Cadillac CTS-V Coupe Hits the Track

Those of us feeling Mother Nature’s icy grip in the Northeast would love to be in Florida for two reasons: the obvious one and to see the Cadillac CTS-V coupe get its first track time at Sebring International Raceway. 

According to Cadillac, the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe race car hit the track for the first time yesterday, driven by Johnny O’Connell and Andy Pilgrim for tests at Sebring. Cadillac announced in a press release it is reentering the Sports Car Club of America World Challenge GT series this year, beginning with the season-opening race in St. Petersburg, Fla., on March 25-27. Cadillac competed in the World Challenge series in 2004-2007, earning the Speed GT Manufacturer’s Championship in both 2005 and 2007 with CTS-V Sedan race cars.

Cadillac Plug-in SRX Crossover

Cadillac Plug-in SRX Crossover

The Cadillac Converj concept was a short-lived concept, greenlighted and then cancelled in short order. However, GM has said that the plug-in hybrid Voltec drivetrain would make it into other vehicles, and the Cadillac SRX is a likely candidate.
When the SRX debuted back in 2004, it was a simple crossover. In 2008 the Provoq concept (above) debut, which GM stated could one day hold a fuel-cell or electric powertrain. The next-gen SRX borrowed heavily from the Provoq concept, but it is more likely the new SRX will get a modified version of the Volt’s hybrid powertrain, running on electric power before switching over to a gas-powered range extender. Initially, it looked like Cadillac was going to get its own version of the Volt, based on the Converj concept (below). I’m thinking that GM reconsidered the idea of selling a $45,000+ gussied up Chevy Cruze with the Cadillac badge.

Cadillac SRX Turbo Killed

Cadillac SRX

It was good while it lasted. At least, this is what some Cadillac SRX fans said when hearing that the turbocharged flavor of the SUV will be pushed out of production. Speculation regarding a potential axing of the SRX Turbo emerged in late 2010 and, although nobody ever confirmed that such a move is under consideration, voices familiar with the matter hinted that the low sales the car is registering can only lead to its discontinuation.

A Cadillac PR has recently confirmed to GMI that the SRX Turbo has been killed, of course, pointing to the disappointing sales the model has posted in the first and only year of availability.

Cadillac's Robyn Henderson told the aforementioned source that 90 percent of the SRX range sales went to the 3.0-liter configuration which is the only one that remains available across the series.

GM recalling Cadillac CTS and Escalade

General Motors is recalling close to 100,000 vehicles in two separate campaigns. In a posting with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or NHTSA, GM said that the first recall has already affected almost 96,000 Cadillac CTS sedans from the 2005-2007 model years over concerns that some of thevehicles have a condition in which repeated flexing of the passenger sensing system mat in the passenger seat may break the connection. The company said that if this occurs, the sensor may not detect the presence of a front seat passenger and will disable the bag. In addition, due to the problem with airbag sensors on the passenger side of the car. The sensors could fail to recognize a passenger’s presence and not deploy when needed, GM said.

Cadillac Returns to Racing with Super Charged CTS-V Coupe

CTS-V Sport Sedan

 Cadillac said it plans to return to racing in 2011 with its entry to the Sports Car Club of America World Challenge, North America’s top production-based racecar series. The company’s is returning to the race track with a race-prepared version of its CTS-V Coupe.

The plan to come back to the track returns the sports car maker to a series where it competed from 2004 to 2007. Cadillac has won the Manufacturer’s Championship in 2005 and 2007 and the Driver’s Championship in 2005, competing in the GT Class with the CTS-V Sport Sedan.
The American automaker will field two teams in the upcoming SCCA World Challenge GT Class with a racecar version of CTS-V Coupe. The CTS-V line was recently named to Car and Driver magazine’s 10 Best list for 2011.
To develop the CTS-V Coupe racecar, Cadillac is working with Pratt & Miller, an engineering firm which specializes in motorsports. The company noted that it plans to modify some of the production CTS-V components due to the unique demands of racing or to meet the SCCA series’ technical rules.
The CTS-V, which was introduced for 2003, quickly earned a reputation among luxury sports car buyers. For the 2011, Cadillac added the CTS-V Coupe and the CTS-V Sport Wagon to the family of performance vehicles. The CTS-V line-up feature Brembo brakes, a supercharged 6.2L V8 engine that can generate a power of 556 hp and a Magnetic Ride Control suspension system, which can read and react to the road 1,000 times a second.

GM discontinues Cadillac SRX Turbo due to low sales

2010 Cadillac SRX 2.8L V6 Turbo

Ever since its official debut in 2009, the Cadillac SRX has posted the largest gains in its segment for sales and projected resale value. However, most of the sales came from the 3.0 L V6 model. General Motors confirmed today that it has discontinued the 2.8L V6 turbocharged unit due to sluggish sales.
Cadillac spokesman Robyn Henderson confirmed that low sales resulted in the decision and said that over 90 percent of the SRX sales came from the 3.0L model. Henderson said that the SRX continues to be a leader in the luxury crossover segment and has a larger market share than the BMW X3, Audi Q5 and the Mercedes-Benz GLK.
The Cadillac SRX Turbo is powered by a 2.8L V6 unit making 300-hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. The model was criticized for having a fuel-economy rating of 15/22 mpg (city/highway).

Cadillac’s New Urban Luxury Concept

 
Cadillac has just  unwrapped its ultra-cool new Urban Luxury concept at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show. The concept behind this show piece is advanced urban commuting and the ULC executes this perfectly with a small package that is high on luxury – even including a Rolls-Royce-esque umbrella in the doors.
Its size is rather small to make this new concept suitable for urban environments. However, the automaker claims that four adults can be seated properly in the small Caddy, with room to spare.