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GM follows Ford and Honda in skipping SEMA

The list of automakers skipping SEMA has become longer. First reported by Muscle Cars and Trucks, and confirmed to us by a company representative, General Motors will not have an official presence at the aftermarket show. It joins Ford and Honda in leaving the show. It will be a large hole in the show, with the GM brands typically filling a significant swath of available show space in one of the main halls. GM hasn't provided much explanation for the move, either. The GM representative provided Autoblog with the same statement that Muscle Cars and Trucks got: "GM has made the decision not to participate in the 2022 SEMA Show. The SEMA show has always inspired us, and accessories and performance parts remain an important part of our business." We also asked if we would see any sort of announcements around the time of the show — Ford said it has plans to share some things around that time — however, the GM representative said that the company has no immediate plans for announcements. Certainly things could change between now and the November show, though. SEMA had previously noted that other exhibitors would help fill in some of the space vacated by these major OEMs. Another OEM, Volkswagen, is returning to the show after an absence, which will also help with the display deficit. Related Video:

One of the world's largest muscle car museums is auctioning off its cars

Rick Treworgy's Muscle Car City is one of the biggest collections of high-performance American cars in the world. With over 200 cars of mostly GM makes, it's a mecca for fans of the golden age of Detroit iron. Unfortunately, the museum will be shutting its doors for good on Jan. 17 and auctioning off most of its assets with no reserve. The collection is, to put it bluntly, astounding. Advertised as a combined 65,000-plus horsepower, it occupies a 60,000-square-foot retail space in Punta Gorda, Fla., in a former Walmart store. It make sense when you learn that founder Rick Treworgy made his fortune in the commercial real estate business. As a hobby, he began to amass a truly jaw-dropping collection of muscle cars, filling out a collection that often has every year of a particular model represented, or a grouping of the rarest and highest-performance option packages of that year or model. Often, Treworgy bought placeholders while scouring the country for even rarer versions. It helps that Muscle Car City also houses a showroom where unwanted cars are sold, as well as its own speed shop that stocks plenty of parts. There's even a '50s-style diner called Stingray's Bar and Grill. According to a 2014 episode of Car Crazy, Treworgy has 80 Corvettes alone, more than the actual Corvette Museum. Among them are 20 models from 1967, one of Treworgy's favorites. The rest span the decades from 1954 (he once had a '53 but sold it) to a recently acquired 2020 C8, which, according to The Drive, has only 300 miles on the odometer. You like Impalas? There are models of every year from 1958 to 1969. El Caminos? He's got 'em from 1964 to 1972. Novas? Every year from 1963 to 1970 is represented. Most are the more desirable examples of each breed, with four-speed transmissions, the biggest blocks, and unicorn option packages like a factory 1965 Z16 SS396 Chevelle, one of 200 that were ordered off-menu at Chevy dealerships. And don't even get us started on the Camaros, which include not one, but two COPO 1969s. Treworgy even owns the only known surviving example of a 1936 Chevrolet Phaeton, of which only seven were built. On top of it all, many of these cars are concours quality and have won awards at prestigious car shows. While it's sad to see a collection like this broken up, Treworgy told The Drive that he'd been planning to retire next year anyway. However, the COVID-19 pandemic sped up those plans, greatly reducing the number of visitors to his museum.

2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, CT4-V Blackwing bring big performance back to the brand

They're finally here, the real successors to the Cadillac CTS-V and ATS-V: the 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing and CT4-V Blackwing. And at least on paper, they sure seem like worthy successors to those superb super sedans. They're more powerful, come with standard manual transmissions, and feature the latest and greatest chassis upgrades available. We'll start things off with the most beastly of the Caddies, the CT5-V Blackwing. Like the CTS-V predecessor, the Blackwing gets a supercharged 6.2-liter pushrod V8. But thanks to intake and exhaust improvements, output is up to 668 horsepower and 659 pound-feet of torque, as opposed to the CTS-V's 640 horses and 630 pound-feet. The engine also is handbuilt in Bowling Green, Ky., just like the short-lived turbocharged DOHC Blackwing V8. It's coupled either to a six-speed manual transmission with a twin-disc clutch, rev matching and no-lift shifting, or a 10-speed 10L90 automatic transmission. Power goes to the electronically controlled limited-slip differential at the rear, and rear-wheel drive is the only drive configuration available. The transmission and differential each get their own oil coolers, too. Cadillac says the CT5-V Blackwing should be able to hit 60 mph in 3.7 seconds with the automatic transmission, and the top speed is over 200 mph. 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing View 13 Photos As for the CT4-V Blackwing, it gets a twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V6 built in Canada, and although it is more powerful than the previous car, it's only by a small amount. The CT4-V Blackwing makes 472 horsepower versus the ATS-V's 464, and the 445 pound-feet of torque is the same between each car. Just like the CT5-V Blackwing, the CT4-V gets either the same six-speed manual transmission or a 10-speed 10L80 automatic transmission, the electronically-controlled limited-slip differential, and the oil coolers. Picking the manual transmission has extra perks on the CT4-V Blackwing, though. The engines in manual cars received titanium connecting rods and revised crankshaft counterweights. The manual transmission's no-lift shift functionality is also more helpful on the CT4-V Blackwing since it keeps the car in boost between gears. Still, Cadillac's 0-60 mph time estimate is for the automatic model at 3.8 seconds. Top speed is 189 mph. 2022 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing View 16 Photos Keeping all that power under control are a variety of chassis upgrades.