New Cadillac CTS Coupe to be launched in May 2010

According to a GM spokesman who spoke recently with TheCarConnection, the sporty CTS Coupe will arrive in showrooms by May next year as 2011 model– in both standard and high-performance CTS-V guises.

The coupe will be offered with a variety of engines including a 3.0-liter V6 with 270 hp and 223 lb-ft of torque, a 3.6-liter V6 with 304 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque, and a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 with 556 hp and 551 lb-ft.

Look for the 2011 CTS Coupe to be officially unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show or the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

PS: General Motors' Cadillac brand used to be 'The Standard of the World'. However, it has lost its flashes as the auto industry developed. Now, with the new Cadillac CTS Coupe, Cadillac wants to rebuild its reputation.

2010 Cadillac SRX goes on sale this summer, priced from $34,155

Cadillac’s model lineup is about to expand with the addition of two exciting new models: the 2010 Cadillac SRX crossover and 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon. Now Cadillac announced that the 2010 SRX Crossover is to go on sale next month, price starting from $34,155.

Production of the 2010 SRX crossover will be handled in Mexico at GM's Ramos Arizpe plant. The 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon, meanwhile, will go on sale in late this summer but did not release pricing.

Cadillac has decided to offer the 2010 SRX with a single engine option, in this case a 3.0L direct-injected V6 with 260hp (193kW) and 221lb-ft (300Nm) of torque on tap. Its makers say fuel economy in the mid-20s on the highway is expected, but testing isn’t complete. A six-speed Hyrdra-Matic 6T70 automatic transmission also gets revised ratios to help cut fuel usage, while a standard AWD system improves handling in both dry and inclement weather.

“The 2010 SRX will deliver excellent, balanced driving dynamics

in all types of weather,” said Bob Reuter, global vehicle chief engineer. “The all-wheel-drive system with electronic limited slip effectively transfers torque not only from front to rear, but also along the rear axle. This system sets a new benchmark for all all-wheel-drive systems, giving the driver control and confidence on any road surface.”

Standard safety equipment includes a range of front, side and curtain airbags plus dual pre-tensioners and load limiters on the front seat belts. A rollover mitigation sensor ties into the traction control system to kelp keep the shiny side up, and trailer stability assist helps keep the cart from getting before the horse.

The midsize luxury crossover segment remains strong in the U.S. despite new vehicle sales reaching 30-year lows. The segment currently accounts for nearly one quarter of all luxury vehicles sold in the U.S. market. The Cadillac believes that the new SRX presents an attractive offer to consumers, while taking on the traditional segment leader aggressively. Key competitors include the Lexus RX, Acura MDX, and BWW X3 and X5 SUVs.

Hennessey upgrades Cadillac CTS-V to ZR1 spec

Texas-based tuning firm Hennessey Performance Engineering (HPE) has announced plans for several highly modified Cadillac CTS-V sedans that the company plans to launch later this year. Dubbed the ‘V’ series, the uprated cars will offer outputs from 610hp (455kW) all the way up to 800hp (595kW) and joins other mega-power custom cars like the recently launched ‘Godzilla 700’ Nissan GT-R and a string of ‘Venom’ Dodge Vipers.

At the heart of tuned Cadillacs is GM's new 6.2L LSA supercharged V8, which in standard trim already outputs a healthy 556hp (414kW). Add a K&N sports air filter, upgraded supercharger pulley and belt, and revised ECU, and the powerplant churns out 610hp (455kW) and 605lb-ft (820Nm) of torque for the basic V600 package. Hennessey claims a 0-60mph time of just 3.7 seconds, an 11.8 second quarter mile ET and a top speed of 195mph.

Next in line is a series of upgrades delivering 650hp (485kW) and 700hp, respectively. Additional modifications necessary for the power hike includes a new cold air induction system, new camshafts, stainless steel headers and a full 3in exhaust, and an intercooler upgrades. Expect to see the 0-60mph time drop to around 3.1 seconds when fitted with these upgrades plus 20in wheels shod with Nitto drag radial tires.

Rounding out the range is the V800 twin-turbo upgrade delivering a supercar-rivalling 800hp (595kW) and 780lb-ft (1,056Nm) of torque. Some of the extra modifications include a custom twin-turbo set-up with external wastegates, blow-off-valves and a fuel delivery system upgrade.

Source from: motorauthority.com

Cadillac to replace BLS with global model based on Epsilon II platform

Cadillac knows its future lies in small cars, especially if it wants to be considered a global player, but GM’s financial woes means the company has had to pare back some of its more ambitious plans. In the latest viability plan, GM CEO Fritz Henderson revealed that Cadillac would have to scale back on its European expansion plans, while development of new diesel models plus a RWD 3-series rival have been put on hold. Instead, the GM luxury division will focus on its performance in existing markets, including North America, parts of Asia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, as well as the development of a sub-CTS model based now on the FWD Epsilon II platform.

Epsilon II is a global platform, which underpins cars like the upcoming 2010 Buick LaCrosse and Opel Insignia, and according to MotorTrend it will also be used for a replacement for Cadillac’s poor selling BLS. Codenamed GM 166, the new car will be available in both FWD and AWD and will be priced somewhere between the LaCrosse and CTS. Expect pricing to fall around the $34,000-$35,000 mark, pitting as a prime target for the Lexus ES 350.

This sub-CTS model is expected to be Cadillac’s highest volume model but it won’t be just another BLS. Instead, the car has been described as a brand new global model with “dedicated architecture and content.”

According to the source, GM 166 will be bigger than its LaCrosse and Insignia cousins and will arrive sometime in 2011. The bad news is that the much-hyped 3-series rival, rumored to be based on a brand new RWD platform called Alpha, is most likely dead.

Source from: motorauthority.com/

GM’s Cadillac Converj given production green light

One of the most exciting cars from January’s Detroit Auto Show was the Cadillac Converj concept car, which General Motors used to showcase its plug-in hybrid technology in a luxury platform. Despite the concept featuring one of the most striking designs we’ve seen in a while, GM vice chairman Bob Lutz said it was designed so that any eventual production version would look “exactly like” the show car, hinting that we may eventually see such a car in showrooms.
The company’s financial state, however, says the opposite, but there remains a chance the Converj may make it out of the economic storm. GM in its viability plan presented to Congress in February outlined plans for two new plug-in hybrid vehicles, and today MotorTrend is reporting that the stylish concept has been given the green light for production.

According to an inside source, the new model will be on the road by 2011 if GM’s financial situation improves. The car would be based on the same Delta platform as the upcoming Chevrolet Volt, and power would also come from the same Voltec plug-in hybrid system. The source also revealed that a seven-seater MPV plug-in hybrid was in the pipeline – already previewed by the 2008 Chevrolet Orlando concept.

The Cadillac plug-in hybrid would feature extra batteries to power a higher-output electric motor than the one in the Volt. The styling of the vehicle would also be slightly different to the Converj concept as much of internal structure, such as the firewall, would need to be sourced from the taller Volt.

GM has consistently stated that its Voltec plug-in hybrid system would be used in other models to spread the investment costs as much as possible, and reports of a Cadillac plug-in hybrid date back as far as last August.

Source from: http://www.motorauthority.com/report-cadillac-converj-headed-for-production.html