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    2022 Cadillac V-Series Blackwing Reservation Books Open Feb. 1

    The 2022 Cadillac CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwing will be unveiled on February 1, and shortly thereafter, at 7:30 p.m. ET, 250 reservations for each sedan will become available.
    Those first 500 Blackwings reserved will have the performance steering wheel and a serialized plate etched with the five-digit portion of the vehicle’s VIN. Their new owners will also get a two-day driving course.
    The 2022 CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwing will become available late this summer.
    The long-anticipated 2022 Cadillac CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwing are just over a week away from their unveiling on February 1. That same day, limited number of the two sedans will be available to reserve online. Cadillac is limiting the reservations to just 250 of the CT4-V Blackwing and 250 of the CT5-V Blackwing. After those reservations are full, prospective buyers will be put on a waiting list.

    Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing: 650 HP and a Manual

    Cadillac Shows V Blackwings’ Manual Shift Knob

    Cadillac Teases V-Series Blackwing Steering Wheel

    The reservations open at 7:30 p.m. ET on February 1 and will require a $1000 deposit. All of those who reserve one of the 500 Blackwings will have their sedan equipped with the performance steering wheel featuring a serialized plate etched with the five-digit portion of the vehicle’s VIN. Those 500 buyers will also get a two-day driving course at Cadillac’s V-Series Academy in Nevada.
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    Cadillac has shown off said steering wheel and revealed that both the CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwing will be offered with a manual transmission, but details have been sparse beyond that. We expect the CT4-V Blackwing to be powered by a turbocharged V-6 engine, either the twin-turbo 3.0-liter engine found in the current CT5-V or the twin-turbo 3.6-liter engine in the previous ATS-V. The CT5-V Blackwing, on the other hand, could see a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 engine good for 650 horsepower.
    Cadillac says that both Blackwings will be available late this summer in “limited quantities.”
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    VW Golf Base-Model Hatchback Has Been Killed for U.S. Market

    Volkswagen has confirmed that production of the 2021 Golf TSI compact hatchback has ended for the U.S. market.
    The automaker says that the inventory of the vehicle should last until the end of 2021.
    Going forward, only the high-trim-level vehicles will be available in this market, beginning with the eighth-generation 2022 Golf GTI and 2022 Golf R.
    We knew it was coming, but now it has happened, so get ready to say goodbye to the Volkswagen Golf TSI. The automaker announced last night that as of last week it had ended production of the compact hatchback at its Puebla, Mexico, plant but that current inventory should last until the end of 2021. Fortunately, just as the stock of 2021 Golf TSI models dwindles, the 2022 eighth-generation Golf GTI and Golf R, built in Germany, should be landing on U.S. shores.

    2022 Volkswagen GTI Thrives in the Modern Era

    2022 Volkswagen Golf R Evolves the Species

    Other Vehicles on the Chopping Block

    It had been rumored since 2019 that Volkswagen would pull the base Golf from the U.S. It doesn’t sell as well as the Golf GTI and doesn’t have the enthusiast cred of the all-wheel-drive Golf R. Plus, it’s not a crossover or SUV, so its market appeal is waning as those vehicles cut into sales of sedans and hatchbacks. Still, VW says, more than 2.5 million U.S. buyers have purchased a Golf since it first arrived in December 1974.
    If you’re still interested in the base-level Golf TSI, you have plenty of time to pick one up. Although production has ceased, inventory levels should keep the vehicle in showrooms until the end of 2021. Starting at $24,190, the Golf is in one of a few segments where a manual transmission is still available, alongside the Mazda 3 and the Honda Civic.
    Meanwhile, the Mk 8 2022 Golf GTI and 2022 Golf R are expected to arrive this fall, according to VW. So you can still buy a Golf in the future, just as long as you don’t mind if it’s more expensive and quicker.
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    2021 Buick Envision Looks More Upscale but Costs $1700 Less

    The redesigned 2021 Buick Envision, which is built in China, has reached dealer lots in the U.S. after its debut in mid-2020.
    Changes to both interior and exterior give the compact crossover a more upscale appearance than the outgoing model.
    The Envision starts at $32,995, a $1700 price drop from the previous model year.
    After very little news since the 2021 Buick Envision made its debut in May 2020, the redesigned compact crossover is now reaching dealer lots in the United States. The 2021 Buick Envision, starting at $32,995, underwent a complete redesign for this model year, including a much more upscale appearance inside and out and a new powertrain. The Envision is intended to compete against the Acura RDX, the Infiniti QX50, and the Lincoln Corsair, all of which have posh intentions and all of which start over $35,000.

