2006 Cadillac Escalade Esv All Wheel Drive 6.0l V8 Auto Low Mileage Loaded on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Cadillac ELR production has stopped, Chevy Bolt coming in Oct.

It looks like General Motors' Cadillac ELR extended-range plug-in is out as the automaker prepares to go all in on the Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicle. The Caddy officially stopped production in February, Hybrid Cars says, citing Cadillac Product Communications Manager David Caldwell. There is still a "small quantity" of the coupe at dealerships, but this take on mashing up "luxury coupe" with "green vehicle" has about run its course. Caldwell and Johan de Nysschen, president of General Motors' Cadillac division, had already confirmed earlier this year that the ELR, which was first available as a 2014 model, wouldn't have any further generations, though weren't specific on when production would stop. The ELR uses an upgraded version of the first-generation Volt's powertrain to move the 4,000-pound beast, and while the Volt is now in its second generation (and this year's sales have more than doubled from a year earlier as a result), the ELR never received a similar upgrade. The ELR sold just 357 units through April. As a result, the ELR sold just 357 units through April, down almost nine percent from a year earlier. In all of last year, 1,024 ELRs were sold, compared to more than 15,000 units for the Chevy Volt, and that's after the ELR's price was cut by about $9,000 last April. The car also got about a 25-percent increase in power, but that didn't seem to do the trick when it came to boosting demand, even with the available $7,500 federal tax credit. Meanwhile, Hybrid Cars is reporting that the 2017 Bolt, which will feature a single-charge range of about 200 miles and is expected to retail for about $35,000, is likely to start production at GM's Orion Assembly Plant in October. While you wait, if you're already feeling nostalgic, check out our impressions of the ELR here. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2014 Cadillac ELR Review View 48 Photos News Source: Hybrid Cars Green Plants/Manufacturing Cadillac Coupe Hybrid Chevy Bolt cadillac elr elr extended-range plug-in bolt

Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400 priced at $48,855, AWD at $50,855

Infiniti's most powerful production model, the new Q50 Red Sport 400, now has a starting price. You'll need at least $48,855 for the rear-drive model or $50,855 for all-wheel drive. (Both figures include the $905 destination charge.) A fully loaded, rear-drive Q50 RS400 with Direct Adaptive Steering, navigation, adaptive cruise control, a heated steering wheel, and Infiniti's entire alphabet soup of safety equipment, tops out at $57,045. (Again, add $2,000 for AWD). When it comes to rear-drive competition, the closest base price to the Q50 is the 320-hp BMW 340i. This German undercuts the Infiniti by two grand, $46,795 to $48,855. But the BMW outprices the Q50 as soon as you start selecting options. A 340i with similar equipment to a loaded Q50 Red Sport 400 costs just under $60,000. All-wheel-drive German competitors also lose out in the price war. Like with the rear-drive models, the BMW 340i xDrive undercuts the Q50 RS400 by around $2,000. Add the options, and the Infiniti becomes a better value. The other two big German rivals, the Audi S4 and Mercedes-Benz C450 AMG start at a higher price and only get more expensive. Technically the S4 starts cheaper than the Q50, but only with the standard manual transmission. Selecting the S-Tronic dual-clutch model kicks the price from $50,125 to $51,125, and going for the top-end Prestige trim will bump potential Audi owners up to $57,025. Throw on must-have S4 options, including adaptive cruise control, adaptive dampers, and a sport differential and you'll be shell out $64,425 for the Audi. The Mercedes-Benz C450 AMG is the priciest choice in this group, starting at $51,725, or roughly $900 more than a base Q50 RS400 with AWD. Options, again, are the downfall here. Building a C450 to match a loaded Infiniti will drive the Mercedes' price up to $64,315. While it occupies something of a weird space relative to these vehicles, it's also worth mentioning the Cadillac CTS VSport. It's the only car in this impromptu pricing comparo that can outgun the Q50, with its 3.6-liter, twin-turbo V6 good for 420 hp and 430 lb-ft of torque. It also starts at $60,950, although that includes plenty of standard equipment. All this means that the Q50 Red Sport 400 represents a relative value. It packs more power than the Germans – 80 more than the 340i, 67 more than the S4, and 38 more than the C450 – and a more comprehensive list of options, too.

Autoweek divulges details on Presidential limo

Ever since the latest presidential limousine, also known as The Beast, debuted in 2009, we've wondered what's underneath that black Cadillac body. We already know a few details, like the fact it isn't a Cadillac at all, but a very heavy duty truck chassis from General Motors with a body that resembles a super-sized Caddy. Autoweek, however, has managed to extract new details from veteran Secret Service agents about the closely guarded presidential limo. Their methods, of course, are classified.
Designed to be a rolling office, bunker and escape pod all in one, the current presidential limo is far different from previous presidential state cars, which were heavily modified production vehicles. As we would expect, The Beast uses thick, military-grade body armor (eight inches on the doors), an armored fuel tank, special run-flat tires with Kevlar lining, an encrypted satellite phone, a fully sealed cabin with its own oxygen supply and a trunk full of weapons and medical equipment that includes a supply of the President's blood type (in case the car gets cut off from the ambulance that's always present in the President's motorcade).
The Beast also comes with a Halon fire-suppression system, night vision and is powered by a V8 engine, which we already knew runs on gas and not diesel, that returns an EPA-unfriendly estimated 3.7 miles per gallon. The Secret Service operates a fleet of 12 limos and each Beast costs $1.5 million. Lastly, AW estimates that the 18-foot-long state car weighs 15,000 pounds, and each Secret Service agent that drives the car must be specially trained to maneuver such a massive vehicle.