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Volvo and GM team with Amazon for in-car deliveries

Volvo and GM are the first automakers to pair their vehicles with a new service from Amazon that lets owners have their packages delivered inside their cars, without them having to be there. The service will initially be rolled out in 37 U.S. cities at no extra charge to Amazon Prime members with a Volvo On Call or OnStar account, and it works with same-day, two-day and standard shipping. It's intended as an alternative for people who don't want to risk having their package stolen from their front porch or receive deliveries at their workplace, and both automakers say it's an example of how they're embracing innovation as a way to make their customers' lives easier. Volvo released a video (above) showing how the service works. Users download the Amazon Key App (or " Ama-zin," as the narrator pronounces it) and link their Amazon Prime account with their Volvo On Call account — or OnStar, in the case of GM-branded vehicles. Once they register their delivery location in a publicly accessible location, users can select the "In-Car" option at checkout. They get a notification when the delivery is en route and once it's completed and the car is relocked. Volvo has been offering in-car delivery in certain European countries since 2015 through its Volvo On Call platform, which enables services like the ability to send calendar-based navigation destinations directly to the vehicle, find nearby gas stations and help locate the vehicle when you forget where you parked it. Volvo says the platform is now available in roughly 50 countries and covers more than 90 percent of its global sales. The service is compatible with 2015 or newer Volvo, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC vehicles. Volvo says it's available to the majority of Volvo owners, while GM says more than 7 million vehicle owners can qualify. The service is expected to roll out to more cities later. You can check eligibility at amazon.com/keyincar. Related Video: Buick Cadillac Chevrolet GM GMC Volvo Technology Infotainment Amazon connected car volvo on call e-commerce

Corvette's Performance Data Recorder headed to other cars, will Cadillac ATS-V be first?

For 2015, the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray gained a novel piece of high-performance technology: The Performance Data Recorder. This trick system combines video from a front-mounted camera with in-car data and GPS information to help drivers record and study their lap times, complete with data overlays. While it's a clever tool for track days, it's also finding popularity as a built-in dash cam of sorts. To this point, the technology has been a Corvette exclusive, but General Motors' executive vice president of global product development, Mark Reuss, has confirmed to Autoblog that it will soon be available in other vehicles.
At a media luncheon on Thursday, we asked whether GM was keen to expand usage of the technology to other models, and if we could expect to see something soon. Reuss coyly replied, "What's soon?" When we suggested the 2016 Cadillac ATS-V (which is scheduled to debut at next week's LA Auto Show), he replied, "There will be other uses, and it won't be that far away. How's that?"
Certainly not an outright confirmation, but we wouldn't be at all surprised to see the next high-po Cadillac roll under the klieg lights at the Los Angeles Convention Center next Wednesday brandishing more than just 450 horsepower.

Cadillac confirms Blackwings will get manual transmissions and 3D-printed parts

Cadillac's upcoming 2022 CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwing will be the first GM production cars to utilize 3D-printed technology. In fact, the technology will be featured front and center on one of the cars' most hotly anticipated features — in a decorative medallion atop the shift knob of the manual transmission. Cadillac says that "additive manufacturing" (named as such because 3D printing accumulates tiny deposits of material to create the object) made the manual transmissions possible by reducing costs and waste. Aside from the medallion, the cars will employ two 3D-printed two HVAC ducts and an electrical harness bracket. "[The manual transmission is] something we know V-Series buyers want and itÂ’s something we knew we had to have, so we used innovative processes to make it happen,” said Cadillac performance variant manager Mirza Grebovic. Speaking of which, Cadillac commissioned a Harris Poll survey about manual transmissions and received some interesting results. For example, 66 percent of American adults surveyed know how to drive manual, and 55 percent said they've owned a standard shift car. Of those who don't, roughly 40 percent are either somewhat or very interested in learning. Interest is highest among two key demographics, 64 percent of those earning $75,000 or more in annual household income, and 62 percent of those ages 18-34. The findings seem to contradict what many automakers have said about lack of interest in manuals, with some declaring a sub-1 percent take rate when manuals are offered. Perhaps with a performance-oriented car such as the V-series, buyer preferences change. The mix of old school gearboxes and new school manufacturing techniques will result in what looks like a very potent car on paper. The CT5-V Blackwing is rumored to be powered by an updated 6.2-litter V8, while the CTS-4 Blackwing is said to be motivated by a turbo six. Neither will use the twin-turbo 4.2-liter V8 of their namesake, but they should prove to be worthy successors to the CTS-V and ATS-V. Related Video: