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Reservations for Cadillac CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwing models to open in February

Cadillac will unveil its high-performance CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing sedans on Feb. 1 and will accept reservations for the cars the same day. Only 250 examples of each car will be built for 2022, and immediately after the reveal, customers can secure one of these Caddies with a $1,000 deposit, which is refundable. Deliveries are set to begin in mid-summer. As a special enticement, those first 250 cars will get a numbered plaque on the steering wheel, which indicates the model, transmission, and build sequence. Note that the plaque comes only on cars equipped with the high-performance steering wheel, which based on the teaser image below appears to have carbon fiber accents. It's standard on the CT5-V Blackwing and included on mid-level and higher versions of the CT4-V Blackwing. We already know that the CT5-V Blackwing will be available with carbon fiber seatbacks. More exciting news is that Cadillac will buck the prevailing trend and offer a six-speed manual transmission as standard equipment in both cars. A 10-speed automatic also will be available. It's not yet known what engine will power the sedans, although it's not expected to be the eponymous 550-hp Blackwing V8 that had an abbreviated run in the just-discontinued CT6-V. Cadillac has also announced that Blackwing buyers can avail themselves of a 2-day high-performance driving school experience at Cadillac's V-Series Academy at the Spring Mountain Motor Resort in Pahrump, Nevada. They're on their own as far as getting there, however. The unveiling of the two new Blackwings on Feb. 1 will take place at the brand's main website as well as its Twitter page. Related Video:    

GM considering new powertrain options for large SUVs

Aside from the new General Motors offerings, there's not a whole lot of action going on in the fullsize SUV segment. That doesn't seem to be stopping GM from pushing the envelope in the market as Automotive News is reporting that the automaker is looking to introduce some new powertrain options into the Chevy Tahoe (and Suburban), GMC Yukon (and Yukon XL) and the Cadillac Escalade - all have been redesigned for the 2015 model year.
Now, we already know that GM and Ford are collaborating on nine- and ten-speed transmissions for a broad range of applications (including the big SUVs), but this new report says that GM is also considering other options as a way to one-up the competition and, of course, to optimize fuel economy. AN quotes Jeff Luke, executive chief engineer for GM trucks, as saying that "interesting powertrain technologies" are coming including a return of a hybrid SUV and possibly even a diesel engine. Although it sounds like the latter could come down to how customers respond to the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel.

What are the odds an actual Cadillac EV looks anything like this?

The Cadillac EV concept sure looks neat. It's all-electric, too, which is even neater. Unfortunately, it's a concept car, and when it comes to concept cars with Cadillac badges on them, it's best not to get too excited. For instance, you might recall this exquisite piece of automotive art. It was called the Elmiraj. You might recall the production version became the bold face of a new Cadillac and inspired a renaissance for the brand. Jay-Z drives one. Oh wait, no he doesn't. It was never made, nor was anything like it made. This is the Cadillac Escala. It has certainly inspired design cues on production Cadillacs, most notably the just-revealed XT6. However, besides those cues, it's a pretty anonymous large crossover. Hardly anything as stunning as the Escala. Now, perhaps the CT5 will be a dead-ringer, but we wouldn't get our hopes up. Then there's this, the Ciel. Not to be confused with an Acura CL, it was 100 feet long, a convertible and purple. This was also not made. OK, we can see why. And finally, this is the Cadillac Sixteen. As the name suggests, it had 16 cylinders. That's a lot. The most you can get in a Cadillac today is half that many. Now, to be fair, most manufacturers produce concept cars that have zero chance of production. They are meant to serve as inspiration for future designs, showcase future technologies or just draw attention to the brand. The problem with the Cadillac concepts is that they're not that fanciful. Those aren't pod-like Jetsons cars up there. They aren't this nonsense. They look like modern interpretations of the exact sort of grandiose cars Cadillac used to make. The very cars that made Cadillac the "Cadillac of the World." You know, like this. I'm not talking about literal tail fins and pink paint, but that's a CADILLAC. It's confident. It's its own thing. It doesn't need to beat BMW around the Nurburgring to prove something to someone somewhere. The Elmiraj was also a CADILLAC. The XT6 literally wears a Cadillac badge, but it could be anything. By contrast, Lincoln is doing a much better job of tapping into the spirit of its grand past with the Navigator, Aviator and suicide-doored Continental. Nowhere is that better seen than in the cabins of the XT6 and Aviator. One is swank. The other is not. But back to where we started: that EV concept. You'll note that it doesn't actually have a name.