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Both BMW and Audi shutter vehicle subscription programs

Both BMW and Audi are either cancelling or pausing their respective vehicle subscription programs, Automotive News reports. This is yet another blow to what was once a growing and burgeoning group of automakers introducing pay-as-you-go vehicle subscription options in a number of cities across the U.S. Both Mercedes-Benz and Ford shut down their services last year, and Cadillac turned off the tap in 2018. BMW’s program — Access by BMW — was only ever offered in the Nashville area. A BMW spokesperson explained the companyÂ’s decision making to Automotive News. "Our intent with the pilot was to learn about the viability of the subscription model and gauge customer interest. We are in the process of developing the next iteration of the program,” he said. When that next iteration will arrive is still uncertain. Audi doesnÂ’t claim that a comeback is on the way. Instead, the companyÂ’s website simply says its services are ending on January 31 this year. Audi limited its subscription service to the Texas area throughout its whole campaign. CadillacÂ’s subscription service was promised a reboot a long time ago, and today is the first time weÂ’ve heard some rumbling. ANÂ’s report claims that Cadillac is testing a rebooted version of the service in a dealer pilot now. WeÂ’ve reached out to Cadillac to see if it can provide any further details. As of today, the official Book by Cadillac website says Cadillac “will be debuting a new program in early 2020.” ItÂ’s now early 2021, so Cadillac is officially a year late on its announcement. A number of OEM-run vehicle subscription services still exist (Porsche, Volvo, Lexus, Nissan), but instead of the market expanding, itÂ’s shrinking these days. Related video: Audi BMW Cadillac Car Buying Ownership Luxury

2021 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing spied up close, showing off bronze wheels

Here is yet another closer look at the upcoming Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing sedan. Some pertinent details have been flying around this one for a while now. A photo of the interior showing a manual transmission is the latest leak, and it’s also one of the most exciting. Reports have also shone light on the engine: ItÂ’s supposed to be getting an updated version of GMÂ’s 6.2-liter supercharged V8. There will be no shortage of horsepower and torque. These latest spy shots reveal a couple of other new developments. For one, we get a really great look at the wheel and tire package on the car. Those dark bronze wheels are new, and they sure do look like production-style wheels to us. If anything, they remind us of the Brass Monkey wheel color found on Challengers and Chargers. Wide Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires wrap those wheels. It gets 305-section-width tires in back and 275-section-width rubber in front. The wide, staggered setup is no surprise considering that this car will very likely put out more than 640 horsepower. ThereÂ’s a great deal of camouflage missing from the car as a whole, too. The hood is out in the open, and the same goes for the upper portions of the doors. ThatÂ’s because those parts of the car are virtually identical to the regular CT5-V. Sorry, no massive hood scoop on this sedan. The front grilleÂ’s lower opening does look significantly taller on this car, though. And where the standard CT5 has covered up fake vents, this car appears to have real, open venting. All the lighting is the same, but the maw of the CT5-V Blackwing is definitely much more aggressive than the standard CT5-V. Cadillac hasnÂ’t provided us with a date on when the new CT5-V Blackwing will be revealed, but has assured us that itÂ’s coming soon. We expect its little sibling, the CT4-V Blackwing, will debut right alongside this one. Related video:

Cadillac ATS was almost front-wheel drive

"We were going to do a front-wheel drive Cadillac compact off of Delta because it was going to be less expensive," Doug Parks, General Motors' vice president of global product programs, told the Automotive News during the Detroit Auto Show in January of this year. That sentence, referring to early ATS discussions more than five years ago - a period when the automaker, and the industry, was struggling - reveals that Cadillac's highly acclaimed rear-wheel drive compact sedan almost never happened.
Parks revealed that that automaker actually built a 2.0-liter test mule, on GM's Delta platform (shared with the Chevrolet Cruze and Buick Verano) and tested it in Europe. While the prototype was "pretty darn good," according to Parks, the team realized that in order to compete against Mercedes-Benz and BMW it would have to invest in a new rear-wheel drive platform.
The resulting all-new Alpha platform would eventually underpin the Cadillac ATS, and many would argue that its balanced rear-wheel drive chassis is its single most important attribute. Thankfully, the Alpha's goodness won't stop with the ATS. The upcoming 2014 Cadillac CTS and the future Camaro will also share its architecture, meaning the Cimarron will remain a distant memory.