1976 Cadillac Eldorado on 2040-cars

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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:

2022 Cadillac Lyriq launch is running ahead of schedule

General Motors says all of the components and technologies in the Cadillac Lyriq electric crossover have passed the 80% validation benchmark. As a new video shows, getting to this point has included plenty of real-world driving on gravel, ice, and snow at the Southern Hemisphere Proving Grounds in Wanaka, New Zealand, as well as hours of jostling on suspension rigs and aero work in the lab. A voiceover in the video has a GM worker saying the Lyriq has "a lot of potential as far as setting a new benchmark for ride and handling in the segment, the brand's ride and handling mission statement said to be called "Isolated Precision." Having proved the substance of the foundation, engineers can spend the next six months or so fine tuning the vehicle's touchpoints. Lyriq customers will get the final say on all of this early next year, around eight months earlier than planned. In August 2020 when Cadillac officially revealed the Lyriq, the automaker said it wouldn't hit the market until late 2022. According to General Motors, the compressed development schedule is thanks to the "modular and highly flexible qualities of the Ultium system, along with engineering advances in battery technology, use of virtual development tools and lessons learned during the Hummer EV development process." The model that comes first is the Lyriq Debut Edition, its single motor on the rear axle providing 340 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque. Juice comes from a 100-kWh Ultium battery pack that GM believes will be good for 300 miles of range on a charge. Home charging with the standard 11.5-kW charger restores needs a full overnight session to refill from empty, the optional 19.2-kW onboard charger takes about six hours, restoring roughly 52 miles or range per hour. Plugged into a DC fast charger, at the max 190 kW the Lyriq gains about 76 miles of range in 10 minutes. Production starts in Q1 next year at GM's Spring Hill, Tennessee facility that will built the other five Cadillac electric vehicles planned by 2025, and their batteries. Next summer Cadillac will reopen the Lyriq reservation system for series production models, among those being the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive performance trims. Related video:

2016 Cadillac CT6 shows crisp sense of style in leaked images

You're looking at the 2016 Cadillac CT6, aided by the almost inevitable internet-aided leak, ahead of its debut at the New York Auto Show this week. As you can see, the overall shape is straight-edged and aggressive, and overall in keeping with what we've seen from Cadillac over the last several years. High-tech lighting clusters extend from the fender peaks all the way down in what appear to be LED strips toward the lower fascia and its rectangular fog lights. A suitably massive grille encrusted in chrome boasts one of the larger Wreath and Crest badges we've ever witnessed on a car. Under that sharply creased hood will sit a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 engine with 400 horsepower at its disposal, according to Cadillac, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. A naturally aspirated 3.6-liter V6 will also be available, we're told. We may wish for an edgier range-topping sedan from Cadillac, but it's not really fair to draw any real conclusions from just one leaked image. In other words, stay tuned, 'cause the rest of the story won't be far behind.