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Cadillac to vie for Secret Service armored car contract, new Beast?

President Obama has used the same armored limo since his inauguration in 2008. Known by many as The Beast, the Presidential Limo was provided by Cadillac and earned its nickname in large part because of its massive size, which isn't surprising considering that its Caddy-shaped bodywork is said to sit atop a heavy-duty truck chassis.
It seems the Secret Service may be in the market for a Beast replacement, having issued a request for proposals for a new armored limo. According to Motor Trend, Obama's backup limo is a leftover from the Bush Administration, so it will be interesting to see if this new machine will serve as a replacement for The Beast or for its backup. The contract is to be awarded by September 29, 2013.
The boys from MT contacted Cadillac, Lincoln and Chrysler, and Chrysler is the only one that would confirm that it is not pursuing the contract. Cadillac may have the inside track, as it has provided Presidential limos since 1993, but Lincoln also has a long and storied history of chauffeuring the President.

Cadillac V-Performance Academy joins free driving school party

Just in case you needed another reason to want one of Cadillac's hottest performers, starting with the 2017 Cadillac CTS-V and ATS-V, the first owner of each vehicle can score a free two-day course at Spring Mountain Motor Resort with the V-Performance Academy. According to Spring Mountain's website, the V-Performance Academy "is designed for drivers of all experience levels and includes dynamic car control exercises, visual skill development, and proper cornering techniques," with "brief" classroom sessions sprinkled in. Driving programs like the V-Performance Academy are all the rage right now. In the last few weeks alone, both Fiat and Ford announced free one-day academies baked right into the price of cars like the 124 Abarth and Focus RS. As with the Ford and Fiat courses, Cadillac is providing the learner cars. But where those other courses call on vehicle owners to shell out for airfare, food, and in Fiat's case, lodging, Cadillac covers tuition – a $2,420 expense for non-owners – along with two nights in one of Spring Mountain's "luxury condominiums" and breakfast and lunch during both driving days. Students are still on the hook for airfare, although Caddy will shuttled attendees from Las Vegas McCarren to the track/resort, some 55 miles away. If you can't shell out for the flight to Las Vegas, a new CTS-V or ATS-V, or simply can't spare two days for a driving school, Cadillac is ramping up for another year of its one-day, traveling V-Performance Lab, which will run at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut and at Circuit of the Americas in Texas. Related Video:

Cadillac is returning to endurance racing with a new prototype in 2017

In two months, Cadillac will return to top-tier endurance racing with its all-new Daytona Prototype International racecar after 14 years away. The car, which adheres to IMSA's new DPi regulations, looks as long, low, and Cadillac-like as anyone could have hoped. It's set to debut at the Rolex 24 at Daytona and will compete head to head with the likes of Mazda and Nissan in what is shaping up to be one of the most diverse and exciting forms of American motor racing in years. The new car will be run by Wayne Taylor Racing, the team that previously fielded the Corvette Daytona Prototype. Wayne Taylor himself has won the 24 Hours of Daytona twice, in 1996 and 2005. He now manages the team and leaves the driving duties to his two sons, Ricky and Jordan. They'll be joined in the cockpit by Max Angelelli, Wayne Taylor's teammate in 2002 at Cadillac's last unsuccessful attempt at endurance racing. To understand Cadillac's new car, officially called the DPi-V.R., you need to understand IMSA's DPi category. Basically, manufacturers are allowed to base their car on one of four chassis that follow the FIA LMP2 regulations. The chassis come from either Dallara, Onroak Automotive, ORECA or Riley/Multimatic. Cadillac will base their car on the Dallara platform. The DPi regulation differ from the LMP2 in two major ways: non-standardized engines and the ability to change certain parts of the bodywork. The DPi regulations are intended to give the variety of the top-tier LMP1 cars at a fraction of the cost. When it came to choosing an engine, Cadillac wanted to power the new car with something kinda sorta production based. The new car will use a naturally aspirated 6.2-liter pushrod V8 that shares some base architecture with the engine in the current CTS-V. While the power output hasn't been announced, expect about 600 horsepower. While that's down compared to the CTS-V, there is far less mass to move around as the Dallara chassis is a svelte 2,050 lbs. Since all the teams will be running different engine configurations, expect restrictors of some sort to help balance the power disparity. The parts of the body work that can be modified - The nose, sidepods, rear wheel arches and rear valance - have all been designed to mimic Cadillac roadcar design elements. Even the wheels look like they were pulled straight from the CTS-V. The front splitter, the floor, and the diffuser are common elements shared with other DPi cars.