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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.

Cadillac flagship, possible production Elimiraj, caught testing

One of the biggest debuts at the Monterey car week, both literally and figuratively, was the Cadillac Elmiraj Concept. The massive coupe made quite a splash with the show's well-heeled guests. Now, we have what might be the very first images of the Elmiraj, or whatever it may be called when it reaches production, out testing.
Don't let that modified Chevrolet Caprice body fool you, this car is about four to six inches longer than Chevy's US-spec cop car, from the A-pillar forward. According to our spy, with the Caprice at 203 inches and the concept at 205, adding a few extra inches here and there fits the bill for the four-door Elmiraj that was hinted at in Jay Leno's Garage.
There are a number of other classic mule signs on this car, including a cover over the fuel door and heavily modified front and rear fascias, each of which serves to hide some significant change from the standard Caprice. Using a Caprice for development also, hopefully, hints at something that big Cadillacs like the XTS have lacked - rear-wheel drive.

De Nysschen says Cadillac will be ready for a $250,000 model in 15 years

Cadillac president Johan de Nysschen has some very, very lofty goals for the American luxury car manufacturer. That's according to a new report from Reuters, where the former Audi and Infiniti exec says that Cadillac is only 15 years away from selling a $250,000 car. "It is too early today for a $250,000 Cadillac," de Nysschen told Reuters at the LA Auto Show. "Fifteen years from now, it won't be." Now, provided de Nysschen doesn't envision a future of hyper-inflation, where an ATS rings up at $200K and a CTS at $225,000, the idea that Cadillac could sell a car worth a quarter-of-a-million dollars in just 15 short years is the very definition of ambitious. That's doubly true when you realize that, at present, Cadillac's most expensive vehicle is the Escalade ESV Platinum, which costs no more than $97,940, while de Nysschen said the upcoming CT6 sedan will be priced "in the 70s." What do you think? Could a Cadillac that costs well over twice as much as the brand's most expensive current vehicle be a reality in the distant future? Or is de Nysschen aiming too high too soon? Let us know what you think in Comments. News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Jae C. Hong / AP Cadillac Luxury cadillac ct6