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
(Stellantis)
From the "Let's Throw Up Something Against the Wall Again To See What Sticks" File, Stellantis' Jeep brand is introducing the 2027 Jeep Wrangler JL-2A, which celebrates the Willys CJ-2A, the first Jeep vehicle designed specifically for civilian use. Built on the Wrangler Rubicon platform, "this special edition blends legendary Trail Rated capability with authentic design cues that pay tribute to the original Willys CJ-2A," according to Jeep PR minions. What do you get? Gobi exterior paint color returns for 2027 as one of the paint colors available with JL-2A; Exclusive 17-inch retro Joose painted wheels and orange tow hooks draw inspiration from the Sunset Red wheels from the original CJ-2A; Exclusive Wrangler-first color and material combination of premium Nappa Heritage Tan and Bison Brown interior, featuring bold Desert Orange accent stitching and exclusive commemorative details, honor Willys-Overland. There's a lot of other stuff available, since Jeep operatives have made a cottage industry of cribbing the Porsche philosophy of extracting as much ca$h-ola from their faithful with its option list as possible, so if you're interested, good luck. The 2027 Jeep Wrangler JL-2A will be available to order in October, with a package MSRP of $4,995, $115 more than a similarly equipped Rubicon.
(MINI)
MINI has introduced the MINI 1998 GT Edition, a limited-edition model inspired by the classic Mini 1275 GT and MINI 1499 GT. Based on the MINI Cooper C 2 Door, the MINI 1998 GT Edition includes: Midnight Black Metallic with Black Roof and Mirror Caps; Vescin Black with Black Knit interior; Signature Plus Trim with Comfort Package; John Cooper Works Style; 17” John Cooper Works Sprint Spoke Black with All-Season Tires; John Cooper Works Aero Kit in Gloss Black and other stuff for a MSRP of $36,875. Production of the MINI 1998 GT Edition will begin in October 2026, with a limited number of vehicles expected to arrive at MINI dealers beginning in November 2026.
Editor-in-Chief's Note: This week, our video features a riveting interview with Dan Gurney. Watch it here. -PMD
The AE Song of the Week:
I′ve been driving all night, my hand's wet on the wheel
There′s a voice in my head, that drives me heel
It's my baby callin', says I need you here
And it′s half past four and I′m shifting gear
When she's lonely and the longing gets too much
She sends a cable coming in from above
Don′t need no phone at all
We've got a thing that′s called: Radar love
We've got a wave in the air
Radar love
The radio′s playing some forgotten song
Brenda Lee's: "Coming on strong"
The road's got me hypnotised
And I′m speeding into a new sunrise
When I get lonely, and I′m sure I've had enough
She sends her comfort coming in from above
Don′t need no letters at all
We've got a thing that′s called: Radar love
We've got a line in the sky
No more speed I′m almost there
Gotta keep cool, now gotta take care
Last car to pass, here I go!
And the line of cars drove down real slow
And the radio played that forgotten song
Brenda Lee's Coming on strong
And the newsman sang his same old song
One more Radar love has gone
*Before you could send a text message or call someone in their car, there was no way to communicate to a driver - unless you had a certain telepathic love that could convey from a distance your desire to be with that person, something you might call... Radar Love. In this song, the guy has been driving all night, but keeps pushing the pedal because he just knows that his baby wants him home. Unfortunately, he's a reckless driver and dies in a crash just before reaching his destination: "One more radar lover gone."
Golden Earring lead singer Barry Hay, who wrote the lyric, confirmed the death interpretation and explained that he was very interested in extrasensory perception (ESP) at the time, which inspired the story of a guy who has a psychic bond with his lover, even in death.
Golden Earring was founded 1961 and played with the same lineup from 1970 until their last concert in 2019, often playing 100+ shows a year in The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. The group is from The Netherlands, where "Radar Love" was a #1 hit and remains a national treasure. The group had a bucketload of hits in their home country but managed only one more in America. That was "Twilight Zone" released in 1982, nine years after "Radar Love."
