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Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Monday, October 29, 2012
Friday, October 26, 2012
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Hennessey Cadillac CTS-V Hits 220.5 MPH, Named Fastest In World
There's a new toll road in Texas called SH130, and a segment of it just opened with an 85 mph speed limit. Apparently, Hennessey doesn't care much about limits.
The Hennessey VR1200 twin-turbo Cadillac CTS-V Coupe is another example of the company not really caring about limits. It generates 1,226 horsepower (1,066 at the rear wheels) and 1,109 pound-feet of torque (964 at the wheels). That makes it good for 0-60 times of 2.9 seconds, quarter-mile ETs at 10.2 and 141 mph, and a top speed
On Texas SH130, the VR1200 CTS-V Coupe didn't hit top speed, but it did speed its way into the record books, becoming the fastest CTS-V in the world when it hit 220.5 mph during a test of the TxTag toll system in cooperation with the Texas State Police.
Courtesy of motorauthority.com
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
2014 Cadillac Escalade on the prowl
Spy photographers have nabbed our first look at the 2014 Cadillac Escalade. The luxury SUV is set to ride on the new GMT900 truck platform will underpin next-generation General Motors workhorses like the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. While the machines in these photos are heavily camouflaged, we can see the truck will bow with front fascia akin to what we've seen from both the Cadillac XTS and ATS, albeit on a much larger scale. LED accent lighting stretches from each headlamp all the way down to the lower bumper, and a massive, tight-mesh grille looks to be part of the package as well.
Under the hood, the Cadillac Escalade will continue to offer buyers a V8 option, though word has it the company's engineers may also be hard at work on new twin-turbo V6 based on the current 3.6-liter unit. A next-generation CTS with that same mill has already been spotted in development.
Meanwhile, the interior will enjoy the addition of the Cadillac CUE infotainment system as well as a full aesthetic update.
Courtesy of autoblog.com
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Cadillac ELR to be Built at Detroit-Hamtramck
DETROIT – Preparations will soon be under way at the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant to build the Cadillac ELR, a luxury coupe featuring extended-range electric technology, General Motors North America President Mark Reuss said Tuesday.
“The ELR will be in a class by itself, further proof of our commitment to electric vehicles and advanced technology,” Reuss said in a keynote address at the SAE Convergence Conference in Detroit. “People will instantly recognize it as a Cadillac by its distinctive, signature look and true-to-concept exterior design.”
Production is scheduled to begin in late 2013.
The addition of the ELR to Detroit-Hamtramck represents a $35 million investment and increases total product investment to $561 million since December 2009. It is the first two-door car built at the plant since the 1999 Cadillac Eldorado.
“This investment reflects the corporation’s confidence that the highly skilled members of UAW Local 22 can successfully build one of the most technologically advanced vehicles in the world,” said UAW Vice President Joe Ashton, who directs the union's GM Department. “The hard work and dedication of our members demonstrates that we can competitively manufacture products for the future right here in Detroit.”
The ELR is the production version of Cadillac’s Converj, a concept vehicle revealed at the North American International Auto Show in 2009. The ELR will advance the design theme of the Converj while featuring an electric propulsion system made up of a T-shaped lithium-ion battery, an electric drive unit, and a four-cylinder engine-generator. It will use electricity as its primary power source to drive the car without using gasoline or producing tailpipe emissions. When the battery’s energy is low, the ELR seamlessly switches to a gasoline-powered electric generator to allow hundreds of additional driving miles. The lithium-ion battery will be built at GM’s Brownstown Battery Assembly plant in Brownstown, Mich.
Detroit-Hamtramck is the only U.S. automotive manufacturing plant that mass produces extended-range electric vehicles. The plant is home to the Chevrolet Volt, Opel Ampera, and Holden Volt extended-range electric vehicles. Extended-range electric vehicles are exported to 21 countries from the plant.
Courtesy of media.gm.com
Monday, October 15, 2012
Friday, October 12, 2012
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Luxury Meets Technology: 2013 Cadillac XTS
Cadillac's transformation continues. Gone from the lineup is the DTS, and with it the last of the company's former generation of full-size luxury sedans. Assuming the flagship role is the XTS. The styling of the four-door sedan shows another variation of Cadillac's "Arts and Science" design language.
Though more toned down than some of the new generation Cadillacs (like the CTS), the razor cut edges, bold grille and big (19-, 20-inch) rims put a modern, Cadillac stamp on the XTS. One hallmark of a good design is that it can make a large car seem smaller than it is. That's true here: The XTS is sneaky big, though it's still half a foot shorter than the DTS was.
