Photo: Cadillac / BMW / Aston Martin
Has anyone truly noticed that everything is mostly about crossovers, SUVs, or trucks these days? Fortunately, the avalanche of late-May novelties also includes some genuinely nice passenger cars! And there are two of them, and they have 20th-anniversary goodies.
Frankly, suppose you are a true passenger car enthusiast that wants nothing to do with the hype revolving around new or upcoming CUV, SUV, and truck introductions – like the 2024 Toyota Tacoma or the early-June introduction of the 2024 Lexus GX and TX. In that case, it's probably game over when you hear a Lambo Revuelto roaring down the Nürburgring Nordschleife. So, after putting that snippet of Lambo greatness and madness – now sprinkled with a cultivated PHEV powertrain, aside, it is time to check out the latest novelties that are worthy of making our garage bucket list.
And I really want to talk about the attainable ones – not the stuff that's already sold out for more cash than you can make during two lifetimes like the 62 examples of Rolls-Royce Black Badge Cullinan 'Blue Shadow SUVs honoring the bleeding edge of space – aka the Kármán Line, "the invisible boundary 62 miles (99.77 km) above the Earth's surface, where our planet's atmosphere ends, and outer space begins." And don't say the Aston Martin DB12 doesn't fit the bill as I'm going to have a problem during retirement when I had planned all sorts of road trips in the upcoming Volante version.
Anyway, let's start with that one of our explorations of imagined choices. The DB12 is here as an 'all-new' replacement of the DB11 grand tourer as much as the McLaren 750S for its 720S predecessor. It would be best to call them deep refreshes rather than new generations – after all, the DB11 has been on the market since 2016, and the grand tourer is basically starting the second part of its life with the arrival of the DB12. Aston Martin insists that it redesigned the exterior, improved the aerodynamics, and even brought new LEDs to the party. At least it rocks a twin-turbo 4.0-liter AMG V8 that wipes the floor both with the previous DB11 and even the V12-powered DB11 thanks to a production of 670 ponies – enough to hit 60 mph (96 kph) in 3.5 seconds and a max speed of 202 mph (325 kph). Naturally, its main target is making the Ferrari Roma more than a little jealous of its many new talents.
I'm not longing for one at the moment – I want the Volante for the summer to have the wind in my hair! Next, we have an all-new BMW 5 Series – or better said, we have the i5 zero-emissions version to look at if we can. They say that more ICE-powered – both gasoline and diesel – versions will come soon, including six cylinders and a couple of PHEVs. Still, all we have to look now at are the i5 eDrive40 with 335 hp and the i5 M60 xDrive with dual electric motors and up to 590 hp to make sure non-Plaid Tesla Model S buyers have something to look forward to or laugh about, depending on their POV. You might sense that I am more than a little ironic about the new executive sedan that is longer, wider, and also taller – but the best thing you can say about it is that it features a 'restrained' grille design. Unfortunately, the rest of the styling is still controversial. Inside, though, is an impressive high-tech cockpit, and I bet you will soon see Disney's remake of The Little Mermaid when you get tired of playing console-quality games.
By the way, has anyone heard that Honda is returning to Formula One as an engine supplier… for Aston Martin? That is not even the most bonkers idea, though, as there is one automaker in the United States that is swimming against the MSRP current in the ICE-powered pool – Alfa Romeo has cut prices of its Giulia sedan and Stelvio performance CUV (by $1,800) in an effort to fend off the German rivals. Speaking of the latter, Manthey is also helping Porsche with a performance kit for the fabulous 911 GT3 in the United States. Of course, It won't be cheap at $57,300 plus an additional $15,500 for the lightweight forged wheels. But, dear God, that presentation unit made me fall in love with fuchsia! Oh, and has anyone seen that Ford and Tesla are holding hands with the CEOs speaking up for the adoption of EVs on Twitter and Blue Ovals getting access to Superchargers?
Last but not least, I finally arrived at my favorite cars of the past few days – and they are Cadillacs. Do not laugh; I am not talking about the crossover coupe-SUV dubbed GT4 or the refreshed XT4, although there is nothing wrong with them, either. I am not even discussing the second generation CT6 because – unfortunately – the full-size sedan is a China-only affair and a massive forbidden fruit in the United States. Instead, I would love to pocket a 2024 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing into my dream garage or the CT5-V Blackwing with 20th-anniversary goodies. Better take a long and hard look at both of them as we might have seen the last of Caddy sedans because of the freaking love for CUVs, SUVs, trucks, and the impending switch to an electric vehicle-focused lifestyle.
And I really want to talk about the attainable ones – not the stuff that's already sold out for more cash than you can make during two lifetimes like the 62 examples of Rolls-Royce Black Badge Cullinan 'Blue Shadow SUVs honoring the bleeding edge of space – aka the Kármán Line, "the invisible boundary 62 miles (99.77 km) above the Earth's surface, where our planet's atmosphere ends, and outer space begins." And don't say the Aston Martin DB12 doesn't fit the bill as I'm going to have a problem during retirement when I had planned all sorts of road trips in the upcoming Volante version.
Anyway, let's start with that one of our explorations of imagined choices. The DB12 is here as an 'all-new' replacement of the DB11 grand tourer as much as the McLaren 750S for its 720S predecessor. It would be best to call them deep refreshes rather than new generations – after all, the DB11 has been on the market since 2016, and the grand tourer is basically starting the second part of its life with the arrival of the DB12. Aston Martin insists that it redesigned the exterior, improved the aerodynamics, and even brought new LEDs to the party. At least it rocks a twin-turbo 4.0-liter AMG V8 that wipes the floor both with the previous DB11 and even the V12-powered DB11 thanks to a production of 670 ponies – enough to hit 60 mph (96 kph) in 3.5 seconds and a max speed of 202 mph (325 kph). Naturally, its main target is making the Ferrari Roma more than a little jealous of its many new talents.
I'm not longing for one at the moment – I want the Volante for the summer to have the wind in my hair! Next, we have an all-new BMW 5 Series – or better said, we have the i5 zero-emissions version to look at if we can. They say that more ICE-powered – both gasoline and diesel – versions will come soon, including six cylinders and a couple of PHEVs. Still, all we have to look now at are the i5 eDrive40 with 335 hp and the i5 M60 xDrive with dual electric motors and up to 590 hp to make sure non-Plaid Tesla Model S buyers have something to look forward to or laugh about, depending on their POV. You might sense that I am more than a little ironic about the new executive sedan that is longer, wider, and also taller – but the best thing you can say about it is that it features a 'restrained' grille design. Unfortunately, the rest of the styling is still controversial. Inside, though, is an impressive high-tech cockpit, and I bet you will soon see Disney's remake of The Little Mermaid when you get tired of playing console-quality games.
By the way, has anyone heard that Honda is returning to Formula One as an engine supplier… for Aston Martin? That is not even the most bonkers idea, though, as there is one automaker in the United States that is swimming against the MSRP current in the ICE-powered pool – Alfa Romeo has cut prices of its Giulia sedan and Stelvio performance CUV (by $1,800) in an effort to fend off the German rivals. Speaking of the latter, Manthey is also helping Porsche with a performance kit for the fabulous 911 GT3 in the United States. Of course, It won't be cheap at $57,300 plus an additional $15,500 for the lightweight forged wheels. But, dear God, that presentation unit made me fall in love with fuchsia! Oh, and has anyone seen that Ford and Tesla are holding hands with the CEOs speaking up for the adoption of EVs on Twitter and Blue Ovals getting access to Superchargers?
Last but not least, I finally arrived at my favorite cars of the past few days – and they are Cadillacs. Do not laugh; I am not talking about the crossover coupe-SUV dubbed GT4 or the refreshed XT4, although there is nothing wrong with them, either. I am not even discussing the second generation CT6 because – unfortunately – the full-size sedan is a China-only affair and a massive forbidden fruit in the United States. Instead, I would love to pocket a 2024 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing into my dream garage or the CT5-V Blackwing with 20th-anniversary goodies. Better take a long and hard look at both of them as we might have seen the last of Caddy sedans because of the freaking love for CUVs, SUVs, trucks, and the impending switch to an electric vehicle-focused lifestyle.
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