2024 Volkswagen ID Buzz Spills Its Guts Days Before Full Reveal

cadillac ct5 Full OverviewCadillac's story in the two decades since the year 2000 has been one of chasing dreams. It went on a search for Art and Science. It traveled east to New York to find brand cachet and score modeling gigs. Like every carmaker, it pivoted wildly to crossovers and SUVs. Then along came EVs and the pledge that every Cadillac would soon be all-electric, all the time.Then there was V, the attempt to out-German the Germans at sport sedans. Like many of Cadillac's efforts in the past 20 years, it didn't quite pan out. But man, did the company ever get close, and the 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing is the proverbial going-out-with-a-bang car that should reverberate as one of the greatest American sport sedans of all time 20 years from now.The powertrain numbers are the pinnacle of Cadillac's gas-only power and performance: 668 hp and 659 lb-ft of torque from a 6.2-liter supercharged, direct-injected V-8. The engine itself is one of the last of the venerable LTs from GM's murderer's row of V-8s—the LT4. You get your choice of transmissions to pair with this aluminum-cast monster: an available 10-speed automatic or the standard Tremec six-speed manual.How Well Does the CT5-V Perform?For our instrumented test runs, we scored a manual-equipped version of the 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing. It also came with one significant performance upgrade, Cadillac's optional carbon-ceramic front and rear brake package ($9,000). Though our test team experienced some issues launching the car from a stop, the CT5-V (eventually) performed about as expected.In fact, our number from 0-60 mph mirrored what Cadillac called out in its own estimates, a 3.6-second run. But it didn't exactly come easy. We found it incredibly tricky to get the CT5-V to hook up, despite following Cadillac's extensive launch instructions, including bleeding the tires down to 35 psi, which helped.Our most experienced tester, road test editor Chris Walton, also had his hands full with getting the CT5-V to launch correctly and channeling the car's prodigious power to the pavement. It ultimately thundered its way to a best quarter-mile time of 11.5 seconds at 127.5 mph."I, too, struggled with the launch on this car," Walton said. "It's one of those 'you can't go to wide-open throttle until the very top of first gear or you roast the rear tires.' I tried automatic launch control first, then started tweaking the launch rpm and tire-slip knobs. After failures and some successes, I found one that worked on our testing surface: 4,000 rpm with 10 percent slip, which goes against logic, but it worked."The brakes were also a bone of contention with the test team. We recorded 102 feet to stop from 60 mph—a more than respectable number, especially considering the CT5-V Blackwing's 4,067-pound curb weight—but Walton wasn't exactly enamored with what he found when he pressed the slow pedal. "The brakes are OK," he said. "The pedal feels unnecessarily firm, making it difficult to modulate on the release into the skidpad." That said, the team reported that the carbon units held up well after repeated whoa downs from triple-digit speeds.Dynamic Numbers Are DynamicWe also had some trouble getting things totally sorted on the skidpad, but the 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing still put up some super numbers in the lateral-g and figure-eight departments, helped in part by a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. Its 1.04-g average number is up there with the best sedans we've tested in recent years, and it matches that of the 2022 BMW M5 CS (interestingly, its CT4-V Blackwing stablemate performed a smidge better at 1.05 g).Out on our MotorTrend figure eight, the CT5-V Blackwing posted a 23.4-second lap at 0.89 g (average), with the M5 edging it at 23.2 seconds at 0.92 g. No, it didn't quite out-German the M5 dynamically, but for a front-engine, rear-drive sedan with a manual transmission (the M5 is all-wheel drive with an eight-speed automatic), the Cadillac is right there with it. That's duly impressive for a car that is in essence in its first and last generation. Yes, it's an evolution of the CTS-V, but the 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing is its own car, a Blackwing that can really fly.SPECIFICATIONS 2022 Cadillac CT5 V Blackwing BASE PRICE $84,990 PRICE AS TESTED $112,545 VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, RWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan ENGINE 6.2L Supercharged direct-injected OHV 16-valve 90-degree V-8 POWER (SAE NET) 668 hp @ 6,500 rpm TORQUE (SAE NET) 659 lb-ft @ 3,600 rpm TRANSMISSION 6-speed manual CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 4,067 lb (54/46%) WHEELBASE 116.0 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 194.9 x 74.1 x 56.5 in 0-60 MPH 3.6 sec QUARTER MILE 11.5 sec @ 127.5 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 102 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 1.04 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 23.4 sec @ 0.89 g (avg) EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 13/21/15 mpg ON SALE Now Show All Looks good! More details?

chevrolet corvette Full OverviewMore than a few automakers have tried to build a supercar you can drive every day without much compromise. and Those efforts, whether cleansheet or adapting an existing car, have rarely succeeded. There's a meaning behind the saying "a jack of all trades and master of none." Something's gotta give. After 14 months behind the wheel of a 2021 Chevrolet Corvette Z51—our 2020 Car of the Year—that something isn't as big as you might think.Yes, we're really going to stand here and tell you a Corvette is the only car you need. Within reason, of course. People with kids or who regularly transport plywood will need another set of wheels. Everyone else? Get a 'Vette.See, I did about everything you could think of with this Corvette. Eight-hundred-mile road trips? Several times. Bring home the Christmas tree? Tied to the roof. Off-road? There was that one time Google Maps sent us on a shortcut that turned out to be a poorly maintained dirt road and we made it without damage. Hardware store? Done it. Grocery shopping? Every week. Beat a Porsche Cayman GT4 around a racetrack? All while costing nearly $47,000 less.Sure, there were a few times the thing we needed to move was too big. On those occasions, we handed the local big-box store $20 and rented a pickup for an hour, or had it delivered. Problem solved, and for a lot less money than owning a second vehicle.We could do all this because the Corvette really is as practical as it is a superlative performer. With two trunks and a removable roof, hauling most stuff home was no big deal. Neither was taking it all on vacation: We just packed multiple carry-on bags instead of one big one.Whether it was running down the street or crossing half the state, the C8's combination of class-leading ride quality, unusually comfortable sport seats, and high-speed stability made a drive of any length easy. Set to "My Mode"—customized with better brake feel, loud exhaust, soft shocks, and light steering—the car absolutely ate up miles. Should you happen to be on a dead-straight rural highway with no other car in sight, it'll happily cruise at 100 mph for hours at a time without beating you up in the slightest.Occasionally, you'll have to slow down for the big bumps, be they on a dirt road or pulling into your own steep driveway. When you do, the nose lift with GPS tagging is an absolute must-have. We stopped taking chances altogether and just raised the nose any time a driveway or speed bump or whatever looked like it might be trouble. Tagging all the spots in our neighborhoods and around the office made commuting much less stressful.The car also does Corvette things really, really well. Like putting that Cayman GT4 in its place. Or hitting 60 mph in as little as 2.8 seconds and embarrassing cars with significantly more power and fatter MSRPs. Also great for just tearing up our local canyon roads whenever the mood struck.The only thing that made driving this car even better was putting it in track alignment and leaving it there. Not only did it make for better lap times, it made the steering more responsive and communicative. True, it wore out the tires in less than 10,000 miles, but it was worth it. Worth it to the tune of $1,889.96 for tires and $100 for mounting and balancing by our friends at ZipTire. Maintaining supercars ain't cheap.Comparatively, though, the Corvette is pretty affordable to fix. The one service appointment we paid for set us back just $183, which is significantly less than the average luxury car service (usually well over $200 per visit) though a lot more than our long-term C7 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z51, which came with complimentary maintenance for the first few years and didn't cost us a dime aside from tires. As it happened, the front trunk stopped opening right around the time the car needed service, which required ordering a new opener and returning 12 days later to have it installed, but that was covered under warranty along with a pair of minor recalls. Our C7 Corvette was a bit more trouble-prone than our C8.While nothing else needed fixing, we have a few suggestions for Chevrolet when the midcycle update comes around. Although we don't hate the long row of center-console buttons like some people, we agree the ergonomics just aren't there and it creates a wall for the passenger to reach over. While Chevy is rearranging all that, it can also move the wireless phone charger from behind your elbow to somewhere easier to reach. A set of hooks on the ceiling behind the seats to hang your jacket wouldn't hurt, either. It's not like you can see out the back window, anyway. More heat insulation in the rear trunk would also be great. Cold groceries go in the front trunk, always.Outside, it would be great if Chevy could figure out a way to keep rainwater pooled on the hood and decklid from pouring into the front and rear trunks when you open them. It would also be nice if they could slim down the decorative side blades. They're mounted on the widest parts of the door and are the first thing to hit the car parked next to you. Shaving them would make it easier to squeeze in the door when someone parks too close.All in all, these are little fixes that would make us happy, but they're hardly deal breakers. Thoughtful features like the front hood release hidden under the headlight, the downward-facing front cameras, automatic proximity locking, and automatic comfort entry/exit features make us forget most of our gripes.On a fairly regular basis, our friends and coworkers post photos of cars they've seen parked next to each other in the wild with a caption like "ultimate two-car garage." Great if you can't pick just one car and you have money to spend on multiple. If you can live with just two seats, though, you don't need a two-car solution. The C8 Corvette is the ultimate one-car-garage solution.Looks