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Cadillac Lyriq EV unveiled as brand's first electric vehicle

Your author has already seen it, back in March, and has had to wait until today to show you the new Cadillac Lyriq electric luxury crossover. We were excited about it then, we're still excited about it now, but we'll see if we can maintain that excitement for another two years. After some fanfare, a delay, a name explanation and a bit of teasing, Cadillac has finally taken the wraps off the Lyriq, and we like what we see. The bad news — weÂ’ll get it out of the way right now — is that the Cadillac Lyriq wonÂ’t go on sale until late 2022. Moving on, letÂ’s bask in the photos and video weÂ’ve long awaited, and dig into what we know about the first all-electric Cadillac. First, it will come in two drivetrain configurations: rear-wheel drive and performance all-wheel drive. ItÂ’ll use GMÂ’s new Ultium modular battery technology, giving it a driving range targeting north of 300 miles, plus a center of gravity about 3.9 inches lower than that of the similarly sized Cadillac XT5. It will be capable of "over" 150-kilowatt DC fast charging, with a Level 2 charging rate of up to 19 kW. Cadillac Lyriq View 8 Photos In terms of styling, the Lyriq is a substantial move forward both inside and out — and a lot of it has to do with lighting. On the outside, it gets vertical headlights, plus a bunch of little light-up elements in the grille, include a logo that is animated on startup. In fact, the face will light up as you approach, not unlike a dog seeing its best friend ready to play. We see some more nifty lighting signatures in back that carry on a similar theme with more vertical lights. Inside, the lighting situation gets even more interesting, with another light-up crest on the steering wheel, plus wood veneer over aluminum door panels, all backlit. As for its stance, the Lyriq has a long wheelbase, and rides on 22-inch wheels. At the back, we see a slick vented spoiler hanging over the raked rear glass. The side doors of the Lyriq automatically open with the touch of a button in door handle outlines that are flush with the body. Similarly, they close automatically, slowing down at the end to pull the doors fully shut. We wouldn't be surprised if this doesn't make it to production. Moving around the interior, the curved, 33-inch combination digital driver display and infotainment screen sprawls across the dash. It uses advanced LED technology, and is capable of displaying over a billion colors, according to Cadillac.

Cadillac confirms 'Blackwing' name, manual gearboxes for pumped-up CT4-V, CT5-V

Cadillac officially confirmed Tuesday that the high-output variants of its new CT4-V and CT5-V sedans will be dubbed "Blackwing," sharing a nameplate with GM's stillborn twin-turbocharged V8. As an added bonus, company representatives said for certain that both of Cadillac's new super-sedans will be offered with a manual transmission, confirming long-standing rumors to that effect.  "The Blackwing name has come to represent the very best of Cadillac performance engineering, craftsmanship and technology," said Cadillac chief engineer Brandon Vivian. "The new CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing build on the brand’s respected legacy of ultimate-performance driving experiences and elevate them even further." Cadillac says the two Blackwing sedans, which are successors to the critically acclaimed ATS-V and CTS-V, will represent "the apex of Cadillac performance and driver engagement." The company also remained mum on just what to expect in terms of capability, teasing only the fact that both the CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwing posted quicker lap times in testing at Virginia International Raceway earlier this year than their predecessors did.   Rumors have pointed to the CT5-V Blackwing making use of the company's supercharged 6.2-liter V8, which also powered its predecessor. The 6.2 shares its architecture with the company's flagship, naturally aspirated V8, making it an economical choice for powering performance cars. The smaller CT4-V is likely to be motivated by a turbocharged 6-cylinder. They will also be available in limited numbers, though Cadillac's announcement did not elaborate on just how many (or few, as the case may be) will eventually be built, or how many model years to expect. The CT6-V, which carries the 4.2-liter V8 that shares the "Blackwing" name, saw only limited production before being axed.  The V8 itself may find a new home down the road, but for the time being, it's toast.  Cadillac assured us that more information on the new CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwing will be come along soon enough. For now, at least we know what they're going to be called.  Related Video:    

GM recalls select Tahoes, Yukons, Escalades for rear driveshaft issue

GM is recalling a number of its full-size SUVs due to an issue with the rear driveshaft assembly that could ultimately result in driveshaft failure. The actual number of total vehicles involved in the recall is small at just 1,789, but it’s spread out across the entire 2021 model year full-size GM vehicle lineup. That means a small number of every model is being recalled, including the Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL and the Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV. GM traced the issue back to certain driveshaft assemblies with ball bearings that were not properly heat treated. If theyÂ’re not properly heat treated, GM says that the balls may deform over time, causing noise and vibration. Continue to drive in this condition, and GM says the affected joint in the driveshaft assembly could seize, causing loss of drive power. However, the problem wonÂ’t present itself all at once, as GM says there will be a gradual increase of noises and vibrations before total failure. For those few owners with affected vehicles, GM says that it will replace the left and right rear driveshaft assemblies with properly-built units. Per usual with recalls, this will be done at your local dealership at no cost to the owner. If you have one of the recalled SUVs, expect to be notified mid-March. Related video: