Cadillac has mentioned, through their North American head of Marketing, Don Butler, that they plan to continue to offer coupes and wagons (sticking with some of the expansion they started with versions of the CTS in the past few years). What isn’t completely clear is if coupes and wagons will be versions of the CTS going forward.

Since this opens the floor for us to play what-if, let’s look at what Cadillac has said and what they may be doing to meet the competition head-on in these and other segments.

First of all, we have a Cadillac that is moving to a brand new rear-drive architecture for most of their mainstream cars. Alpha is the new chassis that underpins the ATS as well as (in stretched Alpha+ form) the CTS. So, no matter what Cadillac decides to do, these will all live on the same basic architecture (a boon for volume/cost). This also marks the end of Sigma, the platform developed in the late 90′s and early 2000′s as part of Cadillac’s first re-birth.

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Categories: ATS, Commentary, CTS, Escalade, News, Rumored Models, SRX, V-Series, XLR
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As we get closer to next year’s reveal of the 3rd generation CTS – we are seeing more and more of the car while it is being tested.

In this article from MotorTrend.com, we see the overall size and lines of the car (again confirming that the new CTS will be sized to compete directly with BMW’s 5-Series and Mercedes E-Class). Additionally, this set of spy shots shows how Cadillac’s new interior design language will be interpreted in this model. CUE is present and accounted for, as expected, as well as a full-digital instrument cluster like the upper-tier ATS and all trims of the XTS upper trims of the XTS.

Power-train options will likely start with the 2.0T from the ATS (packing close to 270 hp) with a 3.6l V-6 serving as the up-trim engine for mainstream buyers who are off-put by turbos. Interestingly, the spy photog spotted one of these cars with its hood open and a ‘twin-turbo’ engine cover readily visible. This could be the rumored bridge engine between the CTS and the CTS-V. Non-turbo 3.6 is in the low 300hp range, the V will likely pack close to 600 (using GM’s new Generation 5 small block). There is a wide gulf that a twin-turbo 3.6l direct injection V-6 would fill. Expect well north of 400hp to match the lower-trim turbo V-8 from BMW all from a 3.6l direct injected V-6. Export markets could likely see diesel motivation as an option.

Source: MotorTrend.com

Categories: CTS, Spy photos, V-Series
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The readers of About.com have chosen their favorite performance car.

The Cadillac CTS-V outpaced the competition in this years awards from such standouts as the Ford Mustang Boss 302, Chevrolet Corvette, BMW M3 and Lotus Evora.

Just one more feather in Cadillac’s cap for an outstanding driver’s car.

Categories: Awards, CTS, V-Series
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Cadillac, as part of the launch of the XTS, has produced some videos that describe features of their new large car – which introduces many new technologies from GM.

In this video, Cadillac gives a brief overview of their magnetic ride technology. Magnetic Ride uses a special magnetically reactive fluid in the shocks/struts that gets thicker when a magnetic field is applied. Combined with computers that watch the condition of the road and the intentions of the driver, the system can adjust the stiffness at each corner 1000 times per second. We have seen this technology in the V-series models as well as in the top suspension of the ATS.

Enjoy:

Categories: ATS, News, V-Series, Video, XTS
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MotorAuthority.com has spied the next CTS undergoing testing.

It appears from these shots that, rather than a facelifted version of the current car, that this is the bigger, Alpha + (bigger version of the ATS platform) model that will finally take the CTS into the BMW 5-series, Mercedes E-Class size rather than its previous two generations where it existed in a tweener spot between the 3/5 BMW’s and C/E Mercedes models.

Here you can plainly see the increased length as well as some more delicate detailing like slim mirrors, integrated exhausts, as well as a lower, wider, leaner style that takes Cadillacs bread-and-butter sedan in a more stylish direction while also helping to differentiate it from the upcoming ATS.

Expect the new CTS to bow in about a year and a half (summer 2013) as a 2014 model. A new coupe is a certainty a year or so later with a wagon more of an outside possibility. V-Series variant(s) with even more power (in order to one-up the certainly upgraded competition) possibly bumping the 600hp range are a certainly – likely in the 2015 model year.

Given the recent revelations of the ATS as being close to the lightest in class, expect the CTS to soundly undercut the recently revised BMW 5-series which, by moving to a common platform as its bigger 7-Series brother, gained hundreds of pounds and lost a portion of its sports sedan credibility. This could be a huge opening for Cadillac to poach enthusiast buyers from the boys in Bavaria.

Source: MotorAuthority.com

Categories: CTS, News, Rumored Models, V-Series
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Image galleries – CTS-V Coupe Review Pics | CTS-V Coupe Pics from Cadillac

…the Caddy Edge drives a CTS-V Coupe to the top of the world*

Lucky us, Cadillac brought their flagship, the CTS-V Coupe to an event put on by the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Journalists spent the better part of a day trying to break the car during hot laps at the High Plains Raceway in eastern Colorado.