XTS is offered in Base, Luxury, Premium and Platinum trim levels, with prices starting at an MSRP of $44,075. Front-whee-drive is standard, with all-wheel-drive available on all but Base cars. My test drive was split between two AWD models; one in Platinum trim, and the other Premium.
The sole powertrain pairing for XTS links a 3.6-liter V-6 with a six-speed automatic transmission. The LFX engine is rated at 304 h.p. and 264 lb. ft. of torque. That's translates to a 0-60 time in the high six second range, and in practice, it's ample power for your driving needs. Really, the only surprise about the powertrain has to do not with what's here, but rather with what's not.
The luxury class is about surplus; giving you more than you need (but might possibly want). The option sheets on many premium cars include multiple engines, at least one of which typically provides more power than you'll ever find a use for. Not here, at least not yet. That said, the sole six is smooth and competent, and it also returns some respectable numbers for fuel economy. Interestingly, the choice of FWD or AWD has little impact on your MPG's. The EPA estimates that the XTS will return 17 miles per gallon city, 28 highway (FWD); 17/26 for AWD models.
The car's interior is impressively large and comfortable. Six-footers fit easily in either row. The look and feel of the cabin are in line with expectations for a fine car. Materials look rich to the eye and feel substantial to the touch; creature comforts abound. Ambient lighting give the car a cozy, luxury vibe after dark. The layout and format of the digital dash can be selected by the driver. A head's-up display is also part of the equipment list on Premium and Platinum models. The content of the display can be configured to suit the driver's needs.
Cadillac eschews traditional knobs and switches for controlling many functions, in favor of touch-sensitive technologies. You swipe and poke at the 8-inch screen and related access points, using moves that will be familiar to many smart phone or tablet users, and perhaps foreign to some Cadillac shoppers. Addressing both markets, an iPad is included with each new XTS. Preloaded with several, Cadillac apps, it provides new age owners with a gateway for interacting with their new car, as well as some cross-training for less tech-oriented buyers.
A Driver Awareness Package is standard on the top two trim levels. It includes forward collision warning, lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, blind spot alert and Safety Alert Seat. The latter feature is intriguing: the seat cushion vibrates, to warn the driver of potential problems. With all the potential distractions from one's driving that we deal with today – inside and outside the car — any reminders to pay attention are a good thing. The effectiveness of this particular method of notification depends on how willing you are to take advice from the seat of your pants.
Speaking of pants, they have pockets, and when it's time to unload them, the interior has a fair number of spots to park your belongings. Larger items go "trunkward," and while XTS is far from old school, in this regard, it's downright traditional. The XTS trunk measures 18 cubic feet. Vacation sized, it is, with fold down rear seats to accommodate longer items, and an additional small, storage bay hidden beneath the trunk floor.
All XTS models enjoy the benefits of GM's Magnetic Ride Control suspension. Experience in other GM products so equipped has impressed us with the reflexes of this system. Real-time adjustments keep the car's suspension on the same page as its driving conditions. In this application, the emphasis is more on ride comfort than handling, and it's still very effective. The XTS corners competently, and has a firm, yet comfortable ride quality. Cadillac's use of a hydraulic power steering unit in favor of the electromechanical units currently in vogue is surprising, but also welcome. The XTS steering is well-weighted for feel, yet properly boosted for ease.
XTS is slotted, sized and priced about midway between the midsize and full-size premium segments. So, while future product plans from Cadillac may well include a full-size rear drive sedan that would bump XTS from its flagship role, it would slide to a spot still distinct from its premium, midsize competition. For luxury leaning buyers who appreciate comfort and cutting edge electronics, XTS offers real value for the money.
Courtesy of the Times Union
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
2013 CADILLAC ATS 2WD w/Preferred Equipment Group
$329/month 24 month lease. $3,549 due at signing (after all offers).
Tax, title, license, dealer fees and optional equipment extra.
Mileage charge of $0.25 /mile over 20,000 miles.
Get a great deal on the 2013 Cadillac ATS with this special Ultra-Low Mileage Lease. Hurry, this offer won’t last long!
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
2013 SRX Delivers Home Theatre-like Tech
DETROIT – The refreshed 2013 Cadillac SRX will offer an entertainment package featuring a Blu-Ray DVD player that extends Cadillac’s signature CUE system for connectivity to the rear seats along with a redesigned kid-tested gaming-style remote control that allows each of the 8” flip-up rear screens to play unique media.
With CUE, users can pair of up to 10 Bluetooth-enabled devices at once, including mobile phones, SD cards, USBs, and MP3 players. For the first time, rear-seat passengers can connect to and manage their own music players and playlists. A special connector cable sold separately allows watching movies stored in media players.
The addition of Blu-Ray allows families the same video quality on the road as they’re accustomed to at home. Front-seat passengers will be able to watch videos via the 8” touchscreen CUE display on the center-stack while the vehicle is in park. With audio playing throughout the vehicle’s speakers, the SRX becomes a home-theatre on wheels.
A dual-play capability feature allows one user to play a video game on one monitor while another user watches a movie or listens to the radio on the other.
“Having multiple media connectivity options really gives owners flexibility with entertainment, especially families,” said Charlene Goike, rear seat entertainment lead engineer. “One can easily pop in their camera’s SD cards on the way home from their kid’s sports games to let the young ones instantly relive the action.”
The rear-seat entertainment package also gets an all-new cordless remote control, designed for familiarity and ease of use. Shaped like a video game remote control, it mimics the layout of buttons to help young users access their favorite media more easily. A quick-reference sheet will also be provided so users know what each button on the remote will do.
“We actually invited a group of kids to test and interact with the new rear-seat entertainment features,” said Shannon Chiarcos, human factors engineer responsible for gathering consumer feedback on entertainment options in the vehicle. “The data we collected allowed us to go back and make several adjustments to the system, including simplifying the remote control so that kids could use it without the help of an adult.”
The SRX gets a pair of updated wireless headphones designed to fit more comfortably than previous versions as well as the ability to toggle between what is being played on either back-seat monitor. Users can also adjust volume directly on the headphones themselves.
The rear-seat entertainment package will be available as an option on Luxury (with navigation,) Performance and Premium SRX trim models and will retail for $1,595.
Courtesy of media.gm.com
Monday, October 8, 2012
DIY car maintenance moves for fall: Replace the air filter
At a minimum, engine air filters ($11.50 to $53 per filter, depending on brand) should be replaced twice per year as part of car maintenance. So, if you haven't done so already, replacing your car's air filter is a good idea. When an air filter reaches the point where it causes enough of a pressure drop to restrict airflow, the car's fuel economy, performance and emissions begin to deteriorate, getting progressively worse until the dirty filter is replaced.
"Fortunately, it's easy to replace an engine air filter and, again, it's a job anyone can do without tools," says Travers.
Courtesy of Bankrate.com
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Review: Cadillac ATS 3.6L Premium
In targeting the BMW 3-series, the development team for the new Cadillac ATS compact luxury sedan hit the Bavarian legend in all of its most tender spots. First, as anyone who has driven BMWs over time will tell you, the 3-series isn’t quite as involving from the driver’s seat as it used to be.
I’m sorry, it’s true. The cars have grown larger and heavier, with less feedback in the wheel and slightly more relaxed reflexes, a consequence of a campaign to dial up the refinement to win over more conquest sales and, the company freely admits, more women.
The development engineers who built the new Cadillac ATS—rear- or all-wheel-drive on GM’s new Alpha platform architecture; five-passengers and four doors (watch this space for coupe, convertible and wagon variants); 3,400 pounds in base trim; three engines (2.0-liter, 270-horsepower turbo four/2.5-liter, 202-hp four/3.6-liter, 321-hp V6); six-speed automatic or manual; three trim levels ranging from $34,000 to $52,000—were less concerned about broadening an audience than about capturing one in the first place.
To do that, they went in the other direction, dialing up the sporting orneriness, and rather splendidly, too. The ATS’s most notable dynamic quality is the sharp, almost twitchy responsiveness of its electric-power-assist steering. Grab a big handful of steering angle (with the ATS’s racy, small-diameter steering wheel) and the car will give you a surprisingly strong yank in that direction. This thing changes direction like a Jack Russell terrier. Yes, the ATS feels a little busier at the wheel at highway speeds, and that won’t appeal to everybody. Indeed, that seems to be the very point Cadillac is underlining.
Once turned in, the ATS’s tensed, tarpaulin-tight suspension and 50/50 weight distribution (abetted, in the case of our test car, with adaptive magnetic dampers) helps the ATS shoulder through corners with minimal body roll and with significant Teutonic grip. Cadillac spent a lot of time flogging the ATS around Germany’s 14-mile Nürburgring test course, and the character of that track—with its multitude of midspeed, constant-radius turns—has shaped the car in recognizable ways. Nowhere is this car better than midcorner, in third gear and about 3,000 rpm, around 60 miles per hour, with lots of steering input and steady throttle, with the mechanical limited-slip rear end helping it to carve a perfect, tire-squawking parabola.
Gradually and very progressively, the ATS—at least the one shod with our test car’s 18-inch summer tires—surrenders front grip and pushes wide. When you breathe the throttle, the front tucks in and the rear steps out with a few degrees of sweet, pivoting, progressive oversteer. In some corners, the ATS feels more like a Lotus than a BMW.
