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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Autoblog

By John Rosevear, The Motley Fool

Can Cadillac Really Compete With Mercedes and BMW?

April 14, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

Filed under: Investing

The all-new 2014 Cadillac CTS is set to arrive at U.S. dealers this fall. Image source: General Motors.

General Motors CEO Dan Akerson didn’t know a whole lot about the auto business when he joined the auto giant’s board in the wake of the company’s 2009 bankruptcy. But it’s clear that he’s learned a lot since. One of the things he’s learned is that automakers with strong global luxury brands make more money. That’s because luxury cars, generally speaking, sell with fatter profit margins than regular cars.

Making more money is of great interest to Akerson these days. GM has been solidly profitable for a while now, but its profits haven’t been as strong as Akerson and GM‘s shareholders would like. More to the point, they haven’t been nearly as strong as those at GM‘s global peers Toyota and Volkswagen , both of which have strong luxury brands: Toyota’s Lexus and VW’s Audi.

GM, meanwhile, has Cadillac. But more and more, this isn’t your grandfather’s Cadillac. GM is making a big push to turn Cadillac into a no-excuses global luxury-car contender.

A surprising product revival, with global aims
Recent Cadillac models, like the all-new CTS (shown above) that GM unveiled last month, have shown that GM is putting some deep thought and serious global sophistication into its once-tired luxury brand.

Gone are the tufted velour seats, pillowy rides, and white vinyl roofs of retirement-community Cadillacs of yore. The latest Cadillacs are serious luxury cars in the modern idiom, combining lush interiors with sporty handling — and, increasingly, materials and build quality that rival the great German luxury brands.

One by one, the cars that Cadillac will need to be truly competitive with the likes of BMW are coming. Last year’s ATS sedan was GM‘s first-ever serious competitor to BMW‘s much-lauded 3-Series — and some reviewers were shocked by how well the ATS turned out.

Now comes the CTS, first shown in New York in March and expected to arrive at dealers this fall. Reviewers haven’t had a chance to drive it yet, but it looks — on paper and in the metal — like another big step forward for the brand. Next up: The ELR coupe, a sporty and luxurious cousin of the Chevy Volt, and an all-new replacement for the big Escalade SUV, due next year.

After that, things could get very interesting. Rumors hint that GM has a series of big Cadillacs under development, to be built on a new rear-wheel-drive platform designed to match or beat cars such as the vaunted Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Those cars could start to appear by mid-decade, and at that point Cadillac could be ready to go head-to-head with the best in the world — all over the world.

Meanwhile, GM is already laying the groundwork for that moment in other areas.

A new global organization for a very

From: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/04/14/can-cadillac-really-compete-with-bmw/

By Daniel Miller, The Motley Fool

GM's Cadillac Brand Will Do Big Things

April 13, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

Filed under: Investing

Photo source: GM

As the U.S. economy continues its gradual rebound, it’s mirrored by a surge in automotive sales. That news is to the delight of Detroit rivals Ford and General Motors . Ford’s having great success with its fuel-efficient vehicles such as the Fusion and Focus. It’s also enjoying record sales with the Escape and Explorer. One thing that GM has over Ford – by far – is a luxury lineup that’s actually selling: Last year the Escape more than doubled the sales of the entire Lincoln brand – ouch. Let’s see what’s going on with the Cadillac lineup and why it’s important for investors.

All about the bottom line
Obviously it’s important to increase the top-line revenues, but the bottom line is what you take to the bank and is much more important. The biggest profit makers for Detroit automakers are pickup trucks. That’s not a trend likely to change anytime soon. That said, luxury vehicles represent higher dollar values and better margins than your standard vehicles. In addition to that, luxury brands offer incremental sales to automakers. If Ford actually had a Lincoln brand that sold anything, it wouldn’t compete with its other hot selling vehicles – like the Fusion.

