Audi’s senior vice president, Henrik Wenders, posted a video this week to his personal LinkedIn page teasing a trio of electric concept cars destined to debut within the next 12-18 months.

The trio is made up of the Grand Sphere, Sky Sphere and Urban Sphere, and all that was shown in the video were the concepts’ silhouettes.

The Grand Sphere appears to be a sleek sedan or hatch that, as its name suggests, is aimed at grand touring. The Sky Sphere is clearly a sports car, while the Urban Sphere could be a crossover or minivan or a combination of the two.

While it’s yet to be confirmed, the concepts may have been developed by Audi’s Artemis skunkworks team which was established in 2020 to help accelerate vehicle development in an attempt to compete with more agile startups in the electric-vehicle race. The responsibilities for Artemis were scaled back considerably in June, but at least one of the vehicles it was developing is due in 2025.

The vehicle, which will reportedly spawn similar models for Bentley and Porsche, is expected to be a sedan-like offering similar in size to the A7 Sportback, and that’s somewhat reflected in the teaser of the Grand Sphere. A preview in the form of a concept is expected this year, so perhaps it will be the reveal of the Grand Sphere. A possible date is during the new mobility show taking place in Munich, Germany, in September, and don’t be surprised if the car is carrying an A9 badge.

Audi has ambitious plans for EVs. The automaker has already launched the E-Tron, E-Tron GT and Q4 E-Tron, and will soon Audi the Q6 E-Tron and A6 E-Tron. The automaker also announced in June that it will launch its final car equipped with an internal-combustion engine as early as 2026. This means you can expect most models in the Audi lineup to switch to electric power as they are redesigned. Stay tuned.

Source

The 2022 Cadillac CT4-V is about to land in showrooms, and it’s bringing with it the highest downforce of any V-series model thus far.

When it goes on sale this summer as the replacement for the Cadillac ATS-V, the CT4-V Blackwing will be available with two aero packages, both of which were developed using a new five-belt rolling-road wind tunnel at the General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Michigan. This setup allowed for more time to fine-tune components, and better simulates under-body airflow than previous wind tunnels, according to Cadillac.

Engineers also used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis, and even used virtual-reality headsets to spot areas where aerodynamic efficiency could be improved.

The basic aero setup includes a front underwing with air strakes, which Cadillac said was inspired by its DPi-V.R IMSA Daytona Prototype International race car. It not only creates downforce, but also directs cooling air to components that need it.

2022 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing aerodynamics

Other elements include a rear spoiler (with a three-millimeter Gurney flap), 3D-printed brake-cooling ducts, a front splitter, flat underbody, and rear control-arm covers, to prevent air from building up in the rear wheel wells. Even the grille mesh was designed for optimized airflow, according to Cadillac.

In addition to those items, an optional Carbon Fiber Package adds front dive planes, underwing strakes, front wheel deflectors, and a more aggressive front splitter and rear spoiler. A second Carbon Fiber Package adds rocker extensions (which help reduce lift and provide high-speed balance, per Cadillac) and a rear-valance diffuser.

Pushing the CT4-V Blackwing through the wind is the 3.6-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 from the ATS-V. Horsepower increases from 464 to 472 hp, while torque remains unchanged at 445 lb-ft. Cadillac quotes a 0-60 mph time of 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 189 mph.

Cadillac opened reservations for the CT4-V Blackwing (and larger CT5-V Blackwing) in February, and the initial allotment quickly sold out. However, a limited number of vehicles are still available to order, Cadillac said, with deliveries scheduled to begin this summer. Pricing starts at $59,990, including destination.

Source