Hi, I'm John Davis and this is MotorWeek !

We're taking high G, high-speed turns in the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing...

Meanwhile, Dan Maffett "glues" us into a simple dent repair... Stephanie Hart investigates AI for enthusiast builds... Then, we'll take a stroll in the Land Rover Ranger Rover Evoque...

So, come drive with us, next!

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JOHN: It was just 3.0 years ago that we stormed around the nine high-speed turns of Savannah's Roebling Road Raceway in the then-new Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing.

We loved everything about that remarkable beast of a sport sedan.

Well...since then, Cadillac has made the big boy Blackwing even better!

So, we're headed back to Roebling to check it out.

♪ ♪ Roebling Road Raceway is a high-speed track that suffers no pretenders, and this 2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing gets around about as fast as any exotic hardware we've tested here; certainly, faster than anything else you can comfortably haul a foursome to the country club for 18 holes in, and it sounds wicked while doing it.

Media types love to hype "last of the breed" scenarios, and when this Beast from the Midwest rolled onto the scene for 2021, there were many predictions it would be the "last great V8 sedan."

Well, we're not into doomsday predictions or prepping for that matter, we're into enjoying every car as much as we can whenever we can, and the CT5-V Blackwing seems to be of like mindset, feeling right at home both overpowering Roebling's corners and streaking wide open down its long front straight.

It's hard not to enjoy the ridiculousness of it all, as that raucous V8 is sounding NASCAR, but the car is feeling much more like a world-class sport sedan.

It's a Corvette motor, something that goes all the way back to the original Cadillac CTS-V from 2004.

Things got serious in '09 when it starting making well over 500 horsepower and breaking Nürburgring records.

Fast forward to now and the CT5-V Blackwing's hand crafted and supercharged 6.2 liter roars to life in a way that seems to overpromise, but when you tap into its 668 horsepower and 659 pound-feet of torque, you quickly realize it can back it up.

If, for some reason, it's too much for you, there are quieter exhaust settings.

Our original CT5-V Blackwing test 3.0 years ago featured the 6-speed manual, so in the interest of fairness, we opted for the 10-speed automatic this time around; it's quicker to 60 by two-tenths of a second, according to Cadillac, at 3.4 seconds.

But an unintended consequence of the Blackwing's Vortex of Awesomeness is that it unexpectedly sucked a winter storm into coastal Georgia and covered the track with snow before we could record our own straight-line numbers.

Fortunately, we did get plenty of laps in before that happened, and the 10-speed provided lightning quick shifts, with noticeably tighter gearing than the manual.

It's always a unique kind of joy to thrash a Cadillac around a racetrack, but this one seems more up to the task than any Cadillac to this point; spot-on steering, solid brakes, and gobs of torque readily available regardless of what number the tach needle is pointing at or what gear you're in.

Our test car came wearing Typhoon Metallic, one of three new color choices available for '25.

What else is new?

Well, the front end gets a tougher look, along with improved aerodynamics from reshaped ground effects and front fenders.

LED lighting is upgraded inside and out.

There's an updated Carbon Fiber Package, and new quad trapezoid exhaust tips.

About the only other thing that changes in here is fitment of Cadillac's 33 inch widescreen display.

And while, plenty of V performance cues remain, your senses still take in the best of Cadillac luxury.

Though, connecting with GM's Performance Data Recorder, which has been enhanced with a better interface and real-time lap delta, reminds you just how serious Cadillac takes Blackwing performance.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 13 City, 20 Highway, and 15 Combined.

CT5-V pricing starts at $58,390; and that's for a 360 horsepower, twin-turbo V6 which is pretty incredible in its own right, and you can you even add all-wheel-drive to that one.

This CT5-V Blackwing just takes it to a significantly higher level and starts at $99,090.

Get 'em while you can.

Predictions of the gasoline engine's demise over at Cadillac were perhaps a little premature, as there's plenty of people who still like their sport sedans loud, V8 powered, and supercharged.

And while there will probably always be high-performance Cadillacs, it's doubtful any will be able to deliver the full sensory overload kind of experience found here in the 2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, a world-class sport sedan that beats with pure American muscle and can hang with any driving machine out there, ultimate or otherwise.

If only everything could feel this real forever.

♪ ♪ JOHN: A cutting-edge app is reinventing how car enthusiast's can more easily achieve their specific design goals.

No more searching for that specific custom part, when the app's artificial intelligence can find it in seconds.

Well, our Stephanie Hart has the details on how "Mia" could ultimately open up the car-enthusiast lifestyle to almost everyone.

♪ ♪ STEPHANIE HART: The new MOTORMIA app helps people build their dream car, essentially in seconds, with the help of AI.

This car was built using the help of the AI, named Mia, who suggested modifications be made to the handling.

Okay, let's take it out on the road and see how it feels.

ISAAC: Go.

STEPHANIE: Not bad at all.

In the driver's seat is Isaac Bunick, the Chief Enthusiast Officer of MOTORMIA.

He founded the company in 2023, naming it after his daughter, Mia, who helped inspire him.

Two years later the MOTORMIA APP officially launched.

Today, there are more than half a million people who have visited the MOTORMIA platform, according to Isaac, and each month tens of thousands download the app.

ISAAC BUNICK: With every incremental user that jumps to the platform she's, she's basically getting more and more exposure to different cars and...in real time, learning about those cars, trying to help you identify different ways to experience your car.

STEPHANIE: After downloading the free app, here's how it works.

ISAAC: You add the car to your collection, um, Mia will bring to the table a picture of the car, the factory specifications of the car, and then you interact with Mia and get answers on how you can personalize that vehicle for different objectives, whether it's performance or appearance.

STEPHANIE: Mia is trained to rationalize just like a car enthusiast.

ISAAC: She returns what she calls Mia's favorites, which is basically the combination of real world evidence and enthusiasts' consensus and social proof, together with fitment information, that gives you the ultimate answer.

STEPHANIE: Very cool tech.

With Mia's help, enthusiasts can even discover where to buy the parts Mia recommends, resulting in heightened visibility for manufacturers and service providers.

ISAAC: She will tell you, okay, this is the number one-- these are the top three exhausts that enthusiasts who own a Honda Civic like to install.

She will click it, you'll click it and you will see where you can get that exhaust from, you'll see what it looks like, what it costs, and if you want to add it to your build, then you can add it to your build and see what the impact would be to the vehicle just like you would in a video game like in Gran Turismo.

STEPHANIE: Eventually, users will be able to make purchases directly in the app.

One day Mia will even be able to help car enthusiasts master DIY repairs and recommend auto repair and body shops.

KALEB GORDON JETTIE: The MOTORMIA app helped me, especially on this wheel here figuring out which size would and wouldn't rub, uh, as well as the brake pads because we had to redo the brakes.

It also helped me plan for future builds for the rest of the truck.

STEPHANIE: Consequently, the app is connecting generations by preserving and passing down automotive expertise.

ISAAC: When it comes to the older generation they have a lot of tribal knowledge that isn't institutionalized in any single way and it's spread across the web.

AI allows us to institutionalize that knowledge and transfer it to the newer generations that just want the answers quickly.

STEPHANIE: About one third of the U.S. population is a classified car enthusiast, but MOTORMIA believes the definition of a car enthusiast is gradually shifting as we start to share our roads with autonomous vehicles.

ISAAC: AI is taking the role right now of putting the driver in the passenger seat.

Over time most of our transactional driving will be fully automated by a robot.

We believe at that moment in time, the car enthusiast lifestyle will be universal.

Everybody in America will probably keep some sort of moving vehicle in their homes to enjoy on the weekend for the thrill of driving.

STEPHANIE: Pretty mind blowing to think about.

If and when that happens, a new breed of car enthusiasts will emerge.

ISAAC: Over time, we hope the technology will just close the gap, you know, between the anxiety of thinking of becoming a car enthusiast and actually becoming a car enthusiast.

There are millions of mods that have been put on cars virtually, um, that represent enthusiasts' dreams.

People have a very strong affinity for...for this lifestyle and for the joy of being able to simulate their dreams and ultimately carry out their dreams on their cars.

JOHN: Get ready to be glued to your seats; Dan Maffett stopped by to show us how one simple tool can make dent repairs a cinch on MotorWeek's "Your Drive!"

♪ ♪ DAN MAFFETT: The world of dent repair has come a long way.

It used to be, if you had a dent like this, you had to strip it to metal, weld on studs that allowed you to lock on a slide hammer like this, and then literally reverse hammer that panel flat.

Now, that wasn't the end of it.

Once, you got that out, you had to go back in with a hammer and dolly like this, find the right shape for that panel, and work the metal in and out, stretching it and shrinking it until you got to the panel shape that you wanted.

But, that wasn't the end of it either.

Once, you were done doing that, you then had to bodywork and paint that panel.

Now, that was out of reach for most DIY guys.

But now, we've got a lot of options.

Now, there's some cheaper ones like this based on suction cups that are just not worth the time.

Now, this kit here is a paintless dent repair kit.

What it does is it has these various shapes.

You find the shape that matches the dent you're trying to repair, and you actually use a hot glue polymer in there and it locks it in place.

Once that's in, you can use various tools that they have.

This one is a clamp.

Once it locks in, you simply pop it out.

They also make a slide hammer attachment, so a little reminiscent of the old days, but you lock that on, pop it out and then you're able to get a flatter surface, pull that dent out, without as much work.

Now, we're going to pick the, uh, best adapter here, get some glue on there, and see if we can pull this dent.

Now, once the glue has started to change a little color, and it's cool to the touch, you know it's cured and it's ready to be pulled.

So, we're going to take this guy...gonna adjust it down so that both feet are firmly against the panel.

So, right there, it's locked against the panel, there's no slack, and then we'll just do a pull.

(popping sound) And you see we got most of those dents out.

The big circle dent that was there is gone.

We just have a few tiny pinpoints there that we need to work with.

So, this design of paintless dent is not going to get every little dent out of there, but it's going to get the big dents out, it's going to flatten it and save you a lot of money from a body shop.

So, this one is now cured, we're going to try to pull that last little bit of dent out of there.

Again, just lock it down, and give it a pull.

So now, that we've got that dent pulled out almost all the way, you can now buff it, clean it up, and most people won't ever notice that dent was ever there.

So, with the technology becoming way more affordable and easier to do it yourself, you have no excuse to live with a dent.

If you have any questions or comments, hit us up, right here, at MotorWeek .

JOHN: We don't like to stay idle, so let's pedal right into a new QuickSpin!

♪ ♪ GREG CARLOSS: With Toyota being masters of hybrid powertrains, you wouldn't think this 2025 Lexus LX700h is the first hybrid foray for this legacy utility.

But that's just the case, and Lexus invited us to California's Napa Valley for a First Drive.

Getting to the heart of the matter, a 3.4 liter twin-turbo V6 hybrid produces 457 horsepower and 583 pound-feet of torque, deployed to the 4-wheel-drive system through a 10-speed automatic transmission.

Updates to the LX's GA-F platform have improved responsiveness, which we felt both on and off the pavement.

Standard features, like a Torsen limited-slip locking center diff, adaptive suspension and active height control, make all five LX grades overlanding ready; but it's the Overtrail which takes it the most serious.

Either a two- or three-row cabin, Overtrails throw in electronic locking front and rear diffs, all-terrain tires and a front skid plate.

Perfect for getting into the thick of it.

STEPHANIE: So, this vehicle feels very durable out here.

It gives you a lot of peace of mind when you're off-roading, and you feel like it won't break when you get home with it.

GREG: And no matter how rough it gets outside, inside is a lavish Lexus experience, offering massaging seats, a "cool box" refreshment container in the center console, and a 25-speaker sound system.

The 2025 Lexus LX 700h Overtrail starts near $117,000, a climb from the non-hybrid 600, which starts around $108,000.

Certainly not a bargain, but an incredibly capable machine.

And we'll have more QuickSpins soon!

JOHN: So, let's go above the fold with Stephanie Hart and this week's MotorNews!

♪ ♪ STEPHANIE: Our first bit of news comes from Kia, who continues to invest in their battery-electric portfolio.

What that means for North America is a new EV4 sport-utility.

It's designed around Kia's 400 volt modular platform, available with either a 58 or 81 kilowatt hour battery.

A single 150 kilowatt motor sends power to the front wheels.

The EV4 will make its way to the U.S. following a launch in other markets, with production for North American models starting later this year.

The EV4 was announced at a special EV Day event in Spain, debuting alongside other products and concepts.

That includes the Concept EV2, a sport utility that's much smaller than their current EV6 and EV9 models.

A production model of the EV2 could be seen in 2026.

Bringing news back stateside, Ram has announced a new Mopar package for the 1500 RHO.

The Mopar '25 package adds unique blue accents and Mopar-official parts, like the bed-based spare tire carrier and RamBar accessory bar.

The RHO utilizes a high-output 3.0 liter inline-6.

This turbocharged "Hurricane" engine puts out 540 horsepower and 521 pound-feet of torque.

The Mopar '25 package is a $6,500 upgrade, limited to just 250 North American units.

Meanwhile, Cadillac has announced the Escalade IQL.

It's effectively the same all-electric Escalade IQ, now stretched to provide more 3rd-row legroom and rear storage.

Starting over $130,000, expect all proper Escalade IQ luxuries, including Dolby Atmos audio support, which GM announced will be in all-electric Cadillacs moving forward.

And that's the latest on this week's MotorNews!

JOHN: When most people hear "Range Rover" they tend to think of high class, high performance and high dollars.

But, Range Rover does the entry-level thing quite well too with this Evoque.

It has plenty of posh attitude, along with some recent updates.

So, let's see how the Evoque continues to evolved.

♪ ♪ Our involvement with the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque's evolution began when this small utility first arrived for 2012.

It looked more Spice Girl than Tough Mudder, but it packed a surprising amount of capability into its subcompact dimensions.

This second gen arrived for 2020, and has gained recent updates at the most likely midway point in its lifecycle.

Intrigued but not necessarily enthused could probably best describe our history with the Evoque, but Land Rover always has a way of drawing us in with very tasteful designs.

They pretty much got this one right back in 2020, so styling revisions are largely limited to new Pixel LED headlights and a reshaped front fascia.

There's also new super-red signature lighting in back, all of it done to bring the Evoque more in line with the rest of the Range Rover family.

And like all of its siblings, all-wheel-drive is standard and it does have Terrain Response 2 with specific off-road modes, but no one's expecting to see a lot of Evoques out on the trail, unless there's a new Lululemon Outlet at the other end of it having a killer sale.

Land Rover has once again taken the P300 296 horsepower version of the Evoque's 2.0 liter turbo-4 out of the lineup, leaving just the standard 249 horsepower version under the clamshell hood.

No complaints from us, its 269 pound-feet of torque is more than adequate to move this 3,900 pound Ute around.

And at Mason Dixon Dragway, it moved us to 60 miles per hour in 7.7 seconds.

There was plenty of traction off the line, and while not overwhelming, power feels plentiful, staying very consistent down the track.

Gearchanges in the Evoque's nine-speed automatic transmission were quick and smooth, barely a blip in the process as we finished the quarter-mile in 16 seconds flat at 85 miles per hour.

Plenty quick for a compact utility with luxury intentions.

It felt quite good through our handling course too, with a substantial presence that not too many small utilities have.

The Evoque uses selective braking to torque vector power between all four wheels, and it enabled us to cruise through the cones quickly without any excessive understeer or oversteer.

There was some nosedive during our panic braking test, but the brakes were very responsive and strong enough to bring us to a halt in a short 115 feet from 60.

(car whooshing by) But, it's the inside experience that really matters with any luxury vehicle, particularly in a Range Rover.

And here things look more high-end Swedish than Tudor or Victorian, with a minimalist cabin design that's way more visually appealing than practical.

There's real leather covering just about everything, and what appears to be just a tablet stuck in front of the dash is a new 11.4 inch touchscreen.

Not only are the inner workings much faster than the previous infotainment setup, but the entire interface of this Pivi Pro system is vastly better than the split screen approach of before.

The center console that leads up to it appears much less cluttered and frees up some additional space for storage.

The shifter is still here, but it has gotten much smaller.

Front seat space and comfort remain high, though rear seat room is still very tight for adults.

Cargo space is not bad for a small utility, with room for 21.6 cubic-feet of gear in the hold, which expands with 40/20/40 split-folding seatback flexibility to 50.5 cubic-feet.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 20 City, 27 Highway, and 22 Combined.

That's an average Energy Impact Score, using 13.5 Barrels of Oil annually, with CO2 Emissions of 6.6 Tons.

Land Rover has been paring things down in the Evoque lineup for years, no longer offering a two-door version or the convertible, and now have simplified things even further to just the P250 available in only two trims: S, which stickers for $51,175, and Dynamic SE, which starts at $56,375; but you can add just about every package available and still come in right around 60-grand.

Luxury-minded utility vehicles are coming at us from all angles these days, but the 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque is a bit unique in that it remains as sort of a cheat code for sneaking you into the Range Rover VIP experience.

You'll feel like you're getting away with something every time you drive it.

Well, that's our show, I hope you enjoyed it.

Now, for more MotorWeek , including daily news updates, podcasts, and even complete episodes, cruise on over to PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

And I hope you'll join us next time when we take out the third pedal, without removing the fun, in the Toyota GR Corolla, then take shifting out entirely with the Rivian R1S.

Until then, I'm John Davis.

We'll see you right here on MotorWeek !

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We test tires, then share our results.

We stock over one million tires.

We offer multiple installation options.

We do this because we believe tires matter.

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