Cadillac surges
While the Lincoln MKZ had more hype than any Lincoln since the Navigator, the launch was completely bungled by Ford. Quality inspections took too long causing months of delays. While Ford struggles to correct its mistakes, the Cadillac line is enjoying its spot in the sun. The Cadillac ATS helped drive a 49% sales increase last month – pretty impressive. It’s been a hit with the consumers, and it’s also been bringing in the exact target audience.

“It’s a pretty diverse group that’s coming through the door now,” said Sewell, who owns four Cadillac dealerships in Texas. “The new ATS is bringing in the ideal buyer: younger and better educated.”

Not slowing down
The ATS has been a hit with consumers but GM isn’t stopping there. It’s rolling out 10 new models by 2105 and continues to impress critics with most of the redesigns. At the 2013 Detroit Auto Show the ATS was named the “Car of the Year”. Recently at the New York Auto show the CTS sedan garnered quite a bit of attention as well. These new models are incredibly important to the bottom line and GM intends to bring that cash home. CEO Dan Akerson set forth a goal to boost operating margins in North America up to 10% from 7.4% by mid-decade. That’s great news for investors who have been quick to point out GM hasn’t been as profitable as desired and is a step behind rival Ford in operating efficiency.

Not the same GM
I understand it takes time to reverse the impression consumers have from years of terrible GM vehicles. Things have changed, both

From: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/04/13/gms-cadillac-brand-will-do-big-things/

By John Rosevear, The Motley Fool

Why GM's New Pickups Should Worry Ford

April 7, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

Filed under: Investing

Are General Motors‘ new Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra losers?

A lot of Internet trash talk has been aimed at both full-size pickups since GM unveiled the just-redesigned new models in January. Even my Foolish colleague Daniel Miller has been skeptical, saying that the Silverado “looks to disappoint” when the all-new models hit dealers later this spring.

But I think it’s unlikely that the trucks will “disappoint.” In fact, I think there’s a good chance they’ll turn out to be great trucks once folks get a chance to drive them.

Here’s why.

More improvements than meet the eye
Most observers are keying off the new trucks’ looks — they bear a strong family resemblance to the outgoing versions they’re replacing. (The silver truck is a 2013 Silverado LTZ, and the red one is the all-new 2014 version.)

Image sources: General Motors.

But there appear to be a whole lot of subtle improvements baked into the new truck. GM certainly hasn’t been shy about saying so: The company called a press conference last week to tout its new haulers, pointing out, among other things, that a Silverado with GM‘s new 5.3 liter V8 got slightly better EPA mileage ratings than Ford‘s much-advertised “EcoBoost” V6 truck.

That sounds like a trivial thing, but a lot of full-size pickup buyers would rather have the V8, all things being equal — even if it’s a V8 that runs on just four cylinders much of the time to save gas, as GM‘s new engine will.

GM has been touting a slew of other upgrades, from the new truck’s impressive towing capacity to an upgraded interior. But all automakers do that when they launch new models. Why should we take GM‘s word for it?

Here’s why: Because after years of up and down quality, the company’s latest models have been very good.

Why a Cadillac bodes well for GM’s pickups
In any given month, GM might sell 50,000 pickups or more here in the United States. The combination of high volume and big margins mean that pickups are Ford’s most important single line of business — and they just might be GM‘s, too.

In contrast, GM sold just 15,751 Cadillacs in the U.S. in March — but in its own way, GM‘s ongoing effort to revive Cadillac is nearly as important to GM’s long-range profit goals as its bread-and-butter pickup trucks are.

Why am I bringing up Cadillac? Because GM‘s latest Cadillacs have been home runs. The ATS, a compact sedan launched last year, has turned out to be a genuine, legit competitor to the BMW 3-Series, one of the best-regarded cars in the world.

The ATS, simply put, is really good, proof that GM is doing great vehicles nowadays. Its big brother, the CTS, was just unveiled in New York, and it looks like another home run, a car that will challenge BMW‘s 5-Series and Mercedes-Benz’s E-Class head-on.

