New GM : 25 new models to come through by 2011

With General Motors CEO Fritz Henderson announcing the big news on the up-coming 2011 Chevrolet Volt, which will be achieving 230 mpg, he continues to announce more news on the other cars that will be coming the next two years.

GM confirmed that it plans to launch 25 new models for its remaining 4 core brands (Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, GMC), by the end of 2011. CEO Fritz Henderson confirmed that a group of consumers and select media were shown the plans for what GM has in-works by 2011 at GM’s Design Center and Milford Proving Ground.

So let's start with Chevrolet. Chevrolet will be getting 10 new models for the next two years. Surely, there's the supposed GM saviour - the 40-mile electric Volt, the Spark city car, the Cruze compact-size sedan, the Camaro Convertible, a production version of the Orlando, production of the GPiX Crossover Coupe Concept, and maybe some others.
As for Buick and GMC, the Detroit automaker said that the two brands will present a total of 10 new entries through 2011, which will include cars like the up-coming luxury compact-sedan - the 2011 Buick Excelle (spy picture above), the new Buick Regal, and the GMC Terrain city-crossover.
Most interestingly, Cadillac will be getting 5 all-new models. The first comer will be the beautiful and longly-awaited - the 2010 CTS and CTS-V Coupe, along with the all-new Escalade, which will be smaller and based on the Lambda crossover platform, and the production version of the Volt-based Converj. Nonetheless, GM will be introducing two new names in the Cadillac line-up, the ATS and the and XTS sedans. The ATS is a performance-oriented luxury compact-sedan, that will get “high-tech engines, rear-wheel drive and optional all-wheel drive”, and competes with the benchmarks from BMW 3-Series, Infiniti G37, Audi A4 and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. The XTS on the other hand, is a full-size luxury sedan that will replace both DTS and STS sedan, with a design that echoes the 2003 Cadillac Sixteen Concept, and will be a real contender to the BMW 7-Series, Audi A8, and Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

Now, GM said that it is holding back pictures of any of these models, until further along the development process. So if we get any more information of even pictures, you'll be the first to know!

Source : [General Motors]

Cadillac's Future : All-new BLS to compete against BMW 3-Series, XTS as a Lexus ES rival, a compact city car, and smaller Escalade

Now that General Motors emerged out of bankruptcy filing, the new company will head towards lots of changes. Main part of the change, that GM will focus on four brands only; which are Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac. Ultimately, the only true luxry badge here is Cadillac. So what are they going to change?

Well, according to Car And Driver, Cadillac's new cars will get both BMW's driving capabilities, and Lexus' ultra reliability and quality. In fact, rumors that the next-generation Cadillac BLS sedan will finally be a rival to BMW's 3-Series; which many consider it as the benchmark of all small sedans. Nonetheless, the current BLS wasn't quite a hit. That's why rumors around that the new BLS will get a rear-wheel drive platform, which is similar to Cadillac's CTS. Expect to see the new BLS sometime in 2010.

Moving on to another type of luxury, the Lexus ES. The ES is much like a Toyota Camry; it shares its platform and V6 engine. However, the purity in the ES' luxury, and ultimate reliability according to J.D.'s Power List, made it so popular around. Well, Cadillac too, will be coming with an ES competitor. The new Caddy will be known as XTS, which will get Cadillac's award-winning 3.6L V6, connected to a front-wheel-drive platform. XTS may debut in 2010, as a 2011 model year.

Because of enviroment-awareness, and increased fuel prices, the all-time rap singer's favorite, the Cadillac Escalade has to go! However, the large Escalade SUV will be downsized for its next-generation model as it moves to the Lambda crossover platform, which is currently shared by the Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse and the GMC Acadia. Cadillac say that the new Escalade will still have its distinctive looks.

Also in the works is an aggressive-looking, FWD city/commuter car. Currently in planning phase, the “premium small-car project” has been described to be a stunning and affordable Caddy.

As for the XLR roadster, don’t expect to see a replacement, ever! If anything, the model will be replaced by the Chevrolet Volt-based Converj plug-in hybrid.

Source : [CARandDriver]

GM hosts ‘V-Day’ in Shanghai with some brave stunts in lots of Cadillac CTSs

General Motors has just launched the new 2009 Cadillac CTS and CTS-V into the Chinese market. The celebration of launch was held in on the F1 circuit in Shanghai. GM were actually celebrating the come of the CTS-V and other V-Series Cadillacs, as they called this event 'V-Day'.
Around 19,000 fans gathered at the F1 circuit for the launch of the CTS and CTS-V in China, while a team of professional stunt drivers from Hollywood put on an incredible show to ‘wow’ the crowd. These 'indescribable' stunts they made with these Cadillacs aren't done by normal Cadillacs. So these stunts won't be seen everyday

Watch the 'V-Day' stunts video below. Trust us, it's worth watching.

Source : [Cadillac Notes via YouTube]

RumorMill : Cadillac Converj to go into production?

According to our trustworthy source -Motor Trend- General Motors approved to put the Cadillac Converj, which debuted last January at the Detroit Auto Show, into production with all that made it great as a concept.

GM's plans to create a production Converj that looks like the concept, get a stylish interior as the concept, and most importantly the Voltec-drivetrain system , (40-miles on electric, and up to 500 miles with combined hybrid), that featured in the concept and the famous Chevrolet Volt as well. According to the source, the Converj will have a bigger battery pack for increase power for this sexy two-door coupe.

That's not all. Other sources claim that GM has plans for a Cadillac and Buick SUVs that also have the Voltec-system. Moreover, we featured last month spyshots of a new sub-compact Buick called Excelle, that might also get the Voltec-system according to the source.

Nonetheless, a GM spokesman denied the reports, and said that GM's financial crisis and filing for the bankruptcy are in the way. But either way, we guess we’ll find out soon enough.

Source : [Motor Trend]

SPY SHOTS : Cadillac CTS-V Coupe!

Although GM has revealed the CTS Coupe through their Viability Plan, GM announced that they have stopped further development on high performance vehicles. Despite the bad news, it seems the high-performance V-series of the Cadillac CTS Coupe, the CTS-V Coupe will slip before the doors are shut.Like the beautiful CTS Coupe, the CTS-V Coupe will have the same rear-hatch and rear LED taillights as the standard CTS Coupe. However like the CTS-V sedan, this CTS-V Coupe will replace the long-faced grille with a sportier smaller mesh grille. We also noticed the lower door panels, and the fatter and larger exhaust pipes on the center.
Cadillac will power the CTS-V Coupe with the same engine as its sedan sibling. That means, the CTS-V Coupe will be powered by a LSA 6.2L supercharged V8 with 556hp. We know that this engine with the CTS-V sedan mde it the world's fastest sedan on the 13-mile Nurburgring race track. So the same engine on this coupe body will surely make the same effect as on the sedan.
GM said that the Cadillac CTS Coupe will start production in 2010 with sales to begin later that summer. No word yet from GM anything about the CTS-V Coupe. But think of it like this, the CTS Coupe is actually based on the Chevrolet Camaro, so with the new LSA V8 engine, this CTS-V Coupe is actually the rumored Camaro Z/28. So all we knew from these spy shots is that GM still has the "need for speed".

Source : [ Autoweek Photo: Chris Doane/Priddy]

New Reveal : GM reveals production Cadillac CTS Coupe in Viability Plan

While deeply reading in to the viability plan that GM gave to the U.S Department Of Treasury to give GM loans, we found that GM actually unveiled the production details on Cadillac's beautiful CTS Coupe. We also got a picture of the production CTS Coupe.

This production 2010 Cadillac CTS Coupe nearly looks identical to the CTS Coupe Concept we all loved. The wheels have been changed to production-like 18-inch rims, and the front-end looks more like the CTS sedan. Other than that, this still looks like handsome brute.

Under the hood, lives the same 300hp 3.6L V6 as the CTS sedan. That said, this is a great engine to be used on every platform, whether it's a coupe or a sedan. Rumors that later on when the CTS Coupe gets its high sales, we could see a CTS-V Coupe version with the CTS-V sedan's 556hp 6.2L LSA V8. For now, it's only the V6 we are sure about.

GM said that the Cadillac CTS Coupe will start production in 2010 with sales to begin later that summer. To get the high sales for the CTS Coupe, GM really has to market this car well to set its side from Chevrolet's Camaro, which sits on the same platform and uses the same base V6 engine.

