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Hotter Cadillac CT5-V prototype spotted with a manual transmission

Fans of the old Cadillac CTS-V (and high-performance sedans in general) may have something to be excited about. A series of interior photos leaked Tuesday reveal that prototypes of the forthcoming higher-output variant of the CT5-V Sedan have been equipped with a manual gearbox. Exclusive: Photos show the wilder Cadillac CT5-V will have a manual transmissionhttps://t.co/Ta8hZ804eg — The Drive (@thedrive) March 10, 2020 Photos obtained by our friends at The Drive show a partially camouflaged CT5-V prototype with a full interior and what appears to be a manual gear selector. While the shifter and its boot are partially obscured by a plastic covering, it's obvious that the knob is not the same one paired with Cadillac's automatic gearboxes, such as the one featured in our expertly augmented photo above.  This is not the first time the potential for a stick-shift option in the new, higher-end "V" cars has been floated. Rumors suggesting that the as-yet-unnamed higher-output CT4-V and CT5-V models might be so-equipped (at least optionally) circulated late in 2019. This, in addition to significantly higher power outputs and revised suspensions will set them apart dramatically from the base CT4-V and CT5-V, which are intended to compete with the likes of the Audi "S" line of vehicles.  CT4-V spied View 40 Photos GM has been quite cagey when it comes to details about these new models. We know they'll follow in the footsteps of previous-generation "V" cars, which were aimed squarely at Europe's powerhouse sport sedans. The hotter CT5 variant is expected to employ the automaker's 6.2-liter supercharged V8, which made 640 horsepower in the now-dead CTS-V.  We reached out to Cadillac for comment and were told by a spokesperson, "The ultra-performance variants of our Cadillac CT5-V and CT4-Vs are still under development.  We will have more details to share in the next few weeks and the CT5-V and CT4-V ultra-performance versions will debut later this year. Until then, I can only confirm that these cars will build on V-SeriesÂ’ respected legacy." Hopefully, GM won't make us wait too much longer for official details of these new high-performance models, including what we should expect in terms of powertrain availability and launch timing. Stay tuned. Related Video:

Cadillac V-Series Academy comes to Las Vegas [w/video]

General Motors has added another high-speed education course to the curriculum at the Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. The desert track already hosts the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School with Chevrolet Corvettes, including the ZR1, and they've just added the Cadillac V-Series Academy.
Open now, the one- and two-day performance driving school teaches "the finer points of high performance driving" using the 556-horspower instructional aids known as the CTS-V sedan, coupe and wagon. This is different than than using the CTS-V at the Monticello Motor Club on the east coast - that's part of a sponsorship deal that Cadillac has with the track. The driving course at the Motorsports Ranch is its own program that was developed by Fellows, and we have no reason to think the Cadillac edition won't be just as thorough and enjoyable as the one with Corvettes.
Unlike the 'Vette edition, however, it doesn't appear that you get an invitation to the program if you buy a CTS-V model. Classes are capped at 12 participants and run $1,295 for a single day, $2,295 for two days. There are a video and a press release below with more info.

Hyundai and GM say they're serious about air taxis

The Hyundai S-A1 electric concept is displayed at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. (Getty Images)   DETROIT — Hyundai and General Motors said on Monday they are pushing ahead with developing "flying cars," with the South Korean company expressing optimism it could have an air-taxi service in operation as soon as 2025. A GM executive said it could take until 2030 for air-taxi services to overcome technical and regulatory hurdles and reach commercialization. Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) zero-emissions aircraft, which take off and land like helicopters and carry passengers and cargo, are being developed by a number of startups as well as aircraft makers and automakers, but they face a long road to profitability. Hyundai is ahead of its previously stated timetable for rolling out air-mobility vehicles, Jose Munoz, the company's global chief operating officer, said in an interview broadcast on Monday at the Reuters Events Car of the Future conference. Munoz, who is also CEO of Hyundai North America, previously said urban air taxis would be in operation at major U.S. airports by 2028 and perhaps earlier. He told Reuters on Monday it could possibly happen before 2025. Cadillac Vertile View 9 Photos "We see this market as a significant growth opportunity," Munoz said, adding he was "very confident" of the technology's development. Hyundai is developing air taxis powered by electric batteries that can transport five to six people from highly congested urban centers to airports. Other automakers developing flying cars either alone or with startups include Toyota, Daimler and China's Geely. "I think that there's a long pathway here," Pamela Fletcher, vice president of GM's Global Innovation team, said at the Reuters event. "2030 is probably a real commercial inflection point." She added: "It's a very nascent space. There's a lot of work to be done on the regulatory side, as well as the actual technology side." In January, GM unveiled a flying Cadillac concept. Morgan Stanley has estimated the total addressable market for urban air mobility could hit $1 trillion by 2040 and $9 trillion by 2050. In 2019, Hyundai, which has a dedicated Urban Air Mobility Division led by Jaiwon Shin, a former NASA engineer, pledged to invest about $1.5 billion in urban air mobility by 2025. Munoz said Hyundai sees its flying cars serving not only residential customers but also transporting commercial cargo.