GM …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Automobiles

Latest Skinny on Cadillac Variants: Thumbs Up to ATS Coupe, Thumbs Down to All Wagons

April 5, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Austin Lindberg and Justin Berkowitz

In January of 2012, Cadillac revealed the ATS sedan. That car is designed specifically to target the BMW 3-series and similar sports sedans, and it has allowed the third-generation CTS, which just debuted at the New York auto show, to abandon the segment-stretching mission of its predecessor and make a serious run at the mid-size luxury segment. Now that the new sedan is a real thing, we thought we’d check our sources for the latest on the brand’s coupe and wagon plans.

So what’s to become of the CTS coupe and the CTS wagon, which are based on the outgoing model? According to sources very close to Cadillac, the coupe and the wagon will carry on as they are for the time being. The 2014 sedan is scheduled to go into production at GM’s Lansing, Michigan, plant this fall, and we understand that the coupe and wagon will be built alongside the new sedan for “at least a year.” We wouldn’t bet on either model surviving longer than that.

We’ve also again confirmed that the all-new CTS will not spawn a wagon variant. The wagon existed for three primary reasons: 1) The second-gen CTS was tasked with reintroducing the brand to Europe, which loves wagons; 2) It required very little alteration and extra cost; and 3) The wagon helped Cadillac present an image of a full-line automaker. But the five-door accounted for just seven percent of all CTSs sold last year—roughly 3500, one in three of which were high-performance V models—and the brand doesn’t see a good reason to offer a new one.

But a reasonably sized Cadillac coupe will carry forward, although not among the CTS line. Once the current two-door shuffles off this automotive coil, it’s highly likely that we’ll see the sheets pulled from an ATS coupe. Such a coupe will provide Cadillac the opportunity to reach more entry-luxury buyers—70 percent of ATS buyers are migrating from other luxury brands, and an additional body style gives Caddy another weapon with which to battle Audi, BMW, Lexus, and Mercedes-Benz.

While we’ll mourn the loss of two CTS variants, we’re told Cadillac’s lineup still will see net growth despite these losses. And don’t forget that V versions of both the ATS and the CTS are on the way within the next couple of years. For those upset about the wagon’s imminent demise, well, you have at least another year to buy a brand-new CTS five-door—we recommend you follow one third of the herd and make yours a V.

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Car & Driver

Automobiles

Report: Cadillac mulling CTS Coupe successor after all

April 4, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Jeffrey N. Ross

Filed under:

The 2014 Cadillac CTS made a big splash last week at the New York Auto Show, but now that we’ve seen the sedan, we can start to wonder about whether coupe and wagon versions are in the cards. According to Edmunds, Cadillac is at least considering bringing back the CTS Coupe for a second generation, which seems like an even better chance since the brand’s global marketing director, Jim Vurpillat, was quoted as saying that the car was the top-selling luxury coupe in the industry.

Of course, this goes against reports we heard last year that Caddy’s coupe and wagon would live on just not under the CTS name, but the interview with Vurpillat has us hopeful for a next-generation CTS Coupe. If it does come to fruition, we would expect the new two-door to have a largely unique exterior design like the current CTS Coupe, to echo that of intended rivals like the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe and even the high-dollar BMW 6 Series.

Cadillac mulling CTS Coupe successor after all originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 Apr 2013 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Autoblog

By Seth Jayson, The Motley Fool

Don't Get Too Worked Up Over CTS's Latest Numbers

April 3, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

Filed under: Investing

Here at The Motley Fool, I’ve long cautioned investors to keep a close eye on inventory levels. It’s a part of my standard diligence when searching for the market’s best stocks. I think a quarterly checkup can help you spot potential problems. For many companies, products that sit on the shelves too long can become big trouble. Stale inventory may be sold for lower prices, hurting profitability. In extreme cases, it may be written off completely and sent to the shredder.

Basic guidelines
In this series, I examine inventory using a simple rule of thumb: Inventory increases ought to roughly parallel revenue increases. If inventory bloats more quickly than sales grow, this might be a sign that expected sales haven’t materialized. Is the current inventory situation at CTS (NYS: CTS) out of line? To figure that out, start by comparing the company’s inventory growth to sales growth. How is CTS doing by this quick checkup? At first glance, pretty well. Trailing-12-month revenue decreased 2.0%, and inventory decreased 11.7%. Comparing the latest quarter to the prior-year quarter, the story looks decent. Revenue shrank 4.0%, and inventory dropped 11.7%. Over the sequential quarterly period, the trend looks worrisome. Revenue grew 0.7%, and inventory grew 9.0%.

Advanced inventory

I don’t stop my checkup there, because the type of inventory can matter even more than the overall quantity. There’s even one type of inventory bulge we sometimes like to see. You can check for it by examining the quarterly filings to evaluate the different kinds of inventory: raw materials, work-in-progress inventory, and finished goods. (Some companies report the first two types as a single category.)

A company ramping up for increased demand may increase raw materials and work-in-progress inventory at a faster rate when it expects robust future growth. As such, we might consider oversized growth in those categories to offer a clue to a brighter future, and a clue that most other investors will miss. We call it “positive inventory divergence.”

On the other hand, if we see a big increase in finished goods, that often means product isn’t moving as well as expected, and it’s time to hunker down with the filings and conference calls to find out why.

What’s going on with the inventory at CTS? I chart the details below for both quarterly and 12-month periods.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Data is current as of latest fully reported quarter. Dollar amounts in millions. FY = fiscal year. TTM = trailing 12 months.

Source: S&P …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

By John Rosevear, The Motley Fool

Analysts: Strong Sales Continue for GM and Ford

April 1, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

Filed under: Investing

Did U.S. auto sales hold strong in March?

We’ll know for sure when official numbers are reported on Tuesday, April 2, but if analysts are correct, March was indeed another solid month for car and truck sales in the U.S.

Analysts polled by Bloomberg expect an average 4.2% year-over-year increase in U.S. sales of “light vehicles” (cars, pickups, and SUVs). At least one high-profile analyst, Edmunds’ Jessica Caldwell, thinks March was likely the best month for U.S. light-vehicle sales since May of 2007.

While Ford will likely come in with an increase above the average, analysts say, the year-over-year growth winner looks set to be General Motors .

A good month as the General gathers strength
GM is expected to post a 12% year-over-year sales gain for March, according to the Bloomberg consensus analyst estimate. GM’s full-sized pickups are likely to have been a big driver of any sales increase – Kelley Blue Book analyst Alec Gutierrez estimates that overall full-sized pickup sales were up 14.9% in March, and GM is known to be aggressively clearing out pickup inventories ahead of the arrival of redesigned models later this spring.

GM’s increasing strength in cars is likely beginning to pay off as well. The Cadillac ATS and XTS sedans, both introduced last year, are set to benefit as GM’s efforts to revive its old luxury brand gather steam. And GM has more new vehicles on the way: The company is introducing 13 new Chevrolets in 2013, as well as another Cadillac, the mid-sized CTS, due at dealers this fall.

Meanwhile, Ford will likely bask in a strong result for its midsized Fusion sedan, introduced late last year. Kelley Blue Book estimates that Fusion sales will be up 24% over year-ago totals for the last-generation model, itself a strong seller.

Tight supply and strong demand at Ford
Ford is probably selling all the Fusions it can make at the moment, as its factories are at full capacity – and in some cases, beyond. The company is adding 1,200 workers at its plant in Flat Rock, Mich., to build additional Fusions starting later this year.

Ford’s production capacity challenges extend well beyond the hot new Fusion. While the impressive utilization of its factories has meant big profits in North America, the company is likely to be facing tight supplies for a few more months as it works to squeeze more production out of its existing North American factories.

That will likely keep the Blue Oval’s sales increases relatively subdued, at least for a few more months, even as new models bring nice gains to GM. But Ford shareholders can take comfort: Those busy factories should continue to drive strong North American profits for the Blue Oval.

Worried about Ford?
If you’re concerned that Ford’s turnaround has run its course, relax — there’s good reason to think that the Blue Oval still has big growth opportunities ahead. We’ve outlined those opportunities in detail, in the Fool’s …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

News, Politics, Government

Honda Steals The 2013 New York Auto Show With A Vacuum Cleaner

March 27, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Micheline Maynard, Contributor

Cadillac introduced a fresh CTS mid-sized luxury car. Land Rover imported James Bond. But Honda stole the 2013 New York International Auto Show this week with a vacuum cleaner. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest

Automobiles

Video: Watch the 2014 Cadillac CTS live-stream reveal

March 27, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Steven J. Ewing

Filed under:

Despite many an image leaking onto the Internet over the weekend, today is the official day for the debut of the all-new 2014 Cadillac CTS. You want the nitty-gritty details of Cadillac’s new sedan? Click here.

If you want to watch the 2014 CTS makes its live debut in front of a throng of auto journalists, then just watch below, as Cadillac is live-streaming the event at 7:15 PM EST. That’s only a few minutes from now, so click here to start watching, and stay tuned for our first live images of the CTS from the New York Auto Show.

Continue reading Watch the 2014 Cadillac CTS live-stream reveal

Watch the 2014 Cadillac CTS live-stream reveal originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Mar 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Automobiles

Official: 2014 Cadillac CTS debuts new design, twin-turbo power, Vsport model [w/video]

Continue reading 2014 Cadillac CTS debuts new design, twin-turbo power, Vsport model [w/video]

By Steven J. Ewing

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Sedan, Performance, Cadillac, GM, Design/Style, Luxury

If ever there were a Cadillac to truly rival the world’s best, this could be it.

With every new model, Cadillac indeed gets closer and closer to actually performing at the top of its class, rivaling those crafty Germans at their own sport/luxury sedan game. The best example yet of Cadillac’s efforts to challenge the world came last year, when we met the 2013 ATS – a vehicle that we praised for its on-road dynamics and interior refinement, and later went on to be named North American Car of the Year.

Now comes the 2014 CTS, an all-new sedan that aims to improve upon everything Cadillac learned from the ATS project, making its official debut this week at the 2013 New York Auto Show. We’ve already had the chance to check out the car in person, and everything seems to be a bit sharper with this new CTS, and we aren’t just talking about the bold front end. The powertrain lineup has expanded to three engine offerings, including an all-new twin-turbo V6; the interior materials are some of the best we’ve seen and felt on a Cadillac ever, and the engineering team’s effort to make this CTS longer, lower and leaner will no doubt pay off once it hits the road.

If ever there were a Cadillac to truly rival the world’s best, this could be it.

2014 Cadillac CTS debuts new design, twin-turbo power, Vsport model [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Mar 2013 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Automobiles

New York: 2014 Cadillac CTS debuts new design, twin-turbo power, Vsport model [w/video]

Continue reading 2014 Cadillac CTS debuts new design, twin-turbo power, Vsport model [w/video]

By Steven J. Ewing

Filed under:

If ever there were a Cadillac to truly rival the world’s best, this could be it.

If ever there were a Cadillac to truly rival the world’s best, this could be it.

2014 Cadillac CTS debuts new design, twin-turbo power, Vsport model [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Mar 2013 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Automobiles

2014 Cadillac CTS Debuts with Twin Turbo V6 and Striking Design

By Malcolm Hogan

Cadillac is poised to make a bold statement while facing its direct competition head-on with the introduction of the all-new 2014 Cadillac CTS. Aimed directly at the Germans, the new 2014 CTS puts fort Cadillac’s future vision and design inspiration in a forward momentum off of the heals and inspiration of the new ATS and XTS.

The new 2014 Cadillac CTS, debuting this week at the New York Auto Show, inspires design cues from the Cadillac Ciel Concept and what is found its smaller ATS sibling along with the larger XTS. The forward motion does not stop with its new exterior and interior, the CTS gets new powertrains added to the current 3.6-liter V6 engine. How a new 2014 CTS can be had with twin turbo power in the form of a 420 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque twin-turbo 3.6-liter V6 mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission.

The new twin turbo V6 engine will be available in the top-level CTS trim called Vsport. The Vsport version is much like BMW’s M Sport models having many additional features and sport-esq options. Hopefully this will keep us happy until the new CTS-V arrives. The new 2014 CTS will also get the 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4-cylinder engine found in the ATS, producing 272 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. The current 3.6-liter naturally aspirated V6 will still be offered with 321 horsepower and 272 pound-feet of torque.

A manual transmission won’t be offered on any of the new 2014 CTS models. That is not to say we won’t see a manual transmission for the forthcoming 2014/2015 CTS-V. Mated to the 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine will be a 6-speed automatic installed of the 8-speed auto, which is reserved for the twin-turbo and NA V6.

As a side note, we would not be surprised at all to see the CTS’ new 3.6-liter twin turbo V6 engine in an upcoming ATS-V. No information has been confirmed but we will continue to keep our fingers crossed.

EPA fuel economy numbers have not been finalized but for now GM estimates that the RWD CTS 2.0T will get 19 mpg city and 30 mpg highway. An all-wheel-drive CTS 2.0T model will yield about 1 mpg less while a RWD NA 3.6-liter V6 will come in around 19 mpg city and 28 mpg highway and 18 mpg city / 27 mpg for the AWD NA V6. On the twin-turbo V6, rear-wheel-drive is the only available drive getting 17 mpg city and 25 mpg highway.

Much of the body engineering and rigidity comes from the ATS platform for the new 2014 CTS. Now, as a first, GM’s touted magnetic Ride Control real-time dampening is available on the non-V-badged CTS with 18 or 19 inch wheels. The CTS gets standard 17 inch wheels.

Of course on the inside of the new …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Automotive Addicts

Automobiles

2014 Cadillac CTS Debuts! It’s Bigger, Lighter, and More Focused [2013 New York Auto Show]

By Austin Lindberg

The first two generations of CTS played the role of Cadillac’s multi-tool, intended to stretch across two sports-sedan segments. And it largely delivered on that front, appearing on our 10Best Cars list in either regular or high-test V forms, or both, from 2008 through 2012. But luxury-sedan buyers prefer their cutlery to serve a specific purpose—to wit, BMW has the 3- and 5-series, Audi the A4 and A6, and Mercedes its C- and E-classes. And now that the wreath and crest has assigned its ATS to capably fight the 3-series and the like, Caddy’s Leatherman has been freed to attempt to break the German stranglehold on the mid-size luxury-sedan segment. READ MORE ››

Automobiles

2014 Cadillac CTS

The Cadillac CTS led GM‘s blitz against banality, back in 2001. And since then, the “standard of the world” brand has battled back, segment by segment, replacing duller rolling stock with better cars, every time. The streak goes on with the 2014 Cadillac CTS, now ready for its worldwide launch. The third-generation CTS finally tackles… …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at The Car Connection

Automobiles

Breaking: 2014 Cadillac CTS images leak out yet again

By Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under:

It seems the 2014 Cadillac CTS just doesn’t want to stay under wraps. For the second time in as many days, Caddy’s next sedan is showing a bit more sheetmetal than the automaker would like before it is officially debuted tomorrow at the New York Auto Show.

This time, the leak comes from USA Today, and we’ve gone ahead and added them to our gallery of 2014 CTS images. As you may know, Cadillac will bestow the next CTS with an all-new twin-turbo V6 engine that will offer up an impressive 420 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque.

