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Man, this is hands down the single best-ever-produced piece of automotive journalism I have ever watched, way better than even any Top Gear episode during the series' peak in the mid-2000s: It just so happens to feature the final word in internal combustion engine (ICE) performance luxury sedans, the 668hp supercharged V8 with a 6-speed manual transmission Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing. If this doesn't get you all psyched and have your blood pumping, I don't know what else will. What a way to close one of the chapters in the ICE book of automotive history!

Cadillac has revealed part images of the upcoming 2014 Cadillac CTS, which will be making its world premiere at this week's New York Auto Show. The most prominent feature of the 2014 Cadillac CTS is the LED stripe at the headlight that extends to the front quarter panel of the car and towards the front bumper at the other end. Not everyone may like the design but I personally find the LED treatment quite refreshing and unique. The new CTS will be powered by a 3.6-litre twin-turbo V6 with 420bhp and 583Nm of torque. Mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, the large American sedan will go from zero to 100km/h in 4.6 seconds before reaching a top speed of 274km/h. Other engine options include a naturally-aspirated 3.6-litre V6 with 321bhp and a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder churning 272bhp. The 2014 model will grow longer by some two to three inches as compared to the current model and will be based on GM's rear-wheel drive Alpha platform.

More details have emerged regarding Maserati's new mid-sized sedan, the Ghibli. Set to be launched at the 2013 Shanghai Motor Show in April, the Ghibli will go on sale before the end of the year. The Ghibli is based on a shortened version of the Quattroporte platform. It is expected to measure around 4.9m in length, which is about 300mm shorter than the new Quattroporte. This means that the new model will have a more or less similar foot print as its class rivals such as the BMW 5 Series and Audi A6. At launch, the Ghibli is available with a twin-turbocharged, direct injected V6 3.0-litre. It is similar to the unit found on the Quattroporte but detuned to 385bhp. The other petrol engine choice will be a version of the 3.8-litre V8 found in the Quattroporte which is good for about 480bhp. Both engines are designed and built by Ferrari. A diesel option is also available and reports indicate that it could be a highly-tuned version of the 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel found in the Jeep Grand Cherokee. All engine choices will be mated to a ZF 8-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. The rear-wheel driven Ghibli is said to be a much more aggressive car than the Quattroporte.

[extract] With the launch of the 2012 BMW 3 Series, BMW has further cemented its position as the leader of the compact luxury segment. However, that was before the Cadillac ATS sedan went on sale. The Cadillac ATS was specifically designed to compete with the BMW 3 Series. In fact, this is Cadillac

[extract] Back in November last year, Alfa Romeo (which is under the Fiat Group) is challenging, particularly at the Mazda MX-5, the rear wheel drive roadster market segment with a new generation Spider. But now it seems that things are going to change. The MX-5 will receive a sibling but it will not be a Mazda. Mazda Motor Corporation and Fiat Group Automobiles have signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the development and manufacturing of a new roadster for both companies

[extract] Subaru showed the world the BRZ STI concept at the 2011 Los Angeles Motor Show. At the launch of the BRZ in UK, Subaru

I'm sorry BMW, but all your efforts to try convince yourselves that those who bought your 1-series are avid driving enthusiasts have failed. BMW had built the 1-series with the intention of spreading their gospel of the 'ultimate driving machine' and part of that picture they painted was the fact that rear wheel drive would be part of the recipe to build such a machine. However, it has now been revealed in a statement made by BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer during a telephone interview session with journalists that 80% of the people who bought the 1-series thought that it was front wheel drive. For those of you reading this that are part of the 80% mentioned above, I have the civic duty to inform you that the BMW 1-series is Rear Wheel Drive. I mean honestly, don't the people who buy the 1-series read the brochure that informs them of the specifications of the car? Don't they even go through the owner's manual after they buy the car? This is pretty pathetic news. I think this is the reason BMW do not go around with the 'ultimate driving machine' statement anymore. If you look at their website, it now states 'Sheer Driving Pleasure' or 'Joy is Driving'. Nowhere does it state that BMW makes the ultimate driving machines anymore. I suppose this is justly so as no one actually buys BMWs to drive anymore. These people actually don't even care about 'sheer driving pleasure' or 'joy is driving'. They buy BMWs for the badge and even BMW knows this. They know this as they're producing gargantuan SUV-coupes like the X6M or the X5M. These are two vehicles for people who just want an 'M' badge but don't actually like driving really fast. I say this because no matter how fast or powerful an SUV is, the car with the same engine and and drivetrain, would be able to out handle any performance SUV regardless of the situation. Then they sell the entry level 1-series to people who just want a BMW and do not actually ask which wheels drive the cars in the first place. It looks like the actual fast driving enthusiasts aren't driving BMWs anymore. And that folks is why BMW has recently announced during that same telephone interview that they intend to build front wheel drive BMWs by 2014. Its not that they have decided to join the front wheel drive bandwagon. It's just that to 1-series owners, or future BMW entry level owners, what wheels drive the car is immaterial. They just want in on the brand. Maybe BMW should change their taglines to 'FWD? RWD? AWD? Who cares. Its a BMW' or 'joy of owning the ultimate badge'. This is another sad day for true blue driving enthusiasts.