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
(Nissan images)
Hankering for T-Tops? No, not ever as far as we're concerned. But Nissan operatives had the dubious idea of a T-top Z concept that "pays homage to ’90s tuner culture and past open-roof Z cars," according to Nissan PR minions. The Nissan Z Kaze concept was revealed last week at ZCON, the annual enthusiast convention of the Z Car Club Association. Designed around nostalgia, heritage and driving enjoyment for Nissan's seven generations of Z sports cars, the Z Kaze concept dramatically lifts the lid on the Nissan Z. Named for the Japanese word for wind (kaze), the Z Kaze concept's defining feature is its custom-engineered T-top roof, unlocking the wind-in-the-hair feeling beloved by driving enthusiasts. The concept is a passion project conceived and developed by a team of Nissan product planners and designers who sought to showcase the open-top roots of the Z sports car. The team was guided by a vision of an exhilarating drive along California's Pacific Coast Highway on a perfect summer day. "The Z Kaze concept celebrates some of Nissan's most iconic open top sports cars, while recognizing the '90s tuning culture that helped put Nissan and NISMO on the map," said Ponz Pandikuthira, senior vice president, chief product and planning officer, Nissan Americas. "This passion project combines Nissan's engineering excellence, creativity and celebration of the brand's heritage."
Editor-in-Chief's Note: This is one of those concept ideas that should have died in the conference room. T-Tops were cumbersome, leaked like sieves, and added unnecessary weight. Anyone who lived through that era was happy to see them gone. And please don't tell me "with new technology it will be great," because a dumb idea is a dumb idea. All. Day. Long. -PMD
Editor-in-Chief's Note: This week, our video features a close look at Dave MacDonald.. Watch it here. -PMD
Editor-in-Chief's Note: This week, our video features a close look at Dave MacDonald.. Watch it here. -PMD
The AE Song of the Week:
Just when I thought I got him to fall in love with Tennessee
I shoulda known better than to take him back to Abilene
I put him right back into her arms
I wasn't a match for that kinda spark
She's from Texas, I can tell by the way
He's two steppin' 'round the room
And judgin' by the smile that's written on his face
There's nothin' I can do
It doesn't take a crystal ball to see
A cowboy always finds a way to leave
Drinkin' Jack all by myself
He's choosin' Texas, I can tell
Well, I guess he forgot about the Smoky Mountain rain
Them old Hank tunes, the Memphis blues we used to sing
He always loved Amarillo By Morning
I shoulda taken that as a warning
She's from Texas, I can tell by the way
He's two steppin' 'round the room
And judgin' by the smile that's written on his face
There's nothin' I can do
It doesn't take a crystal ball to see
A cowboy always finds a way to leave
Drinkin' Jack all by myself
He's choosin' Texas, I can tell
When I'm eastbound and down and I can't help but cry
'Cause I-40 gets lonelier with every mile
I'll know that his mind wasn't ever gonna change
'Cause his heart still belongs to the Lone Star State
She's from Texas, I can tell by the way
He's two steppin' 'round the room
And judgin' by the smile that's written on his face
There's nothin' I can do, nah, yeah
It doesn't take a crystal ball to see
A cowboy always finds a way to leave
Drinkin' Jack all by myself
He's choosing Texas, I can tell, no
Drinkin' Jack all by myself
He's choosin' Texas, I can tell
Come on, baby
Oh, yeah
Just when I thought I got him to fall in love with Tennessee
Just when I thought I got him to fall in love with Tennessee
I shoulda known better than to take him back to Abilene
I put him right back into her arms
I wasn't a match for that kinda spark
She's from Texas, I can tell by the way
He's two steppin' 'round the room
And judgin' by the smile that's written on his face
There's nothin' I can do
It doesn't take a crystal ball to see
A cowboy always finds a way to leave
Drinkin' Jack all by myself
He's choosin' Texas, I can tell
Well, I guess he forgot about the Smoky Mountain rain
Them old Hank tunes, the Memphis blues we used to sing
He always loved Amarillo By Morning
I shoulda taken that as a warning
She's from Texas, I can tell by the way
He's two steppin' 'round the room
And judgin' by the smile that's written on his face
There's nothin' I can do
It doesn't take a crystal ball to see
A cowboy always finds a way to leave
Drinkin' Jack all by myself
He's choosin' Texas, I can tell
When I'm eastbound and down and I can't help but cry
'Cause I-40 gets lonelier with every mile
I'll know that his mind wasn't ever gonna change
'Cause his heart still belongs to the Lone Star State
She's from Texas, I can tell by the way
He's two steppin' 'round the room
And judgin' by the smile that's written on his face
There's nothin' I can do, nah, yeah
It doesn't take a crystal ball to see
A cowboy always finds a way to leave
Drinkin' Jack all by myself
He's choosing Texas, I can tell, no
Drinkin' Jack all by myself
He's choosin' Texas, I can tell
Come on, baby
Oh, yeah
Just when I thought I got him to fall in love with Tennessee
"Choosin' Texas" by Ella Langley from the album "Dandelion" (2025)*. Written by Ella Langley, Joybeth Taylor, Luke Dick and Miranda Lambert. Publisher: Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC. Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind. Watch the Official Music Video here.
*"Choosin' Texas" is Ella Langley's story of a Tennessee woman watching her man get swept away by a Texas girl, and realizing she never really stood a chance against the gravitational pull of the Lone Star State. Langley is from Alabama but moved to Nashville when she was 20. It's not autobiographical but the story synchs for anyone who knows a transplant from Texas who yearns to return. She missed the warning signs, little red flags like how he always perked up when "Amarillo By Morning" came on. But this isn't "Gunpowder & Lead" territory; Langley takes the Dolly Parton route, channeling "Jolene" levels of grace and heartache.
*"Choosin' Texas" is Ella Langley's story of a Tennessee woman watching her man get swept away by a Texas girl, and realizing she never really stood a chance against the gravitational pull of the Lone Star State. Langley is from Alabama but moved to Nashville when she was 20. It's not autobiographical but the story synchs for anyone who knows a transplant from Texas who yearns to return. She missed the warning signs, little red flags like how he always perked up when "Amarillo By Morning" came on. But this isn't "Gunpowder & Lead" territory; Langley takes the Dolly Parton route, channeling "Jolene" levels of grace and heartache.
Langley co-wrote the song with her frequent songwriting collaborator Joybeth Taylor, along with Miranda Lambert and Luke Dick during a writing retreat in October 2024. It started with Lambert, a Texan, telling her co-writers a wild story about her younger days when she got pulled over in Ohio (or thereabouts) with a baby kangaroo in the front set and a dog in the back. The cop saw her Texas plates and cut her some slack, knowing that folks from that state have different sensibilities. After Lambert told the story, Langley quipped in the voice of the cop, "She's from Texas, I can tell."
The room fell silent for half a beat before the writers went: That's the song. Thirty minutes later, "Choosin' Texas" was born.
And we checked, it is legal to own a pet kangaroo in Texas, but not advisable.
Lambert and Ben West co-produced the track alongside Langley, with Lambert insisting she wanted to "let Ella's artistry shine through every step of the process."
Langley sang "Choosin' Texas" at the 2025 CMA Awards, where her song "You Look Like You Love Me" earned her three trips to the podium, winning for Single Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Music Video Of The Year.
"Choosin' Texas" climbed to #1 on the Country chart dated December 6, 2025, in its sixth week on the survey. It was Ella Langley's first visit to the Hot Country Songs summit. By June 13, 2026, it had spent 28 weeks atop the tally, more weeks than any other song by a solo female artist. Prior to Langley's chart achievement, Gabby Barrett had held the record with her 2019 single "I Hope" which sat at #1 for 27 weeks. (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)
The room fell silent for half a beat before the writers went: That's the song. Thirty minutes later, "Choosin' Texas" was born.
And we checked, it is legal to own a pet kangaroo in Texas, but not advisable.
Lambert and Ben West co-produced the track alongside Langley, with Lambert insisting she wanted to "let Ella's artistry shine through every step of the process."
Langley sang "Choosin' Texas" at the 2025 CMA Awards, where her song "You Look Like You Love Me" earned her three trips to the podium, winning for Single Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Music Video Of The Year.
"Choosin' Texas" climbed to #1 on the Country chart dated December 6, 2025, in its sixth week on the survey. It was Ella Langley's first visit to the Hot Country Songs summit. By June 13, 2026, it had spent 28 weeks atop the tally, more weeks than any other song by a solo female artist. Prior to Langley's chart achievement, Gabby Barrett had held the record with her 2019 single "I Hope" which sat at #1 for 27 weeks. (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)
Editor's Note: Click on "Next 1 Entries" at the bottom of this page to see previous issues. - WG