USA Today also mentions a new Vsport model but doesn’t give any more details other than the fact that it will boast the twin-turbo engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission. Of course, all you have to do is come back to these pages for the official unveiling tomorrow afternoon for all the sordid details. In the meantime, check out the images above.

2014 Cadillac CTS images leak out yet again originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Mar 2013 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Automobiles

Image Leak: The 2014 Cadillac CTS Is Gonna Be Pretty [2013 New York Auto Show]

March 25, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Austin Lindberg

We’re mere days away from a major auto show, which means an inevitable slow and steady leak of photos and information covering highly anticipated reveals. (We’ve already seen the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG courtesy of Russian website AutoWP.ru.) This particular batch of leaked images posted by Flickr user upcomingvehiclesx (you can see a couple of additional frames at the link) have ripped the sheet from the 2014 Cadillac CTS—and the Alpha-platform car going to be a stunner.

OK, so none of the photos posted thus far show the full car, but it’s clear that the new CTS’s front end takes cues from its smaller platform- and stablemate, the ATS. But the larger CTS, which will grow larger to better take on the BMW 5-series and others, features sharper detailing, which could make its little brother look weaker and slightly flabby in comparison. Even so, the design features fewer straight lines than the outgoing CTS, and is a clear evolution of the Art and Science styling language Cadillac initiated a little more than a decade ago.

While similar in design, the CTS’s LED signatures are more prominent than the ATS’s—at least on this presumably up-level trim—and extend more cleanly into the lower front fascia. The grille frame is softened from before, and features two horizontal chrome strips versus the current three. We learned last week that the maw will feed air to an engine lineup that includes a new 420-hp, 3.6-liter twin-turbo V-6. Rear- and all-wheel drive will be available. We also note that this car wears Kumho Escsta SPT high-performance summer tires, which now you do, too.

Compared to the aggressive front end seen here, what we can see of the rear end is decidedly tamer. Creases from the body sides flow into the decklid and create some of the surface contours of the taillight units. We’re digging the classy execution of an Easter egg in those same lamps—look closely and you’ll spot a subtle script “Cadillac”.

One of the leaked images shows the new car’s front passenger door panel, and it features similar shapes to those seen in the ATS and XTS. Contrast stitching provides a visual break between the full-grain hide on the doortop and the faux suede below. The wood trim here is open-pore stuff, and it looks great. If the rest of the interior delivers on the style and implied material quality seen here, then we should be in for a treat.

Should more photos of the 2014 Cadillac CTS leak out on Flickr, an eastern European website, or via …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Car & Driver

Automobiles

Breaking: 2014 Cadillac CTS images leak from somewhere

March 24, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By John Neff

Filed under:

The redesigned 2014 Cadillac CTS will be unveiled this Tuesday on the eve of the New York Auto Show, but as often happens, some images of the car have leaked onto the web a few days early. Previously, the only information we had on the 2014 CTS concerned the all-new twin-turbo V6 engine that will be found underhood, rated at 420 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque.

While none show the new car in its entirety, the images do show much of the front end, particularly the headlights that feature vertical bars of LEDs that start down low as foglights and continue up to the top of the front fenders. They’re similar to the lighting design first shown on the XTS and ATS, except the lower portions are much taller.

There are also views of the rear end and one of the taillights, as well as an interior shot of the front passenger door. The latter image has us most intrigued, as it shows some very high end materials being used in the new CTS interior. The low-gloss wood trim, in particular, looks very premium.

We found these images at GM Inside News, which claimed they surfaced on Cadillac’s official Flickr account. We tried to source them there, though GM Inside News provided no link and we couldn’t find an official Flickr account for Cadillac (the brand only lists Facebook, Twitter and YouTube accounts on its consumer site).

