2010 Cadillac Cts Performance on 2040-cars

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Cadillac president de Nysschen says electrification coming 'across the spectrum'

We like to pick on new Cadillac president Johan de Nysschen for his insistence, many years ago, when he was president of Audi of America, that plug-in vehicles are for idiots. Listening to him give the keynote address at the Washington Auto Show today, you wouldn't know he ever said anything negative about an electric vehicle. Instead, he sounds something like a EV-angelist. De Nysschen said that Cadillac will be able to benefit from GM's considerable expertise in plug-in technology, which he said would be "applied across the spectrum of our portfolio." GM's electric committment will help in "making electrification commonplace." With the plug-in ELR already on the road, de Nysschen said that the company's next step in advancing powertrains will be the introduction of stop/start technology – which de Nysschen called an "important system to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions" – into a Cadillac for the first time later this year. Without giving any specific details, de Nysschen said that Cadillac will introduce eight new models (not necessarily plug-ins) by the end of this decade, including five that "will take Cadillac into market segments where the brand is not even present today." These new vehicles will likely be much lighter than today's vehicles, de Nysschen said, because "weight reduction today is critical to automotive design, it helps to improve fuel efficiency and contributes to desireable vehicle dynamics." The key is to reduce weight without compromising safety or comfort and to use the right material – steel, aluminum, carbon fiber – in the right place at the right time. It was a not-so-subtle jab at Ford and its new aluminum F-150. "In the pursuit of weight reduction, some manufacturers have also opted for abandoning steel and have gone for an all-aluminum approach," he said. "At Cadillac, we believe that different materials each present particular advantages in specific applications. There is no single material that represents the optimum balance of the conflicting objectives of every single application." Related video:

GM to make most cars LTE hotspots for 2015

General Motors isn't the first automaker to deliver in-car Internet access, but a proposed plan announced today could make the technology more widespread than any of its competitors have offered. By the 2015 model year, most Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and GMC products in the US and Canada will offer 4G LTE mobile broadband access. Initially, GM will just be pairing with AT&T to deliver this service, but additional carriers will be revealed in the future.
Current in-car Wi-Fi hot spots are limited to 3G, but GM says that 4G LTE is 10 times faster than 3G service and will allow for full Internet access, including streaming video for entertainment as well as services like real-time traffic updates and navigation driving directions. There is also no need for a paired smartphone with this new system, which should make it easier to use, and GM and AT&T will also be working together to develop new apps for customers.
Buyers can expect to start seeing 4G LTE in their cars starting next year, and GM is already planning to expand the service to other global markets as well. All of the information from GM's announcement is posted in a press release below.

Cadillac Escalade driven by Tony Soprano for sale

If you're a fan of The Sopranos imagining a trip to the Bada Bing, then check out this white 2003 Cadillac Escalade ESV for sale by RR Auction. James Gandolfini drove this luxury SUV in the role of Tony Soprano for the last three seasons of the mafia-themed series. Gandolfini also signed the interior to give you something to show off to your buddies. If you've ever watched the show, you've almost certainly seen this white SUV before. According to the auction listing, the series featured two Escalades, and this one was used for exterior shots. The Caddy even starred in an action scene in season 5 when Tony chased after Phil Leotardo. Gandolfini's signature appears inside twice: once with "Thanks for the truck, James Gandolfini" and again with just his name. The auction also includes a letter of authenticity that's signed by the actor, and a second document asserts the SUV's use in the series. Apparently, Gandolfini had a habit of signing messages in his vehicles from the show – at one point he wrote a threatening "Be nice to my car" message in a red Chevrolet Suburban from earlier episodes. The auction for Tony's Escalade runs from November 12-19, which still leaves plenty of time for a meeting of the families to decide to buy it. Bidding starts at $5,000, and according to The Drive, the consignor estimates a final price between $30,000 and $50,000. This sale should at least come to a more definitive end than The Sopranos did. Related Video: