Car Lyric of the Week: Can't Tell Me Nothing and Mercy by Kanye West

     Can't Tell Me Nothing:

     "Let up the suicide doors
     This is my life homie, you decide yours"

     Mercy:

     "Let the suicide doors up
     I threw suicides on the tour bus
     I threw suicides on the private jet
     You know what that mean, I'm fly to death"










     On the defiant, yet introspective "Can't Tell Me Nothing," Kanye calls out the haters while reflecting on the consequences of wealth and fame. However, Yeezy also makes a small blunder: he mistakes scissor doors for suicide doors. Suicide doors are hinged at the rear and open backwards, and can be found on modern Rolls-Royces. Scissor doors are what Ye actually meant to rap about, as these open vertically, and these expensive contraptions have been made famous by Lamborghini. This is an excusable mistake on West's part, but unfortunately he made the exact same error five years later. On "Mercy," a Lamborghini Murcielago-dedicated banger off his collaboration album Cruel Summer, Kanye yet again messes up. Making the mistake once is understandable, but the fact that he spits essentially the same line five years later makes me wonder if no one told him he was wrong in the first place in fear of bruising his sensitive ego.

Suicide doors on a Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe at the 2015 New York Auto Show

Scissor doors on a Lamborghini Murcielgao at the 2015 New York Auto Show

Car Lyric of the Week: Untouchable by Pusha T

"The Rolls-Royce playing peek-a-boo with the emblem"

In this ferocious track off his latest EP, Darkest Before the Dawn: The Prelude, Pusha T spits about becoming the president of G.O.O.D. Music, a record label started by Kanye West, and his tracks being featured in film scores. He also boasts about his Rolls-Royce, which appears to be a Ghost judging by the music video. In a 2013 interview with Complex, Pusha T mentioned that his dream car was a Rolls, and it seems like the success from his debut solo album, My Name is My Name, and his most recent project, has made the dream come true. This clever line refers to the Spirit of Ecstasy, Rolls' famous hood ornament, and its ability to retract into the ostentatious chrome grille. Pusha T puts an interesting twist on this neat trick by comparing it to a game of peek-a-boo, creating one of my favorite lines of the album, let alone the song.

Spirit of Ecstasy on a 1979 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II in Brooklyn, New York

This video shows the retracting Spirit of Ecstasy found on modern Rolls-Royces.

Hood Ornaments Part 1

I have always been obsessed with hood ornaments, and always daydream about them making a comeback. However, intricate designs like the ones below will most likely stay a thing of the past due to pedestrian safety standards. Here's a small collection of intriguing designs:

1928 Pierce-Arrow Series 81 Runabout in Alaska

 This dynamic archer appears on the hood of a 1928 Pierce-Arrow Series 81 Runabout. The connection to Pierce-Arrow's name is obvious, but what really makes this ornament stand out is the kneeling stance taken by the bowman, which adds a sense of movement and power to the car. The pointy tip of the arrow, however, means a design like this could never pass pedestrian safety test nowadays.

1936 Packard Dual-Cowl Convertible Touring in Alaska

 This graceful swan rests atop a 1936 Packard Dual-Cowl Convertible Touring 1408-973. Swans often adorned the hoods of Packards, and with its flat, upswept wings and curved neck, this bird is absolutely majestic.

1932 Chrysler Custom Imperial Series CL in Alaska

 While this leaping gazelle wouldn't look out of place on a 1950's Chevy Impala, it actually hails from a 1932 Chrysler Custom Imperial Series CL Convertible Sedan. The antelope's stretched body creates a streamlined look, as do the swept back antlers. But what really sticks out about this hood decoration is the set of wings extending upwards from the top of the grille. This is almost like a double-hood ornament, making the luxurious Imperial even more unique and exclusive.

1936 Hudson 65 Custom 8 Convertible at NYIAS

This hood ornament, from a 1936 Hudson 65 Custom 8 Convertible, is one of my all time favorites. While the majority of hood ornaments are made entirely of chrome, the Hudson mixes it up with the bullet-shaped, red, glass pod. Wings were a common sight in early cars, often thought to symbolize speed, like in the Aston Martin and Bentley logos. Little wings sprout out of the top of the pod, and, along with the way the grille continues onto the hood, exemplifies the obsession with streamlined design, started with the 1934 Chrysler Airflow, that was rampant throughout the 1930's.

Austin A30 in Rome

The Austin A30 is the only non-luxury vehicle in this post (it was a response to the Morris Minor compact car), and therefore its hood ornament is significantly simpler. However, the forward-leaning "A" and extremely straight lines of the wing create a visually pleasing ornament nonetheless.

Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II in Brooklyn

Rolls-Royce Ghost In Florida

1914 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost in Florida

Perhaps the most famous car mascot, Rolls-Royce's "Spirit of Ecstasy" (pictured above on a 1979 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II) is the epitome of elegance. This woman still rests atop Rolls-Royce grilles, although on the Phantom she can retract into the hood.

Rolls-Royce Corniche

This massive land-yacht, the Corniche, is the Rolls-Royce of ultra-luxury cars, both because it is a Rolls-Royce, and because its design so accurately captures everything one could ever want in a luxury vehicle. Simply standing next to the majestic coupe, I could feel its opulence radiating outwards.

The high-class appearance starts with the instantly recognizable, and stately Rolls-Royce grille. The golden hue screams affluence, as do the thinly spaced vertical bars. The famous "Spirit of Ecstasy" hood ornament is perched atop the grille, which sits between pairs of circular headlights. The headlights themselves are not particularly special, but the shiny, gold-tinted trim piece surrounding them gives the front fascia of the Rolls a touch of elegance, taking it a step above everything else.

Bold creases stretch from the grille towards the windshield, and a thin chrome strip down the center of the hood extends the distinguished look of the front fascia all the way to the windshield. Dignified character lines flow backwards from the turning lights, eventually forming the powerful rear haunches. Despite the sleek lines, Rolls-Royce is keen to let its customers know this is not some sports car, but a luxurious two door cruiser. The upright windshield and boxy profile adds to the regal aura given off by this 17-foot behemoth. The rear fascia is a bit simple, with small vertical taillights and a black plastic and chrome bumper, but certainly not ugly.

Overall, the Corniche does exactly what it need to do: look extremely fancy. With a very upright stance and loads of chrome, the Corniche is the perfect luxury coupe.


Grade
Front: A
Rear: B+
Overall: A