good! More details?2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT Mid-engine, RWD ENGINE TYPE 90-deg direct-injected V-8, alum block/heads VALVETRAIN OHV, 2 valves/cyl DISPLACEMENT 376.0 cu in/6,162 cc COMPRESSION RATIO 11.5:1 POWER (SAE NET) 495 hp @ 6,450 rpm TORQUE (SAE NET) 470 lb-ft @ 5,150 rpm REDLINE 6,400 rpm WEIGHT TO POWER 7.4 lb/hp TRANSMISSION 8-speed twin-clutch auto AXLE/FINAL-DRIVE RATIO 3.55:1/1.71:1 SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR Control arms, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar; control arms, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar STEERING RATIO 12.5-15.7:1 TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK 2.3 BRAKES, F; R 13.6-in vented disc; 13.8-in vented disc, ABS WHEELS, F;R 8.5 x 19-in; 11.0 x 20-in, cast aluminum TIRES, F;R 245/35R19 89Y; 305/30R20 99Y Michelin Pilot Sport 4S DIMENSIONS WHEELBASE 107.2 in TRACK, F/R 64.9/62.4 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 182.3 x 76.1 x 48.6 in TURNING CIRCLE 36.4 ft CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 3,643 lb (40/60%) SEATING CAPACITY 2 HEADROOM, F/R 37.9 in LEGROOM, F/R 42.8 in SHOULDER ROOM, F/R 54.4 in CARGO VOLUME 4.0 (frunk)/8.6 (trunk) cu ft ACCELERATION TO MPH 0-30 1.3 sec 0-40 1.8 0-50 2.4 0-60 3.1 0-70 4.0 0-80 5.0 0-90 6.2 0-100 7.6 0-100-0 11.4 PASSING, 45-65 MPH 1.5 QUARTER MILE 11.4 sec @ 120.4 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 99 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 1.01 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 23.4 sec @ 0.86 g (avg) TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH 1,300 rpm CONSUMER INFO BASE PRICE $67,295 PRICE AS TESTED $80,420 AIRBAGS 4: Dual front, front side/head BASIC WARRANTY 3 yrs/36,000 miles POWERTRAIN WARRANTY 5 yrs/60,000 miles ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE 5 yrs/60,000 miles FUEL CAPACITY 18.5 gal EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON 15/27/19 mpg EPA RANGE, COMB 352 miles RECOMMENDED FUEL Unleaded premium ON SALE Now Our Car SERVICE LIFE 13 mo / 16,512 mi BASE PRICE $67,295 OPTIONS Z51 Performance pack ($5,995: 3.55:1 axle ratio, electronic limited-slip, rear spoiler, heavy-duty cooling, performance suspension, brakes, tires, and exhaust); Front lift w/memory ($1,995); Magnetorheological dampers ($1,895); GT2 bucket seats ($1,495); Red brake calipers ($595); Composite rockers ($550); Premium paint ($500); Carbon flash side mirrors ($100) PRICE AS TESTED $80,420 AVG ECON 17.0 mpg PROBLEM AREAS None MAINTENANCE COST $400.69 (2- inspection, oil change) NORMAL-WEAR COST $2,062 (set of tires) 3-YEAR RESIDUAL VALUE* $96,800 (120%) RECALLS None *IntelliChoice data; assumes 42,000 miles at the end of 3-years Show All

Mecum is auctioning a rare 1942 Harley-Davidson XA military motorcycle from World War II that boasts many early engineering firsts in the company's long history. Developed after the U.S. and its allies came up against superior BMW motorcycles during the war, it aimed to beat the Nazis at their own game. Now one newly restored example can be yours.The XA was an attempt to overcome the Nazis' all-terrain superiority, particularly in North Africa, and to address issue that American bikes had involving chains in rough terrain. Harley landed on a shaft drive setup, solving that problem. And the most expedient way to engineer a shaft-drive bike was to reverse-engineer an existing one, like the excellent overhead-cam BMW R75M used by the enemy. Perhaps unable to get its hands on an R75M, the XA copied the civilian flathead R71, which wasn't quite as well-optimized for the task.Despite being a copycat, be reassured that the XA is still a true Harley-Davidson. Around 1,000 XAs were built in Milwaukee for the U.S. Army during the war, according to the Mecum, and it resulted in many production firsts for the company. It is claimed to be Harley-Davidson's first shaft-drive, four-speed, foot-shift and hand-clutch motorcycle, and also the first equipped with two carburetors. The motor's opposed cylinders were positioned "across the frame" for improved cooling in the wind compared to Harley's longitudinal V-twin designs of the time. It was also the first Harley to feature a rear-suspension plunger, and had a top speed of over 60 MPH back in 1942. The XA Type II (this example is a Type I) got Harley's first telescopic forks, which didn't reappear on Harley-Davidson designs again until years after the war.The XA, innovative as it was relative to Harley's native bikes, wasn't a success. Consider that Harley produced over 80,000 units of its V-twin motorcycles during the war, while the XA was only ordered for testing. Ultimately, the Army declined to order any more, and its role fell to the Jeep, far superior for general purpose tactical mobility. You may find it a little more adaptable to suit your interests, which are hopefully more peaceful.This isn't the first time this exact motorcycle has been auctioned in recent years. It appears to have previously been auctioned by Mecum in 2015, according to the matching plate numbers in both sets of images, where it failed to meet reserve at a high bid of $30,000. It was expected to go for as much as $50,000, but this time it's offered with no reserve.The restoration finished this XA with leather saddle-bags, a beautiful speedometer detail, and according to the listing, the auction lot includes a special mounted case for a period-appropriate "non-firing" Thompson sub-machine gun that is apparently included in the deal. The auction is in Vegas, in case that wasn't obvious.Whatever else this XA is, it's a newly restored WWII Harley-Davidson that's also particularly rare and interesting, and at least we know the bike should run very cool and catch plenty of attention. The lot is up for auction with no reserve until Jan. 29, according to the Mecum website.