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
(Hyundai)
From the "It Won't Be Long Now!" File comes word that Hyundai Translead has announced the addition of Range Zero Emissions to its authorized commercial vehicle dealer network, expanding customer access to Hyundai Motor's XCIENT Fuel Cell truck and further strengthening its commitment to advancing hydrogen mobility in North America. Range Zero Emissions, the nation’s largest multi-OEM commercial EV distribution platform, helps fleets transition to zero-emissions transportation by bringing vehicles, infrastructure, financing, incentive expertise, service and support together under one roof. Range helps customers evaluate technologies based on their operational needs, while providing the expertise and support needed to confidently deploy and operate zero-emission fleets. Through its Fife, Washington, flagship showroom and service center, Range will primarily support XCIENT Fuel Cell customers throughout Washington, with additional opportunities across the broader Pacific Northwest region. (A giant "we'll see" as we like to say. -WG)
(Chevrolet)
Chevrolet is expanding its "High Country" topline trim to the Traverse for 2027. What does this mean, exactly? It means you'll get a new High Country badge design on the front doors and liftgate, a new Tritan Satin finish on the grille and headlamp accents, and a new set of 22-inch high-gloss black, machined-face aluminum wheels. The High Country interior features new, premium Jet Black seats with Natural Tan accents, Natural Tan edged seatbelts, debossed first-row headrests and real wood décor.
Other stuff? As Chevrolet’s modern three-row SUV, the Traverse High Country includes a best-in-class max cargo volume of up to 98 cubic feet, a standard 2.5L turbocharged engine delivering a 328HP and 326 lb.-ft. of torque with up to 5,000 pounds of trailering capability. A 17.7-inch diagonal center touchscreen, available Super Cruise hands-free driver assistance technology and a comprehensive suite of Chevy Safety Assist and additional driver-assistance features.
High Country customers "want a premium feel with practical utility, advanced technology, comfort and confidence, expanding Traverse’s appeal as more shoppers move into the three-row SUV segment," according to Chevrolet PR minions. "The new High Country experience is modern, athletic and contemporary," according to Chevrolet.
The 2027 Chevrolet Traverse High Country will begin production in September at Lansing Delta Township Assembly with US and globally sourced parts.
Editor-in-Chief's Note: This week, our video features the late, great Jim Pace in a 1000HP Shadow DN4 at Road America. Awesome in every sense of that overused word. Watch it here. -PMD
The AE Song of the Week:
(9 to 5)
Tumble outta bed and I stumble to the kitchen
Pour myself a cup of ambition
And yawn and stretch and try to come to life
Jump in the shower and the blood starts pumping
Out on the street the traffic's jumping
With folks like me on the job from 9 to 5 (mm, yeah)
Working 9 to 5, what a way to make a living
Barely getting by, it's all taking and no giving
They just use your mind and they never give you credit
It's enough to drive you crazy if you let it (if you let it)
Working 9 to 5, for service and devotion
You would think that I would deserve a fat promotion
Want to move ahead but the boss won't seem to let me
I swear sometimes that man is out to get me (he's out to get me)
(9 to 5) 9 to 5
(9 to 5) working, working, working
(9 to 5)
(9 to 5)
Tumble outta bed and I stumble to the kitchen
Pour myself a cup of ambition
And yawn and stretch and try to come to life
Jump in the shower and the blood starts pumping
Out on the street the traffic's jumping
With folks like me on the job from 9 to 5 (mm, yeah)
Working 9 to 5, what a way to make a living
Barely getting by, it's all taking and no giving
They just use your mind and they never give you credit
It's enough to drive you crazy if you let it (if you let it)
Working 9 to 5, for service and devotion
You would think that I would deserve a fat promotion
Want to move ahead but the boss won't seem to let me
I swear sometimes that man is out to get me (he's out to get me)
(9 to 5) 9 to 5
(9 to 5) working, working, working
(9 to 5)
They let you dream just to watch 'em shatter
You're just a step on the boss man's ladder
But you got dreams he'll never take away (he'll never take 'em away)
You're in the same boat with a lotta your friends
Waiting for the day your ship'll come in (mm)
And the tide's gonna turn and it's all gonna roll your way (I just know it)
Working 9 to 5, what a way to make a living
Barely getting by, it's all taking and no giving
They just use your mind and they never give you credit
It's enough to drive you crazy if you let it (but you won't let it)
Working 9 to 5, yeah, they got you where they want you
There's a better life and you think about it, don't you? (You dream about it)
It's a rich man's game no matter what they call it
And you spend your life putting money in his wallet (putting money in his wallet)
Working 9 to 5, whoa what a way to make a living
Barely getting by, it's all taking and no giving
They just use your mind and they never give you credit
It's enough to drive you crazy if you let it (crazy if you let it)
Working 9 to 5, working 9 to 5
You're just a step on the boss man's ladder
But you got dreams he'll never take away (he'll never take 'em away)
You're in the same boat with a lotta your friends
Waiting for the day your ship'll come in (mm)
And the tide's gonna turn and it's all gonna roll your way (I just know it)
Working 9 to 5, what a way to make a living
Barely getting by, it's all taking and no giving
They just use your mind and they never give you credit
It's enough to drive you crazy if you let it (but you won't let it)
Working 9 to 5, yeah, they got you where they want you
There's a better life and you think about it, don't you? (You dream about it)
It's a rich man's game no matter what they call it
And you spend your life putting money in his wallet (putting money in his wallet)
Working 9 to 5, whoa what a way to make a living
Barely getting by, it's all taking and no giving
They just use your mind and they never give you credit
It's enough to drive you crazy if you let it (crazy if you let it)
Working 9 to 5, working 9 to 5
(You dream about it, don't you?)