Like many of Golden Earring's songs, "Radar Love" began with the title and grew from there. Their guitarist, George Kooymans, who founded the band back in 1961, wrote the music and Barry Hay added the lyric.
Originally intended only as an album track, it turned out to be the only cut on their US debut album, Moontan, that they could whittle down to a single for radio. It became their showstopper at concerts and provided a striking moment for their drummer Cesar Zuiderwijk, who would take a few steps back and leap at the drum kit near the end of the song. Golden Earring wasn't on the radar of most Americans, so the song wasn't a big chart hit, stalling at #13. But it stuck around as a Classic Rock staple and really entered the ether, becoming one of the most recognized songs in that country, and responsible for a number of speeding tickets. (Full disclosure? This is the song that was playing when I made my famous flat-out trip from East Lansing to Ann Arbor in 25 minutes - it normally takes 40 minutes - in my used, Bitter Chocolate 1975 911S, which I've documented in a previous Rant. I was on my way to see a certain young lady. -PMD)
"Radar Love" by Golden Earring from the album "Moontan" (1973).* Written by Barry A Hay and George J Kooymans. Lyrics courtesy of musixmatch. Watch and Listen to it here.
*Before you could send a text message or call someone in their car, there was no way to communicate to a driver - unless you had a certain telepathic love that could convey from a distance your desire to be with that person, something you might call... Radar Love. In this song, the guy has been driving all night, but keeps pushing the pedal because he just knows that his baby wants him home. Unfortunately, he's a reckless driver and dies in a crash just before reaching his destination: "One more radar lover gone."
Golden Earring lead singer Barry Hay, who wrote the lyric, confirmed the death interpretation and explained that he was very interested in extrasensory perception (ESP) at the time, which inspired the story of a guy who has a psychic bond with his lover, even in death.
Golden Earring was founded 1961 and played with the same lineup from 1970 until their last concert in 2019, often playing 100+ shows a year in The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. The group is from The Netherlands, where "Radar Love" was a #1 hit and remains a national treasure. The group had a bucketload of hits in their home country but managed only one more in America. That was "Twilight Zone" released in 1982, nine years after "Radar Love."
Like many of Golden Earring's songs, "Radar Love" began with the title and grew from there. Their guitarist, George Kooymans, who founded the band back in 1961, wrote the music and Barry Hay added the lyric.
Originally intended only as an album track, it turned out to be the only cut on their US debut album, Moontan, that they could whittle down to a single for radio. It became their showstopper at concerts and provided a striking moment for their drummer Cesar Zuiderwijk, who would take a few steps back and leap at the drum kit near the end of the song. Golden Earring wasn't on the radar of most Americans, so the song wasn't a big chart hit, stalling at #13. But it stuck around as a Classic Rock staple and really entered the ether, becoming one of the most recognized songs in that country, and responsible for a number of speeding tickets. (Full disclosure? This is the song that was playing when I made my famous flat-out trip from East Lansing to Ann Arbor in 25 minutes - it normally takes 40 minutes - in my used, Bitter Chocolate 1975 911S, which I've documented in a previous Rant. I was on my way to see a certain young lady. -PMD)
The song is all in 4/4 time, and the original tempo is around 100 BPM. It's a very clever arrangement: the intro is on the beat of each bar at the start. The shuffle on the snare is semi triplets, which give the illusion of the song speeding up. You have to quantize drum machines to a 6th beat. Consequently, the chorus is doubled up to give the impression that the tempo has speeded up to 200 BPM. You have to transpose the 4/4 bar so it can be played within one beat of the bar. It does take a bit of lateral thinking to get your head around the math, but the song is all 4/4 at 100 BPM. (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)
Editor's Note: Click on "Next 1 Entries" at the bottom of this page to see previous issues. - WG