1956 Cadillac Coupe Deville California Car on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2014 Cadillac ELR wears a suave suit with Volt underpants

The Cadillac design and engineering teams were smiling like a bunch of proud papas here in Detroit this morning, as the Wreath and Crest crew pulled the curtain back on their 2014 ELR. The house was packed for the ELR's coming out party, and reaction was enthusiastic amongst the murmuring media, as far as we could gather, while the flashes were firing.
In fact, we think that the sleek styling and aggressive proportions of the Voltec-powered ELR looked even better in the metal than they did in the first official images we saw earlier. Further, the leather-lined interior seems custom made for serious driving, even if the ELR is slightly less than rocket-ship quick.
The new Cadillac makes good use of the basic running gear from the Chevrolet Volt, including the 1.4-liter range-extending gas engine, a 15.6-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, and an electric drive motor that offers 295 pound-feet of torque, and a total system output of 207 horsepower. All-electric range is down by just one mile versus its Chevrolet forebearer, for a total of 35, and Cadillac speculates that the total range with the gasoline generator figured in will top 300 miles.

A few signs that Cadillac's revival is taking hold

Only a flatworm would not have predicted the Cadillac ATS would help increase sales for America's erstwhile luxury brand of record; however, even the best automotive oracles didn't realize by how much: The ATS fueled a 49-percent increase of the brand's year-on-year sales in March, the sixth straight month of growth for Cadillac. The momentum helped push General Motors to post a 6.4-increase in sales in March versus 2012, leading its domestic competitors.
Dealership salesmen are among the first to register the shift occurring at Cadillac. A Texas dealer related an incident in which he helped a mother affix a baby seat in a car for a test drive, explaining that as opposed to the older buyers that are still a Cadillac mainstay he's getting "a pretty diverse group that's coming through the door now" who are "younger and better educated." Aided by incentives on the ATS, Cadillac's sales are up 38 percent so far this year, overtaking Acura as the fourth best selling luxury brand, and GM stock is benefiting with incremental gains because of it. Based on early response, the new 2014 Cadillac CTS should keep things going in the same direction.
The trend at the Wreath and Crest is part of a larger sales trend happening among domestics - with other models like the Dodge Dart and Ford Fusion doing well - and overall US car sales. Head over to Bloomberg for the big picture and role the ATS plays in it.

Spy photos show Trump's new Cadillac-badged rolling fortress

Development on the new presidential limo, oh-so appropriately nicknamed The Beast, is moving along at a GM proving ground. We got a brief glimpse of the Cadillac-badged rolling testament to safety and security late in February thanks to some clever drone work. We now have a new batch of ground-level photos that show the limo cruising around, presumably being put through the vehicle equivalent of boot camp. Currently, President Trump is making do with the first-generation Beast. While still likely safer than anything else on the road, it's starting to be a bit dated. In addition to the updated styling that makes it look like a comically oversized Cadillac CT6, The Beast v2.0 is likely packing a whole new suite of technology and safety equipment. That's just an assumption, as there's no press release with a full list of features. We can't imagine that the government would want everyone knowing what's beneath The Beast's skin. Expect Trump's ride to have reinforced doors, extra-thick glass, and even a filtration system that would protect against a biological attack. There's speculation that it's equipped with tear-gas cannons, similar to one of James Bond's rides. Even the relatively normal-looking tires are likely to be strengthened in some way, allowing them to still roll if punctured. Add up all of the extra reinforcement, and the truck-based ride is likely to have a mass that's equivalent to a small moon. All that tech doesn't come cheap. Expect The Beast to cost taxpayers somewhere around $1.5 million. Hey, it's still less than the new Bugatti Chiron. Related Video: Featured Gallery The Beast 2.0 spy shots View 10 Photos Image Credit: KGP Photography Spy Photos Cadillac GM Trump limousine limo president