2014 Cadillac CTS images leak from somewhere originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 24 Mar 2013 15:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Cadillac confirms 420-hp twin-turbo V6 for 2014 CTS [w/videos]

Automobiles

Cadillac Announces 420-hp Twin-Turbo V-6 for 2014 CTS, XTS [2013 New York Auto Show]

March 18, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Alexander Stoklosa

Cadillac has formally announced and detailed the twin-turbocharged, 3.6-liter V-6 engine we’ve known about for some time, as well as a new eight-speed automatic transmission. The engine seems to have been worth the wait, as the direct-injected V-6 makes a meaty 420 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque. As we predicted, the new engine will make its way under the hood of the 2014 Cadillac CTS set to debut next week at the 2013 New York auto show, as well as the 2014 XTS coming later this year. It could spread to other GM models like the next-gen Chevy Camaro, next-gen SS sedan, and the forthcoming Cadillac ATS-V.

The twin-turbo V-6 essentially is the same as the naturally aspirated 3.6-liter six that powers a multitude of GM vehicles, although it has been thoroughly reworked for forced-induction. The cylinder block casting and cylinder heads are unique to the twin-turbo version, which also gets beefed-up connecting rods, its own set of machined pistons, and a lower 10.2:1 compression ratio. (The naturally aspirated 3.6-liter V-6 in the 2013 CTS sedan has a 11.5:1 compression ratio.) Cadillac claims that the new six has 90 percent unique parts, including the top-mounted intercooler and the Mitsubishi-engineered turbos. The car’s impressive 118 horsepower per liter of displacement, Cadillac says, bests all other six-cylinder engines in the mid-size luxury segment. In fact, with 420 horsepower, the twin-turbo V-6 packs nearly the same output as BMW’s 445-hp, twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8 found in the 2013 5-series, 6-series Gran Coupe, and 7-series and matches the power put out by the twin-turbo, 4.0-liter V-8 in Audi’s S6 and S7.

2014 Cadillac CTS (spy photo)

Cadillac believes that the engine will be powerful enough to propel the rear-drive version of the next-gen CTS sedan from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.6 seconds and on to a top speed of 170 mph. We’re thinking we’ll be able to improve on the predicted acceleration time once we get to test the new CTS, but the 4.6-second figure is within 0.7 second of the time posted by the current CTS-V sedan, which is powered by a supercharged small-block V-8 making 556 ponies. Cadillac didn’t elaborate on the potential performance of the front-drive-based XTS equipped with the twin-turbo V-6—or whether it will be de-tuned—but we assume that it will be paired exclusively with all-wheel-drive in that car.

In the CTS, the engine will come with a new, Aisin-sourced paddle-shifted eight-speed automatic transmission. (The force-fed XTS will make do with a six-speed auto.) Besides the twin-turbo V-6, the new CTS also will be available with a 272-hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and the same naturally aspirated, 3.6-liter engine found in the current model, albeit …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Car & Driver

Automobiles

Breaking: Cadillac confirms 420-hp twin-turbo V6 for 2014 CTS [w/videos]

March 18, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Jeffrey N. Ross

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The 2014 CTS will break cover next week at the New York Auto Show, but Cadillac has released a few details of what we can expect to find under the car’s hood. As we saw in some spy shots back in January, the biggest news for the midsize Caddy will be a twin-turbocharged V6 producing a whopping 420 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque.

This LF3 engine will be paired to a new eight-speed automatic transmission, which will help balance performance and fuel economy. We still don’t know how much the 2014 CTS has grown in terms of size and weight, but General Motors says that new sedan will return 17 miles per gallon in the city and 25 mpg highway with the new engine to go with a 0-60 mile per hour time of 4.6 seconds – that means the new CTS will have the fuel economy close to the current base model sedan and acceleration not too far from the current CTS-V. General Motors also confirmed that this twin-turbo V6 will be available in the 2014 XTS this fall.

The next-generation CTS will carry over the 3.6-liter V6 from the current car (likely as a base engine) and also add the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder from the ATS. Check out all the details on this new engine and watch a few videos (including GM‘s nifty tilt rig) by scrolling below.

Cadillac confirms 420-hp twin-turbo V6 for 2014 CTS [w/videos] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Mar 2013 11:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.