1989 Ford Mustang Lx 5.0 Hatchback (mca Show Winner) on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Cadillac considering more radical ATS-V

Cadillac is stepping up its performance game with the launch of the new ATS-V and CTS-V, but it's not about to rest on the laurels it removed from its own badge. While it's tipped to launch additional V models in the future, the latest word is Caddy could also come out with an even more extreme version of the ATS-V in the near future. According to Car and Driver, the prospect is on the table: "We might have something down the road that is a little bit more aggressive," chief engineer Dave Leone said, while another source pegged its potential arrival for 2017. It's too early to say what would constitute the more extreme model. The magazine points toward the Mercedes-AMG Black Series as an example. Jaguar took a similarly extreme approach with the XKR-S GT, as BMW has with the M3 GTS. As it is, the ATS-V is offered in both coupe and sedan variants with a 3.6-liter twin-turbo V6 producing 464 horsepower channeled to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual. Cadillac reportedly considered employing a dual-clutch transmission and all-wheel drive, but went the old-school route to avoid excess weight and (no doubt) cost.

2016 Cadillac CT6 to get an aluminum body?

Well this is interesting: A hot-off-the-press report in Automobile claims the coming Cadillac CT6 will have an aluminum body. Most write-ups on the CT6 claim it will have a body that's a combination of aluminum and high-strength steel - Automobile itself wrote of "high-strength steel, aluminum, and steel stampings" in October. An all-aluminum body would be quite the reversal, contradicting the last four months of reportage and company statements on the matter. Mark Reuss, EVP of global development at General Motors, told The Detroit News in October, "We will create with the CT6, the world's most advanced body structure... [and] it's not aluminum. It's a stronger, smarter, safer premium luxury vehicle." It echoed the earlier Automobile story in saying the CT6 would use GM's "patented welding technology with high-strength steel, aluminum and steel stampings and castings." That same month, the Wall Street Journal ran a piece titled, "GM Won't Follow Aluminum Strategy in Future Cars," in which Reuss said, "making big statements around all carbon fiber, all aluminum, all magnesium, they're very interesting," and that GM wouldn't be doing it. That piece also circled back to a material mix and GM's special welding process, saying the CT6 "will have a body made of aluminum, high-strength steel and other materials, and will be 100 kilograms (220 pounds) lighter than a similar-sized car made of high-strength steel." We don't know what kind of body Cadillac's new assault on luxury is going to wear, but now we can't wait to find out. Featured Gallery Cadillac Elmiraj Sedan: Spy Shots View 22 Photos News Source: AutomobileImage Credit: Chris Doane Automotive Cadillac GM Luxury Sedan aluminum cadillac ct6

GM to accelerate its EV strategy — Cadillac could be all-electric by 2025

General Motors will roll out details of an expanded and accelerated electric vehicle strategy on Thursday in an effort to convince investors it can be a serious competitor to Tesla, people familiar with the plans said. GM Chief Executive Mary Barra, who is scheduled to speak at a conference hosted by Barclays, is expected to say the automaker is ready to spend more on electric models by 2025 than the $20 billion previously outlined, the sources said. Supplier sources said previous plans to make the Cadillac brand all-electric by 2030 are being sped up, possibly to 2025, and other sources said that acceleration will be repeated in other brands and in segments such as commercial vans. Asked about the Thursday appearance, a GM spokeswoman called talk of increased spending speculative and declined to give details. The Detroit automaker is also expected to discuss a new timeline for many of the EVs to follow those already identified, such as the GMC Hummer EV pickup and Cadillac Lyriq crossover, people familiar with the plans said. Lyriq (shown above) is slated to go into production in late 2022, but GM officials have been stung by criticism the automaker was bringing the vehicle to market too late, one source said. "The pull-ahead in programs is real and the organization is really doubling down on speeding up product development," the source said. Barra and other GM executives have been signaling the automaker's EV acceleration plans. She said earlier this month GM would boost capital spending over the next three years to speed EV development and was talking with other automakers about partnerships to develop more vehicles using GM's battery technology. Last week, a GM executive said the company had pulled forward the rollout of two "major" EV programs, and GM officials have touted the faster 18-month development time for the Hummer truck. Tesla's soaring market capitalization, and growing pressure from regulators to phase out carbon-emitting engines, has put pressure on established automakers to respond to investors who view their internal combustion lineups as outmoded and doomed in the long run. A critical part of GM's pitch to investors has been its new Ultium batteries, which it estimates will offer an electric driving range of 400 miles or more on a single charge. It is building a battery plant with Korean battery maker LG Chem in northeast Ohio.