2012 Cadillac Cts Luxury on 2040-cars

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2014 Cadillac CTS

Fixated By Europeans, GM Ensures The Third Time Is A Charm
Few things are better for consumers than competition raising the bar. And no campaign seems fiercer than the one currently underway in the midsize sport-sedan segment now that Cadillac has introduced its all-new 2014 CTS to go head-to-head against the benchmark Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
While the CTS has been on the market for slightly more than a decade, up until this third-generation, Cadillac hasn't truly had the proper high-performance rear-wheel-drive architecture to build a genuine world-class fighter, both inside and out. And now that the American automaker has successfully mirrored Audi, BMW and Mercedes in overall vehicle size, engine output and cabin appointments, the first shots have been fired.

Recharge Wrap-up: Free chargers for Canadian ELR buyers, Renovo gets funding for EV supercar

Chevrolet offers versions of its Express passenger van with B20 biodiesel and E85 capability. Customers can buy the van with the Duramax turbodiesel V8, which is compatible with the 20-percent biodiesel blend. There is also a FlexFuel V8, which can use the 85-percent ethanol gasoline blend. It's a great option for shuttling the whole soccer team to practice using renewable fuels. Read more at Domestic Fuels. Early buyers of the Cadillac ELR in Canada will get a 240-volt charger installed at their home for free. It should help convince some buyers to adopt the range extended luxury EV. Cadillac's Chief Marketing Officer Uwe Ellinghaus says, "Professional installation of the fastest home-charging unit is a natural way to mark the introduction of ELR to the luxury market." Read more in the press release below. Renovo has received venture capital funding from California-based True Ventures to build its Coupe electric supercar. The impressive EV, with its 500 horsepower and 1,000 pound-feet of torque, is an inspiring vehicle built by a promising company, according to its financial backers. Toni Schneider of True Ventures says that Renovo has "created incredibly advanced technology and a beautiful machine that is well positioned to disrupt the automotive market." Read more in the press release below. Renault says it will build its Fluence ZE electric car in China for an unnamed brand, pending government approval. Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn announced the plan at a test drive event in France on Monday. Renault has a partnership with Dongfeng Motors to build and sell its cars in China. Read more at Reuters. Germany has lifted its ban on Uber. While the German court believes the ride-hailing service is operating illegally without proper licensing for drivers, it says Taxi Deutschland waited too long to file the case against Uber. The taxi association plans to appeal the decision soon. See more in the video below, and read more at The New York Times. A new report from UC Davis claims that a global expansion of public transit could save 1,700 megatons of carbon dioxide yearly and over $100 trillion by 2050. A "high-shift scenario" would be necessary, wherein governments invest in rail and clean buses, expand biking and walking infrastructure and shift focus away from projects that encourage car use. This shift to public transit would especially be important in the US, China and India. Read more in the press release below.

New V6 engines are only the start at Cadillac

Cadillac debuted its new family of V6 engines Friday, but that's not all General Motors' luxury brand has in store for the coming years. The six-cylinder powerplants will certainly help Cadillac in the near term, but they're just two of the many parts of the company's future strategy. GM has invested $12 billion in Cadillac to help the brand grow over the next five years, and the company will launch eight new products between now and 2020. That all starts with the launch of the CT6 flagship later this year – a fullsize luxury sedan we'll see for the first time in New York on March 31. The CT6 will introduce several new features and technologies to the Cadillac range, and with its launch also begins the slow restructuring of Cadillac's model-naming system. The new nomenclature means CT and XT badges for cars and utilities, respectively. Cadillac says that of the eight new vehicles it plans to launch by 2020, five of them will be first-time offerings in market segments where the brand currently does not play. But it's not just about new products – new powertrains are an important part of the Cadillac story, too. After the new V6 engines – a naturally aspirated 3.6-liter and a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter engine – launch later this year in the 2016 ATS, CTS and CT6, the company says it has a strategy for V8 power – possibly a twin-turbo application – as well as future electrification. Cadillac also says it's working on adding four- and six-cylinder diesel powertrains, though it's unclear which vehicles will make use of those engines. This new six-cylinder engine family is indeed important, with Cadillac's chief engineer, David Leone, calling it the "most advanced V6 in the industry." With 335 horsepower, the 3.6-liter engine is the highest output, naturally aspirated V6 powerplant Cadillac has done – and that's SAE-certified, and on regular fuel. Beyond that, the 3.0-liter mill (pictured at right) marks the first application of GM's active fuel management system on a twin-turbocharged engine. This means that when full power isn't necessary, the TTV6 can run as a 2.0-liter V4 in order to save fuel. New transmissions are also part of the V6 engine story. GM's all-new eight-speed Hydra-Matic 8L45 gearbox will be paired to the 3.6-liter V6, and the 3.0-liter TTV6 will use the company's existing 8L90 transmission that is already found in the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups (with the 6.2-liter engine).