. The words were attached to that time, my peace anthem. It ended every show that I did and was quite a show stopper. It was a very important song for me because it stated one of the big goals of my life which was heading straight for that peace."
Cat Stevens floated in from England like a gentle breeze, singing songs about peace, togetherness, and the wonders of nature. He established himself in the UK in 1967, when at 18, he had three hits: "I Love My Dog," "Matthew And Son," and "I'm Gonna Get Me A Gun." He didn't catch on in America until 1971, when mellow, insightful songs from the likes of George Harrison and Joni Mitchell were trending. His fourth album, Tea For The Tillerman, had "Wide World," his first hit in the US reaching #11. His next album, Teaser And The Firecat, had "Peace Train," which went to #7 and also rose to the top of the Adult Contemporary chart, establishing Stevens as one of the top guys with a guitar on the scene. Back in the UK, the song wasn't released as a single in a bid to boost album sales. He remained popular in his homeland, but most of his new fans were in America.
This became a hippie anthem, often used by protesters to spread a message of peace. Unlike many protest songs, there's no political bent to it, and it's relentlessly hopeful, with Stevens "thinking about the good things to come." Who wouldn't want to ride this train?
Yusuf Islam stepped off the Peace Train in 1989 when he condoned the death wish on Salmon Rushdie for for defaming the Prophet in his book The Satanic Verses. He never got over that scandal completely, but through persistent humanitarian work he gradually rebuilt his image enough to garner positive press when he started reissuing his Cat Stevens material in 2000.
Dolly Parton covered "Peace Train" on her 1996 album Treasures, backed by the African vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Released as a single, her version went to #97 in the UK and #119 in the US. Parton also sang it on a CBS special that ran to accompany the album's release. (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)
Editor's Note: Click on "Next 1 Entries" at the bottom of this page to see previous issues. - WG