Source: [GM via Fast Lane Daily]

New Reveal : 2009 Cadillac Presidential Limousine

U.S president Barack Obama will be getting his place on Monday. So with a new president, Cadillac has made a new Presidential limousine.
However, this is not just any limo that's for the run-abouts. It's actually a custom built Cadillac Presidential limo that is most likely the safest thing on four wheels. Nevertheless, GM has not released any specific details about its safety or communication features for security reasons.
Speculations that the new limo's windows are made of 5-inch bulletproof glass and the locking mechanism closes all the doors and keeps them closed as safely as on bank vaults. As the car is heavier due to thicker materials, some suggest GM has used heavy-duty truck platform to support the new weight. The picture above shows all of these speculations and rumors.

Source: [Cadillac]

Complete Reveal List Of The 2009 Detroit Auto Show

Because there were many reveals at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, our readers want a list out of every single reveal of the show, in one post. So here we go:

Audi:
1) 2009 Audi A7 Sportback Concept
2) 2010 Audi R8 V10

BMW:
1) 2010 BMW Z4

Buick:
1) 2010 Buick LaCrosse

Cadillac:
1) 2009 Cadillac Converj Concept
2) 2010 Cadillac SRX

Chevrolet:
1) 2009 Chevrolet Spark Concept
2) 2010 Chevrolet Equinox

Chrysler:
1) 2009 Chrysler 200C Concept

Dodge:
1) 2010 Dodge Circuit EV

Fisker:
1) 2009 Fisker Karma S Concept
2) 2010 Fisker Karma Hybrid Sedan

Ford:
1) 2010 Ford-Shelby GT500
2) 2010 Ford EcoBoost Flex
3) 2010 Ford Taurus

Honda:
1) 2010 Honda Insight

Jaguar:
1) 2009 Jaguar XFR prototype (Bonneville run)
2) 2010 Jaguar XK
3) 2010 Jaguar XFR

Kia:
1) 2009 Kia Soul’ster Concept

Lexus:
1) 2010 Lexus HS 250h

Lincoln:
1) 2009 Lincoln C Concept
2) 2010 Lincoln MKT

Mercedes-Benz:
1) 2009 Mercedes-Benz Concept Blue-ZERO
2) 2010 Mercedes-McLaren SLR Stirling Moss
2) 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Mini:
1) 2010 Mini Cooper Cabrio

Subaru:
1) 2009 Subaru Legacy Concept

Tesla:
1) 2010 Tesla Roadster S

Toyota:
1) 2009 Toyota FT-EV Concept
2) 2010 Toyota Camry
3) 2010 Toyta Prius

Volkswagen:
1) 2009 Volkswagen Bluesport Concept

Volvo:
1) 2009 Volvo S60 Concept

And here's the awards given at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show:
2009 North American Car of the Year
2009 North American Truck of the Year

New Reveal At Detroit: 2009 Cadillac Converj

Rumors about a new Chevrolet Volt-based Cadillac were true. Because today at the Detroit Auto Show, Cadillac took the wraps off a new concept based on the Chevy Volt's "Voltec" drivetrain. It's called the Converj.
This luxurious and sporty version of the Volt is drop-dead gorgeous. With styling that is instantly recognizable as Cadillac, the press conference showed that the car was designed to be aesthetically pleasing on its own. It's just a great shape that holds great promise. All the sharp edges and wide shoulders give it a distinctive look. GM gave the Converj a title of "Cadillac Of Electric Vehicles".
Inside, the Coverj's interior is purely Cadillac. So unlike the cheap plastics in any hybrid car, 2+2 Converj coupe Winter White synthetic suede and Midnight Black leather, polished aluminum and wood grain accents. The headliner made from silk and suede and a wool-blend carpeting are made from renewable materials. And in the center console, all the buttons operate by touching only.
Just like the Volt, Cadillac Converj’s Voltec system is made up of 16kWh, a T-shaped battery (made up of more than 220 lithium-ion cells), an electric-drive unit and a flex-fuel 4-cylinder engine-generator. That allows the Converj to produce a total of 161-hp with a maximum torque of 273 lb-ft working in 0 rpms. Working like a Extended-range electric-vehicle (E-REV) as the Chevrolet Volt, the Voltec technology allows the Converj to travel up to 40 miles on battery power alone. An onboard gasoline engine will allow it to travel hundreds of additional miles before it needs to be refueled or plugged in to recharge. Top speed is rated at 100 mph. GM says that it takes less than 3 hours to recharge the battery at 240V (about 8 hours from a 120V outlet). The Cadillac Converj also features GM’s Magnetic Ride Control which enhances ride-feel.
It's expect to hit the roads in its production form somewhere after the Volt, probably 2011. However, could this be the best electric car? Well from what appears, this Cadillac will surely make a fuss when it debuts in its production model.

Source: [Cadillac]

New Reveal : 2010 Cadillac SRX; revealed before Detroit Auto Show

It's just time before the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. So some automakers have the trend to release pictures and information before the live debut. And Cadillac is one of them. Cadillac has just shown this all-new generation of SRX, and it seems they have improved it over the horrible last generation.
For starters, the new SRX is based on the Theta architecture platform, as same as the new 2010 Chevrolet Equinox. However, the main SRX improvement is the look. The previous SRX was scaringly ugly, but with Cadillac's new traditional grill, the bulky head and tail lights, and 20-inch rims, this is much better to look at. Inside too, it gets a “pop-up” navigation screen with bluetooth and On-Star, 3-spoke steering wheel, sporty seats and ofcourse lots of polished wood.
Mechanically, the new SRX loses the V8. However, the 2010 SRX will be offered with two new engines. First one is a 3.0L direct injected V6 with 260hp and 221lb-ft of torque. Second one is a new 2.8L turbocharged V6 with 300hp and 295lb-ft of torque. Both engines will be mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. Fuel economy will be around (testing is not complete yet) 25mpg on the highway.
This generation SRX gets a new All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) system. The AWD system is optional and includes an advanced electronic limited-slip differential (eLSD) that distributes torque as needed from side to side along the rear axle, as well as from the front to rear axle.
2010 SRX will debut at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show this month. Production for the 2010 Cadillac SRX will begin in summer of 2009 with sales to start shortly after.

This is probably not the only Cadillac to be shown in Detroit, rumors still say that Cadillac will show a Volt-based car. Let us see what happens then.

Source: [Cadillac]

Ward’s Auto reveals '10 Best Engines' list for 2009

With the end of the 2008 year, awards for everything amazing in this years are being revealed. And Ward's Auto has just released its annual list of 10 Best Engines for the new year. Ward's Auto have been testing engines all year, and they came up now with the 10 best.

The winning engines are:

- Audi: 2.0L TFSI turbocharged DOHC I4 (A4 Avant)
- BMW: 3.0L turbocharged DOHC I6 (135i Coupe)
- BMW: 3.0L DOHC I6 Turbodiesel (335d)
- Chrysler: 5.7L Hemi OHV V8 (Dodge Ram/Challenger R/T)
- Ford: 2.5L DOHC I4 HEV (Escape Hybrid)
- General Motors: 3.6L DOHC V6 (Cadillac CTS)
- Honda: 3.5L SOHC V6 (Accord Coupe)
- Hyundai: 4.6L DOHC V8 (Genesis)
- Toyota: 3.5L DOHC V6 (Lexus IS 350)
- Volkswagen: 2.0L SOHC I4 Turbodiesel (Jetta TDI)

Our impression of the list is that, Ward's Auto seem to have forgotten a lot of amazing engines that have come this year. Such as the VQ engine in the Infiniti G37, and the fantastic 3.8L twinturbo V6 in the Nissan GT-R, or the high-revving 4.0L BMW V8 in the M3. And let's not forget the best engine of all (in our opinion), the 6.2L supercharged V8 in the Corvette ZR-1 and the Cadillac CTS-V. So the list isn't that great, but there's a lot more awards to come.

Source : [Ward's Auto ]

SPY SHOTS : Cadillac's all new Presidential limo

With the U.S Presidential elections few hours away, Cadillac thought it would be nice to present a new set of wheels for the new president. This Caddy is likely a replacement for the current limo President Bush has used since 2005.

It is rumored that the limo is based on GM's 2500 truck line. Because the photo shows it riding on the same 19.5-inch Goodyear tires as the trucks. No information on any technical specifications. So we all just have to wait till January 20 to see it, when the next president arrives in it.

Source: [Left Lane News]

Another Reports From GM : GM kills next-generation Escalade, Tahoe, Suburban and Yukon ; G8 and Solstice not being canceled !

With the fuel and financial crisis coming across GM , they decided to kill up what they think is a "useless" line-up right now . According to The New York Times, GM's vice chairman Bob Lutz has confirmed that the next-generation Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban SUVs along with siblings GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade have been canceled. GM had originally planned to spend a total of $2 billion on completely redesigning the SUVs and retooling the plants that builds them. However , although their isn't information yet on how long will the current models continue in production (most likely 2-3 more years), GM might still continue the Escalade program with the Lambda platform (GMC Acadia , Chevrolet Traverse) . So if GM killed the SUV, Don’t be surprised if we hear similar news soon with either Ford of Chrysler.

Source: [The New York Times]

Moving to what matters , Pontiac's G8. You may read before , that there was a rumor that Pontiac might kill its G8 and Solstice. It turns out to be all non-sense. Pontiac confirmed that the G8 and Solstice models will continue through the next-generation or so and that the rumors were simply "lies" . However , nobody can predict the future. So if these RWD Pontiacs don't sell as GM wants , they'll probably kill them .

Source: [Pontiac Underground]

Drawing Of The Week : Dream Cadillac Escalade

Another week , and another drawing from our Drawing - Chief : Mohammad Al-Khatib . This time though , his done a "dream project" . His project is to cut-out the roof of the Cadillac Escalade . Also , his project would be also to lower it down and give it some enormous alloy rims . He basically turned the high-rider into "the cruiser of the downtown street" . Now that might not work in your standard SUV , but because the Escalade has such a "bling" character , it works brilliantly . However , such projects take long time . While this is only a drawing , but it still took him nearly 10 hours to draw . So in reality , it would take him months to make . Anyways , good job from our team !

Check next week for another drawing .

Great Price ! : Cadillac prices the CTS-V from 59,995 $

The Cadillac CTS-V has already proven to the world that it's the king of high-performance sedans . Cadillac did it by going around the 'Ring in less than 8 minutes . And as you know , that's the fastest sedan to go round the legendary race track . And while they were doing it , they discovered that it could go from a stand-still to 60MPH in 3.9 second ! No sedan in the world could even dream about it .

So all they have to do , is hit people with a bargain price . This big , supercharged , 556 hp monster sedan will start sale next November for 59,995 $ . Now , you may call it expensive . But it is not . This is what I call "a bargain of life" ! Because if you think about it , a BMW M5 which is way more less powerful and slower than the big Caddy , and costs 85,000 $ . Even if you turn up to Cadillac's high-performance line-up , this CTS-V is the cheapest and the fastest ! The less powerful XLR-V costs 40,000$ more than the CTS-V . And now the irrelevant STS-V with 86 hp less than the CTS-V is 80,000$ . So GM has made the perfect combination of "cheap , beast" .

PRESS RELEASE

Cadillac's All-New 2009 CTS-V Ready For LaunchThe 2009 CTS-V,

Cadillac's 556-hp expression of ultimate performance and luxury, begins production this month with initial sales beginning around November 1. The latest in the brand's V-Series of high performance models, the new CTS-V is intended to reach the top of the world's most desirable luxury cars, at a starting price of $59,995 in the US market."The launch of the new CTS-V presents a compelling proposition for luxury and performance enthusiasts," says Mark McNabb, North America vice president, Cadillac/Premium Channel. "The CTS-V is a strong statement about Cadillac design and technology and a new member in the club of the highest performing luxury cars."The CTS-V, based on Cadillac's critically acclaimed CTS sports sedan, expresses the full extent of the brand's dramatic design and technology. Designed to enter the stratosphere of the world's fastest and most exclusive luxury sedans, CTS-V includes advanced performance technology such as a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine and Magnetic Ride Control, the world's fastest reacting suspension.The new CTS-V comes standard with a nearly complete collection of features, including a hand-crafted cabin, a 6-speed manual transmission and a Bose surround sound system with a 40-gigabyte hard drive with a USB port. In addition there are a few options available, including a new 6-speed automatic transmission with steering wheel mounted shift buttons, 14-way adjustable Recaro performance seats, microfiber interior accents and a large "Ultra-View" sunroof. "Along with the new Escalade Hybrid, the CTS-V is a key aspect in Cadillac's ongoing renaissance, with dramatic designs and very sophisticated technologies for luxury consumers," McNabb said. "These two new high-tech Cadillac models pave the way for a series of new Cadillac models coming in 2009, including the upcoming CTS Sport Wagon and SRX Crossover."