1976 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Driving the 2016 Cadillac CTS-V at the old Elkhart Lake road course

The placid community around Elkart Lake, WI, looks about as far removed from a glorious motorsport venue as you can imagine. A turn of the century downtown gives way to old-school resorts, beaches, and boat launches around the picturesque lake, with farms framing the rolling hills all around. But it was those very same meandering country lanes that gave birth to one of America's greatest racing circuits, some 65 years ago. Between the first race in 1950 and the opening of the dedicated Road America track in 1956, the roads around Elkhart Lake provided the setting for some great post-war racing. Competing on public streets was ultimately outlawed across the country, but not before drivers risked life and limb in the name of glory in the Wisconsin summer. Cadillac asked us out to the area recently, not to talk racing history, but to look forward at one of the most track capable cars the company has ever offered: the 2016 CTS-V. We got to drive the 640-horsepower beastie for an entire morning of hot laps at Road America, but unfortunately, we're not allowed to tell you about all of that right now. You'll have to wait until the embargo lifts on August 3, at which point we promise a full recounting of our adventure. Having the CTS-V for a full two days though, and in the spirit of the motorsport that imbues the air in Elkhart Lake, we took the Cadillac on a drive around the old 6.5-mile road course. Come for the new Caddy, but stick around to find out what the hell Wacker's Wend is. Cadillac Luxury Performance Videos

Cadillac planning more Vsport models

There's a new intermediate class of luxury performance cars emerging. Audi has been doing it for years with its S-line bridging the gap, in many cases, between the standard fare and the full-on RS performance range. BMW's getting in on it with the M Sport line slotting in below the full M models. And now Cadillac is joining the fun with its Vsport offerings.
Models like the CTS Vsport and XTS Vsport are packing a new 3.6-liter twin-turbo V6 with 410 or more horsepower (along with bigger wheels and brakes) to slot in between the standard model and any impending V variant. Well, it appears Cadillac isn't about to stop there.
Speaking with The Detroit News, Cadillac product chief Hampden Tener revealed that, based on the response to the XTS Vsport, the brand is planning more Vsport models. He did not, however, indicate which would be the next to get the slightly sportier treatment. With the full ATS-V expected to pack a version of the same engine powering the aforementioned XTS and CTS Vsport models, an ATS Vsport would have to pack a smaller engine to fit in below. That only leaves the SRX crossover, Escalade SUV and the upcoming ELR hybrid. Food for thought.

Mary Barra thinks GM is a leader in autonomous tech

Saying General Motors is "among the leaders" in autonomous vehicle technology, CEO Mary Barra rapped about her company's driverless work in an interview with USA Today. Barra covered a number of topics, including well-known efforts, like Cadillac's upcoming Super Cruise technology, as well as hinting at "a lot of efforts that are confidential." "Things are moving quickly in autonomous [cars] because there's so many different pathways and the standards aren't even set. A lot of people can claim leads because people are making advancements in different areas," Barra said. "Next year we're going to have Super Cruise on one of our Cadillacs. On highways you'll be able to take your hands off the wheel and feet off the pedals – with a very creative way to make sure the driver is alert and involved in the driving process." As for those "confidential" efforts, feel free to speculate. GM has recently confirmed that it'd be running autonomous Volts at its Warren, MI tech center, which certainly indicates that the company is playing with much more than Super Cruise. GM will need to continue to embrace autonomous driving, owing to both traditional competitors like Toyota, as well as non-traditional opposition, like Google and Apple. Speaking of its competition from Silicon Valley, Barra was asked about two of the region's biggest names – Apple's Tim Cook and Tesla boss Elon Musk. "I have tremendous respect for Tim Cook, and I don't really think he needs advice from me," Barra told USA Today with a laugh. And when asked about Apple's future as a "viable competitor," she said, "I have no insights other than what I read in the papers. But it would be foolish for me not to assume that they're going to." As for Mr. Musk's openness about future products and how it contrasts with GM's relatively closed attitude, Barra also gave a chuckle. "I'm sure you would like me to say yes. I think we're fundamentally different. Look at our volume and look at the segments where we compete. His product line – his two products – his scale, it's completely different." The rest of Barra's interview is certainly worth a read, and includes talk about the Volkswagen diesel scandal, GM's changed relationship with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and Uber. Head over to The Detroit Free Press website for the full story from USA Today.