1967 Cadillac Deville Base Convertible on 2040-cars

Auto blog

GM earnings rise 1% as buyers pay more for popular pickups

DETROIT — General Motors said Thursday that higher prices for popular pickup trucks and SUVs helped overcome slowing global sales and profit rose by 1% in the second quarter. The Detroit automaker said it made $2.42 billion, or $1.66 per share, from April through June. Adjusting for restructuring costs, GM made $1.64 per share, blowing by analyst estimates of $1.44. Quarterly revenue fell 2% to $36.06 billion, but still beat estimates. Analysts polled by FactSet expected $35.97 billion. Global sales fell 6% to 1.94 million vehicles led by declines in North America and Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa. The company says sales in China were weak, and it expects that to continue through the year. In the United States, customers paid an average of $41,461 for a GM vehicle during the quarter, an increase of 2.2%, as buyers went for loaded-out pickups and SUVs, according to the Edmunds.com auto pricing site. The U.S. is GM's most profitable market. Chief Financial Officer Dhivya Suryadevara said she expects the strong pricing to continue, especially as GM rolls out a diesel pickup and new heavy-duty trucks in the second half of the year. "We think the fundamentals do remain strong, especially in the truck market," she said, adding that strength in the overall economy and aging trucks now on the road should help keep the trend going. Light trucks accounted for 83.1% of GM's sales in the quarter, and pickup truck sales rose 8.5% as GM transitioned to new models of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, according to Edmunds, which provides content to The Associated Press. As usual, GM made most of its money in North America, reporting $3 billion in pretax earnings. International operations including China broke even, while the company spent $300 million on its GM Cruise automated vehicle unit. Its financial arm made $500 million in pretax income. Suryadevara said GM saw $700 million in savings during the quarter from restructuring actions announced late last year that included cutting about 8,000 white-collar workers through layoffs, buyouts and early retirements. The company also announced plans to close five North American factories, shedding another 6,000 jobs. About 3,000 factory workers in the U.S. whose jobs were eliminated at four plants will be placed at other factories, but they could have to relocate. GM expects the restructuring to generate $2 billion to $2.5 billion in annual cost savings by the end of this year.

Facelifted Cadillac ATS spied completely uncovered

The Cadillac ATS makes for a pretty svelte little coupe, and General Motors appears to know it, because multiple, completely undisguised prototype sedans have been spotted testing wearing what look like many of the forthcoming coupe's body parts.
Not only does it wear at least the outline of the brand's new, broader crest, it has the same front air dam with continuous chrome strip found on the coupe. The only real difference is that it has the somewhat taller side view mirrors from the sedan, rather than the narrower, longer ones from the coupe. Around back, the changes are harder to spot because the test car is outfitted with an unpainted lower bumper. However, it seems to lack the chrome strip that offsets the lower portion of the coupe from the sedan.
The ATS sedan is already a looker, but it is good to see Cadillac is taking a second pass using what it learned on the coupe. There's no word yet on when this revised sedan is going to hit the streets - let alone what changes will take place beneath the skin - but we're thinking it looks about right for 2015.

Lexani Motorcars unveils plans for 2021 Cadillac Escalade Mobile Offices

Lexani Motorcars is an aftermarket shop that specializes in high-end luxury customizations for a variety of large SUVs and vans. The Corona, Calif. company aims for business-class-type vehicles, rather than "Pimp My Ride" hack jobs, and has recently been working on 30-inch extended mobile office conversions, among other projects. Up next: the 2021 Cadillac Escalade. Lexani Motorcars, not to be confused with Lexani wheels, took to Instagram to show off a vision for a custom office setup for the new-generation 2021 Escalade. Cadillac's large SUV would be extended by 30 inches and outfitted with a plethora of over-the-top luxury options. Lexani's most extreme additions include armoring, but their toys don't have to be that serious. The most immediately noticeable feature in the Escalade is the starlight headliner. Similar to what's seen in certain modern Rolls-Royces, the starry ceiling is not necessarily a new feature for Lexani Motorcars, but the design has evolved. This most recent interpretation looks like it has a specialized design, possibly one that mimics a real part of the sky.  The Mobile Office includes four massive captain's chairs, each of which has motorized functionality and quilted leather. In between each set of seats is an integrated iPad tablet, and more are seen built into the walls of the SUV. Each seat also has a fold-out desk and foot rests for reclining.  Furthermore, the Mobile Offices include hideaway big-screen TVs that pop up behind the rear seats. Other options include satellite, curtains or shades for the windows, custom trim pieces made out of high-end materials such as carbon fiber or real metals, cooled storage for drinks, and storage compartments for libation stemware. Lexani Motorcars does not list a price, as each car is configured per the customer, and it does not mention when the new Escalades will become a reality. The Escalade was originally estimated to launch in late 2020, but it's unclear whether or not that will be affected by the current production stoppages due to coronavirus.           View this post on Instagram                   Now accepting pre-orders on 2021 Escalade Mobile Offices ? Inquiries: info@lexanimotorcars.com A post shared by Lexani Motorcars (@lexanimotorcars) on Mar 23, 2020 at 3:22pm PDT           View this post on Instagram                   Look forward to rush hour?