Cadillac revealed one of the ultimate sports sedans to start the month, that being the CT5-V Blackwing F1 Collector Series. Built to celebrate the automaker’s Formula 1 debut in 2026, the F1 Collector Series packs more power and even hotter looks than the normal CT5-V Blackwing. What we didn’t know until now was how much it would cost, especially since it’s limited to just 26 units. Well, that all-important figure has been shared by GM Authority, and it’s a jaw-dropping $260,000 before destination. That makes it more expensive than any other new Cadillac besides the Celestiq.

Related: Cadillac Quietly Made the F1 Blackwing More Powerful Than Before

Regular CT5-V Blackwing Looks Like a Bargain

The standard CT5-V Blackwing starts at $98,900 in manual guise, making the F1 Collector Series roughly 163% more expensive. While Cadillac hasn’t officially announced the $260k price tag yet, GM Authority didn’t announce it speculatively, so it’s safe to assume this is the correct figure.

At $260k, the Cadillac sedan is more expensive than everything in this special group of sports cars and ultra-luxury sedans: Porsche 911 GT3, Bentley Flying Spur, the V12-powered Mercedes-Maybach S680, and the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X. Looked at another way, you could buy two BMW M5s for less than one of these Caddy Blackwings.

We’ve seen this recipe before, which entails releasing a special-edition model with beefed-up looks, a bump up in power, a limited production run—and a drastically inflated price. BMW charged about 40% more for the M3 CSL back in 2003, although many would argue the elevated driving experience made it worthwhile. Late last year, Porsche unveiled the 911 GT3 90 F.A. Porsche, priced at $387,000, about 64% more than the GT3 upon which it’s based.

Related: Inside the Factory Where Cadillac Builds the Last Manual V8 Sport Sedan

Is The CT5-V Blackwing F1 Collector Series Worth It?

For the well-heeled collector, this Cadillac sedan is worth every penny. But looking at the raw numbers and the scope of the upgrades, it’s impossible to make a rational case for it over the regular Blackwing model. Both use a 6.2-liter supercharged V8, with the F1 model producing 685 horsepower and 673 lb-ft of torque. Those numbers make it the most powerful Blackwing ever, but it’s not far ahead of the normal version’s 668 hp/659 lb-ft.

A six-speed manual is the exclusive transmission choice for the F1 model, which also gets the following enhancements:

• Upgraded supercharger
• CNC-machined supercharger cover
• Endorsed F1 and FIA logos throughout
• Carbon Flash wheels
• Lower carbon-fiber bodywork
• Gloss Black exterior badging and monochrome Cadillac crests

Most of these changes are purely cosmetic, and while the sedan looks fantastic, these extras aren’t worth a 163% price jump. You can spec the normal Blackwing with the Deep Ocean Appearance Pack, Precision Pack (including carbon ceramic brakes) and Super Cruise, all for $100,000 less.

Of course, none of the 26 buyers of the F1 Collector Series will care. It’s a deeply satisfying sports sedan and the most potent Blackwing ever, but also one with unmatched exclusivity. In the years ahead, it has every chance of appreciating in value, especially since larger-capacity V8s may not be around forever.

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Tesla has opened two new Suerpcharger stations in Australia, just weeks after hitting the milestone of opening its 150th Supercharger site in the country, and is also offering some staggering low charging prices.

The two new sites are at Braybrook in Victoria and Osborne Park in Western Australia, and include off-peak pricing pitched at record lows, just as drivers of petrol and diesel cars continue to deal with a surge in bowser prices as a result of the war in the Gulf.

The Driven last week reported on the cost advantages of driving an EV over an ICE (internal combustion engine) car, which are being highlighted in a new website with updates on a daily basis.

See our story: How far will $1 get you in a diesel car and an EV, and which cars are cheapest to drive?

The new Tesla Supercharger site at Osborne Park features 8-stalls and is open to both Tesla and non-Tesla vehicles, and includes – for the first time in W.A. – the company’s V4 superchargers with speeds of up to 322 kW.

Pricing for Tesla vehicles is as low as $0.32 per kWh, while non-Tesla vehicles can pay as little as $0.45 at times if charging without a Tesla Supercharger membership.

The other site is located in Melbourne’s inner western suburb of Braybrook with 4 stalls. Each of these is rated at 250 kW.

Incredibly, the pricing before 8am is just $0.27 per kWh for Tesla EVs, while non-Tesla vehicles pay $0.37. That’s cheaper than many AC chargers, let alone high speed reliable DC fast charging.

It’s also certainly cheaper than fuel for ICE vehicles in the current price cycle.

These two sites bring the total Tesla sites to 152 and comes in under two years after the 100th site opened in South Australia in September 2024.

Latest data compiled by carloop also shows the growth in our local Supercharger network, which now stands at 1,001 Supercharger bays.

Over the last 16 months, the number of Tesla Superchargers has grown by over 40%, making more reliable charging available across many parts of the country.

The most recent surge in sites have been focused in NSW, partially driven by co-funding of EV charging by the state government, so it’s good to see Tesla opening sites in other parts of the country too.

The latest sites are part of the significant global growth and also come just weeks after the company announced that it had hit its 80,000th supercharger, in France.

The recent surge in adoption and EV interest will also provide extra confidence to charge point operators to continue to grow infrastructure, which some saw being tested during parts of the Easter break.

With prices of Tesla’s DC chargers being as low as they are at times of the day, it’ll surely drive utilisation across its network in months to come.

Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.

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Tesla has been a pivotal part of changing the perception of EVs by getting millions of zero-emission vehicles on the roads. 

The Tesla Semi is one of these less-discussed vehicle programs from the brand, but it promises to do much the same in the world of transport logistics and long-distance trucking.

Now, footage of the new Tesla Semi being tested has been made public. The latest video was showcased by Jay Leno on his unique vehicle-focused YouTube channel, highlighting key upgraded features of the Semi that had previously been under wraps.

In the video, which is over 47 minutes long, Leno is shown the progress of the Semi program and how well Tesla’s electric trucks are performing.

Dan Priestley, Tesla’s Semi program lead, shared that the truck now uses a 48 V architecture and delivers a fully electric steering system. Previous versions of the Semi used a hydraulic system.

According to the company, the Semi is also much cheaper to run than equivalent Diesel trucks. Data shared shows that it is 50% cheaper to run in California than diesel semi trucks.

Leno also got behind the wheel of the truck and compared the key differences between normal diesel trucks and electric trucks. The Tesla Semi’s ride was smooth, efficient, and quite comfortable.

Tesla Semi first began deliveries as part of a trial with a large food and beverage company, PepsiCo, back in late 2022.

After taking delivery of the Tesla Semi, PepsiCo announced in 2024 that it had ordered additional units, doubling its fleet to 50 electric trucks operating out of its manufacturing and distribution facility in California.

In recent months, Tesla unveiled an updated design of the Semi with several key upgrades. This included improved range and charging specifications.

For charging, 1.2 MW ultra-fast charging will be available to logistics operators, and the Semi will be able to use Tesla’s supercharging hardware to achieve those speeds.

In recent months, there has been news of the first Megachargers coming online, paving the path for dozens of sites in the coming months.

The updated Semi also has improved aerodynamics for better efficiency and increased payload capacity, along with updates to its charging capabilities.

This has now allowed the truck to deliver over 800 km of range with an 800 kW drivetrain and energy consumption as low as 1.06 kWh/km.

Earlier this month, it was reported that mass production of the Tesla Semi at the company’s currently being constructed factory in Nevada was expected to begin soon.

With Tesla Semi’s production around the corner and diesel prices remaining high, many freight and logistics companies may consider adding electric trucks to their fleets. 

The new Semi appears to have made big upgrades, as seen in Jay Leno’s video, which would save fleet operators huge amounts of money during operations. That’s something many fleet operators would not argue with.

Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.

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Kelley Blue Book has helped people understand car values and make informed decisions for a century. As we look back at KBB’s history, one of the things that has changed the most is the cost of buying and owning a vehicle. We’re not just talking about the purchase price. There are many factors that shape the cost of owning a car in 2026, so let’s get rolling and see how the impact on your wallet has changed over the years.

What Did a New Car Cost 100 Years Ago?

While we’re here to discuss annual ownership costs over the years, the available data is limited before the 1970s. That said, we do have very detailed pricing guides and manuals from the mid-1920s. In 1928, Chevrolet listed the Touring car at $525, or around $9,870 today, according to the inflation calculator from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). A Chevy Imperial Landau was $745, or $14,006 today. Those numbers seriously undercut new-car prices today, but fuel was pricier. According to Energy.gov, the average retail price of gasoline was $0.21 in 1929 — or $3.98 per gallon in today’s dollars. The average price in 2025? $3.10 per gallon.

What Does It Actually Cost to Own a Car?

The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) has collected average vehicle ownership costs over the last 50 years. Its data assumes an average of 15,000 miles driven per year, and the numbers include fixed and variable costs.

In January 2026 dollars, people in 1975 spent an average of $2,154 to own and drive a vehicle. By 2024, the cost had ballooned to $12,296, but it’s important to note that USDOT changed its data collection practices in 2004 to include maintenance, tires, and other costs. That can cloud the comparison a bit, but the reality is that owning a car today is vastly more expensive than it was just a few decades ago.

Why Are Car Ownership Costs So High Today?

It’s easy to point the finger at fuel costs, but, as we noted earlier, gas was pricier almost 100 years ago. Here are some of the reasons car ownership is so expensive today:

• Modern technology: Repair costs have grown significantly as vehicles pack in more high-tech components. While it’s often covered under insurance, windshield replacement is a great example, as many new models require a specialized technician to recalibrate safety sensors when changing out the glass.
• Insurance: Related to the point above, insurance companies are charging more for coverage due to the higher repair costs.
• Fuel: Yes, fuel has always been expensive, but even with today’s hybrids and fuel-efficient vehicles, the costs add up quickly. EV charging, while cheaper than pumping gas in most cases, can also be pricey.
• Depreciation: Electric vehicles, which are included in the ownership data, depreciate much faster than traditional gas vehicles.
• Regulations: While they are relaxing, fuel economy standards and other regulations have made the average vehicle more expensive.

Car Ownership Costs of the Future

Our crystal ball is in the shop, but the real answer is that it’s nearly impossible to predict the future of car ownership costs. Still, we’ll try.

“If current trends hold, owning a car in 2050 might feel less like buying transportation and more like subscribing to a luxury service, except you can’t cancel,” said Erin Keating, Cox Automotive Executive Analyst. “Our data shows the total cost of private mobility climbing toward 154% of 2018 levels by late 2027, driven by persistent pressure across payments, insurance, and repair costs.” Cox Automotive is the parent company of Kelley Blue Book

But Keating said that we can’t blame it all on the economy.

“It’s not just inflation. It’s that vehicle ownership is fundamentally restructuring around higher baseline costs. Twenty-five years out?” she asked. “Future buyers might look back at 2025 and wonder what it was like when a car payment was still the biggest line item in the mobility budget, not just the buy-in.”

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