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Hot Wheels partners with Gucci for a diecast 1982 Cadillac Seville. Wait, what?

Hot Wheels is partnering with Italian fashion brand Gucci for a limited-edition toy car. And not just any toy car, but a 1982 Cadillac Seville. Wait, what? At first this trio of names may seem completely incongruous, but the collaboration is actually brilliant on so many levels. Out of the three, the one readers are probably most familiar with is Hot Wheels. The purveyor of $1 diecast cars has been around since 1968 and started out making 1:64 scale versions of muscle cars, hot rods and sports cars. In the 1980s, though, perhaps reflecting the 1:1 scale American automotive landscape, some of their castings choices began to get weird. Among cars like the Dodge Aires Wagon and Chevy Citation was the US of A's Mercedes-fighter, the bustle-butt '82 Cadillac Seville.  Fast-forward to present day, and Hot Wheels are hot collectibles. The little metal cars aren't just coveted by kids and adult car enthusiasts, but hypebeasts whose entire raison d'etre is to acquire limited edition stuff. Add to that an explosion of quasi-ironic interest in '80s cultural signifiers and you have the perfect market conditions for a $120 toy car printed with the mirrored G logo. But while totally uncool jokers quickly bought out the Hot Wheels and Supreme collab featuring the hypebeast car du jour, the E30 BMW M3, the Gucci Caddy is actually far more clever. That's because there is real-world precedent, when in 1978, a Miami-area dealer partnered with Aldo Gucci to create the "Cadillac Seville designed by Gucci". The car featured the luxury brand's signature green-red-green stripes throughout, a quarter-roof padded vinyl carriage top with the trademark "GG" print, and several real 24K gold emblems that were were quickly stolen. Oh, and it came with a five-piece set of Gucci luggage. However, there was also a lesser-known Gucci Seville in 1984 based on the front-wheel-drive second-generation (the one the Hot Wheels car is based upon). There is far less information on them than on the first-generation, but they seem to have followed a similar formula. Very few seem to have survived in tact, but one did make it overseas and resides today at the Museo Gucci showroom in Florence, Italy. It's pictured above. In any case, Hot Wheels never made a 1976-79 Seville, but the '82 was one of the most memorable castings of the era.

2019 Cadillac ATS-V Coupe Drivers' Notes Review | Not your granddad's Coupe de Ville

The 2019 ATS-V is Cadillac's smallest car, slotting below both the CTS and CT6 sedans. It's also the automaker's only two-door model, helping compete against the Audi RS5, BMW M4 and Mercedes-AMG C 63 Coupe. Based on the GM Alpha platform, the ATS shares more than a little with the Chevrolet Camaro. Unlike the Camaro, the high-performance V variant uses a twin turbo V6. Like the Chevy, power is sent to the rear wheels through either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic. Our Wave Metallic blue test car has about $10,000 worth of options, the most expensive of which are the $2,300 Recaro sport seats. The Luxury Package — alloy pedals, HID headlights, navigation and a Bose stereo system — tacks on another $2,100. There are some visual upgrades, too, including $1,295 for a dealer-installed carbon-fiber engine cover. All in, this ATS-V rang up for $78,775. Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore: Cadillac has problems, but the ATS-V coupe isn't one of them. It's everything former Cadillac president Johan de Nysschen hoped the brand could achieve in the sporting realm. The car has a tight yet tolerable suspension. The steering is direct but not overly weighted. The engine burbles and growls with noticeable attitude. It's all underscored by the six-speed manual transmission, which has a heavy clutch and requires precise throws. It's a serious sports coupe for enthusiasts. Cadillac's style is brash, edgy and sharp. It's all of those things literally and figuratively. Note the cuts and creases. The ATS is borderline severe – but I like it. I think it's smart for Cadillac to really go for it in the design department. Cadillac is again tweaking its lineup and the ATS sedan and ultimately the coupe will be replaced. Still, there's a place for a car like the ATS-V coupe in the Caddy stable. There should be, anyway. The devil is in the engine, but the details of the @Cadillac ATS-V Coupe aren't bad either. @therealautoblog pic.twitter.com/7fQOrBkxeE — Greg Migliore (@GregMigliore) October 29, 2018 Associate Editor Reese Counts: I forgot how great this thing is to drive. I won't repeat all of Greg's comments, but suffice it to say that it's everything you want in a luxury sports coupe — direct steering, a chassis that balances performance and comfort and a potent engine. Combine sharp styling and competitive pricing, and you have one of the most compelling non-German luxury cars on the market.

2021 Cadillac XT6 adds 2.0-liter turbo and new base trim in second year

The 2021 Cadillac XT6 has been announced, and the three-row crossover is going through a few notable changes in its second model year. There’s a new base trim and base engine, and Cadillac has added tech features to improve the experience. Starting with the new engine: ItÂ’s the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that was initially introduced in the XT4 as the base motor. Power output is the same as the compact crossover at 237 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. ItÂ’s paired with the nine-speed automatic transmission and comes with front-wheel drive as standard — all-wheel drive is a $2,000 option. That engine only comes with the new base trim level: Luxury. Every other trim receives the 3.6-liter V6. The new Luxury trim (pictured above) is being added to the lineup as a base model to compliment the Sport and Premium Luxury trims. This will be the cheapest and most basic of the XT6s, but you can still option all-wheel drive. Features include 18-inch wheels, the eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system, black leatherette seats (heated and powered in front), brushed aluminum trim, tri-zone climate control and a number of other smaller extras along with a suite of driver assistance technologies. Cadillac is also adding wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto to the lineup as standard equipment — they were standard previously but required the traditional wired connection. ThereÂ’s also a new 20-inch wheel for the Sport model, and three new color options: Dark Moon Blue Metallic, Wilder and Infrared Tintcoat. The XT6 LuxuryÂ’s base price is $48,990, including the destination charge. ThatÂ’s a fair cut below the 2021 Premium Luxury ($53,790) and the Sport ($58,190) trims, but you are losing out on the additional equipment and luxury those trims offer. Cadillac says the updated 2021 XT6 will land in dealerships this fall. Related video: