Hot & Ready: 4 Born-To-Thrill Luxury Cars On The Way Now

Some people might have you believe that the Golden Age of performance cars for the street occurred in the 1960s. After all, that’s when we saw the introduction of terrific performance cars like the Porsche 911, Pontiac GTO, and Ford Mustang. Throughout the Sixties, hot car followed hot car into the marketplace and hundreds of thousands of them were sold. But auto historians who are being true to the subject matter — and I try to be one of them — have to admit that right now, not the Sixties, is the Golden Age of street performance cars. The vehicles that are coming to market today make the musclecars and sports cars of 70 years ago pale in comparison.

Consider if you will the quartet or performance sedans we profile for you today, all about to blast into the market in a hail of burnt rubber and screaming exhaust. Two of them offer 472 horsepower, a very heady number, and yet that wad of horsepower can’t match the more than 600 — yes 600 — horsepower that the other two bring to the performance party. Lean in and look at four of the highest-performance production sedans ever to hit the street.

2022 BMW M5 CS

When it arrives in the second half of this year, the 2022 BMW M5 CS midsize luxury sedan will be the vaunted brand’s quickest and most powerful production car ever. Available as a 2022 model only, the limited-production super sedan will pack 627 horsepower under its svelte hood. Compared to the already impressive M5 Competition on which it is based, the new M5 CS is not only more powerful, but it is also lighter and promises to handle even more precisely.

Of course, the headliner is the S63 4.4-liter M TwinPower V8 that employs twin turbochargers with liquid-to-air intercooling to produce its 627 horsepower. High-pressure direct fuel injection delivers precise fuel atomization for fast engine response. The direct injection and revamped turbocharger dynamics help the V8 deliver 553 lb.-ft. of torque from 1,800 to 5,950 rpm for what should be excellent drivability.

With a curb weight of 4,114 lb. the M5 CS uses a substantial amount of lightweight carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) to drop its weight 230 lb. from the M5 Competition. More power and less weight are a magic formula that is expected to make the car the quickest product BMW ever. 0-60-mph acceleration time is projected to be a heady 2.9 seconds, and BMW says the car will have a top speed of 190 mph.

The BMW M5 CS has a suggested retail price of $142,000 plus a $995 destination charge.

2022 Cadillac CT5 V-Series Blackwing

V-Series is the Cadillac equivalent of BMW’s M and Mercedes-Benz AMG models, but now Cadillac is upping the ante with Blackwing versions of its V-series models that are even more potent. The just-introduced CT5 V-Series Blackwing midsize luxury sports sedan is equipped with a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 that has a higher-flow air-intake and revised exhaust system to deliver its 668 horsepower and 659 lb.-ft. of torque.

The staggering horsepower number is the result of several major improvements to a basic engine that already delivered impressive performance. The powerplant uses a 1.7-liter four-lobe Eaton supercharger with small-diameter rotors for both high capacity and quick spool-up. Intake airflow is improved 46% versus the CTS-V. The engine has lightweight titanium intake valves and rotocast A356T6 aluminum cylinder heads. Wet-sump oiling and a vent system with external oil separator and drain back help the engine survive extreme track conditions.

The standard transmission is a TREMEC 6-speed manual transmission, and the driveline includes a LuK twin-disc clutch for high torque capacity, active rev-matching, and no-lift shift just like my late friend and colleague Ron Grable used to do with his skill substituting for technology. The rev-matching can be turned off with a console-mounted toggle switch. A 10-speed automatic transmission, which is optionally available, has electronically assisted custom launch control, performance traction management, and electronic limited-slip rear differential.

According to figures provided by Cadillac, the sedan will rocket from zero to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds. Top speed is claimed to be in excess of 200 mph. Just how much in excess of 200 Cadillac wouldn’t say.

The CT5-V Blackwing has an MSRP of $84,990 including a $995 destination charge. The sedan can be ordered now with deliveries scheduled for this summer.

2022 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing

The Cadillac CT4 V-Series Blackwing doesn’t have the horsepower of its CT5 V-Series Blackwing bigger brother, but it promises to deliver mind-numbing performance that should satisfy most enthusiast drivers. Its 3.6-liter twin-turbocharged V6 offers 472 horsepower and 445 lb-ft of torque, so it is the most powerful and fastest Cadillac ever in its class.

The V6 has been tricked out in numerous ways to produce its praiseworthy power and torque numbers. It uses titanium connecting rods, revised crankshaft counterweights, re-targeted piston oil squirters, a manifold-integrated water-to-air charge cooling system, and heavily revised airflow.

Air intake restriction is improved by 39% versus the former Cadillac ATS-V, and the turbocharger compressors are matched for peak efficiency at peak power to deliver the best on-track performance possible. Like the CT5-V Blackwing, the CT4-V Blackwing gives buyers the choice of the electronically enhanced 6-speed manual transmission or an enhanced 10-speed automatic.

Cadillac says its small sports sedan will accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds. Top speed is said to be 189 miles per hour.

Like the CT5-V Blackwing, the CT4-V Blackwing’s brakes are built to slow an incredibly fast car quickly time after time. It uses 14.96 x 1.34-inch (380 X 34 mm) front rotors and 13.4 x 1.1-inch (340.5 x 28 mm) rear rotors.

The CT4-V Blackwing has a base price of $59,990 with destination, and buyers will begin taking delivery later this year.

2022 Lexus IS 500 F SPORT Performance

The Lexus F SPORT models got a reputation as being sheep in wolf’s clothing when they were introduced several years back. But over time the sub-brand has been getting increasingly aggressive about offering real performance. Now that performance is about to arrive in spades. The 2022 Lexus IS 500 F SPORT Performance, the first of a line of F SPORT Performance models, serves notice of its serious intentions by way of its 472-horsepower V-8 engine and its IS RWD F SPORT Dynamic Handling Package. The upcoming model delivers a dramatic power injection in comparison to the 2021 Lexus IS 350 and its 311-horsepower V-6.

With a curb weight just 143 lb. more than the IS 350, the IS 500 is capable of going from a standing stop to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, Lexus told us. The V8 engine delivers 472 horsepower at 7,100 rpm and 395 lb.-ft. of peak torque at 4,800 rpm, and it is backed by an 8-speed Sport Direct Shift automatic transmission. The electronically-assisted transmission offers drive-mode selection that changes engine and transmission mapping for enhanced performance. In addition to changing engine and trans settings, the Sport S+ mode also adjusts the amount of electric power steering assist and damping force.

The IS 500’s Dynamic Handling Package includes adaptive variable suspension and a Torsen limited-slip differential. In addition, the chassis incorporates a Yamaha rear performance damper engineered to reduce dynamic structural distortion. That’s said to produce increased comfort at low speeds and additional stability at high speeds. For superior stopping power, the IS 500 has 14.0-inch two-piece aluminum front brake rotors and 12.7-inch rear rotors plus added brake cooling.

Some added external features, including attractive Enkei wheels, set off the new Lexus IS 500 F SPORT Performance. No pricing for the model has been announced but the price is expected to be $55,000 or so. The sedan should arrive in dealerships later this Fall.