The window for delivery of the parts needed to complete the repairs of the Z06 begins today. The sooner, the better as the future beckons.
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For all I know, this could be the only installment of If I Had To…It is not easy for me to write about vehicles in which I have little interest. It is also possible that today’s post will not be well received or widely read.
OK, if I HAD to buy a four-door car which ones would I consider. I think that virtually all four-door vehicles look like boxes, devoid of interesting shapes. I spent some time thinking about these cars and only came up with three, one of which I have only seen at car events. In order of least expensive to most expensive:
This is a 2022 Kia Stinger GT2. On an episode of Everyday Driver Todd Deeken and Paul Schmucker drove and compared a Stinger GT2 to a BMW 430i Gran Coupe. No contest, right? Even the man who loves Porsche and BMW, Paul, preferred the Kia to the BMW. (Todd did as well.)
Both said the Kia had better performance AND a better ride than the BMW. The Kia Stinger is one of the great unknown cars, in my opinion. The subhead for this Motor Trend article about the Stinger reads, “America is missing out on this criminally overlooked sedan.” I believe that 2022 is the last model year the car will be produced and it will have died from badge snobbery. (The Genesis G70 is basically a Kia Stinger with three inches taken out of the chassis, meaning a less comfortable rear seat, and a little more luxurious interior.)
The GT2 is powered by a 3.3 liter (about 200 cubic inches), twin-turbo V6 that produces 368 HP and 376 LB-FT of torque. I’ve seen a 4.6 second 0-60 time associated with the car, but the time usually shown is 5.1 seconds. Either way, that’s quick for a car that seats five and has a rear hatch that allows much cargo to be hauled. The base MSRP for this car is about $51,000. That’s about the same as a Toyota Sequoia. Uh, which one would you rather drive?
The next car makes the list basically because I have been a fan of the make since I was very young.
This is a 2022 Maserati Ghibli in Trofeo spec. The article in which this picture appeared recommended the Modena version, however. What’s the difference? About 156 HP, the Modena has 424 HP (the base Ghibli has 345) while the Trofeo has 580. Do you need 580 HP in a four-door car? The Ghibli Modena engine makes 428 LB-FT of torque, which helps push the car from 0-60 in 4.9 seconds.
Like the Stinger, the Ghibli will soon be out of production. Maserati has realized that having two very similar four-door sedans in its lineup was not a good idea and will only be manufacturing one. Now part of the large Stellantis company, Maserati’s future is cloudy, in general.
I have test driven a Ghibli (a base model from 2020) and was impressed. The engine sound was awesome, the car handled and braked well and it was very comfortable. One feature I particularly liked was that the rear seats sit a little higher than the fronts, giving rear passengers a good view. The base MSRP for a Ghibli in Modena spec is about $81,000.
Here is the most expensive car of the bunch:
This is a 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing. For about $90,000 you get a car that can accelerate from 0-60 in 3.4 seconds because it’s powered by a slightly tweaked version of the same engine found in the C7 Corvette Z06, the LT4. In the Blackwing, the engine produces 668 HP/659 LB-FT of torque. OK, in the context of the Ghibli Trofeo I asked if you needed 580 HP in a four-door car. No, you need 668. 🙂
All publications that I’ve read praise the CT5-V Blackwing for its combination of styling, acceleration and handling. Sadly, this and its sibling, the CT4-V Blackwing, will be the last gasoline-powered V cars Cadillac will ever produce. Supposedly, the make’s entire lineup will be either pure electric or hybrid by 2025.
Please share your opinions about this post. Also, feel free to recommend four-door cars (no SUVs or pickup trucks) of your choice.
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Disaffected Musings 
I think is amazing how General Motors has been tirelessly trying to promote its premium brand, Cadillac. The company is really serious about giving the Cadillac cars the desired recipe of luxury and performance. They even have a Cadillac race team competing in the IMSA series for such a long time now, trying to convince the customers the brand is no longer a “grampamobile”. I admire the noble GM’s effort but I am not sure if it is working. Here in Toronto, my rich neighbors don’t even know the Cadillac brand exists; they are all for German cars, and occasionally a Volvo… or a Lexus.
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Thanks again for commenting. Yes, I think the Cadillac make may be doomed, which would be sad for many of us who are car enthusiasts, but–once again–the only constant in the world is change.
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“Do you need 580 HP in a four-door car? ”
Certainly not. You only NEED around 80-100 horsepower for most users. Do you WANT 580 horsepower, or more? Most certainly you do. I, for one, love me a “Q” ship. A guy I know casually has an early 70’s “crew cab” Pontiac Lemans with a late model LS swap. To look at it you would think he inherited it from his granny and it MIGHT have a small V-8. The only giveaway, IF you are paying attention, is wider steel wheels that still wear factory wheel covers. In a conversation with him, he mentioned 1/4 mile times of right close to 11 seconds, IIRC. I had thought about working on the HP of my “short bus”, mini van. Research has shown that a weak link is the transmission and as a front wheel drive, replacement options are limited to nothing. Perhaps I could convert to rear wheel drive and stuff in a big ole engine, but it would be far better to start with one that was already rear wheel drive. As this one sits, it’s a handy parts chaser with the seats pulled out. And I still let friends and employees use it if they are having vehicle issues. Of the 22K miles that have been added since I acquired it about 20 months ago, I might have put 8K on it. I should maybe have charged rent, supplement my income. 🙂
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Of course, a life spent only doing the things one needs to do is an unfulfilled life.
DDM, do you have any suggestions for interesting two-door cars I could buy as a replacement for the Z06? Remember, I have a short garage and would want the vehicle to have at least some factory warranty remaining.
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That’s a tough one. Beyond “pony” cars, compact “hot hatches” and high end European and Japanese cars, most manufacturers have abandoned 2 door mid/full size models in favor of some type of CUV. Given your recent experience with the ATS, I’m not sure if that left a bad taste in your mouth for the brand. Cadillac is pretty much it for large coupes from a domestic manufacturer, and they, like Buick, are transitioning to EV only in the next few years. A new contender has come out from Nissan, the new Z car. I do like the looks far more than the 350/370 Z cars, due to styling cues dating back to the original Fairlady /240Z. With 400 horsepower, same drive train as an Infinity Q60, it could be fun. The Q60 doesn’t do anything looks wise for me, but I’m sure it’s a good car. Same for the offerings from Lexus. I’m sure they’re good vehicles, just not visually appealing to me. Acura only has the NSX as a 2 door, so they have abandoned the segment also. I usually go for visually pleasing vehicles, life’s to short to drive ugly cars. 🙂 My short bus is an exception, but I use it mostly as a truck with a roof over the bed. My hot rod dually is, to me, visually pleasing as a truck, after I finished building it to MY specs.
I’ve no idea if any of the above would fit in your garage space, I guess you would have to carry a tape measure with you to be sure. Happy hunting.
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Thanks again, DDM. I do like the new Nissan Z car, but they are very scarce on the ground and the dealer markups are obscene.
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