Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Cadillac XTS Lighting Reflects Luxury and Inspiration
DETROIT – New techniques in lighting design are adding to the dramatic presence of luxury cars, while also providing real-world functional benefits. The all-new 2013 Cadillac XTS luxury sedan contains more than 20 separate light sources that “greet” the driver in a carefully choreographed sequence when the key fob is pressed.
The new XTS, launching in the second quarter, includes LEDs embedded in the door handles, Cadillac-signature vertical LEDs in the headlights and taillights and ambient lighting in and around the car’s perimeter. In addition to extending the car’s design signature, the lighting provides convenience and helps provide additional security to drivers in parking lots at night.
Cadillac designers took advantage of consistent advances in LED technology to use lighting to convey drama and space alongside functional benefits.
“The new LED offerings now provide a new palette of color to bring more dramatic lighting effects that have never been available before,” said Christos Roustemis, Cadillac interior designer.
On the inside, cooler blue lights accent the car’s controls and instrumentation while warmer lights highlight passenger areas.
“We sketched each phase of the process to carefully choreograph how every important area inside and outside of the vehicle would come up and fade back down, similar to a production crew lighting a theater stage,” Roustemis said.
The palette of colors also needed to harmonize with the interior colors as well as light emanating from the Cadillac User Experience (CUE) main LCD screen and instrument panel. The task was to make the ambient lighting enhance the experience and minimize distraction.
Creation of dramatic effects and pleasing spaces has long been a trademark of lighting design, said Rosemarie Allaire, a California-based architectural lighting designer. She says advances in LED lighting have opened the way to new possibilities in lighting design.
“In cars, just as in architecture, lighting defines how we feel about a space. It is both artistry and user experience,” Allaire said. “For me, the beauty is in the blends, how you layer the affects, mix the light sources, and how you package it into the final product.”
The XTS lighting choreography is timed to the fraction of a second by the car’s central control system, and is cued by various triggers, such as the key fob, the doors and ignition switch. The car’s exterior lighting brightens the perimeter of the car to provide an added level of security and make the car easier to locate.
Cadillac first used a vertical lighting signature as an exterior design theme in 1948. In Cadillac’s Art & Science design language that has defined Cadillac for the last dozen years, designers use thin, vertical LED “light pipes” in both the front and rear corners of the car.
Courtesy of media.gm.com
Monday, February 27, 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Cadillac Most Desired Auto Brand in U.S.
DETROIT – Cadillac is the most-desired automotive brand in the United States by men, according to results of a market research test by a company that studies emotional connections.
The 2012 “Most Desired Brands in the U.S.” survey was conducted by the global strategic neuro-insight firm Buyology Inc and uSamp, which measured personal and emotional connections to 220 well-known brands across 10 industries.
Cadillac saw retail sales growth of 6.8 percent in 2011, led by the CTS family of cars, which were up 19 percent over 2010, and the mid-size luxury SRX crossover, which increased sales by more than 9.6 percent last year.
Cadillac is poised to further extend sales in 2012 with the introduction of the XTS full-size luxury sedan and the ATS compact luxury sedan, which will be released in the spring and summer of 2012 respectively.
Courtesy of media.cadillac. com
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Cadillac’s Top 10 List of Presidential Rides
DETROIT – Throughout history, Cadillac has played a significant role in transporting U.S. presidents in safety and in style. For President’s Day, here are 10 tales of Cadillac and the Commander in Chief.
- President Woodrow Wilson rode in a Series 53, 1916 Cadillac through the streets of Boston during a World War I victory parade in 1919. Cadillac models were used during the war in Europe due to the power and durability of the engines, the first mass-produced V8s.
- A lavish 1928 Cadillac Series 341 town car was used late in the Calvin Coolidge administration. The Series 341 was new for 1928 and featured a 90 horsepower V-8 with a smooth dual plane crankshaft, 3-speed manual transmission and tiltable beam headlamps. Fit for the President of the United States, the 1928 Cadillac embodied master craftsmanship and artistry.
- After the attack on Pearl Harbor, legend has it that President Franklin D. Roosevelt used a heavily armored 1928 Cadillac Town Sedan that was originally owned by gangster Al Capone.
