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  • Report: Cadillac Converj Approved For Production

    Report: Cadillac Converj Approved For Production November 9th, 2009 By Nelson Ireson's avatar Nelson Ireson, Author, November 9th, 2009 Nelson Ireson 0 Comments

    Report: Cadillac Converj Approved For Production

    The off-again, on-again nature of the Cadillac Converj's production plans cast a pall of uncertainty over any production announcement, but the latest reports out of Detroit say the lights are green for the luxury Caddy hybrid.

    Revealed at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, the Cadillac Converj concept was a highly refined, dramatically styled extended range electric vehicle, with a powertrain much like that found in the Chevrolet Volt. It is now reported to be headed to production in essentially the same form.

    There's no production date yet, but the car was reportedly among the models presented to the GM board of directors on November 2 as part of...

    The off-again, on-again nature of the Cadillac Converj's production plans cast a pall of uncertainty over any production announcement, but the latest reports out of Detroit say the lights are green for the luxury Caddy hybrid. Revealed at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, the Cadillac Converj concept was a highly refined, dramatically styled extended range electric vehicle, with a powertrain much like that found in the Chevrolet Volt. It is now reported to be headed to production in essentially the same form. There's no production date yet, but the car was reportedly among the models presented to the GM board of directors on November 2 as part of the upcoming production plan. Shortly after the concept's debut in January, reports emerged that financial strife within GM had killed the Converj's production hopes, but then after the "new" GM came out of bankruptcy, talk of growing support for the car's construction surfaced. The Converj would certainly inject even more style and excitement into the Cadillac lineup, plus a touch of green flair that's currently absent. Powered by the Voltec electric propulsion system that pairs a 16 kilowatt-hour battery pack with a four-cylinder engine that functions as a generator to send electricity to the car's electric motors, the Converj is rated at 160 horsepower and a potent 273 pound-feet of torque. A top speed of 100 mph was given for the concept car. Styling was the Converj's strong suit at the Detroit Show, with bold exterior lines and massive 21-inch front and 22-inch rear wheels, plus an all-glass roof with built-in solar panels to help power the accessory systems. Two-plus-two seating, a high-end leather and wood interior and futuristic interior styling also helped put the concept car over the top. [Detroit News] Read More

  • Bob Lutz Cadillac CTS-V Challenge Results Announced

    Bob Lutz Cadillac CTS-V Challenge Results Announced October 29th, 2009 By Viknesh Vijayenthiran Viknesh Vijayenthiran, Author, October 29th, 2009 Viknesh Vijayenthiran 38 Comments

    Bob Lutz Cadillac CTS-V Challenge Results Announced

    Last month, during a discussion with journalists about General Motors’ new “May the Best Car Win” marketing campaign, Bob Lutz laid down the challenge to any journalist to a duel with the Cadillac CTS-V to see if any comparable car could topple the Caddy.

    The guys at Jalopnik quickly accepted, putting forward Wes Siler who was originally planning to race in a Jaguar XFR until officials pulled the car because of fears of the brakes overheating. Luckily Siler still had a Mitsubishi Evo on hand.

    He was joined by Jack Baruth from The Truth About Cars who also drove a Cadillac CTS-V and several ‘civilians’ driving a...

    Last month, during a discussion with journalists about General Motors’ new “May the Best Car Win” marketing campaign, Bob Lutz laid down the challenge to any journalist to a duel with the Cadillac CTS-V to see if any comparable car could topple the Caddy. The guys at Jalopnik quickly accepted, putting forward Wes Siler who was originally planning to race in a Jaguar XFR until officials pulled the car because of fears of the brakes overheating. Luckily Siler still had a Mitsubishi Evo on hand. He was joined by Jack Baruth from The Truth About Cars who also drove a Cadillac CTS-V and several ‘civilians’ driving a BMW M3, a BMW M5, an Audi RS4 and even another Cadillac CTS-V. Well, the event took place today at the Monticello Motor Club in Monticello, N.Y. and we now have the results. Taking top honors was former GM Performance Division Executive John Heinricy with a lap time of 2m and 46.56s in the Cadillac CTS-V. 1. Cadillac CTS-V (John Heinricy): 2:46:560 2. Cadillac CTS-V (Brian Redman): 2:49:183 3. Cadillac CTS-V (Aaron Link): 2:48:902 4. BMW M3 (Michael Cooper): 2.50:424 5. Cadillac CTS-V (Jack Baruth): 2:51:153 6. Cadillac CTS-V (Lawrence Ulrich): 2:53:026 7. Cadillac CTS-V (Bob Lutz): 2:56:321 8. Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X (Wes Siler): 3:08.126 9. BMW M5 (Michael Mainwald): 3:08:989 10. Cadillac CTS-V (Chris Fairman.): 3:14:292 11. Audi RS4 (Tom Loder): 3:15:702 12. Jaguar XF (Archan Basu): 3:16.670 Read More

  • Video: 700-hp Hennessey Cadillac CTS-V Blows OnStar's Mind

    Video: 700-hp Hennessey Cadillac CTS-V Blows OnStar's Mind October 26th, 2009 By Nelson Ireson's avatar Nelson Ireson, Author, October 26th, 2009 Nelson Ireson 1 Comment

    Video: 700-hp Hennessey Cadillac CTS-V Blows OnStar's Mind

    Bob Lutz's challenge aside, there's no denying that the Cadillac CTS-V is one seriously impressive performer. It's only made all the more so by Hennessey's 700-plus-horsepower treatment of the car. But you know it's a whole different ball game when a street car accelerates so hard it activates its GM OnStar emergency system.

    That's exactly what happens in the video below, with a Hennessey CTS-V700 running an 11-second, 128-mph quarter mile last week. The car rockets off the line, spinning the tires through first, most of second, and part of third, hitting at least 0.99 g of longitudinal acceleration along the way. And that's apparently...

    Bob Lutz's challenge aside, there's no denying that the Cadillac CTS-V is one seriously impressive performer. It's only made all the more so by Hennessey's 700-plus-horsepower treatment of the car. But you know it's a whole different ball game when a street car accelerates so hard it activates its GM OnStar emergency system. That's exactly what happens in the video below, with a Hennessey CTS-V700 running an 11-second, 128-mph quarter mile last week. The car rockets off the line, spinning the tires through first, most of second, and part of third, hitting at least 0.99 g of longitudinal acceleration along the way. And that's apparently enough to trigger the on-board sensor's "vehicle event" emergency alert system and merit a call from OnStar. The video shows the event with in-car telemetry, including fully glorious audio of the run itself, so crank the volume and hit the clip below. [Hennessey] Read More

  • Report: Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon Gets Green Light

    Report: Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon Gets Green Light September 18th, 2009 By Viknesh Vijayenthiran's avatar Viknesh Vijayenthiran, Author, September 18th, 2009 Viknesh Vijayenthiran 15 Comments

    Report: Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon Gets Green Light

    Cadillac's high-performance CTS-V Sedan already has it what it takes to scare of the likes of BMW's M5, Mercedes' E63 AMG and Audi’s new RS6 thanks to its supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 with a healthy 556 horsepower and 551 pound-feet of torque on tap. According to the latest reports, General Motors is now going after the touring wagon versions of the previously mentioned German performance thoroughbreds with a V version of the recently revealed 2010 CTS Sport Wagon.

    Revealed by InsideLine via Twitter, the news reportedly comes from an unnamed GM insider, but the confirmation is allegedly 100% positive: the CTS-V Sportwagon will be produced....

    Cadillac's high-performance CTS-V Sedan already has it what it takes to scare of the likes of BMW's M5, Mercedes' E63 AMG and Audi’s new RS6 thanks to its supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 with a healthy 556 horsepower and 551 pound-feet of torque on tap. According to the latest reports, General Motors is now going after the touring wagon versions of the previously mentioned German performance thoroughbreds with a V version of the recently revealed 2010 CTS Sport Wagon. Revealed by InsideLine via Twitter, the news reportedly comes from an unnamed GM insider, but the confirmation is allegedly 100% positive: the CTS-V Sportwagon will be produced. Enthusiasts of the world rejoice: the CTS-V will be available in a size for everyone, from coupe to wagon. Stylish wagons are popular in Europe, one of the most important potential markets for Cadillac's own CTS Sport Wagon. A halo model for the new range may just be what Cadillac needs to build a strong brand image and encourage a loyal customer base. Former product czar and new marketing honcho Bob Lutz hinted at a CTS-V wagon back in July and CEO Fritz Henderson has dropped an even stronger hint at the vehicle’s development in August with the announcement that the model’s introduction was being reanalyzed. The case for building a CTS-V wagon nevertheless was thought to be somewhat contentious because of the low popularity of such models in North America. There is, after all, a reason why BMW and Audi have shied away from the high-performance wagon market in the U.S.--simply put, there are not many takers for the cars. Both Audi and BMW refuse to sell their performance variants in the U.S., while the Mercedes E63 AMG wagon barely breaks double digits in sales per year. Dodge's Magnum and its SRT-8 variant was a notorious flop despite its Chrysler 300C looks and strong powertrain. However, the issue might be different for a CTS-V wagon because of the much cheaper expected price of the Cadillac compared to its German rivals. If Cadillac were to produce a CTS-V wagon, assuming that they could sell it within a $60,000-$65,000 price range--mirroring pricing for the sedan--it would still be able to undercut the Mercedes' E63 AMG Estate Wagon by over $20,000 and effectively attract a much broader range of customers. [Twitter via Jalopnik] Read More

