So what's up with this Cars 'reunion' photo?

Forget words — these days, a photograph is worth a thousand reunion rumors.

So when Boston new wave legends the Cars quietly posted the above photo on Facebook two weeks ago, the Internet caught fire with speculation on their first possible show together in 23 years. The image, recently snapped in an unknown local studio, shows surviving members Ric Ocasek and Elliot Easton on guitars, David Robinson behind the drums and keyboardist Greg Hawkes playing bass. Original Cars bassist and co-frontman Benjamin Orr died from pancreatic cancer in 2000.

The photo, posted July 13 on the Cars’ official band page, has at post time generated 185 Facebook comments, 344 “like’s” and endless speculation in media.

Hawkes was noncommittal when the Boston Globe asked him last week about a possible reunion, and apparently Ocasek isn't talking. While the band would no doubt sell out any gigs on their own, wouldn’t it be cool if the Cars secretly joined the Aug. 14 Aerosmith & J. Geils Band bill at Fenway Park? Talk about a full-frontal Boston love-fest. 

Or better yet, here’s another idea that doesn’t involve an already sold-out show: Add a second Aerosmith concert with the Cars on board. A few months ago there were rumblings that an additional Fenway Park show would be added for Friday, Aug. 13, the day before the original gig. So while that noise has quieted down a bit, perhaps Aerosmith can belt out one more local show with some other locals legends, creating the hottest ticket of the year. That might be just what we needed.