- In 1938, two Cadillac convertibles, dubbed the "Queen Mary" and "Queen Elizabeth," were delivered to the U.S. government. Named after the great ocean liners of the time, the vehicles were 21.5 feet long, weighed 7,660 pounds each and were equipped with a small arsenal, two-way radios and heavy-duty generators. Durable and reliable, the two "Queens" served Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower.
- President Eisenhower, a noted car enthusiast, rode in one of the first Cadillac Eldorado models ever produced during his 1953 inaugural parade. The Eldorado represented a high point in automobile design history, as it had the first wraparound windshield, a feature quickly adopted on other production models.
- In 1956, the Queen Mary II and Queen Elizabeth II convertibles replaced the original series, to serve President Eisenhower, and continuing to serve Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. Both vehicles were retired in 1968.
- The Ronald W. Reagan administration took delivery of a 1983 Cadillac Fleetwood limousine and a Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham. It is often stated that the real Presidential Cadillac Fleetwood limousine was used in the 1993 film In The Line of Fire, starring Clint Eastwood, but in fact it was a carefully constructed replica and not the precise car that the Presidents used in that era. For security reasons, Presidential vehicles are no longer used outside of their official duties.
- The Cadillac that debuted for service during the William J. Clinton administration in 1993 marked a new era. Up to this point, Presidential vehicles typically were production cars modified by limousine companies. The 1993 Presidential Brougham was designed, developed and built by Cadillac in a secure process that continues today, with presidential vehicles built in private to exhaustive specifications.
- The 1983 Cadillac Fleetwood limousine resides at the Ronald W. Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, Calif., while the 1993 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham is at the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Ark.
- Today’s Cadillac Presidential Limousine debuted in front of a massive worldwide audience during President Obama’s inaugural parade on Jan. 20, 2009. Sometimes nicknamed “Cadillac One” after the nomenclature for Presidential aircraft, the current limo incorporates signature design and technical elements from Cadillac production cars but is exclusively built for its mission. The car’s specifications are known only to the small team that designed it. The most visible difference is a more upright stance than predecessors, for improved outward visibility.
Courtesy of media.gm.com
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Cadillac’s Electric Self Starter Turns 100
DETROIT – With the turn of a key or push of a button, starting a car today is taken for granted. But a century ago, the electric starter that debuted in the 1912 Cadillac Touring Edition helped establish Cadillac’s reputation as a test bed of technology and innovation.
Before the electric starter, it took a hand crank, a lot of muscle, and a bit of hope to start driving.
“Hand cranking was the No. 1 injury risk in those early days of the automobile,” said Greg Wallace, director of the General Motors Heritage Center, referring to the kickback on a crank handle that could break an arm, or worse.
As cars grew larger and purposeful, so did the engines and effort required to start them. It was so difficult, in fact, that it gave rise to the term “cranky,” which often described someone’s mood after struggling to start a car.
Cadillac founder Henry M. Leland, who had already pioneered electric lights and electric ignition on his cars, worked closely with Charles F. Kettering, the inventor of the electric starter, to incorporate the device into his cars. The electric starter also was GM’s first electric motor – a core business today anticipating the growth in the electrification of the automobile.
“It was one of the most significant innovations in the history of the automobile,” Wallace said. “It was a complete game changer. Within a few years, Cadillac featured women in their advertising showing them as drivers, instead of passengers or bystanders.”
Before the electric starter, Leland was an expert machinist and precision manufacturer. A few years earlier, he devised component standardization and interchangeable parts. Soon after the electric starter, Cadillac would be the first to introduce the V-8 engine and the synchromesh transmission for easier gear shifting.
Cadillac was also the first car company to offer a fully enclosed car body as standard equipment.
“As a premium brand even in its earliest days, Cadillac positioned itself as a technology and innovation leader as a way to set it apart from the dozens of other auto companies,” Wallace said.
Among the more visible Cadillac innovations beginning in the 1920s were designer bodywork and color lacquer paint. Later, Cadillac would innovate design with sleek, curvaceous body styles and jet-inspired tail fins.
Cadillac introduced the first automatic climate control and heated seats. Twilight Sentinel automatically turned on and off headlamps, and the first tilt-telescoping steering wheel helped drivers feel more comfortable behind the wheel. All were Cadillac firsts.
In more recent years, Cadillac was the platform for many high-tech innovations. It pioneered the air-cushion restraint system 1974 – a precursor to modern air bag systems. In 1996, Cadillac vehicles were the first to include OnStar, the leading on-board security, communication and diagnostic system.
In 1999, Cadillac introduced the first automotive night vision system. Magnetic Ride Control, the world’s fastest-reacting suspension technology, was introduced by Cadillac in 2002. Today Magnetic Ride Control is a crucial element in the performance of Cadillac’s CTS-V and Escalade models, as well as the upcoming XTS and ATS sedans. It’s been adopted by a few other automakers on a handful of elite sports cars.
Cadillac expands significantly in 2012, with new advanced technology elements CUE, a new user experience for in-car connectivity that will be a signature feature of the 2013 XTS and ATS. CUE recently received a Popular Mechanic’s Editors’ Choice Award at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show.
Courtesy of media.gm.com
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Pittsburgh International Auto Show
For more information about this exciting event, click here
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Vehicle Profile: The 2012 Cadillac CTS-V Wagon
The Cadillac CTS-V Luxury Sport Wagon is a car that nobody expected to make production, and yet it delights everyone by being available today on the showroom floor. “Everyone,” naturally means enthusiasts for whom a “station wagon” packing a supercharged 556-hp V8, a Tremec 6060 six-speed manual transmission or Hydra-Matic 6L90 six-speed automatic, and Cadillac Magnetic Ride, the world’s fastest-reacting suspension technology, is a wheeled grail. This is the most powerful production vehicle Cadillac has ever built, and the reason people are so pleased with the CTS-V Wagon (MSRP $64,515) is that they don’t have to compromise between utility and performance; this car has both. The exterior is possibly the most distinctive Cadillac model, taking the crisp-edged design theme and applying it to a two-box wagon form. The distinctive Cadillac grille is larger to feed air to the cooling system and engine intake. The hood has a raised area to make room for the supercharger lying beneath, and the CTS-V Wagon carries unique front and rear fascias and 19-inch wheels. The exclusively trimmed interior of the CTS-V features standard performance seats with perforated microfiber upholstery to hold you in place when exercising the high-performance chassis. Optional Recaro performance seats are even more supportive with 14-way power adjustment. LED lighting and cut-and-sewn accents are touches that play to the luxury side of the CTS-V Wagon’s character, and other niceties include a Bose® 5.1 Cabin Surround audio system with 10 speakers, standard dual-zone climate control, remote start, rear-view camera system and keyless entry and starting. A thick steering wheel is a performance touch, along with gauges that include easy-to-read indications and an LED “tracer” in the tachometer that blinks when the engine speed approaches redline. There’s a boost gauge and lateral acceleration readout incorporated into the instrument cluster as well. Suede covering for the steering wheel and shifter are available to keep your hands dry when wringing out this formidable machine. The chassis features an independent short/long arm (SLA) front suspension rendered in low-weight aluminum. The rear axle is a multi-link design attached to the rigid body structure by a rubber-isolated subframe to enhance refinement by reducing noise and vibration being transmitted to the cabin. The power is put down by a limited-slip differential with a 3.73:1 ratio for manual transmission models and 3.23:1 for automatics. The Magnetic Ride Control system gives the CTS-V the ability to perform to its fullest without pounding occupants into powder. Electronic sensors are fitted to all four wheels, reading road conditions back to a central computer that adjusts the damping in real-time response to conditions. Brembo brakes employ six-piston front calipers and four-piston rears to clamp large, vented brake rotors. The brake rotors are constructed with “dual-cast” technology that uses iron for friction surfaces and aluminum for the hubs to deliver superior performance while saving weight. At the business end of all the power and handling are Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tires engineered exclusively for the CTS-V wagon. These are supercar tires, and the numbers the CTS-V Wagon can put up are deserving of that moniker. Practically, the CTS-V Wagon is still a member of the CTS family. That means an easily maneuvered size that has comfortable space without being too big to fit in a garage or parking spot. The cargo area of the wagon almost doubles the cargo capacity of the sedan, providing 25 cubic feet behind the rear seats. When the seats are folded, there’s 53.4 cubic feet of room that you can fill with items to haul around rapidly. The CTS-V Wagon is the most unique automobile available on the market today. It has a lot of utterly practical interior space and it’s easy to drive, yet it’s also a formidable opponent for any other ultra-performance car. The most amazing thing is the way the CTS-V Wagon straddles both of those disciplines without doing anything to turn anyone off. It’s a civilized barbarian that will carry your bags. Who doesn’t want a companion like that? Courtesy of IMakeNews, Inc. and its suppliers
Monday, February 13, 2012
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Friday, February 10, 2012
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Cadillac ATS ‘Green Hell’ commercial is most-viewed ad in U.S. history
The previous record for the largest audience viewing a single commercial was General Motors’ ‘Miss Evelyn,’ a spot for the Chevrolet Camaro in Super Bowl XLV last year. This year, GM once again took the title with Cadillac’s 30-second preview of the upcoming 2013 ATS sport sedan during Super Bowl XLVI.
