2009 Cadillac Cts V Sedan 4-door 6.2l -fully Optioned-extras on 2040-cars

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Why we can't have better headlights here in the U.S.

It wouldn't be a European auto show if we weren't teased with at least one mainstream vehicle we can't have here. At the Geneva Motor Show last week, the small but vocal contingent of shooting-brake buffs lamented that the Mazda6 wagon won't be coming to our shores, although they can take comfort in the fact that the vehicle won't get the torquey 250-horsepower 2.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine we'll get here. Mercedes-Benz also announced a new headlight technology in Geneva that likely won't be available here anytime soon. It's just the latest in a long line of innovative and potentially lifesaving front-lighting solutions that the federal government doesn't allow in this country due to outdated standards — and a current lack of leadership at the U.S. Department of Transportation. Mercedes-Benz's new Digital Light system that debuted in Geneva uses a computer chip to activate more than a million micro-reflectors to better illuminate the road ahead. The Digital Light headlamps works with the vehicle's cameras, sensors and navigation mapping to adjust lighting for the given location and situation and to detect other road users. The Digital Light technology also serves as an extended head-up display of sorts by projecting symbols on the pavement ahead to alert drivers to, say, slippery conditions or pedestrians in the road. And it can even project lines on the road in a construction zone or through tight curves to show the driver the correct path. Digital Light will be available on Mercedes-Maybach vehicles later this year, although like any technology it's bound to trickle down to less expensive vehicles. That is, if we ever get it here in the U.S. Audi, a leader in automotive lighting, has repeatedly run into snags trying to bring state-of-the-art car headlights to the U.S. The German luxury automaker's recently introduced matrix laser headlight system, which performs many of the same trick as Mercedes-Benz's Digital Light, also isn't legal on U.S. roads. And five years after the introduction of its matrix-beam LED lighting, which illuminates more of the road without blinding oncoming motorists with brights by simultaneously operating high and low beams, Audi still can't bring that technology to the U.S. either.

Recharge Wrap-up: LA Auto Show may feature updated Cadillac ELR, Uber expands Chicago HQ

A Kentucky man has converted his 1939 Dodge pickup to an electric vehicle. Al Gajda of Lexington built the electric truck, which he now uses as his daily driver. "I take advantage of any excuse to drive it; just banging around town, errands, short runs on the interstate, delivering my granddaughter to school in the morning," he says. It is powered by a lithium-ion phosphate battery, which is mounted in a wooden box on the truck bed, and gets about 100 miles per charge. Read more at the Lexington Herald-Leader. Elon Musk will speak at the Automotive News World Congress in January. The Tesla CEO is a featured speaker for the program, "Setting the Pace in a Thriving Market." The event takes place in Detroit, which could lead to an interesting mix of people in the audience, and Musk will speak on January 13. Read more at Automotive News. Production of the Toyota Rav4 EV has ended. The shipment of the final Toyota EVs concludes Toyota's deal to source batteries from Tesla. Of the 2,600 Rav4 EVs to be produced, there are probably just a few hundred left to be sold, most of which are likely to be gone by the end of October. Read more at Inside EVs. Cadillac will likely show an improved version of the ELR at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. The 2016 ELR will include unspecified "engineering enhancements," according to Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell. There will be no 2015 model, as the 2014 model will be sold until the 2016 ELR goes on sale in the first half 2015. Read more at Edmunds. Uber executives, along with Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, have announced a major expansion of the ride-hailing company's Chicago headquarters. Uber also plans to add 420 jobs by the end of 2016. "Uber's new expanded headquarters will allow the company to continue its rapid growth and serve its riders and drivers throughout Illinois," says Governor Quinn. Last month, Quinn vetoed legislation that would have put restrictions on companies like Uber in the state. Read more in the press release below. Governor Quinn and Uber Announce Major Chicago Headquarters Expansion Innovative Ridesharing Company to Add 420 Jobs by End of 2016 CHICAGO, Sept. 29, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Governor Pat Quinn and Uber executives today announced that the ridesharing giant is moving forward with creating 420 new jobs by the end of 2016 in a major expansion of its Chicago regional headquarters.

2016 Cadillac CT6 First Drive [w/video]

Cadillac moved to New York, renamed its cars and crossovers, and made cutting-edge technology one of its pillars. It's fighting hard to attract new customers and kill its outdated reputation as an old-man car brand in the United States. Change happens slowly, and then sometimes, all at once. Enter the 2016 Cadillac CT6. This is Cadillac's range-topping sedan. It's almost as long as the Mercedes S-Class and BMW 7 Series, yet in some configurations, it's lighter than their smaller siblings, the E-Class and 5 Series. The CT6 is a rolling showcase of General Motors' latest and best technologies, with potential breakthrough features like Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving waiting in the wings. It comes in a wide variety of flavors. The CT6 starts as low as $54,490 with a four-cylinder engine and rear-wheel drive, which is the car that Cadillac hopes will be cross-shopped with the mid-tier Germans. The top-end CT6 Platinum with all-wheel drive and the 404-horsepower V6 begins at $84,460, and it could make S-Class and 7 Series buyers rethink American luxury. Put simply, the CT6 means everything to Cadillac, but it will mean different things to its customers. It can be the executive chauffeur with all the backseat accouterments. Or it can be the massive yet somehow kinda sporty and nimble rear-wheel-drive sedan that weighs only 3,657 pounds. We tried both versions and came away impressed with both the strategy and the execution. It's a little strange to think that Cadillac doesn't offer a V8 in its biggest sedan. Taking the wheel on a sunny, cool day in rural San Diego County, we wonder if a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine has what it takes to really move this giant. Our concerns quickly dissipate – this engine is also under the hood of the Chevy Camaro, and its 265 hp and 295 pound-feet of torque are more than up for the task. The big sedan handles curvy mountain roads adeptly. There's not a lot of roll for a car this size, even when we're aggressively whipping through tight turns. This poise comes from the CT6's rigid, lightweight aluminum and steel structure called Omega. We switch through the driving modes but settle on sport for the dash to the lunch spot. The steering is surprisingly tight and the brakes have strong response with little pedal travel. After a quick bite in an old mining town called Julian, we take off in the spotlight CT6, the Platinum trim, powered by the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6. It's an enjoyable car to stretch out on the highway.