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Archive for the 'ATS' category

ATS mules hit the test track

June 25, 2010 - 1:27 pm

Autoblog is posting these spy shots of a modified CTS sedan at the test track.

ATS MuleBy noting the re-positioned fuel filler door as well as the much shorter wheelbase, we might assume that this is a mule for Alpha (i.e. the ATS).

If they are at this phase of development, however, this suggests both that the earlier spy shots of a purported ATS testing in production sheet metal must have been faked. This also means that either they are being very protective of the final look, or ATS is further away then we might have hoped.

Or…we could be looking at some other development of a rear drive car where they’ve chosen to use a CTS body shell to throw us all off (could be the next Camaro chassis under there – which is also Alpha but a year or two further out than the ATS).

Source: Autoblog.com


More of MonaroSS’s ATS renderings

June 22, 2010 - 4:30 pm

MonaroSS ATSIf you loved the sedan render that MonaroSS over at GMI put together, here is a link to his post that shows his take on what the coupe, convertible, and even a possible wagon version could look like.

I’d expect a wagon version to look a bit more like the current CTS Sport Wagon – but otherwise these seem so real that it almost feels like it would be a disappointment if Cadillac delivers anything less than what you see here.

So, take a look at what he has to offer over at:

GMInsideNews – REAL Caddy ATS looks like this…. Sedan-Coupe-Convertible & Sportback


GM Inside News - What we know about Alpha

June 22, 2010 - 9:53 am

You really have to love the brain-trust that works over at GMI. They are some of the smartest, most rabid GM fans you could ever decide to follow.

MonaroSS ATSAs such, they have put together the timeline and details of GM’s upcoming Alpha platform that will see duty as the new Cadillac ATS, the 3rd generation CTS (technically in a version being referred to as Alpha+ to denote its larger size and beefed-up compents the CTS will need to go up against its mid-range competition), as well as the next Chevy Camaro.

What you see above is a stunning rendering from GMI member MonaroSS that gives a glimpse into what the ATS version of the platform is going to look like.

Given the details they’ve been able to ferret out, the ATS should drop in Sedan form in late 2012 as a 2013 model. Coupe and convertible models will appear about a year later summer-fall of 2013. The CTS will show up around the same time as this second round of ATS variants.

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Autoweek: GM planning hybrid ATS and CTS

February 8, 2010 - 2:58 pm

It appears that the second generation 2-mode hybrid system from GM (currently seeing duty in full-sized trucks and SUVs like the Escalade) will shed enough weight and size to see duty in cars.

According to GM vice chairman Tom Stephens, this will result in the new system seeing use in the upcoming Alpha platform that will underpin the ATS and, according to reports, the next CTS.

The two-mode system is unique among hybrid systems in that it offers fuel economy benefits at highway speeds and is much more accepting of high-load conditions (like towing in its truck uses).

Source: AutoWeek.com


Analyst - Alpha platform to underpin ATS, next CTS, and…Camaro

February 4, 2010 - 5:20 pm

James Ricci, director of Grant Thornton LLP, an automotive industry analysis firm, in a presentation to the Automotive Press Association, has made the following claims about GM’s rear drive platform strategy…

ATSThe Alpha chassis, that was originally envisioned to be the basis of a Holden, Pontiac, and small Cadillac (ATS to you and me), has been either re-thought by GM or we had it wrong all along.

According to our analyst friend, GM has conceived of the Alpha platform as a very flexible architecture that will allow Cadillac to not only build the new ATS (in sedan, coupe, wagon, and convertible forms) but also the next CTS which will be larger than the current car to better go head-to-head with the 5-series/E-class/A6. Additionally, the next Chevy Camaro will move off of the Zeta chassis (which was a bit big for a pony-car in the first place, making the Camaro at least 300 lbs heavier than the Mustang) and onto Alpha as well.

This would mean the end of Sigma as well (currently under the, not long for this world, STS/SLS and the current CTS line).

This suggests, if true, that Alpha is much more sophisticated an architecture than originally thought and a good successor to Sigma. This certainly suggests that Cadillac is investing heavily in their future and will continue to be a force in the luxury class.

Troubling, though, is that the predicted dates for the CTS and ATS are, at least in this report, calendar years 2013 and 2014, respectively…significantly later than the previous predictions of an ATS debut in 2011 as a 2012 model.

We’ll be keeping our fingers crossed for the earlier dates.

Source: MotorTrend.com