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C7 Corvette won't spawn new Cadillac XLR [w/video]

Between the new 2014 Chevy Corvette Stingray and the even newer Cadillac Elmiraj Concept shown off at Pebble Beach, we were already expecting some sort of chatter of a Cadillac XLR redux. During an in-depth C7 Corvette discussion with Tadge Juechter, the car's chief engineer, Fox News asked if a Corvette-based, Bowling Green-built Cadillac will be built off the C7. Non-spoiler alert: the answer is no.
Juechter says that General Motors has "no intent" on transforming this car into a Cadillac product since the C7 has been optimized for the Corvette buyer, a consumer that's generally a different sort of person than a Cadillac intender who might also be cross-shopping a Mercedes-Benz SL-Class or BMW 6 Series.
While we're not ready to write off a future XLR altogether, we assume that the Corvette Cadillac experiment is most likely never going to happen again. The interview with Juechter is posted below, but the XLR discussion comes in at the 9:00 mark.

Cadillac ATS coupe and sedan get Midnight Editions

Horror stories and fairy tales make a mint by having the scariest things happen at midnight, but automakers make a mint by marketing midnight. Chevrolet busted out a Silverado Midnight Edition early this year, followed shortly thereafter by an Impala Midnight Edition. In between those two we got the Cadillac CTS Midnight Edition, and now comes an ATS following in the zero-dark-thirty tradition, according to GM Inside News. The ATS Midnight Edition will add $1,695 to the sedan price and $600 to the coupe. For that cash outlay you get black chrome on the grille, around the windows, and on the rear fascia, 18-inch "After Midnight" wheels, "sueded microfiber" trim on the steering wheel and shifter, plus the Cold Weather Package with a heated steering wheel and heated front seats. Just those few exterior changes make a big difference up front, increasing the appeal and aggression of the sports sedan without being ostentatious. You can't go dark with just any old ATS, though. The package is limited to rear- and all-wheel-drive versions of the Performance trim. And the color palette is reduced to four hues: Crystal White Tricoat, Red Obsession Tintcoat, Phantom Gray Metallic, and Black Raven. The three possible interior combos are Light Platinum with Jet Black accents, Morello Red with Jet Black accents, and Jet Black with Jet Black accents. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2015 Cadillac ATS Midnight Edition News Source: GM Inside News Design/Style Cadillac Coupe Luxury Special and Limited Editions Performance Sedan

Mixed sales results, but automaker stocks rise on need for cars in Houston

DETROIT — The Big Three Detroit automakers on Friday reported better-than-expected August sales and issued optimistic outlooks for demand as residents of the Houston area replace flood-damaged cars and trucks after Hurricane Harvey, sending their stocks higher. General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler posted mixed August U.S. sales, with GM up 7.5 percent and Ford and Fiat Chrysler down. Japanese automaker Toyota improved sales by nearly 7 percent, while Honda fell 2.4 percent. Still, analysts focused on the potential for Detroit automakers to cut inventories and stabilize used vehicle prices as residents of Houston, the fourth largest city in the United States, are forced to replace tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of vehicles after the devastation from Hurricane Harvey. Mark LaNeve, Ford's U.S. sales chief, told analysts on Friday that following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 "we saw a very dramatic snapback" in demand. That said, Ford sales fell 2.1 percent in August. It sold 209,897 vehicles in the United States, compared with 214,482 a year earlier. Sales were down 1.9 percent in the Ford division and off 5.8 percent at Lincoln. Demand was down for cars, crossovers and SUVs. It was not clear how many vehicles in the Houston area will be scrapped, LaNeve said, saying he had seen estimates ranging from 200,000 to 400,000 to 1 million. Ford's Houston dealers may have lost fewer than 5,000 vehicles in inventory, he said. Ford is the No. 1 automaker in the Houston market, with 18 percent share, according to IHS Markit. The company plans to ship used vehicles to Houston dealers and has "every indication we would have to add some production" of new vehicles to meet demand, LaNeve said. Investor concerns about inventories of unsold vehicles and falling used car prices have weighed on Detroit automakers' shares most of this year. Now, automakers can anticipate a jolt of demand from a big market that is a stronghold for Detroit brand trucks and SUVs. "It's got to be a positive for the industry," LaNeve said. Investors appeared to agree. GM shares rose as much as 3.3 percent to their highest since early March. Ford increased 2.8 percent at $11.34, and Fiat Chrysler's U.S.-traded shares were up 5.2 percent $15.91, hitting their highest in more than five years. GM reported a 7.5 percent increase in U.S. auto sales in August, helped by robust sales of crossovers across its four brands.