BACK TO IN THE KNOW

Most Anticipated Vehicles of 2022

01 18, 2022

2022 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 

With good reason, this eighth-generation supercar at a sports car price is on everyone’s Top 10 List for 2022. Power, performance, styling, and panache make it the best performance bargain bar none in 2022. If speed is your thing, there is nothing short of a six-digit exotic faster or gets around a challenging track as quick as the Stingray, including the vaunted Porsche Boxter and Cayman.  

Available as a convertible or Targa and equipped with a 490- or 495-hp 6.2-liter V-8; 8-speed dual-clutch automatic, this Vette is quick (0 to 60 in 2.8 seconds) with a top speed of 184 mph. Straight-line speed is not its only talent. Thanks to sharp steering and its mid-mounted engine, you can slice and dice curves at 1.03-g. 

Cadillac CTV-5 Blackring

How anticipated was the 2022 Cadillac CTV5 Blackwing? Well, the market so anticipated the sports sedan that it sold out before the first one hit a dealer’s showroom. Built on General Motors’ Alpha architecture (same as Camaro ZL1 1LE) and sporting over two tons of sophisticated design, engineering, technology, brutal acceleration, and luxury, the CTV5 Blackwing is Cadillac’s ultimate sports sedan.  

At the heart of the excitement is a 668-hp supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 engine paired with a 6-speed manual or 10-speed automatic that takes the beast to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. Powerful and perfectly balanced, the CTV5 delivers ride and steering characteristics that make the BMW M5 and Audi S7 look like garbage scows cruising the Hudson. Don’t mistake the CTV5 Blackwing as just a sportier version of the CTV5. This ride is Cadillac’s certifiable all-out hyper-performance sports sedan.

Subaru BRZ

For sports car enthusiasts who want to spend $35,000 to $45,000 less than a Corvette or Blackwing, there is the spunky 2022 Subaru BRZ. It is not a new entry to the sports car field, but the 2022 version is sure to top anyone’s “most improved” list. At the top of the list of improvements is a bigger, more meaty, 228-hp 2.4-liter flat-4 with a 6-speed manual or (blasphemy) 6-speed automatic. It still doesn’t reach peak horsepower until 7,000 rpm, but it has a bunch more umph on the way getting there.  

Next up is an incredible new feeling of solid ride thanks to design changes that increased vehicle rigidity by 50%, an unusual accomplishment in as small and light a vehicle as to the BRZ. Combined, these changes create a pure sports car driving experience allowing you to snick through the six speeds and point the nose into a curve knowing the well-balanced rear-wheel drive will hold the line at speed.

Porsche 718 Boxster/Cayman

The Porsche 718 line is about speed, performance, and inspiring driver confidence. Those qualities are delivered through two models, the Cayman sports coupe and the drop-top (apparently ragtop is too crude a description) Boxster. Both look like they are doing their top speed (182 mph), standing still. These oh-so-sexy and expensive speed demons get their superpowers from a selection of three powerplants, including a 300-hp turbo 2.0-liter flat-4, 350-hp turbo 2.5-liter flat-4, or 394-hp 4.0-liter flat-6, all paired with a 6-speed manual or 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. They fly with a 0 to 60 time of 3.4 seconds. 

But it is more than the speed that delivers the magic of the Porsche 718. Incredible electrically-assisted power steering tells your hands precisely what the front tires are feeling; all cornering can be done at 1.0-g or better. The brakes feel firm underfoot, yet the ride is comfortable enough to encourage a long road trip. In short, the 2022 Porsche 718 makes performance driving easy, fun, and confidence-building, giving you an overall good feeling. 


Ford F-150 Lightning 

The Ford F 150 has been the best-selling vehicle in America for 45 years. However, we included the 2022 F 150 Lightning in the most anticipated list because, despite very little information about this brand new model being made public, they have sold out several months before dealers will receive the first vehicles. Why? Well, this Ford pickup truck is an EV. That’s right, an all-electric pickup truck that flies in the face of pickup culture for many. 

It shouldn’t be a total surprise. Battery-powered rides are the future. In 2022 there are over a dozen new EVs that are drawing attention. However, it is not uncommon for manufacturers to hold back specifics when launching a new EV. So far, Ford has only confirmed that the Lightning will offer two lithium-ion batteries: a 98.0-kWh Standard Range pack and a 131.0-kWh Extended Range pack. Ford says it is targeting a range of 300 miles and is equipping the trucks with over-the-air software updates that will allow your truck to evolve as tweaks are made. Fasten your seat belts. 

COMPARE PRODUCTS
COMPARE PRODUCTS