2007 Cadillac Srx Sport Utility Awd V8 on 2040-cars

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6 luxury car brands to watch in 2024

2023 was a healthy year for the auto industry, and even with incentives returning and dealer lots filling up, there's plenty to like about the market if you build luxury automobiles, and we expect 2024 to be more of the same, which makes luxury-segment rivalries all the more interesting. Top luxury car brand rivalries? Well, that sounds downright uncivilized. But we know better, don't we? And when every quarterly sales update is an opportunity to remind somebody else that they bought the wrong status symbol, well, who can resist? Certainly not the diehard customers who fly their favorite brands' banners high.  Read more: Auto sales: Industry records best year since 2019 Read more: 2023 auto sales and 2024 preview: Ford Bronco vs. Jeep Wrangler This is a tricky segment to define, but essentially, we're looking at luxury car brands with depth to their portfolios and dealerships that exist to attract real-world customers. The Bentleys, Rolls-Royces and McLarens of the world are luxury cars, certainly, but we're more concerned with brands that have a bit more mass appeal — manufacturers who treat supply constraints as fiascos rather than features. If you disagree with our selections, feel free to let us know in the comments.  And since we're mostly concerned with finishing order, the luxury brands and totals featured here may change as new data come in throughout 2024. Due to the wild swings of the past several years, we're treating 2023 as the baseline by which we'll measure sales performance. And rather than rank brands vs. their finishing order in 2022, when supply-chain and inflationary issues still played havoc with sales figures, we're starting 2024 off with a clean slate.  The mainstream luxury segment is always a dogfight, but with their varied approaches to electrification all of the major luxury brands are in the midst of reshaping the premium landscape. Who is doing it right? Well, according to U.S. shoppers, the usual suspects are up to their old tricks.

This 1969 Ford F-100 has a Cadillac CTS-V engine lurking underhood

Something always feels just a little taboo when someone builds a custom and then slots in a powertrain from a rival automaker. That's exactly the case with this modded 1969 Ford F-100 boasting a highly tuned LSA supercharged V8 like from the second-gen Cadillac CTS-V. However, with a claimed 800 horsepower on tap thanks in part to running an estimated 20 pounds of boost, it's easy to get over any bad feelings. Built by Tommy Pike Customs in South Carolina, the truck tries to keep the exterior looking somewhat stock. Although, the jade green and satin gold paint, Quaker State logo, lowered suspension and black wheels immediately suggest something is up. Once the F-100 starts up with its menacing growl, absolutely any doubts of this beast being unaltered are immediately gone. Not so obvious are some tweaks to actually help put all that power down, including disc brakes and independent suspension setups at the front and rear. The video gives some glimpses at a few of Pike's other creations, but the real star here is definitely his mean, green Ford.

2018 Cadillac XTS does its best CT6 impression

Although the Cadillac sedan lineup almost exclusively consists of rear-drive sedans, one last bastion of the old front-drive Caddy exists in the XTS. And it looks like the old-school XTS isn't going anywhere, since it just got a refresh that makes it look more like the CT6 and the CTS. This of course is a bit ironic considering the fact that the CT6 will look different in the near future. Until then, though, this update does make the XTS look more up-to-date. The main part of the headlights end higher up on the front fascia, while a strip of LED accent lights waterfall down the front bumper. The grille has slightly more sculpted slats, and the front badge has been scaled down a bit. There are no longer creases that unify the main grille and the lower one in the bumper, which help the car appear lower and wider than the outgoing model. At the back, the license plate position has been moved down to the bumper, and the trunk lid has more lines and creases. The taillights now have horizontal elements that extend toward the middle of the car. The exhaust finishers and the reverse light also look larger and more prominent now. The refreshed XTS also brings a couple of new trim options. There are new wheel designs both in 19- and 20-inch sizes. Inside, XTS buyers will be able to choose from three new color and upholstery combinations. Two of them, however, are exclusive to the Platinum trim level and come with semi-aniline leather seats. There's not really anything new mechanically with the 2018 XTS. The only major change seems to be a new tire design that is quieter and provides a smoother ride. Otherwise, the XTS will remain available with either the standard 3.6-liter V6 making 304 horsepower, or the optional 410-horsepower twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V6 in the V-Sport model. The standard engine comes with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, and the V-Sport is only available with all-wheel drive. Pricing has yet to be released for the 2018 model year. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Cadillac XTS Image Credit: Cadillac Cadillac Luxury Sedan cadillac xts