    2021 Buick Envision Gets Attractive Redesign

    2021 Buick Envision Specs and Trim Levels Revealed

    2021 Buick Envision Looks as Good Inside as Out

    The new Envision, which is built in China, is a front-wheel-drive crossover, with AWD optional. It’s powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four with 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, teamed with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The new engine is less powerful than the optional 2.0-liter inline-four from the 2020 model, which made 252 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, but beats the 193-hp 2.5-liter inline-four that was the 2020 base engine.
    The interior of the 2021 Envision gains a much sleeker appearance to match the exterior. The Envision comes standard with an 8.0-inch infotainment display, the same size as last year, but now offers an optional 10.2-inch display. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay capability come standard on the Envision. Features including wireless charging, heated front seats, and a heated steering wheel are optional.

    View Photos

    General Motors

    For 2021, Buick has cut back on the number of trims offered on the Envision to just three: Preferred, Essence, and Avenir. The Avenir starts at $41,395, while the mid-level Essence starts at $36,995. The top Avenir model comes with diamond-quilted leather seats, 20-inch wheels, heated rear seats, and navigation. A Driver Confidence Plus package includes automated emergency braking, lane-keeping assist with lane-departure warning, automatic high-beams, rear cross-traffic alert. Adaptive cruise control, a head-up display, and enhanced park assist are optional.
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    2021 Ram 1500 TRX VIN #001 Launch Edition Going on Auction Block

    The first 2021 Ram 1500 TRX built, pictured here, will be sold at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale, Arizona auction on March 26, Stellantis announced today. All proceeds will go to the United Way for Southeastern Michigan.
    VIN #001 is an exclusive Launch Edition finished in Anvil Gray with beadlock-capable wheels and other added accessories. Only 702 were built, and they’re all sold out.
    Those interested in placing a bid for the first 702-hp 1500 TRX built can visit Barrett-Jackson’s website or bid in person.
    Ram will auction off the first of its 702-hp Hellcat-powered 1500 TRX off-road pickup trucks off the line, which wears VIN #001. The sale will take place at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction in Arizona on Friday, March 26. All proceeds will benefit the United Way for Southeastern Michigan. If you’re interested in bidding on the VIN #001 1500 TRX, bids can be placed online or via phone at Barrett-Jackson’s website.

    Ram

    This first TRX is an Anvil Gray Launch Edition. Only 702 TRX Launch Edition pickups will be produced, an appropriate number given how many ponies the supercharged V-8 makes, and the automaker says they’re all sold out. The Launch Edition is finished in an exclusive Anvil Gray, and inside each one has a unique red and aluminum center console badge denoting its exclusivity. VIN #001 features added accessories from Mopar such as a RamBar (not pictured), rock rails, and a bed-mounted spare tire carrier, plus the TRX’s Level 2 equipment package with features including carbon-fiber interior trim, a Harman/Kardon sound system, and beadlock-capable wheels.

    Tested: Ram 1500 TRX vs. Ford F-150 Raptor

    Tested: Ram 1500 TRX Defines Awesome

    Ram 1500 TRX Blasted to 60 MPH in 3.7 Seconds

    Stellantis’s Hellcat supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 is is under the hood, and in the 1500 TRX it produces 702 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. In our testing, it hurtled the 6866-pound TRX to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and a 12.3-second quarter-mile at 110 mph, making it the quickest pickup truck we’ve ever tested. The beast is even quicker to 60 mph than the Toyota Supra, and it’s currently the most powerful production pickup on sale. That is, until the 700-plus-hp Ford F-150 Raptor R comes out in February and makes the battle for off-road pickup supremacy a lot more interesting.
    The 2021 Ram 1500 TRX VIN #001 Launch Edition will be on display at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale from March 20 to 27. The winner of the auction will also receive an authentication kit that includes a book on TRX’s development, exclusive photos and video, a speed-form model, and a Ram truck cover.
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    This Lottery Winner Can't Redeem His Prize Corvette

    Georgia man Dennis Kahler won a 2021 Chevrolet Corvette and $250,000 in a Georgia lottery in December but has struggled to get his hands on the Corvette, the blog Corvette Forum reported this week.
    Kahler wants a 2LT Rapid Blue z51 Vette, but the lottery administrators can’t find a dealer with a spare Corvette to sell.
    Kahler may have to wait until the third quarter of this year for delivery of his prize.
    If Dennis Kahler was crazy enough to think he would actually win a free car when he bought a scratch-off ticket for Georgia’s Corvette and Cash event, he probably still didn’t imagine that his luck would be tarnished by vehicle supply problems, organizing failures on the part of the lottery, and the eventual involvement of a team of lawyers. But sadly, he would have been wrong.

    C8 Corvette Owners (And Friends)/Facebook

    Kahler won the grand prize in the Corvette lottery sometime in December. The win entitled him to $250,000 in prize money and a 2021 Chevrolet Corvette worth up to $107,000. Kahler says his spec of choice is the 2LT Z51 in Rapid Blue, and that he thinks his dream car will cost $80,465, meaning he’ll get an extra $26,535 in cash when the deal finally goes through. The base price of such a Corvette is $73,290, so Kahler may also be hoping to add features such as competition seats, carbon-fiber trim, or (let’s hope not) color-match seatbelts to his C8.

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    See the 2020 Chevy Corvette from Every Angle

    But Georgia Lottery officials, who apparently did not have a prize vehicle waiting in the wings for a winner, are struggling to get their hands on an appropriate car. The launch of the new Corvette has been plagued by problems. First, the start of manufacturing on the mid-engine Vette was delayed by a 40-day United Auto Workers strike; then the coronavirus pandemic temporarily shuttered GM plants. In October, the Bowling Green, Kentucky, plant that builds Corvettes was shut down for a week because of unspecified coronavirus-related supply chain issues.
    That all adds up to a lot of demand for not that many cars. So far, the only vehicle the Georgia Lottery has been able to secure for Kahler came from a dealer who wanted $10,000 above MSRP, but Kahler balked at any solution that would chip away at his winnings.

    Now it seems that he may have to wait until at least the third quarter of this year before an unaccounted-for Corvette rolls of the line. Kahler says lawyers are now involved in his quest to extract a Corvette from Georgia Lottery. If you ask us, it’s bad form to look a gift horse in the mouth and especially bad to have your lawyer do it for you. But then again, our Corvettes always show up on time.
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    Every Electric Pickup Truck Currently on the Horizon

    Many automakers, both startups and well-established players, have announced plans to build all-electric pickup trucks.
    We rounded up all the electric trucks on the horizon from Tesla’s new Cybertruck to Ford’s upcoming electric F-150.
    However, the COVID-19 pandemic might affect the production timeline for some of these upcoming pickups.
    Tesla is not the only car company preparing to build an all-electric pickup truck, although its new Cybertruck certainly is getting its fair share of attention. When—and if—it hits the marketplace, the Cybertruck will likely have to face some competitors, as numerous other automakers have announced plans to build and sell electric trucks in the near future. Here, we’ve rounded up the growing field of EVs with cargo beds, both from well-established car companies and new startup players.

    Guide to Every EV for Sale in the U.S.

    Best EVs and Hybrids of 2020

    Electric Vehicle Lease Deals

    GMC Hummer EV SUT

    GMC

    General Motors is reviving the Hummer name. Except this time, the pickup-truck variant (as well as an SUV) will be electric and badged as a GMC submodel. With a claimed 1000 horsepower and a misleading torque number of 11,500 lb-ft, this fully electric truck is positioned to battle similar EV pickups from rival automakers in what appears to be the next frontier. The Hummer EV sits on 35-inch tires, is equipped with an adaptive air suspension, has skid plates, and has a “Crab mode” that uses the rear steering to move the truck diagonally. It’ll start at $79,995, though the first model available, arriving later this year, will be the $112,595 fully loaded Edition 1 model. Cheaper versions, as well as an SUV, will arrive for the 2023 model year. –Eric Stafford
    Electric Ford F-150

    Ford

    Ford builds the best-selling pickup truck in the country, so its decision to create an all-electric version is a big deal. The electric F-150 is expected to appear sometime in 2021, and it’s set to enter production in mid-2022. Ford has already boasted about its capability, executing a stunt where an electric F-150 prototype towed a massive freight train filled with 42 F-150 pickups that weighed one million pounds. Ford hasn’t shared any specs or details about the electric truck yet, though it did say it’ll have more horsepower and torque and faster acceleration than any F-150 currently on the market. –Joey Capparella
    Tesla Cybertruck

    Tesla

    Tesla wants people to forget everything they know about pickup trucks. With a weird wedgelike shape and a DeLorean-esque stainless-steel shell, the Cybertruck certainly eradicates the segment’s long-held conventions. Oh, and it’s dentproof, scratchproof, and allegedly bulletproof. But if Tesla’s ambitious claims that it can tow up to 14,000 pounds and drive more than 500 miles on a single charge are true, the Cybertruck will be more capable than even the current Ford F-150 and will have a longer range than any EV on the market. The all-electric pickup also boasts some impressive performance claims, with an estimated zero-to-60-mph time under three seconds and an adjustable air suspension that can provide up to 16 inches of ground clearance. If it sounds like Tesla intended the Cybertruck to be more capable off-road than a Jeep, quicker than a Porsche, and stronger than all of the best-selling half-ton trucks, well, that’s probably not too farfetched. However, when and whether or not the production version will actually yield these bold proclamations is much more dubious. –Eric Stafford
    Rivian R1T

    Rivian

    American startup company Rivian is planning to throw its electric truck, the 2021 Rivian R1T, into the ring this year with deliveries starting in June. This truck, starting at $75,000, is sized between a mid-size pickup and a full-size. The R1T has multiple levels of power and battery capacity to choose from, but a few things are standard in all trucks: all-wheel drive, the ability to tow up to 11,000 pounds, an adjustable air suspension, and Level 3 autonomous driving capability. Rivian says the 105.0-kWh, 135.0-kWh, and 180.0-kWh battery packs are estimated to have a range of 230, 300, and 400 miles, respectively. The 400-mile battery pack will be available in January 2022. Rivian claims that models equipped with the 180.0-kWh pack can hit 60 mph in a supercar-like 3.0 seconds. The interior of the truck features lots of wood and leather, with large display screens for both the gauge cluster and infotainment screen. In addition to being able to tow a lot, the R1T can carry a lot, thanks to a large frunk and bed and a spacious cabin that fits five adults comfortably. –Mihir Maddireddy
    Chevrolet Electric Pickup

    GM

    Pictured above is what we could see of the electric Chevrolet pickup at an event in late 2020. Details are sparse on the electric Chevy pickup, but we do know that it’s on its way. It’ll be based on General Motors’ Ultium platform and will use the batteries in that platform. So the Chevy EV pickup will likely have the ability to carry 200.0 kWh of power, like the Hummer EV. Late in 2020, GM said the Ultium platform can give vehicles a range of up to 450 miles; the Hummer EV offers up to 350 miles, so we expect a figure similar to that. When plans for the electric Chevrolet pickup first surfaced, GM said that it wouldn’t reach the market until 2025. Nonetheless, GM has accelerated its electrification plans and its timeline for new electric vehicles, so the Chevy EV pickup could come before 2023 along with the 20 other EVs GM said it will debut by that year. –Colin Beresford
    Lordstown Endurance

    Lordstown Motors

    Since Lordstown announced that it was accepting $1000 deposits for the 2021 Endurance, the startup EV maker has released the full details of its forthcoming truck. The Endurance will have a range of more than 250 miles, according to Lordstown, supplied by a battery of 109.0 kWh. The pickup will have a towing capacity of 7500 pounds and a horsepower peak of 600 hp. Intended as a fleet vehicle—although it will be available to individual customers—the Endurance has a governed speed of 80 mph. Unlike most of the other electric pickups, Lordstown hasn’t released any zero-to-60-mph time estimate, but whatever it ends up being, it’ll get there through power routed through four hub electric motors. Production of the Endurance has been delayed several times, in part due to the coronavirus pandemic, but as of late 2020, the timing calls for the first Endurance to roll off the assembly line beginning in fall 2021 and full production starting in 2022, priced starting at $52,500. –Colin Beresford
    Bollinger B2