The ATS’s ride does not have the fluid suppleness of the 3-series’, and certainly nothing like the BMW’s management of noise and vibration. The acoustics of the ATS’s optional 3.6-liter, direct-injection V6 (267 pound-feet of torque) are particularly heinous. And yet, insofar as the ATS chassis guys privileged cornering poise and sporting feel over ride compliance, favoring emotion over the numb averaging that afflicts a lot of cars’ handling, I second that emotion.
The 3-series’ other vulnerability is also a consequence of its incumbency: It is safe, almost rote, in the styling department. You can read the 3-series’ conservative exterior design a number of ways. This is the most massive of BMW’s mass-market cars, representing 30% of the company’s sales volume world-wide. The car’s global reach has, over time, imposed a rather bland internationalism on the styling, in order to appear to many markets and sensibilities, particularly China’s.
Cadillac’s ATS doesn’t have any such territory to defend, and as a consequence the ATS’s design could be bolder, more expressive, more interesting. As 100 out of 100 surveyed will tell you, if you park an ATS next to the comparable 3-series, the BMW simply wilts, visually.
The ATS isn’t and couldn’t be as radically sharp-edged and prismatic as Cadillac’s CTS coupe (about 8.5 inches longer, overall, than the ATS). The ATS’s glass section, the greenhouse, is proportionally larger than that of the turret-topped CTS, which is good for outward visibility but sacrifices the bigger car’s heavy-lidded malevolence.
There’s also a certain quality of incompleteness to the ATS design. Even with the optional 18-inch summer tires gripped in the wheel wells, the car looks slightly under-tired. The rocker panels—the area below the doors—seem to cry out for ground-hugging aero skirting. These areas, like open promises, will get fulfilled about a year from now when Cadillac debuts the ATS-V, the high-performance variant with a twin-turbo six (or maybe a Corvette V8?) on board. That should be fun.
If I were styling the ATS-V, the first thing I would do is delete or disguise the car’s front-bumper cover dividing the upper grille and the lower. It looks like the car has duct tape across its mouth. Getting the face of a car brand right is an enormously tricky process. With the ATS, Cadillac is almost there.
Clearly, there’s no shortage of nerve at Cadillac, and for evidence you need only look at the ATS’s CUE infotainment interface, a large, full-color touch screen above a piano-black panel of capacitive switches set in the middle of the dash. This is my second dance with the CUE system and, as I predicted, it’s getting easier to use with practice. And yet, it’s still not easy, and sometimes downright annoying. The LCD display in the instrument panel, with the speedo and tach, is also a little alienating, as it fans through multiple and occasionally redundant displays of data coming from the navigation, audio, mileage and trip systems.
The 3-series interior, particularly in the higher trim levels, has a more classic sophistication and is assembled out of better, finer materials. Also, BMW’s infotainment and mapping graphics—in particular those in the heads-up display—are about as good as you can find on the market. On the other hand, because the LCD screen is optional equipment in the BMW, and to avoid the expense of offering two very different consoles (one with and one without a fixed LCD screen), BMW sticks the LCD screen on top of the dash, like a half-buried iPad. It’s a glaring, bean-counting error. The ATS’s avionics-style presentation is altogether cooler and more integrated.
So the ATS is a little more venturesome in design than the BMW 3-series and, surprisingly, a little more fun to helm. Does that make it a better car? Well, no.
The ATS’s major flaw—and it’s practically a black hole that devours the rest of the car—is the 3.6-liter’s low-speed, low-rpm powertrain noise. Wow. That sounds terrible! The injectors rattle like a sewing machine that’s lost a cog. As soon as you pick up the throttle and the revs rise above around four grand, the induction, valve-train and exhaust notes come together in a rising, melodic chirr, and at full throttle, shuffling up through the gears, the powertrain sounds amazing (0-60 mph in 5.4 seconds). But in a parking lot, it sounds like my old Chevette. Ai.
So, not perfect, but again, compelling, daring and, here and there, outrageous. I like those words better than the musty old “Standard of the World” anyway. Cadillac is not the standard anymore. It’s the challenger. And the ATS is, well, challenging.
2013 Cadillac ATS 3.6L Premium
Base price: $46,695
Price as tested: $49,165
Powertrain: Naturally aspirated, direct-injection 3.6-liter V6 with variable valve timing; six-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode and paddle shifter; rear-wheel drive with mechanical limited-slip differential
Horsepower/torque: 321 hp at 6,800 rpm/267 pound-feet at 4,900 rpm
Length/weight: 182.8 inches/3,500 pounds
Wheelbase: 109.3 inches
0-60 mph: 5.4 seconds
EPA fuel economy: 19/28 mpg, city/highway
Cargo capacity: 10.2 cubic feet
Courtesy of : Wall Street Journal
Monday, October 1, 2012
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