2021 Cadillac
CT5-V Blackwing
WHAT IT IS A little confusing, that’s what.
The CTS is dead, replaced by the CT5.
Simple, right? Well, the performance-
oriented CT5-V is not the new CTS-V; it’s the
successor to the CTS Vsport. The next legit
V will be known as the CT5-V Blackwing.
Confused? Well, add this log to the fire: The
Blackwing won’t have the Blackwing V-8. But
all that really matters is that this Caddy
promises to be one of the hottest and most
track-ready sports sedans on the market.
WHY IT MATTERS In addition to coming with
enough power to light up Fargo, it will also
be the only choice in the supersedan
segment with a manual transmission.
PLATFORM GM’s Alpha 2 architecture.
POWERTRAIN As we mentioned, the Blackwing
sedan won’t get the Blackwing engine, a
550-hp twin-turbocharged DOHC V-8.
Instead, it will have an updated version of
the CTS-V’s supercharged 6.2-liter pushrod
V-8 with the same 650 horse-
power. A 10-speed automatic
can be had, but you’re really
gonna want the six-speed
manual for this rear-driver.
COMPETITION Alfa Romeo Giulia
Quadrifoglio, Audi RS7, BMW
M5, Dodge Charger SRT
Hellcat, Mercedes-AMG E63 S,
Porsche Panamera Turbo S.
WHAT MIGHT GO WRONG It could lack
the handling grace and tactile
controls of its predecessor.
ESTIMATED ARRIVAL AND PRICE The
most powerful Cadillac will go
on sale before the end of the
year and open near $85,000.
2022 Toyota GR Corolla
WHAT IT IS A hot-hatch version of the
Corolla wearing a GR badge (for “Gazoo
Racing”). It’ll be Toyota’s first sporty
compact since the high-revving Corolla
XRS from the mid-2000s. This car also will
serve as an apology to Americans who are
upset that we’re not getting the awesome
rally-inspired GR Yaris. (That car is based
on the global Yaris, while the U.S.-market
Yaris is a rebadged Mazda 2.)
WHY IT MATTERS Toyota is working hard to
shed its reputation for being boring—a
perception that is closely tied to the
Corolla name. We appreciate that Toyota
still offers it with a manual, but the 169-hp pseudo-
sporty XSE that currently occupies the sportiest spot
in the line just isn’t enough. A true high-performance
version with a strong engine and legitimate chassis
upgrades could convince people that a Corolla can be
as cool as a Volkswagen Golf GTI.
PLATFORM The same TNGA underpinnings as the
standard Corolla but upgraded with a stiffer
suspension tune, bigger brakes, and larger wheels
wrapped in grippy summer tires.
POWERTRAIN The mighty turbocharged hamster wheel
from the GR Yaris pumps out 257 horsepower and 266
pound-feet of torque from just three cylinders
displacing 1.6 liters. We wouldn’t count on the GR
Yaris’s all-wheel-drive system making it stateside, but
Toyota will have to offer a six-speed manual
transmission in order for the GR Corolla to be
considered a driver’s car.
COMPETITION Honda Civic Si, Hyundai Veloster N,
Subaru WRX, Volkswagen Golf GTI.
WHAT MIGHT GO WRONG Toyota could give up on
certifying the turbocharged inline-three engine and
swap in something lame. In this application, nothing
would be worse than a hybrid.
ESTIMATED ARRIVAL AND PRICE The GR Corolla should
land in 2022, with a starting price around $30,000.