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2019 Cadillac Escalade Sport Edition goes dark for the L.A. Auto Show

Cadillac is taking a shallow swing at the L.A. Auto Show, which might have something to do with the churn and burn happening at the brand and at parent General Motors. The Escalade Sport Edition brings its dark hue to the West Coast shindig, a touch of anti-flash that's actually a pinstripe job. For $2,700, it installs Gloss Black Ice chrome on the grille, rear fascia, window surrounds, and body side moldings, and the otherwise optional 22-inch Midnight Silver wheels. That's the whole show. Available on three of the Escalade's four trims — Luxury, Premium Luxury, and Platinum — brand president Steve Carlisle said the Sport Edition comes "in response to customer and dealer demand for a dark and aggressive look." The least expensive 2WD Luxury model starts at $84,790, including destination, with orders commencing at the beginning of next year. For all that the package isn't, it is still a better deal than buyers got ten years ago, when the 2007 Escalade offered a similarly thin Sport Edition for $4,890. There are a few small changes for the Escalade line overall for 2019. The exterior colors Midnight Sky Metallic and Dark Granite Metallic leave the palette list, making room for Manhattan Noir Metallic and Shadow Metallic to join the list. In back, there's a hands-free tailgate with a logo light, standard on all trims. The Escalade Sport Edition represents both a beginning and an end for the model. The fourth-generation Escalade went on sale in 2014 as a 2015 model, and this is the first special edition it gets. This could be the last, too, since the fourth-gen money machine we called "Old, but not antiquated" in our Driver's Notes last month is expected to give way to a fifth-generation for the 2020 model year. Related Video:

GM laying off 510 amidst slow Cadillac, small car sales

General Motors is laying off about 510 workers from two factories beginning in January, and it could be months before the automaker needs some of that latent capacity to come back on line. A combination of poor sales and high dealer inventories are prompting the cutbacks, according to Automotive News.
The largest changes come at GM's Lansing Grand River plant, where the Cadillac ATS and CTS are made. An entire shift of about 350 workers is being laid off, but the automaker hopes to find positions for some of them at other nearby factories. The decision leaves just a single shift building vehicles there. According to Automotive News, the move is partially spurred by Johan de Nysschen's plan to make Cadillac a more exclusive brand.
The lost shift will likely return for production of the next-generation Chevrolet Camaro at the plant, according to the report, but GM isn't saying when that will be. A previous announcement from the Canadian Auto Workers union indicated that the Oshawa, Ontario, factory would lose the coupe in late 2015 or early 2016.

Cadillac is building an LMDh car, will compete in WEC and Le Mans

Cadillac returned to sports car racing back in 2017 with its DPi race car, and it has had a successful run with it. It won four Rolex 24 Hour races at Daytona from 2017 to 2020, and took home two championships. So it's not totally surprising that it will continue running in the IMSA series with a new LMDh-class car. But that also means that Cadillac can, and will, race in the World Endurance Championship series, which includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This is because LMDh is a class that will be legal in both IMSA and WEC racing, as will the LMH hypercar class. So Cadillac will be taking on hypercars from Toyota, Peugeot and Glickenhaus. Audi and Porsche have announced plans to run LMDh racecars as well, so it will be a crowded field. There have even been rumors of a Dodge-badged version of the Peugeot 9x8 LMH car as well as a Lamborghini LMDh entry. Per LMDh rules, the car will feature a spec chassis and hybrid unit, but the engine and bodywork will be unique to the Cadillac. Unlike LMH, there are no requirements to build road-going versions, so we sadly won't see a wild mid-engine Cadillac hybrid supercar on the streets (unless Cadillac just decides to build one; don't hold your breath). But we'll still be excited to see another American manufacturer compete for an overall win at Le Mans. Cadillac will team up with Dallara, Chip Ganassi Racing and Action Express Racing for vehicle development and competition. The car will make its racing debut at the 2023 Rolex 24 at Daytona in January of that year. All we have to go on for the car's looks is the rendering at the top, which suggests a seriously angular shape. It will also be called the LMDh-V.R, similar to the current DPi-V.R racecar. Related Video: