2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe

This here is the ultimate iteration of Cadillac's brand-new CTS Coupe and it will make its first public outing at next week's 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. To the surprise of no one, the CTS-V Coupe packs the same 6.2-liter supercharged V8 engine found in the sedan version. It produces a hefty 556-horsepower and 551 lb.-ft. of torque (747 Nm) propelling the 2+2 coupe from 0-60 mph (96km/h) in just 3.9 seconds.

Potential buyers will have the choice of a six-speed manual gearbox or a six-speed automatic transmission with paddle-shift control, which transfer power to the rear wheels through a limited slip differential.

The V-spec model also gets Cadillac's Magnetic Ride Control with two selectable modes (Tour and Sport) and Brembo brakes with six-piston calipers in the front and four-piston calipers in the rear.

Cadillac Narrows Contenders List to Three

General Motors Co.'s Cadillac has cut the list of semi-finalists vying for the brand's national creative account in half.

The shops moving to the next round are two Publicis Groupe shops: Bartle Bogle Hegarty, New York, and Publicis, New York; along with Interpublic Group of Cos.' Martin Agency, Richmond, Va. Eliminated are Omnicom Group's DDB, Chicago; Interpublic's Gotham and independent McKinney, Durham, N.C. Cadillac confirmed that list.

The holidays will be a frenetic time for the finalists to put together their presentations, as the marketer has said it will hear pitches in January. A decision is expected soon afterward.

Prior experience
The three finalists have experience dealing with car brands.

Bartle Bogle was a finalist in Audi of America's review in 2006. The agency's London office handles Audi in the U.K., which created this TV spot for the Q5 early this year. In the Audi of America review, the agency pitched against incumbent McKinney, which had held the account from 1993 to 2006. The account is now with Venables, Bell & Partners.

General Motors India To Launch Cadillac

Recession or no recession, India has always been an intriguing market for the auto companies. Luxury cars have been huge here and their makers have shared a special relationship with the country. The last few months have seen Rolls-Royce open a showroom and announce a car. Bentley too introduced the Continental Flying Spur a few weeks ago.

So if these car makers are betting big on the rich consumers in India, would General Motors be left behind? Indian business daily, The Economic Times, is reporting that GM India is apparently planning to launch their Cadillac brand of luxury vehicles in the country. But they have put their plans to get the Hummer in India on hold.

Karl Slym is the president and managing director of General Motors India. He explains, “We are now vying for the luxury space. The company was planning to launch SUV Hummer earlier but its entry now seems distant as consumer sentiment has changed. So, we have zeroed in on the Cadillac CTS sedan, which was showcased in the Auto Expo last year.”

The Cruse sedan by General Motors is expected to hit India in mid-2009. But the car that would really set the luxury car market in India on fire would be Cadillac CTS, which is expected to give tough competition to the likes of BMW, Audi and Mercedez Benz. A few months ago, Lamborghini

too had pointed out that India is a big market for the future and it seems that GM agrees to that.

Cadillac's Escalade Hybrid sips instead of gulps fuel

When you absolutely, positively have to have a full-size sport ute with premium qualities and seating for eight, you should consider a hybrid. In this case, a Cadillac Escalade, the chosen wheels among NBA, NFL jocks and others in the entertainment industry.

Cadillac claims a 50 percent improvement in fuel economy in city driving and 25 percent gain overall with their hybrid powertrain.

The Escalade Hybrid obtains these gains by using GM’s “Two-Mode” system that combines a gasoline engine with a 300V electric motor. Further increasing economy is that the system shuts down half of the V8 engine’s cylinders during cruise, and all of them during traffic stops.

When stopped at a traffic signal, it’s necessary to feather the throttle to maintain electric power and high fuel economy. At that time, a slight whirring sound can be heard from the electric motor. In itself, the motor has excellent power to propel this hefty vehicle.

Powered by a 6.0L 332-hp V8 producing an impressive 367 lb/ft of torque at 5100 rpm, energy is sent to the wheels through a Continuously Variable Transmission that combines to allow a tow rating of 5,800 pounds. The 6.0L moves Escalade with zest although its bulk can be felt.

As such, Escalade garners a 20 city, 21 highway mpg rating. Not bad for a hefty SUV weighing in at 5,727 pounds. In fact Cadillac advertises Escalade’s EPA city rating as better than an ’08 Mini Cooper S Convertible (19 mpg), ’09 Mercedes C-Class sedan (18 mpg), BMW X3 (17 mpg) and a Volvo XC-90 (14 mpg).

As an upscale version of Chevy’s Tahoe (still the best value for a full-size SUV) and GMC Yukon, Escalade is posh and polite. The ride is compliant with good shock absorption as all Cadillac’s are noted for. Compared to a conventional Tahoe or Yukon, Escalade’s ride is softer, quieter and could be even better were it not for huge 22-inch tires. Regardless, this would be the vehicle to take on long trips to Orlando as it makes the drive less tiring. It comes standard with Magnetic Ride Control, Automatic Rear Leveling Control and HD trailering package.

Handling is stable and assuring. Escalade is planted in sharp turns with only a tad of body lean in moderate curves. Because of its bulk, Escalade is not easy to park but the rear view camera system (with tilt screen) offers a valuable assist.

Upon entering Escalade’s spacious cabin, the interior is pure upscale and pampering. The latter starts with powered running boards that slide out and retract when any door is opened/closed. This makes the 22-inch step-in an easy 11.5-inch chore.

Cushy, comfy leather bucket seats coddle occupants except for the removable (but heavy) third row, which are mainly for kids. Fold the third and second rows and there’s six feet of cargo load length. With the third row up, there’s space for a gaggle of grocery bags (10 inches deep, 49 inches wide).

My major gripe with the Escalade was with its EFF gauges that don’t completely show when electric or economy power is being used. However, the tachometer shows “Auto Stop” and “Off” indications.
Escalade is offered in front-drive or 4WD that consists of 2WD, Auto, 4Hi and 4Lo positions selectable via a rotary switch.

With every possible option and amenity one could want, Escalade bottom-lines at a whopping $75,330 after a base of $73,285. The only extra cost options were the retractable steps ($1,095) and delivery ($950).

2010 Cadillac SRX

Cadillac released the first official photos of its next generation SRX crossover that is in essence the production version of the Provoq Concept. The all-new SRX will make its debut at the Paris Show in October, with sales set to start worldwide in mid-2009. With an overall length of about 4,580 mm or 180.3 in, the five-seater SRX is about roughly the same size as the BMW X3 meaning that its far more compact (and lighter) than the outgoing seven-seat SRX.

“The next-generation SRX, along with the new CTS Sport Wagon, showcases Cadillac taking its dramatic design into new directions, particularly cars and crossovers that are the right size at the right time for today’s luxury consumers,” said Jim Taylor, Cadillac general manager.

We expect to see the CTS’ 3.6-liter V6 gasoline units along with a 2.9-liter V6 turbo diesel engine (for Europe). The new SRX, which was initially referred to as the Cadillac BRX, will also form the base for the upcoming Saab 9-4X.

Fun while it lasted: Porsche Panamera Turbo reportedly tops Cadillac CTS-V's 'Ring record

2010 Porsche Panamera – Click above for high-res image gallery

It's been just over a year since Cadillac captured the title of fastest production four-door car when John Heinricy circulated the Nürburgring's north loop with a CTS-V in under eight minutes. Considering the pace of leap-frogging between the Nissan GT-R, Corvette ZR1 and Viper ACR it's a bit surprising that it took this long for someone to top the super-Caddy. What's not surprising is that it was a Porsche that finally outran the CTS-V.

Now that the four-door Porsche Panamera has been thrust upon the world, it was only a matter of time before one the test drivers from Weissach brought the crown back to the fatherland. The 500-horsepower Panamera Turbo lapped the Nordschleife in 7 minutes, 56 seconds, 3 seconds faster than the Cadillac.

When Heinricy set his 7:59 time last year, it was done in an automatic CTS-V in a single hot lap at the end of a test session. With any luck, we'll see Heinricy or perhaps one of the Corvette C6.R drivers like Johnny O'Connell head back to the Eiffel mountains for another go.

Cadillac and Gadling partner for "Perfect Road Trip" Contest

2010 Cadillac SRX – Click above for high-res image gallery

If we could take a trip anywhere in the Continental U.S., we'd have to make a b-line for the mountains of Nevada. Or, we could hit Yosemite for some incredible scenery and all the sightseeing we could handle. There's plenty to do and see in these United States, and Cadillac and our sibling travel site Gadling are ready to take you there.

Gadling and Cadillac are partnering up to send you and a friend on the road trip of your dreams, and Cadillac is providing a spanking new SRX crossover to hit the road running. To enter the contest, all you need to do is head over to the Gadling contest post, write up your own dream vacation in the comments section by July 22 at 5 pm ET, and wait. Gadling will pick the five best travel ideas, and then give its readers the opportunity to vote for the best one. The winner will receive the SRX for two days, a pair of plane tickets to the destination of your choice (within the continental U.S.) plus money for hotels, food and other expenses. So far there aren't many that have filled in a comment, so the chances of victory are pretty darn good, especially if you have a killer idea for a road trip. Sounds like a very fun weekend.