2004 Cadillac Xlr Base Convertible 2-door 4.6l on 2040-cars

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U.S. new-vehicle sales in 2018 rise slightly to 17.27 million [UPDATE]

DETROIT — Sales of new vehicles in the U.S. rose slightly in 2018, defying predictions and highlighting a strong economy. Automakers reported an increase of 0.3 percent over a year ago to 17.27 million vehicles. The increase came despite rising interest rates, a volatile stock market, and rising car and truck prices that pushed some buyers out of the new-vehicle market. Industry analysts and automakers said strong economic fundamentals pushed up sales and should keep them near historic highs in 2019. "Economic conditions in the U.S. are favorable and should continue to be supportive of vehicle sales at or around their current run rate," Ford Chief Economist Emily Kolinski Morris said after the company and other automakers announced their sales numbers Thursday. That auto sales remain near the 2016 record of 17.55 million is a testimonial to the strength of the economy, said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics. The job market, he said, has created new employment, and wage growth has accelerated. "That's fundamental to selling anything," he said. "If there are lots of jobs and people are getting bigger paychecks, they will buy more." The unemployment rate is 3.7 percent, a 49-year low. The economy is thought to have grown close to 3 percent last year, its best performance in more than a decade. Consumers, the main driver of the economy, are spending freely. The Federal Reserve raised its key interest rate four times in 2018 but is only expected to raise it twice this year. Auto sales also were helped by low gasoline prices and rising home values, Zandi said. It all means that people are likely to keep buying new vehicles this year even as they grow more expensive. The Edmunds.com auto-pricing site estimates that the average new vehicle price hit a record $35,957 in December, about 2 percent higher than the previous year. It will be harder for automakers to keep the sales pace above 17 million because they have been enticing buyers for several years now with low-interest financing and other incentives, Zandi said. He predicts more deals in the coming year as job growth slows and credit tightens for higher-risk buyers. Edmunds, which provides content, including automotive tips and reviews, for distribution by The Associated Press, predicts that sales will drop this year to 16.9 million.

Cadillac shows dealers convertible rendering

Cadillac is getting serious about revitalizing and expanding its lineup, and to that end, a new report claims that brand boss Johan de Nysschen has been showing plans for several new models to the marque's dealer body - among them, a new convertible.
The droptop which Cadillac reportedly showed its dealers in sketch form, would be based on the same platform as the ATS and CTS, those it's unclear to which (if either) of those model lines the new convertible would be added, or whether the design features a canvas or folding hardtop roof. One way or another, it would be the first time Cadillac would offer a convertible since the Corvette-based XLR roadster was discontinued more than five years ago.
Quoting an unnamed brand spokesperson, Cadillac would "like to introduce an open car to the portfolio at some point," however, "it's not likely to be one of the near-term portfolio additions."

Cadillac CT6 beefs up with 400-hp twin-turbo V6

Cadillac's engine lineup is set to get a makeover led by the potent powerplants under the hood of the CT6. Our man Steven Ewing is onsite at an event in Detroit reporting all the details. Here's what we know so far: The CT6's top engine will be a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6. It's the first twin-turbo with cylinder deactivation, which essentially makes the V6 able to convert to a V4 unit. Power will be 400 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 400 pound-feet of torque at just 2,500 rpm. No word on what a potential CT6-V would get. The CT6 will also have a naturally aspirated V6 that Cadillac is claiming to be all-new. It's rated at 335 hp at 6,800 rpm and 284 lb-ft at 5,300 rpm. That's an improvement of 14 hp and nine lb-ft compared with today's 3.6-liter V6, and fuel economy increases nine percent. Cadillac says it's the highest output for a naturally aspirated V6 that's SAE-certified and runs on regular fuel. Both of these V6s will have stop/start technology and will be paired to with eight-speed automatic transmissions. The 3.6-liter V6 will also be used in the 2016 CTS and the 2016 ATS. Meanwhile, Ewing reports that Cadillac says the ATS-V is actually more powerful than initially announced, though there are no numbers to flesh that claim out as yet. The brand also plans to offer four- and six-cylinder diesel engines in various vehicles and new V8 options. The CT6 bows at the New York Auto Show. It will use an aluminum-intensive body that reduces weight by 198 pounds compared with a steel setup and continues Cadillac's creased design language used on the CTS and ATS models. The CT6 goes into production late this year in Detroit. Related Video: Cadillac Next-Gen V-6 Engines Led by 3.0L Twin Turbo Segment-leading power, efficiency in world's most advanced six-cylinder DETROIT – Cadillac today announced a new generation of V-6 engines, led by an exclusive Twin Turbo V-6 that will be one of the industry's most advanced six-cylinder gasoline engines. It leverages the latest technology to balance efficiency, performance and refinement in the upcoming, top-of-the-range CT6 luxury performance sedan. The all-new Cadillac 3.0L Twin Turbo is designed to achieve new thresholds of refinement and specific output for the brand's new prestige luxury sedan, which makes its world premiere March 31, at the New York International Auto Show. Production begins late this year at General Motors' Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant.