Autoblog

Cadillac is keen to shed its image as a manufacturer of boring luxury barges, so we can expect to see some sporty and dynamic new cars pop up over the coming years at GM's premium division. The first of this new breed of Cadillacs will be an entry-level RWD sedan positioned below the CTS and based on the new mid-sized Alpha platform.

We first got confirmation engineers were working on such a car when the UAW published documents revealing plant allocations for GM's future products. According to the summary, GM will be building a vehicle based on Alpha, which sources revealed will be for Cadillac.

If we're lucky, a low-cost version of Alpha could also be developed for Pontiac and possibly Holden but no plans have been confirmed yet.

Other cars planned for Cadillac include a CTS coupe and wagon in 2009 as well as an all-new RWD sedan to replace both the current DTS and STS models. Officials are even reported to be looking at a hybrid vehicle with the E-Flex plug-in hybrid powertrain rumored to be a possibility.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

GM is considering a hiatus from in-game advertising during the next Super Bowl. Mark LaNeve, GM's VP of vehicle sales, service, and marketing, said that the timing simply wouldn't be right. With no new cars or launches, there would be no reason to spend the $2.6+ million necessary for thirty seconds of air time during the big game.

Last year GM ran one 30-second spot and two 60-second spots. One of the 60-second commercials promoted GM's 100,000 mile warranty featuring a robot that, in what turned out to be a dream sequence, committed suicide. It was actually one of four suicide-themed commercials that came out around that time, all of which generated a fair bit of publicity and discussion about advertising standards. Under pressure from a variety of organizations, GM altered the ad's finale (see altered version here).

LaNeve didn't completely rule out any advertising during this year's Super Bowl, saying "We might end up there, but we haven't committed we'll be there." Cadillac, though, will still sponsor the post-game show and MVP award.

[Source: Auto News, sub req'd]

Our friends over at the Kicking Tires blog decided to take a gander at how well a few of the new 2008 models did their first month on the market, and it turns out really, really well. Though automakers don't break down what percentage of a particular car's monthly sales were of the 2007 or 2008 model, Kicking Tires compared the September sales numbers to the prior month when the redesigned '08s weren't available. The 2008 Cadillac CTS, for instance, sold 3,887 units in August and a whopping 6,416 units in September. That's a 65% increase in units sold month over month and a 73.5% increase in the average number of units sold per day versus the prior year. Clearly the car's positive reviews are reaching the eyes and ears of prospective buyers, which is a good thing for Cadillac overall. Besides the Escalade, which sells in smaller numbers, the CTS was the only Cadillac that increased its sales last month.

Kicking Tires also took a look at the 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class and 2008 Honda Accord, both of which debuted redesigned models in the marketplace last month. The same thing happened. The Merc's sales shot up 42.8% compared to last September and the Accord, which has also enjoyed positive reviews, was up 37.3% versus last year. Curiously, however, the Honda Accord sold even better two months ago when only 2007 models were available. In August of 2007, the average number of only 2007 Honda Accords sold per day was up 37.3% versus just 31.2% in September 2007 when the 2008 models were added. Either way, sales were still up compared to last year, so Honda should be pleased. Not every automaker can say that about its bread-and-butter midsize sedan.

[Source: Kicking Tires]

Late last Friday after the local union officials got to hear the details about the new GM-UAW contract details started emerging about future product plans. It looks like part of the cost for the company to get the union to make some concessions was to commit new products to a bunch of plants. At first we only heard about the assembly plants with the news that the Volt would be produced in Detroit and the small RWD Alpha platform would go to Lordstown OH. Now more of the contract is coming out including commitments to parts plants.

Of interest to Corvette fans is a line item for the Toledo OH transmission plant which reads "RWD DCT for NG Corvette will be allocated (2012)". DCT typically refers to dual clutch transmission. That means the C7 'Vette will almost surely get a DCT. Another product for Toledo and the Baltimore transmission plant is the RWD Gen II Hybrid transmission for 2011/12. This could be an updated, and hopefully lower cost version, of the Two-Mode that could be applied to other applications. Hmmm... do I hear hybrid Zetas? One plant that isn't getting new product is the Livonia, MI engine plant that produces the Northstar V-8s used in Cadillacs when that engine dies in 2010. GM announced a new V-8 engine earlier this year that would be built at the Tonawanda, NY engine plant and the Livonia plant will close.

[Source: GM Inside News]

click above image for new live shots of the 2008 Cadillac CTS

While Damon was lucky enough to get an early shot at driving the brand-new 2008 Cadillac CTS on Laguna Seca last month, the rest of us had to wait until GM showed off its 2008 collection at the Milford Proving ground this week. We'll be bring you more First Drives from the GM event in the coming days, but let's start with our favorite GM product for 2008, the Cadillac CTS.

Customers in North America get to choose from two variants of the 3.6L V6 available in the CTS, one with port fuel injection and the other with direct injection (both models have variable valve timing). All four of the cars on-hand at Milford had the direct injected engine sending its 304 HP to either all four wheels or the rear axle only. The effort that Cadillac engineers and technicians put into designing and developing the CTS was certainly not in vain. That much should be evident by anyone who takes the new CTS for a test drive. Our latest driving impressions of Caddy's new sport sedan, including VIDEO, can be found after the jump.

Just days after we got word that Saab is working on a new crossover with Cadillac, what appears to be a development mule has turned up. The mule carries the bodywork of a Trailblazer from the firewall back and a Saab 9-7x at the front. Closer inspection of the photos reveals details that this machine is not a GMT360.

The front wheel wells have been cut to accommodate a slightly shorter wheelbase. The lower rear view shows an independent suspension at the back. The new CUVs will apparently use a combination of Epsilon II (Vectra) and Theta (Saturn Vue) hardware. We should have a better idea of what the new Saab will look like in January at the Detroit Auto Show, where it's expected to be shown in concept form.

[Source: WorldCarFans]

It's been widely reported that execs at GM, including Vice Chairman Bob Lutz, are keen to expand Cadillac's lineup with several new exciting models. Gone are the days of the emphasis on luxo barges, replaced instead with a focus on smaller and more dynamic cars like the new CTS and, to a lesser extent, the Europe-only BLS. Most are predicting Cadillac will eventually launch new coupe and convertible versions of the CTS, but what if there was a new cabrio version of the entry-level BLS?

This new rendering gives us a pretty good idea of what that car would look like, and, to be honest, it doesn't look all that bad. Cadillac is said to be developing a new RWD small sedan to replace the BLS, and, if a coupe and convertible version were offered, we're sure it would have some success in the U.S.

[Source: CWW Car Design]

Saab managing director, Jan-Ake Jonsson has confirmed that GM's Swedish brand is working with Cadillac on compact crossovers smaller than the current Trailblazer based 9-7x. The two new crossovers are expected to slot in between the BMW X3 and X5 in size, but although they share a platform, they will have totally different styling. Both of the new vehicles will be built in Mexico for sale world wide. Given the expected size of the vehicles and the fact that they are to built in Mexico, they will probably be derived from GM's Theta platform which underpins the new Saturn Vue and Opel Anterra.

Unlike the Saturn and Opel branded CUVs, the upmarket Saab and Cadillac will be powered by the new 2.9L V-6 diesel that was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show last March. It will be interesting to see if GM decides to offer the diesel in either vehicle in the US market since GM has previously indicated that they don't plan to offer that engine here. The Saab version at least will also use the new all-wheel-drive system recently introduced on the 9-3. Production should start within two years and a preview of the Saab could come as soon as Detroit show in January.

[Source: Just-Auto - Sub. Req.]

The rumor that the Cadillac DTS and STS will be nixed has officially been confirmed in an interview with the brand's general manager, Jim Taylor. Sales of both models are down for the year, and Taylor admits that one premium-luxury sedan will be developed to compete in the segment.

In the Automotive News interview, Taylor and his superior, Troy Clarke, GM's president of North America, also confirmed that a new entry-level model, designed to slot in below the CTS, is a distinct possibility. Both execs feel that Cadillac's brand image could sustain such a vehicle, likely to be priced in the $28,00 to $32,000 range.

No time frame was given for either new model, but Mr. Taylor also mentioned that a high-end, ultra-luxury flagship is still alive and well.

[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req.]

It never ceases to amaze us how many autos with interesting histories go up for sale on eBay. Only last month, we saw Sean Connery's BMW 6-series go under the virtual hammer and now we find a Cadillac once owned by Dr. Death himself, Jack Kevorkian, listed in eBay's automotive section.

For those who don't recall, Kevorkian was the controversial American pathologist made famous because of his support for euthanasia for terminally ill patients, and is most noted for his profound statement, "dying is not a crime." Kevorkian even went to jail in 1999 for second-degree murder when he was accused of poisoning a 52-year old Michigan man a year earlier.

Being a native of the motor-state, there is only one make a well-to-do doctor would have on their list, and that's Cadillac. The car is a 1989 white DeVille that's been signed by the man himself and comes with all the original registration details for the would-be buyer. There are plenty of pics posted by the seller including some of Kevorkian actually signing the car.

Thanks for the tip, Niels!

[Source: eBay]

click above image for high-res gallery of the Cadillac BLS Wagon

Big derrieres can be hot if they're attached to the right body. We're talking about cars here, specifically wagons whose ample rumps allow you to haul more cargo while hardly carrying the stigma of a libido killing minivan. Wagons are still very popular in Europe, so Cadillac had the bright idea of building a wagon version of its BLS, a front-wheel drive entry level luxury car that's a Saab 9-3 beneath its skin. Don't call this a Sport Combi though, as the BLS gets it own sheetmetal, and the wagon unveiled in Frankfurt wore it well. It looks very much like a first-gen CTS that's been starving itself.

Cadillac is hoping that by offering European customers more choices, it will sell more cars, so in addition to the Wagon it's also offering Stabilitrak as standard equipment and two new engines for the BLS in Europe next year. The first is a 1.9L two-stage turbodiesel producing 180 HP and 295 ft-lbs., and the second is a 2.0L Flexpower engine that produces 285 HP and is able to run on E85 ethanol. Since the BLS is largely sourced from Saab, it should come as no surprise that the Flexpower engine is really one of the Swedish automaker's Biopower engines.

Check out GM's tiny press release after the jump and view our full gallery by clicking below.

Interior design is one area where GM is lagging behind its European and Japanese rivals, but there's hope just beyond the horizon. Fully aware of its shortcomings, GM has put a new, more focused emphasis on improving the style and quality of its vehicles' interiors and a handful of official computer-generated concept renderings reveal that there's some very innovative thinking going down in Detroit.

The soon-to-be released Cadillac CTS is one such car that has shown what can be done. Its new interior shows a level of craftsmanship and style that not so long ago was limited to the domain of significantly more expensive imports. If all goes to plan, you won't have to shell out big bucks to enjoy a car with a nice cabin, either. These new concept sketches show several interior design elements, one specific to the Chevy and Pontiac brands as well as designs for GM's SUV and trucks.

[Source: Cheers and Gears]

The General's chief product guru, Bob Lutz, responded to questions regarding GM's reliability in the company's FastLane Blog's most recent video Q&A chapter. According to Lutz, who cites comparisons to company "H" and company "T" as being perpetual reliability yardsticks, GM has aimed at making every component throughout the automaker's brands "bulletproof," including the engines, transmissions and every mechanical part imaginable.

The move began about four or five years ago, and despite high ratings in J.D. Power and Associates initial quality reports, Lutz explains that all the money spent was in an effort to "shoot for infinite life," as opposed to what Lutz calls, "100,000-mile bogies."

Lutz goes on to recount his aim of making Buick the American equivalent of Lexus, which was just confirmed with the recent release of J.D. Power and Associates long-term reliability ratings. Buick sat pretty, right next to Lexus. Mission accomplished Bob. Congrats.

[Source: GM FastLane Blog]

So, it's a couple days late - call it a summer vacation hangover and let's just move on. We had a busy weekend covering both the Woodward Dream Cruise and the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, which pushed our schedule back. Once in front of our mics, we start Autoblog Podcast #75 by mulling the 2008 Honda Accord. Damon regales us with the story of the Cadillac CTS media launch out at Laguna Seca. GM's made enough progress that we can just drop the "for a GM" modifier from the sentence "The new CTS is a great car." No longer able to heap abuse on the General, we look to Europe and find MINI. It seems nobody considered that the clamshell door setup on the Clubman should be engineered to swap sides, so it would always be on the passenger side, even in right-hand-drive countries. Whoops. Continuing with entertaining small cars, the Dodge Caliber SRT-4's pricing was announced. $23 large for 285 horsepower - such a deal. Big horsepower was also stuffed under a Toyota Aurion's Australian hood. The 320-odd horsepower Camry spinoff slaps our mamby-pamby weak-kneed Joe Camel Camry around pretty well. Don't change it, just send it. Speaking of car-lust, new DeLoreans are coming! $57,500 will buy you a hand built car that will net endless stupid-ass questions about the flux capacitor.

That's it - a meaty 51 minutes this week, enjoy!

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Click the image above for over 20 high-res images

While the exterior styling of the new CTS has garnered its fair share of praise, it's not until you step inside and realize that Cadillac's design renaissance is not an aberration. Swathed in acres of high-quality material, the textures, colors and layout is provocative enough to get your attention, but subdued in a way that doesn't distract from the task at hand.

Click here to read Part 1 on exterior styling and driving impressions.