Saturday, May 22, 2010

Cadillac Releases Pricing Info for New 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe Models

As a complement to the CTS Sedan and CTS Sport Wagon, Cadillac has just announced pricing and option packages for the new 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe. The sleek and styling CTS Coupe will be available with four different packages and a starting MSRP of $38,990 including destination charge. The CTS Coupe will go on sale in early August, while the high-performance CTS-V Coupe will be available later in the summer.
2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe

The CTS Coupe models powered by the 3.6-liter direct-injected V-6 will be offered in three packages: standard (base), Performance Collection and Premium Collection. The base CTS Coupe comes with plenty of standard equipment like its sedan counterpart including rear park assist, remote start, performance suspension and power-adjustable front seats. The 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe Performance Collection starts at $43,430 and adds a Bose 5.1 channel Surround Sound audio system, a 40-gigabyte hard drive and HID Xenon headlamps with adaptive forward lighting. Like the sedan, the range-topping package for the non-V CTS is the Premium Collection which starts at $47,835 and comes standard with navigation, heated steering wheel, heated and cooled front seats, wood trim with ambient backlighting and a rearview camera. For the all-wheel drive versions of these models, starting prices will be $40,890 for the base, $45,330 for the Performance Collection and $49,735 for the Premium Collection.

“CTS Coupe is a compelling new alternative for luxury and performance-minded drivers,” said Don Butler, vice president of Cadillac marketing. “The addition of a Coupe, especially one this dramatic, provides an important entryway for new consumers to experience Cadillac Art and Science.”

In base form, the CTS Coupe will compete against the Audi A5 and Infiniti G37 with its sporty looks and 304-horsepower engine, but for more performance, Cadillac will also offer the CTS Coupe with a pair of optional tuning packages Performance and Summer Tire Performance. The Performance package comes with 18-inch wheels and all-season tires, while the Summer Tire Performance comes with 19-inch wheels that mimic the design of the wheels used on the CTS-V wrapped in ZR-rated summer tires. Cadillac did not reveal pricing for either package.

Stepping up to the powerful CTS-V also means stepping up to a steeper price with a starting MSRP of $62,990. The highlight of the CTS-V Coupe will be the supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 that produces 556 horsepower, but the high-powered coupe will come with plenty of performance add-ons as well including 19-inch wheels with summer tires, Brembo brakes and Cadillac’s advanced Magnetic Ride Control. Unlike the other CTS Coupe models, the CTS-V Coupe will not be available with all-wheel drive. The CTS-V Coupe will come with either a six-speed Tremec manual transmission or a six-speed Hydra-Matic automatic transmission with paddle shifters mounted on the steering wheel.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Cadillac designer shows off CTS-V Sport Wagon

CTS-V Sport Wagon

It packs 556 hp and wears the closest things to fins you can find in 2010. What more do you need to know about the Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon?

Plenty, actually. And Cadillac design director Clay Dean is happy to walk enthusiasts through the finer points of the of the General’s newest speed wagon in this new video.

It’s the ultimate niche product: a luxury barge with a high-output V8, optional six-speed manual transmission and, oh yeah, it’s unabashedly a station wagon. But this may be our favorite people hauler since the Dodge Magnum R/T.

Clad in a dark jacket and open-collar shirt, the goateed Dean illustrates the V wagon inside and out, touching on the domed hood, 19-inch wheels, mesh grille and the host of top-shelf magnetic ride components. Inside is leather, Recaro seats and “laser-etched” V-emblems.

“We think that the excitement and capability of V blended into the functionality of the wagon gives the customer something different, something unique--something that you’re not going to be able to see everyday,” Dean said.

Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon: Baby Got Badass Back

Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon: Baby Got Badass  Back

This is it. The Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon is officially heading to production. This is the "show car" version of the 556 HP supercharged Corvette-engined Caddy-badged Jesus wagon we'll be seeing live this week in New York. Daddy like.

Cadillac CTS-V named 2010 Car of Texas

2010 Cadillac CTS-V
2010 Cadillac CTS-V

It seems that the Detroit auto industry is making an impression clear across the nation with the Cadillac CTS-V being named the offical car of Texas by the Texas Auto Writers Association.

Just recently the CTS was pitted against many other new model cars in the US market in an event known as the Spring Challenge. The Spring Challenge consisted of a series of test drives by the cars at the Texas Motor Speedway which in turn were judged by about 40 auto writers.

This is not the first time that the CTS-V was named the official "Writers Choice Car of Texas" as back in 2004 the car had previously won this honorable title.

“The Cadillac CTS-V is the car that most epitomizes the state of Texas,” said Michael Herzing, president of the Texas Auto Writers Association and publisher of LetsTalkWheels.com. “The CTS-V has power, style, luxury and handling. It has everything.”

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Cadillac US Sales Increase 36 Percent in April 2010

SRX total sales for April rose 587 percent, the seventh straight month of triple-digit percentage increases. Redesigned for the 2010 model year, SRX has quickly become a stand-out in the fast-growing midsize luxury crossover segment.

Cadillac

Cadillac US Sales

The redesigned SRX also is attracting new customers to Cadillac at a higher rate than the previous model. So far this year, about 49 percent of SRX buyers traded in a competitor’s brand, an improvement of 14 percentage points compared to the previous model’s conquest rate.

A five-passenger crossover, SRX’s standard V6 engine is EPA-rated at 25 miles per gallon on the highway. SRX also provides the option of advanced all-wheel drive and a turbocharged V6 engine.

“SRX is appealing to luxury buyers with performance, fuel-efficiency and dramatic design,” said Kurt McNeil, U.S. vice president of Cadillac sales. “SRX has put Cadillac’s signature on the midsize luxury crossover segment.”

Cadillac CTS-V Goes for a Tumble at One Lap Event

 Cadillac CTS-V
Cadillac CTS-V
During last weekend's One Lap stop at Road America, a tricky, 4.1-mile circuit of asphalt twists and turns, one of the contestants found out just how tough One Lap can be. Road America features multiple heavy braking zones with deep gravel run-offs at most corners and straights where some One Lap cars see upwards of 160 mph.

At turn 12, things turned ugly for a black Cadillac CTS-V piloted by Howard LaFever.

According to Lago, here's what happened:

Reports are conflicting -- LaFever allegedly claims no brakes -- but the recipe is obvious: The CTS-V is approaching turn 12, a sharp left, at over 100 mph. It doesn't slow. The car turns, presumably the driver's effort to make the turn, and skips across the gravel trap before going airborne and flipping onto its roof. The damage looks terrifying, but LaFever reportedly walked away nothing more than a cut on his finger.

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