MAY 4, 2022

SPECTACULAR WOW.

By Peter M. DeLorenzo

Detroit. We've been on an "End of ICE Age" tour around here of late, with the best machines ever built by GM being made available to us. Last week it was the brilliant 2022 mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette, a sports car that defines "superlative automobile" by every measure, a truly exceptional machine that is one of the most seductive combinations of power and overall performance that money can buy. This week, it's the equally brilliant Cadillac CT5 V-Series Blackwing, a car that is, quite simply, the finest high-performance sedan ever built. Note I didn't say "one of" - because this machine defies comparisons. 

First of all, the fact that it is equipped with a 6-speed manual gearbox is almost reason enough to celebrate its existence, but that is only the beginning. This machine is a true monster, with that 668HP supercharged V8 beckoning you to put your foot in it at every opportunity, which I did. Punching this machine, especially in 80 mph to 130+ mph freeway bursts - which put me hard back in my seat - became commonplace. So much so that I really had to restrain myself from getting into even more trouble, because the ferocious acceleration combined with the unforgettable sound of that heroic V8 is truly addictive. Kevin Cogan once famously said that driving an Indy car was like being "addicted to a drug they don't sell." Well, after having the opportunity to hammer a CT5 V-Series Blackwing for a week, I can kind of relate. It's that good.

And one more word about the sound of this incredible machine. I appreciate all of the effort going on right now in the auto industry with the development of advanced battery electric vehicles. It's an inexorable march to, well, I'm not exactly sure where, but everyone in this business is hell bent on getting there. But after having the Cadillac CT5 V- Series Blackwing for a week, I can safely say that there is no electric vehicle - or electric vehicle with synthesized sound - that can compare to the visceral sound of a high-performance V8. Or will compare, for that matter. I intend on enjoying the experience of a high-performance ICE V8 for as long as I possibly can. Because despite the eye-popping performance numbers generated by EVs, they will never compare to the thrilling aural appeal of a high-performance ICE machine. It's just not possible.

But, confining praise to the straight-line ferocity of the CT5-V Series Blackwing doesn't do it justice. The combination of that supercharged V8 - the throttle response is fantastic - the slick-shifting gearbox, the big-ass ceramic brakes and a chassis precisely fine-tuned to the last responsive detail, makes the CT5 V-Series Blackwing one of the most compelling high-performance machines I have ever driven. In fact, as much as I loved driving the Corvette last week, I have to say that this Cadillac is the one machine I would want, more than any other, to ride out the end of the ICE Age with. It is absolutely spectacular. Wow.

2022 Cadillac CT5 V-Series Blackwing. $83,995 Base Price; Price as tested: $108,615. Infrared Tintcoat, $1,225; Jet Black interior; Hand-Built 6.2-liter Direct-Injected, Variable Valve Timing, Supercharged V8 with 668HP, 659 lb-ft of torque; 6-speed manual gearbox; Quad-tip exhausts pipes; Rear-Wheel Drive; Brembo high-performance front (15.7") and rear (14.7") disc brakes; Electronic limited-slip rear differential; Performance Traction Management; Custom Launch Control; Adaptive Suspension; Adaptive Ride Control; High performance mesh front grilles; Aero rear decklid spoiler; All of the latest Cadillac electronic gizmos (too much to list); Carbon Ceramic 4-wheel disc brakes with cross-drilled rotors and bronze calipers, $9,000; Heated (automatic) steering wheel; Jet Black, Semi-Anline, heated and ventilated leather sport seats with Jet Black accents, custom quilting and carbon fiber front seat-backs, $6,090; Sueded Microfiber-Wrapped Trim Package with Carbon Fiber 1 Package, $4,100; Performance Data and Video Recorder, $1,600; 19" Aluminum Alloy wheels with Tech Bronze finish, $1,500; Parking Package with Rear Camera Mirror, Air Ionizer, Hands-free rear decklid release, Rear pedestrian alert, $710; Torch Red Seat Belts, $400; Destination Charge, $995.

(Audi of America images)
Audi of America has unveiled the all-new second-generation Audi RS 3 Sedan. The RS 3 "reaches new heights in dynamic handling," according to Audi PR minions. Meaning? An RS Torque Splitter is included for the first time in an Audi vehicle that actively distributes torque to the rear axle with two RS 3-specific Audi drive select modes. The second-generation Audi RS 3 has a widened front track by 1.3 inches compared to its predecessor. At the rear, the RS 3 features a glossy black rear lip spoiler on the trunklid, a redesigned RS-specific rear bumper with built-in diffuser and RS exhaust system which includes a fully variable flap control with large oval/elliptical tailpipes on both the left and right side. The RS 3 can be painted in a total of eight different colors, including the Audi Sport specific Kyalami Green (shown) and Kemora Gray finishes. The RS 3 includes standard front Matrix-design LED headlights and rear LED taillights. Other stuff? Standard 19-inch cast aluminum wheels with summer performance tires; an available Carbon package adds carbon fiber mirror housings, rear spoiler, and side sill inlays. Additionally, an available Black optic plus package offers the 19-inch 10-Y-spoke design wheels finished in full matte Black, with Black Audi rings and badges, and a Brilliant Black roof. Available for the first time, the RS design package (shown) includes distinctive elements of green throughout, including the seat shoulders finished in Micrommata green Dinamica, a center bar of air vents in Micrommata green, floor mats with RS logo and green stitching on piping, green edging on seatbelts, a carbon atlas matte inlay, and center console trim in high gloss black. A standard black headliner is included. The all-new RS 3 introduces the standard RS Sport suspension plus with dynamic chassis control (DCC) sitting 0.39” lower than the Audi S3, and 0.98” lower than A3. The Audi magnetic ride with the DCC offers continuous and individual adjustment based on road conditions, driving situations, or mode selection with Audi drive select, while dynamic height sensors measure vertical acceleration of the body and relative movement to the wheels. When RS Performance mode is engaged, the shocks are preset to minimize vertical oscillations while optimizing lateral dynamics to reduce potential wheel bounce and to amplify cornering characteristics. The seven-speed dual-clutch S tronic® transmission features lightning-quick shifts between gears. The RS 3 comes standard with newly developed and larger front steel brakes offering 20% better cooling compared to its predecessor thanks to integrated airflow guides in the bumper and undercarriage. The 6-piston fixed caliper front brakes utilize 14.8” brake discs, while the rear brakes use a single-piston caliper with 12.2” brake discs (with all calipers painted red). An available ceramic brake option with 15.0” front ceramic discs reduces overall weight by 22 pounds. The high-performance five-cylinder engine known for its distinctive sound due to its 1-2-4-5-3 firing order can be further enchanced with the available RS sport exhaust system. Power? 401HP and 369 lb-ft of torque – an increase of 7HP and 15 lb-ft of torque over its predecessor - delivering a 0-60 mph time of 3.6 seconds. The all-new Audi RS 3 has set the lap record for compact cars on the Nürburgring Nordschleife with a time of 7 minutes 40.748 seconds. The 2022 Audi RS 3 is slated to be on sale by this summer with an MSRP of $58,900 (not including a $1,095 destination charge, sales taxes, title, options, and dealer charges).