On day two, we attacked the Mt Evans Parkway to the summit reaching an altitude of 14000 ft (the last couple hundred feet to the summit of Mt Evans require getting out of your car and hiking) on the highest paved road in the lower 48 states.

So, what can we glean from a couple days with Cadillac’s flagship coupe?

One of the first things that strike you about the CTS-V in coupe form is that this is certainly _THE_ CTS-V you want. The sleek styling of the coupe combined with the aggressive V-series bodywork is easily the sexiest thing Cadillac has done in decades. The only negative you could add is that you would have to limit the number of passengers to take along on this roller-coaster ride…and the back seat couple had better be short to clear the steeply raked back glass (but that’s true of all the coupes).

Our test car came packing the 6-speed manual. This makes this the first manual equipped V (and admittedly the first manual Cadillac) we’ve driven. We did notice that this particular example seemed to be have a vague clutch take-up point and it made a car with 556hp pretty easy to stall. Whether this had to do with adjustments made by GM to prep the car for the track day is hard to say if this is indicative of clutch operation of all the new V’s, Cadillac needs to go work on the calibration. Owners likely will adjust their technique to compensate, though.

Once underway, however, this is one of the most amazing cars being taken on one of the most amazing drives in the lower-48.

Our loop took us up and back down the Mount Evans Scenic Byway. As a heavily traveled road up the side of a mountain, it is expectedly uneven, narrow, and wildly rough in patches. It also has deliciously twisty bits that encourage giving it the stick even if the official speed limit is aimed squarely at the tourists in their campers. Combine this road with the devil on your shoulder that is a supercharged V-8 and you thank your lucky stars more than once up the hill for Brembo supplied brakes to scrub off excess speed and the magical magnetic ride suspension that can go from sportscar firm and flat to absorbing unexpected whoopty-doos (watch yourself near Summit lake where things go from simply rough to ‘oh my god!’ in the blink of an eye) without crashing against bump stops. This is a car that can get you into real trouble but is fully capable of getting you back out of said trouble almost as quickly.

The climb up to the summit is over 15 miles and takes you through forest to the tree-line (above which trees simply do not grow) through alpine tundra passing a few picturesqe mountain lakes along the way. Once the road ends, you will find yourself in a parking lot a few hundred feet short of the actual summit. At these altitudes, those accustomed to the oxygen they get at sea level or even at the relatively low altitudes of a city like Denver will be gasping for breath at any more than a walk. If you feel up to it, you can scurry up the rocks to the actual summit where you will be the highest thing for miles around at the top of one of Colorado’s famous 14-ers.

In our merry band of auto writers, some did encounter the tell-tale symptoms of altitude sickness and had to get back down to lower elevations pretty quickly.

Getting down in the V would be one of the quickest methods at our disposal as, when the road condition permitted, it could easily touch triple digits (if asked, not that you should do such a thing on a public road…that’s what the previous day’s track time was for).

Our trip down showed the brakes easily as capable at controlling our decent as the 6.2l V-8 was at getting us to the top. Once back out of the wilderness area and on the relatively flat twisty CO-103 back down to Idaho Springs, we were able to confirm that the magnetic ride shocks that are standard in the V-series were as capable in the cornering department as they were earlier in taming the bumps.

As we’ve said before, the V-series is way more car than most people could/should ever use on the public road, but on a track or using it on a deserted twisty road – it is probably one of the best cars currently on sale.

Just be careful where you point it.

* – Highest Paved Road in North America

Sites to visit:
Mt. Evans
High Plains Raceway

Categories: CTS, News, Reviews, V-Series
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Cadillac is finally ramping up to the release of the new baby-Caddy, and has even confirmed its name (sort of).

Available in dealer showrooms in the summer of 2012, the ATS was confirmed to be a rear-driver with optional all-wheel drive.

In this highly shadowed picture, we can see the car that Cadillac is now officially calling the car ‘code named ATS’.

With a little creative lightening (see below), we can see the mesh grills in the bumper and giant wheels that peg this particular car as the ATS-V (it appears that in the V that there will be vents in the bumper that flare toward their outer edges and feature the mesh inserts we know as a V trademark) The vents are a nice detail change from the large single opening in the bottom of the bumper we have seen in models prior, such as the CTS-V and the STS-V and XLR-V.

The V is expected to pack either a forced-induction V-6 (perhaps twin turbo) though a possible normally aspirated V-8 is also rumored. The base ATS models are expected to be 4-cylinder (likely turbo and direct injection) with a normally aspirated V-6 as a mid-level offering. Body styles for the ATS are rumored to include a coupe, sedan, and a possible convertible. A wagon offering is also an outside chance for a year or two after its initial debut.

Official press release to follow:

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Categories: ATS, News, V-Series
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