The commercial, titled ‘Green Hell,’ was the most-viewed single advertising spot in U.S. television history, according to a study released Tuesday.
”We have a big message this year – Cadillac is expanding with new models challenging the world’s best luxury cars. This stunning viewership data proves that Cadillac’s big message reached the largest audience,” said General Motors Global Chief Marketing Officer Joel Ewanick. “When it comes to Super Bowl ads, everyone has opinions on their favorites. But it’s a fact that this Cadillac spot had the biggest audience during the game.”
“Kantar Media’s Super Bowl audience study found that the Cadillac spot reached an audience rating of 43.5, highest among all advertising spots shown during the NBC-TV telecast,” GM said in statement.
Courtesy of egmcartech.com
Cadillac ATS ‘Green Hell’ commercial is most-viewed ad in U.S. history
The previous record for the largest audience viewing a single commercial was General Motors’ ‘Miss Evelyn,’ a spot for the Chevrolet Camaro in Super Bowl XLV last year. This year, GM once again took the title with Cadillac’s 30-second preview of the upcoming 2013 ATS sport sedan during Super Bowl XLVI.
The commercial, titled ‘Green Hell,’ was the most-viewed single advertising spot in U.S. television history, according to a study released Tuesday.
”We have a big message this year – Cadillac is expanding with new models challenging the world’s best luxury cars. This stunning viewership data proves that Cadillac’s big message reached the largest audience,” said General Motors Global Chief Marketing Officer Joel Ewanick. “When it comes to Super Bowl ads, everyone has opinions on their favorites. But it’s a fact that this Cadillac spot had the biggest audience during the game.”
“Kantar Media’s Super Bowl audience study found that the Cadillac spot reached an audience rating of 43.5, highest among all advertising spots shown during the NBC-TV telecast,” GM said in statement.
Courtesy of egmcartech.com
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
2012 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe - 1.9% APR for 36 months
Right now, enjoy 1.9% APR on the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe for 36 months for qualified buyers. Visit Rohrich Cadillac for full details.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Thursday, February 2, 2012
2013 Cadillac XTS to be launched in February
The new 2013 XTS limousine made its official debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show, in 2011, after its concept was shown in the previous year at NAIAS and now the model is close to its launch. According to the North American based automaker, the 2013 Cadillac XTS will be offered as a limousine and it will replace the company’s DTS-based limos for livery duty. With its dynamic exterior design, the new model will promote a fresh and more youthful appearance to its future customers.
“This new vehicle will help dispel some of the myths out there about Cadillac. The XTS will further that with outstanding ride characteristics”, said the Cadillac Professional Vehicles Program Manager, Ray Bush, in a statement.
Under the hood, the 2013 Cadillac XTS will be available at first with only one engine, the 3.6 liter V6 unit, which is generating a total output of 300 horsepower and it has a peak torque of 264 lb-ft, with customers being able to choose from either front-wheel or all-wheel drive configurations. The average fuel consumption is 17/28 mpg city/highway for the front-wheel drive and 17/27 for the all-wheel drive model.
The 2013 Cadillac XTS will come with a six-speed automatic transmission, Brembo brakes, GM Magnetic Ride Control Adaptive Suspension and performance struts. The CUE infotainment system which is the first fully capacitive touch-screen in the auto industry to incorporate proximity sensing and the first one to adopt multi-touch gestures like those used with tablets and smartphones will also be available.
Courtesy of inautonews.com
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
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