2004 Cadillac Cts-v Supercharged Ls7, 800 Rwhp!!!! on 2040-cars

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Frustrated GM investors ask what more Mary Barra can do

DETROIT — General Motors Co Chief Executive Mary Barra has transformed the No. 1 U.S. automaker in her almost five years in charge, but that is still not enough to satisfy investors. Ahead of third-quarter results due on Oct. 31, GM shares are trading about 6 percent below the $33 per share price at which they launched in 2010 in a post-bankruptcy initial public offering. The Detroit carmaker's stock is down 22 percent since Barra took over in January 2014. After hitting an all-time high of $46.48 on Oct. 24, 2017, the shares have declined 33 percent. In the same period, the Standard & Poor's 500 index has climbed 7.8 percent. Several shareholders contacted by Reuters said GM could face a third major action by activist shareholders in less than four years if the share price does not improve. "I've been expecting it," said John Levin, chairman of Levin Capital Strategies. "It just seems a tempting morsel to somebody." Levin's firm owns more than seven million GM shares. Barra has guided the company through the settlement of a federal criminal probe of a mishandled safety recall, sold off money-losing European operations, and returned $25 billion to shareholders through dividends and stock buybacks from 2012 through 2017. GM declined to comment for this story, but the company's executives privately express frustration with the market's reluctance to see it as anything more than a manufacturer tied mainly to auto market sales cycles. GM's profitable North American truck and SUV business and its money-making China operations are valued at just $14 billion, excluding the value of GM's stake in its $14.6 billion Cruise automated vehicle business and its cash reserves from its $44 billion market capitalization. The recent slump in the Chinese market, GM's largest, and plateauing U.S. demand are ratcheting up the pressure. GM is one of the few global automakers without a founding family or a government to serve as a bulwark against corporate raiders. In 2015, a group led by investor Harry Wilson pressed GM to launch a $5 billion share buyback, and commit to what is now an $18 billion ceiling on the level of cash the company would hold. In 2017, GM fended off a call by hedge fund manager David Einhorn to split its common stock shares into two classes. Einhorn, whose firm still owned more than 21 million shares at the end of June, declined to comment about GM's stock price. Other investors said there were no clear alternatives to Barra's approach.

2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, CT4-V Blackwing bring big performance back to the brand

They're finally here, the real successors to the Cadillac CTS-V and ATS-V: the 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing and CT4-V Blackwing. And at least on paper, they sure seem like worthy successors to those superb super sedans. They're more powerful, come with standard manual transmissions, and feature the latest and greatest chassis upgrades available. We'll start things off with the most beastly of the Caddies, the CT5-V Blackwing. Like the CTS-V predecessor, the Blackwing gets a supercharged 6.2-liter pushrod V8. But thanks to intake and exhaust improvements, output is up to 668 horsepower and 659 pound-feet of torque, as opposed to the CTS-V's 640 horses and 630 pound-feet. The engine also is handbuilt in Bowling Green, Ky., just like the short-lived turbocharged DOHC Blackwing V8. It's coupled either to a six-speed manual transmission with a twin-disc clutch, rev matching and no-lift shifting, or a 10-speed 10L90 automatic transmission. Power goes to the electronically controlled limited-slip differential at the rear, and rear-wheel drive is the only drive configuration available. The transmission and differential each get their own oil coolers, too. Cadillac says the CT5-V Blackwing should be able to hit 60 mph in 3.7 seconds with the automatic transmission, and the top speed is over 200 mph. 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing View 13 Photos As for the CT4-V Blackwing, it gets a twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V6 built in Canada, and although it is more powerful than the previous car, it's only by a small amount. The CT4-V Blackwing makes 472 horsepower versus the ATS-V's 464, and the 445 pound-feet of torque is the same between each car. Just like the CT5-V Blackwing, the CT4-V gets either the same six-speed manual transmission or a 10-speed 10L80 automatic transmission, the electronically-controlled limited-slip differential, and the oil coolers. Picking the manual transmission has extra perks on the CT4-V Blackwing, though. The engines in manual cars received titanium connecting rods and revised crankshaft counterweights. The manual transmission's no-lift shift functionality is also more helpful on the CT4-V Blackwing since it keeps the car in boost between gears. Still, Cadillac's 0-60 mph time estimate is for the automatic model at 3.8 seconds. Top speed is 189 mph. 2022 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing View 16 Photos Keeping all that power under control are a variety of chassis upgrades.

2019 Autoblog Technology of the Year finalists revealed

Every fall, we line up a range of new models with the latest and most compelling automotive technology from the past year. We test everything from semi-autonomous systems like Tesla's Autopilot to trick suspension setups like the Multimatic spool-valve shocks on the Chevy Colorado ZR2. We spend months paring down the list to a small group of contenders. After testing, dinner and healthy debate, we tally up the votes and name our winner. For Autoblog's 2019 Technology of the Year Award, our three finalists are the Cadillac CT6 with Super Cruise, the Infiniti QX50 with Variable Compression Turbo and the Mercedes-AMG E 53 with EQ Boost. Super Cruise is an advanced SAE Level 2 semi-autonomous system, though Cadillac (unlike some of its rivals) is reluctant to push that point. Cadillac would like you to think of this as an advanced driver assistance feature rather than a semi-autonomous system. Super Cruise allows completely hands-free highway driving. Thanks to a driver-facing camera, the system forces the driver to keep his or her eyes on the road even if hands are off the wheel. Although the CT6 is being discontinued, look for Super Cruise to make its way to other Cadillacs soon. VC Turbo is a little more complicated. Basically, Infiniti's 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four can vary the compression ratio on the fly. In general, turbocharged engines are more efficient than naturally-aspirated engines when on boost, but can perform worse at low revs. VC Turbo allows for a best-of-both-worlds situation, increasing the compression at low revs and backing it off once the turbo spools up. The best part is that it does so seamlessly, with only a dash readout letting you know what's going on under the hood. Our third finalist is the EQ Boost 48-volt system in the Mercedes-AMG E 53. Like VC Turbo, EQ Boost does a lot just beneath the surface. Mercedes has developed a new turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six and paired it with a small electric motor. While the car can't run on electricity alone, the motor helps improve both efficiency and performance, smoothing shifts and filling in low-end torque before the turbos spool up. Think torque fill, similar to a McLaren P1. Who can complain about better fuel economy and more torque? Look for the 48-volt system to make its way into most of the Mercedes-Benz lineup. The winner will be revealed next week on Autoblog, and we'll present the award Jan. 15 at the Detroit Auto Show. Related Video: