MAY 7, 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 

(Singer Vehicle Design images)

Inspired by the rare wide-body variant of the 911 Carrera from the 1980s, and "focused on captivating, high-performance sports driving on road and track," the Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe Reimagined by Singer will be limited to just 100 commissions. The machine incorporates a state-of-the-art, 420HP, naturally aspirated flat six, restored and developed by Singer with engineering from Cosworth. Singer's latest 911 project is inspired by the rare wide-body variant of the 911 Carrera from the 1980s, and is restored around the original Type 964 monocoque, with chassis strengthening developed in consultation with Red Bull Advanced Technologies. The car's "reborn" flat six is based on the Type 964’s engine, with 4.0L capacity, 4-valves per cylinder, variable valve timing, water-cooled cylinder heads and air-cooled cylinders. other stuff? Latest generation ABS, traction control, and electronic stability control, developed with Bosch, combined with selectable drive modes, a manual six-speed gearbox and rear-wheel drive; four-way, remotely adjustable dampers with electronic damping control for precise sports handling. The Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe Reimagined by Singer will be restored, reimagined and reborn at the request of each owner, with a focus on beauty, craftsmanship and innovation. It will be limited to just 100 commissions. How much? It depends on how much you want to spend. But let's just say a lot.

The AE Song of the Week

"Who Will Save Your Soul" by Jewel, from the album "Pieces Of You" (1994).* Watch the Official Music Video here.

*Jewel wrote this when she was 16. She traveled a lot in those days, and took a trip to Mexico where she hitchhiked around the country. She was amazed to see how many people looked like they were waiting for someone to save them. She told Entertainment Weekly: "I started street-singing along the way, and that's when 'Who Will Save Your Soul' came. I didn't know any chords - I played the same four over and over and just started improvising lyrics. I sang and gave foot rubs to tourists at the docks in Cabo, and hitchhiked without being murdered or raped. I always carried my little skinning knife. It wasn't little, actually. It was a pretty big knife." This was Jewel's first single. It was first released in 1994, and took a long time to find an audience. Two years later, as female singer/songwriters like Sheryl Crow, Sara McLachlan, and Alanis Morissette became very popular, radio stations started adding the song to their playlists, and it was re-released as a single. This time, it became a hit, peaking at #11 in August 1996, 18 months after the Pieces Of You album was issued. Geoff Moore directed the music video, which was shot in a bathroom at Los Angeles City Hall. Jewel regards restrooms as sanctuaries. She told Entertainment Weekly: "I grew up outdoors and in nature, and I found the only place in cities I could be alone was the bathroom."

Moore recruited his friends to play the characters in the video, including the drag queen, who was My Fair Lady actor Rex Harrison's grandson. Most of the album was recorded at Neil Young's Broken Arrow Ranch in Redwood City, California. Ben Keith, who produced Pieces of You, is known as a pedal steel guitarist in Young's band, and a co-producer for the album Harvest Moon, which was a favorite of Jewel's. The music video was nominated for Best Female Video at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1996, but lost to Alanis Morissette's "Ironic." The song also earned Jewel a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1997, but Toni Braxton won for "Un-Break My Heart." (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)

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