(Land Rover)
Land Rover North America will produce 500 Defender 30th Anniversary Edition vehicles, which pay tribute to the iconic 1993 Defender 110 First Edition. The Land Rover Defender 30th Anniversary Edition is based on the 2023 Defender P300 S, and features curated accessories, along with Fuji White Paint, with matching Gloss White Steel Wheels that recreate the look of the 1993 Defender First Edition. An Exterior Badge will be placed on the tailgate on each of the 500 Defender 30th Anniversary Editions produced (Badges? We don't need no stinkin' badges!). How much? Around $75,000, if you can find one. 

The AE Song of the Week:

Come to my window
Crawl inside, wait by the light of the moon
Come to my window
I'll be home soon

I would dial the numbers
Just to listen to your breath
I would stand inside my hell
And hold the hand of death
You don't know how far I'd go
To ease this precious ache
You don't know how much I'd give

Or how much I can take
Just to reach you
Just to reach you
Oh to reach you

Come to my window
Crawl inside, wait by the light of the moon
Come to my window, I'll be home soon

Keeping my eyes open
I cannot afford to sleep
Giving away promises
I know that I can't keep
Nothing fills the blackness
That has seeped into my chest

I need you in my blood
I am forsaking all the rest
Just to reach you
Just to reach you
Oh to reach you, oh

Come to my window
Crawl inside, wait by the light of the moon
Come to my window, I'll be home soon

I don't care what they think
I don't care what they say
What do they know about this love, 
Anyway

Come, come to my window
I'll be home, I'll be home, I'll be home
I am coming home

Come to my window, oh-ho
Crawl inside, wait by the light of the moon
Come to my window, I'll be home soon
I'll be home, I'll be home
I am coming home

Come to my window, oh-ho
Crawl inside, wait by the light of the moon
Come to my window
I'll be home soon
I'll be home, I'll be home, I'll be home

"Come To My Window" by Melissa Etheridge, from the album "Yes I Am" (1993)*. Written by Melissa L. Etheridge. Publisher: BMG Rights Management. Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind. Watch the Original Music Video here. 

*A song with a Shakespearian level of passion, "Come to My Window" finds Melissa Etheridge baring her soul to her lover, letting her know that she will go to great lengths just to be with her. Etheridge is imploring her to sneak in through the window (much more romantic than using the spare key) so she'll be there when she gets home. At this time, Etheridge had been seeing Julie Cypher for a few years, and she was smitten. Many of her songs express her feelings for Cypher in some way, and in this case, it's amorous anticipation. "Yes I Am" was a breakthrough album for Etheridge, selling over six million copies in America and launching her to arena-level stardom. "Come to My Window" was the first single, followed by "I'm the Only One." Both songs got extensive radio play across a variety of formats and were put in heavy rotation on VH1, where Etheridge was a core artist. "Come to My Window" stayed in the Hot 100 for 44 weeks, peaking at #25 in August of 1994. "I'm the Only One" spent 40 weeks on the chart, peaking at #8 in January 1995. This made Etheridge the first artist with back-to-back singles that spent at least 40 weeks on the chart. Etheridge came out as gay in early 1993, and the "Yes I Am" album title is a reference to this admission. Her songs of passionate longing were now revealed to be directed toward another woman, but most listeners had no problem with this. Any backlash came not because Etheridge was a lesbian, but because this song and "I'm the Only One" were inescapable, each holding a spot on many radio station playlists for nearly a year. The black-and-white video stars Juliette Lewis, who recites some lines from the song at the beginning of the clip and in a break in the middle. In the video, Lewis plays a locked-up mental patient in various states of crazy (the following year, she would play an unhinged serial killer in the film Natural Born Killers). It was directed by Samuel Bayer, who was one of the most prolific directors of the '90s. His work includes Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and Blind Melon's "No Rain." This won a Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance and was nominated for Best Rock Song. Etheridge performed the song on the telecast. When Etheridge recorded this song, she almost left it off the album, since she thought it was "too simple." Her friends convinced her it was worthy, and Etheridge learned a valuable lesson: simplicity can be very effective. Etheridge opened her set at Woodstock '94 with this song. (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)

Editor's Note: You can access previous issues of AE by clicking on "Next 1 Entries" below. - WG