    Bollinger

    The Bollinger B2 is the wildest and most expensive of the upcoming electric trucks: priced at $125,000, with geared axle hubs, hydropneumatic suspension, and the ability to carry 16-foot lumber with the tailgate closed. Actually, make that tailgates, plural. There’s one on the front, too, which we guess would make it a frontgate. Grill-gate? We’ll figure this out. Thanks to that exotic suspension and drivetrain—which is like a cross between a Hummer H1 and a Citroën DS—the B2 has a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 pounds, making it a Class 3 medium truck in the eyes of the Federal Highway Administration. That’s why it gets away with no airbags. With locking diffs, disconnecting sway bars front and rear, and up to 20 inches of ground clearance, the B2 should be a monster off-road. And despite looking like a cubist take on a Jeep Gladiator, the on-road stats are impressive, too: 614 horsepower, 668 pound-feet of torque, and a 4.5-second zero-to-60-mph time. Range is estimated at 200 miles, which isn’t a lot for a vehicle with a 120.0-kWh battery, but obviously range is pretty far down on the B1’s list of priorities. Bollinger is taking deposits now, with production slated to start in the second half of 2020. The company has also added a Chassis Cab model, which will be available to commercial outfitters in late 2021. –Ezra Dyer
    Nikola Badger

    Nikola

    Nikola made a lot of claims about its Badger pickup—that it would be offered in an EV version as well as a hybrid battery-electric/fuel cell version, that it would have 906 peak horsepower and a range of up to 600 miles, that it would do zero to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds—and we thought it would come to fruition when Nikola announced a partnership with GM. Well, that agreement fell through, and as a result, it doesn’t look like the Badger will be reaching consumers, perhaps ever. For now, Nikola will be sticking with hydrogen fuel-cell semi=trucks. –Colin Beresford
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    Trump Pardons Former Google Engineer Who Stole Autonomous-Vehicle Trade Secrets

    On his final night in office, former President Trump pardoned a former executive of Google and Uber, Anthony Levandowski.
    Levandowski pleaded guilty to stealing trade secrets from Google’s self-driving division to benefit himself and Uber as part of a plea agreement.
    Levandowski was sentenced to 18 months in prison but had not begun to serve his time because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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    On his last night as president, Donald Trump issued 73 pardons and commuted the sentences of 70 individuals. One of those pardoned was Anthony Levandowski, the former tech executive who pleaded guilty to charges of stealing trade secrets from Google’s self-driving-car division (now called Waymo), ahead of leaving the company to start his own self-driving technology company.
    Levandowski worked at Google from 2009 until 2016. He admitted that in 2016, as he was getting ready to leave the company, he downloaded thousands of Google files onto his personal laptop, including proprietary schematics and designs for lidar. In court proceedings, he admitted that he planned to use the files to benefit himself and his new employer, Uber.
    Levandowski left Google in 2016 to start his own autonomous trucking company, Otto, which was quickly acquired by Uber for $680 million. At that point, he took over control of the self-driving development at both companies. In 2017, Google accused Uber and Levandowski of stealing self-driving trade secrets. In May 2017, Uber fired Levandowski after he repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself and refused to hand over evidence and testimony after being ordered to do so by a federal judge. Uber eventually settled with Google and agreed to pay $245 million in 2018.
    After charges were filed against Levandowski, he pleaded guilty to 33 counts of trade secret theft as part of a plea agreement in 2019. In August 2020, he was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison for his crimes and to pay a $95,000 fine and $756,499.22 in restitution. At the sentencing, Judge William Alsup said, “This is the biggest trade secret crime I have ever seen. This was not small. This was massive in scale.”
    The sentence was never carried out. A plan was set in motion to incarcerate Levandowski after current COVID-19 risks had subsided. With Trump’s pardon, Levandowski has been spared that jail time. He took to Twitter to express his relief.
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    In a statement, the Trump administration noted the pardon was supported by tech-industry insiders including Facebook board member Peter Thiel and Oculus founder Palmer Luckey.
    New York Times reporter Mike Isaac, who covered the saga and wrote a book titled Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber, commented to Car and Driver: “Trump coming in at the last minute to pluck Levandowski out of harm’s way is just the perfect ending to a completely wild story. An almost too on-the-nose finale for an already unpredictable saga.”
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