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Cadillac will kill the plug-in ELR

Johan de Nysschen, president of General Motors' Cadillac division, says Caddy's ELR extended-range plug-in won't have any future generations, Automotive News (subs. req.) says. The publication previously reported that the car would be around for another couple of years, but even that's questionable, and the model could be yanked even sooner. Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell confirmed that there won't be a second-generation ELR. "Subsequent generations of the car will not be developed," he wrote in an e-mail to Autoblog. "It's available currently as a 2016 model, and there's no change to that status." The model debuted in late 2013 and used a version of the powertrain in the Chevrolet Volt. The main problem, of course, was that the car had a $76,000 price tag that proved too much for most automobile buyers to stomach. Last year, GM sold 1,024 ELRs, down 22 percent from 2014's totals. By comparison, the Chevy Volt moved more than 15,000 units, and that itself was still down 18 percent from year-earlier figures. The merciful end to the ELR shouldn't be much of a surprise, as Cadillac Chief Marketing Officer Uwe Ellinghaus went on the record in December of essentially calling the model a dud. It's a far cry from the excitement, though, that the concept model of what was then called the Converj was unveiled to the public at the Detroit Auto Show in 2009. For those feeling misty-eyed or nostalgic, though, check here for Autoblog's First Drive impressions of the extended-range plug-in. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2014 Cadillac ELR Review View 48 Photos News Source: Automotive News-sub.req. Green Cadillac GM Hybrid elr extended-range plug-in

2016 Cadillac ATS-V First Drive [w/video]

If you get hot and bothered for hot-rodded sedans and coupes, you probably know that Germans have long dominated that cutthroat scene. For years, the Audi RS/BMW M/Mercedes-AMG triumvirate has ruled the microcosm of grunty, mid-level luxury cars. But a funny thing happened when Cadillac's first V car hit the market in 2004. Since the CTS-V crashed the high horsepower party, German tuning houses started thinking less about the "Daddy's Caddy" stereotypes and more about the next imminent threat – in this case, the inevitable high-horsepower spinoff of the smaller, nimbler Cadillac ATS. The standard ATS' defense against the German triad hasn't been triumphant so far (GM's Michigan plant was idled for three weeks in 2014 due to excess inventory), but the souped-up 2016 Cadillac ATS-V presents a fresh bid to put the Teutonic competition on alert. The ATS-V's flared bodywork and quad exhaust pipes offer bits of visual shock and awe, but significant hardware upgrades back up the go-fast looks. Front and center is a twin-turbocharged, 3.6-liter V6 with reworked internals including a charge-air cooler, titanium connecting rods, and titanium-aluminide turbines. The new engine produces 464 horsepower and 445 pound-feet of torque, up a staggering 262 hp and 173 lb-ft compared to a base, four-cylinder ATS. Those output figures eclipse the BMW M3/M4 (425 hp, 406 lb-ft) and Audi RS5 (450 hp, 317 lb-ft), but lag slightly behind the V8-powered Mercedes-AMG C63 (476 hp, 479 lb-ft), and more so the C63 S (503 hp, 516 lb-ft). The chassis benefits from several structural braces, most notably a shear panel intended to boost front-end stiffness. Extra poundage from the add-ons are minimized through lighter-weight materials – in the case of the shear panel, stamped aluminum. Cadillac says though it intended to make the ATS the quickest car in its segment (stated 0-60 mph times between 3.8 and 3.9 second virtually match the BMW M4 and Mercedes-AMG C63 S' 3.9 figure), the development team says they also focused on subjective qualities like turn-in quickness and steering response. As such, toe links have been replaced with ball joints, mounts have been retuned, and reworked magnetic damping offer greater responsiveness. Six suspension bushings have been stiffened and ten have been completely redesigned, and the Performance Traction Management system that tames beasts like the Corvette Z06 and Camaro ZL1 also helps lay down power in the ATS-V.

Cadillac ELR, Nissan Resonance and Ford Atlas win Eyes on Design awards

This year's annual Eyes on Design awards were presented at the end of press days for the Detroit Auto Show on Tuesday. Given out for the best production and concept car designs that debuted at the show, and voted on by an esteemed panel of actual car designers, this year's award for best production vehicle design went to the 2014 Cadillac ELR. The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette, which was the show favorite among Autoblog editors, apparently did not impress the Eyes on Design judges enough with its all-new vent-festooned design.
The award for best concept design was actually split as a tie among the Nissan Resonance and Ford Atlas concepts. Last year's winners were the 2013 Ford Fusion and the Lexus LF-LC concept.
The Eyes on Design organization also presented a new honor this year called the Catalyst Award to Bob Lutz, former Vice Chairman of General Motors. Lutz is reported to have given a defense of design in his acceptance speech, arguing that advancements in quality across the industry as a whole have made good design a key differentiator for buyers.