Motor Authority

2022 Cadillac CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwings aim to be a gas on the track

By Michael J. Moody 10 months ago

Even as GM aims to go all electric by 2035, the U.S. automaker is introducing new performance cars with good ol’ fashioned gas-guzzling engines.

The 2022 CT4-V Blacking and CT5-V Blackwing will arrive this summer to replace the ATS-V and CTS-V, respectively, and they will do so with updated versions of the same basic engines.

The larger mid-size CT5-V Blackwing will feature a tuned version of the supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 from the CTS-V to make 668 hp and 659 lb-ft of torque, up from 640 hp and 630 lb-ft. Cadillac says intake airflow improved by 46%, and additional power came from a revised exhaust system, a new throttle body and supercharger, and a calibration update. Each engine is hand built by one tech at the Bowling Green, Kentucky, factory that builds the Corvette, and each comes with a signed engine plate.

Cadillac quotes a 3.7-second 0-60 mph time when paired

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2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, 2022 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT 73e, 2021 Freze Nikrob EV: Today’s Car News

By Michael J. Moody 10 months ago

Cadillac’s true successor to the CTS-V will make its formal debut later today. The new super sedan will go by the name CT5-V Blackwing, and will be joined by a smaller CT4-V Blackwing which replaces the former ATS-V. Both go on sale this summer as 2022 models.

Another super sedan in the headlines today is a plug-in hybrid version of the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT 4-Door Coupe. Expected to be badged a GT 73e, the new model may end up boasting over 800 hp.

Last year Latvia’s Dartz said it planned to revive historic Russian brand Freze. The first model for the modern Freze has now been revealed as an electric city car called the Nikrob EV. It goes on sale later this year in a handful of European countries and is priced to start from about $12,000.

You’ll find these stories and more in today’s car news, right here at

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Mid-cycle update for this high-riding Raging Bull

By Michael J. Moody 10 months ago

Whether you’re a fan or not, Lamborghini’s Urus SUV has proven to be a huge hit for the Italian marque.

Despite the pandemic, Lamborghini managed to deliver 7,430 vehicles in 2020, with 59% percent of these being the Urus. The exact number was 4,391 of the SUVs.

It looks like Lamborghini is now preparing a facelift for the Urus to keep sales brimming, as a prototype has been spotted. We’ll likely see the updated SUV arrive in late 2021 or early the following year as a 2023 model. The Urus first hit the market in 2018 as a 2019 model.

The prototype wears a lot of camouflage gear but we can clearly see a new front fascia with what looks to be additional vents at the outer edges. These are known as air curtains, and help direct air flow around the flanks of the vehicle.

2023 Lamborghini Urus facelift spy shots - Photo credit: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien

2023 Lamborghini Urus facelift spy

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Dartz’s Freze EV brand reveals first vehicle

By Michael J. Moody 10 months ago

Dartz, a specialist SUV manufacturer from Latvia, teamed up in 2020 with a yet-to-be-disclosed Chinese company to revive historic Russian brand Freze as a modern electric-vehicle company.

Last week the revived Freze unveiled its first model, a humble battery-electric hatchback called the Nikrob EV. It will be sold in a handful of European countries with a starting price of 9,999 euros (approximately $12,000), making it one of the most affordable EVs currently in production.

For this you get a two-door hatch with a big enough battery to cover about 120 miles on a charge. Dartz hasn’t provided technical details but there’s likely to be only a single electric motor powering the front axle.

The Freze hasn’t been developed from scratch, however. It’s actually based on the Hongguang Mini EV from Chinese automaker Wuling. The Wuling version has an electric motor up front good for 17.4 hp, and the choice of

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