  • Report: Growing Support Within GM For Production Cadillac Converj

    Report: Growing Support Within GM For Production Cadillac Converj August 25th, 2009 By Viknesh Vijayenthiran's avatar Viknesh Vijayenthiran, Author, August 25th, 2009 Ralph Hanson 7 Comments

    Report: Growing Support Within GM For Production Cadillac Converj

    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's then 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. One of the biggest opponents to the car...

    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's then 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. One of the biggest opponents to the car was the U.S. Treasury Dept.'s auto task force, which questioned the economics of such an expensive model. However, a group within GM, led by new marketing chief Bob Lutz, is reportedly trying to find a way to get the car engineered and funded. It could potentially serve as a technology halo for the Cadillac brand although it wouldn’t go on sale until around 2014 if given the green light. According to previous reports, 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. Inside sources have also previously 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 August, 2008. [BusinessWeek] Read More

  • 2013 Cadillac XTS To Share Buick LaCrosse Platform?

    2013 Cadillac XTS To Share Buick LaCrosse Platform? August 11th, 2009 By Viknesh Vijayenthiran's avatar Viknesh Vijayenthiran, Author, August 11th, 2009 Viknesh Vijayenthiran 4 Comments

    2013 Cadillac XTS To Share Buick LaCrosse Platform?

    Rumors about what Cadillac is planning for its next-generation flagship sedan have been flying around the web for years now. Guesses have ranged from a Zeta-based vehicle sharing Pontiac G8 heritage to the most recent reports of a still-murky XTS-badged AWD sedan. This week, a new report confirms the program to build a new flagship Caddy is back underway.

    The range-topping Cadillac had been derailed by the financial crisis and then the bankruptcy General Motors has so famously dealt with over the last year, but now that the New GM is running the show, the DTS/STS replacement is go.

    The report indicates that the Zeta-based solution won't be...

    Rumors about what Cadillac is planning for its next-generation flagship sedan have been flying around the web for years now. Guesses have ranged from a Zeta-based vehicle sharing Pontiac G8 heritage to the most recent reports of a still-murky XTS-badged AWD sedan. This week, a new report confirms the program to build a new flagship Caddy is back underway. The range-topping Cadillac had been derailed by the financial crisis and then the bankruptcy General Motors has so famously dealt with over the last year, but now that the New GM is running the show, the DTS/STS replacement is go. The report indicates that the Zeta-based solution won't be used, however, and that instead the new flagship will ride on a modified version of the Epsilon II platform found in the 2010 Buick LaCrosse. According to GM insiders, the usually FWD Epsilon II platform will be made wider and longer and converted to AWD. The car is part of a new strategy for Cadillac that is similar to BMW's three-car lineup of small, medium and large. The CTS would be the medium-sized car, and a new small Cadillac also is expected in 2011. Whatever is to come of the top-end Cadillac model, however, don't expect to see it on the road until very late in 2011, though it will likely make an auto show debut sometime before that. The plant where the car is expected to be built--GM's Oshawa, Ontario plant--isn't going to start on the XTS until December 2011. Stay tuned as GM is expected to make several major product announcements later today. We'll keep you on top of the details as they break, but in the mean time, you can read up on our experience with the 2010 LaCrosse if you haven't already. [AutoNews, sub req'd] Read More

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