It’s sure getting hot out there. Why not stay inside the air conditioning a little longer and finish reading this installment of Car Connections? If this is your first time here, I’ll explain how it works. I make the Random Word Generator spit out three words, then I use my car-nerd brain to link each of them to automobiles in some way (hint: One of them is associated with a great way to cope with the heat). This week’s words are ground, retirement, and calorie. How would you associate these words with cars? Tell us in the Comments section below.
Ground: Ground beef. Cows. Bentley! Why? Because it uses a lot of leather in its interiors, but not just any leather — according to the automaker, its “hides are sourced from Northern Europe, where the temperate climate and lack of barbed wire fencing means the hides are mostly free from the imperfections caused by scratches and biting insects.”
Retirement: I can imagine that when a person retires, (s)he wants two main things: to live in comfort and good health their remaining years, and know that (s)he made an impact professionally. In 2024, Tadge Juechter retired after 47 years with GM, many of which he served as the executive chief engineer of the Chevrolet Corvette (2006-24). Talk about a body of work! He was the head guy over the C7 generation that spawned an absolutely bonkers ZR1 with 755 horsepower and ultra-aggressive body work and aero add-ons. The C8, the long-awaited, first-ever production Corvette with a mid-engine layout, was a great way to go out.
Juechter left his mark on the Corvette in more than one way: Chevy put a portrait of his face on the top left of the 1,064-horsepower ZR1’s split rear window. “With its debut on the Corvette ZR1, the icon of appreciation will also be in place on 2025 model year Corvettes and beyond. The graphic on these cars will be found on the front windshield glass and front tunnel reinforcement panel beneath every Corvette Stingray, Z06, E-Ray, and ZR1.”
Calorie: Did you know that July is National Ice Cream Month? Neither did I until a Nissan representative told me in an email back in 2021. She let me know shortly before I received an Armada press vehicle to drive around and review. It arrived with a Visa gift card that she recommended I use to go get some frozen treats. My fiance at the time (who is now my wife) and I ended up taking the big SUV to both Bruster’s and Handel’s, which has a wonderful flavor it calls “Strawberry Cheesecake Chunk.” Portions at Handel’s are generous, meaning that even a small dish of that delight has 350 calories.