It's a rich man's game no matter what they call it (mm)
And you spend your life putting money in his wallet (putting money in his wallet)
(9 to 5) just working, working, working
(9 to 5) just working, working, working
(9 to 5) and you think about it don't ya
(9 to 5) yeah, you think about it don't ya
(9 to 5)
It's a rich man's game no matter what they call it (mm)
And you spend your life putting money in his wallet (putting money in his wallet)
(9 to 5) just working, working, working
(9 to 5) just working, working, working
(9 to 5) and you think about it don't ya
(9 to 5) yeah, you think about it don't ya
(9 to 5)
"9 To 5" by Dolly Parton from the album "9 To 5 And Odd Jobs" (1980).* Written by Dolly Parton. Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC. Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind. Watch the Original Music Video here.
*Dolly wrote this for the 1980 film of the same name. The film, which was Parton's acting debut, starred Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Parton, and Dabney Coleman and deals with life in an American office, where the workday was 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. She wrote the song while the movie was filming.
In a 2009 interview with 60 Minutes, Parton talked about the unlikely inspiration for this song: her fingernails. She had very long, acrylic nails, and discovered that when she rubbed them together, she could create a rhythm that sounded like a typewriter, and since the movie was about secretaries, she was able to use that sound to compose the song on the set. She even played her fingernails as part of the percussion sound when she recorded the track. Both the film and the song "9 to 5" exposed gender inequity in the workplace. It was done for laughs, which was the only way it could reach a mass audience, but still made a strong statement, with three female leads taking on their stereotypically disparaging boss.
The song has a jaunty tone that fits the movie, but the lyrics ring true for many women:
They just use your mind and they never give you credit
It's enough to drive you crazy if you let it
Parton was more than qualified to write these lines, having conquered the male-dominated world of country music with extraordinary tact and ambition.
"9 to 5" didn't start any kind of movement, but did push the issue forward. When the #metoo uprising took shape, it became a touchstone to measure progress - women were still earning considerably less than men and dealing with an often-criminal level of disrespect. This was a huge crossover hit for Parton, who expanded her audience to the world of mainstream pop. Years later, many country music artists, especially female singers like Faith Hill and Shania Twain, followed Parton's lead and made headway on the pop charts.
The song has a jaunty tone that fits the movie, but the lyrics ring true for many women:
They just use your mind and they never give you credit
It's enough to drive you crazy if you let it
Parton was more than qualified to write these lines, having conquered the male-dominated world of country music with extraordinary tact and ambition.
"9 to 5" didn't start any kind of movement, but did push the issue forward. When the #metoo uprising took shape, it became a touchstone to measure progress - women were still earning considerably less than men and dealing with an often-criminal level of disrespect. This was a huge crossover hit for Parton, who expanded her audience to the world of mainstream pop. Years later, many country music artists, especially female singers like Faith Hill and Shania Twain, followed Parton's lead and made headway on the pop charts.
At different points in the song, you can hear the sounds of some tapping followed by a bell. This was the sound of a typewriter, which was the tool of the trade for secretaries in 1980. The bell told the typist that she was nearing the end of the page and needed to return the carriage to the left and start a new line. Typewriters were eventually replaced with word processors and computers, making these sounds obsolete.
This song won the 1981 Grammys for Best Country Song and Best Country Vocal Performance, Female; it also received a Grammy nomination for Best Album Of Original Score Written For A Motion Picture Or Television Special and received Oscar and Golden Globe nominations. It also won the People's Choice Award for Favorite Motion Picture Song.This song got the Andy Samberg treatment in a 2010 episode of Saturday Night Live where in a digital short, they turned the song into "Stumblin'." The bit featured Samberg and Paul Rudd stumbling all over Manhattan to a reworked version of this song. Paul McCartney, who was the musical guest on the show, appears in the short doing a very random, tiny harmonica solo.
The film 9 to 5 was turned into TV series that ran five seasons from 1982-1988. The song was used as the theme, initially with Phoebe Snow singing it, then replaced with Parton's version later on. The cast changed a lot throughout the run, with Jeffrey Tambor, Rita Moreno, Sally Struthers and Valerie Curtin among the participants.
In 2009, the franchise was revived with a Broadway musical that opened and closed with ensemble renditions of the song. This production starred Allison Janney and Megan Hilty. (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)
In 2009, the franchise was revived with a Broadway musical that opened and closed with ensemble renditions of the song. This production starred Allison Janney and Megan Hilty. (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)
Editor's Note: Click on "Next 1 Entries" at the bottom of this page to see previous issues. - WG