What happens when an automaker puts a 472-horsepower twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V6 into a subcompact sedan? That’s what America on the Road Co-Host Chris Teague got to discover as he road-tested the 2023 Cadillac CT-4 V Blackwing this week. While the rear-drive rocket is not necessarily suited to battle the rigors of a harsh Maine winter, those are the conditions that the feisty Caddy found itself in. With magnetic ride control, competition-tuned suspension, and Brembo brakes, the CT-4 V Blackwing might seem better suited to a pristine race track than snow-covered rural lanes, but we’ll get a full report from Chris Teague.

Meanwhile, across the country in Southern California, Host Jack Nerad had the pleasant task of driving and reviewing the most recent Mazda MX-5 Miata, a Club RF with the Brembo Recaro package. The Miata is one of those cars that has taken on a life of its own. But is a two-seat sports car like the Miata still relevant in a market that is turning its head toward battery-electric drive? We’ll give your our opinions in this episode.

Our guest this week is auto expert Matt DeLorenzo, the author of the new book How To Buy an Affordable Electric Car: A Tightwad’s Guide to EV Ownership and a longtime industry observer. He and Jack Nerad will discuss the new vehicles just unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show and assess their implications for the industry going forward.

In the news, a just-released study shows that the move to vehicle electrification faces more hurdles than many imagine. We’ll have the details on what the study found coming up later in this segment. And in a related story, it appears the predicted transition to EVs now hinges on made-in-America batteries and on raw materials mined and processed in America. But there’s a big hitch in that scenario, and we’ll tell you what that is coming up.

Also in the news, Elon Musk and Tesla got good news in the resolution of one court case this week. And then he and his company got more good news from the U.S. Treasury Department. We’ll have the details for you on that and so much more in this episode of “America on the Road.”

Host Jack R. Nerad's latest book, Dance in the Dark, is a crime thriller now available in Kindle and paperback from Amazon.