Outstanding 1965 Eldorado on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2020 Cadillac CT5 debuts at N.Y. Auto Show as a proper sport sedan

The 2019 Cadillac CT5 is here, and it's not a tweener sedan. After having done battle with the luxury sedan world through cars that were either too large or too small, Cadillac is using the CT5 to take direct aim at the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4, Alfa Romeo Giulia and Mercedes C-Class. Specifically, the CT5 replaces the CTS, but takes on vehicles one class smaller than what the CTS did. So, let's take a look at what Cadillac is bringing to the table. To begin, GM knows it has a winner on its hands with the Alpha platform used on the CTS and ATS and the Camaro, so engineers adapted it to the CT5. This seems like a great start, because we all happen to love the driving dynamics from vehicles on this chassis. The wheelbase is a couple inches longer than the CTS, but the CT5 is a couple inches shorter in overall length. As a result, the wheels get pushed toward the corners of the car, leaving the CT5 with relatively short overhangs in the front and rear. It looks different than both of the to-be-discontinued Cadillac sedans, but we wouldn't call it revolutionary. The rear end isn't quite a "sportback," but it's a "faster" shape, eschewing a traditional sedan's long decklid for a sloping-roof look instead. This shape does come at the expense of rear seat headroom, but we'll dive into the interior later. We got a little preview of the powertrain setup before this official reveal, but details were scarce. The base engine is the recently new 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder found in the Cadillac XT4. Just as it did in that vehicle, this engine makes 237 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. While it might be down on power compared to the old 2.0-liter in the ATS (272 horsepower and 295 pound-feet) we found it to be incredibly smooth, refined and not lacking in thrust compared to the old unit. We're sure the four-pot will offer sufficient power for the CT5, but the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 is lying in wait. This engine makes 335 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. Both engines are paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission and can be had in rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive in every configuration. So yes, you can get the V6 with rear-wheel drive, thankfully. Cylinder deactivation is also equipped to both these power units — the four-banger is able to run on two cylinders, while the V6 drops to four. Cadillac was entirely transparent about its new pumped-in engine sound strategy, too.

Cadillac's de Nysschen takes aim at Porsche 911, Cayenne

Johan de Nysschen has big plans for Cadillac. He's moved the brand from Detroit to New York, revamped its model nomenclature, and planning a raft of new models for the near future – including a $250,000 luxury sedan to take on the likes of Rolls-Royce and Bentley. But the veteran executive of luxury automakers has some more performance-oriented machinery in mind, too. Speaking with Car and Driver at the Los Angeles Auto Show last week, de Nysschen suggested Cadillac could be ready to launch a flagship sports car sometime in the next decade. The halo model would take aim at the Porsche 911 and do for Cadillac what Audi did with the R8, Mercedes is doing with the AMG GT and Acura once did (and is aiming to do again) with the NSX. Just what form it would take remains a big unknown, but de Nysschen indicated that the brand would need to be built up further before the sports car would be launched, lest it emerge too detached from Cadillac's image. The last time Cadillac delved into that territory was with the Corvette-based XLR, of which it sold only 15,000 or so examples – far below initial targets. The 911 rival isn't the only performance model de Nysschen has in mind, however. He plans to further expand the V series into a more substantial sub-brand to include a crossover to take on the likes of the Porsche Cayenne Turbo, BMW X5 M and all those many AMG-tuned Mercedes utilities. The idea of an entry-level model to slot in below the ATS was mooted as well. A range of diesel engines are slated to help Cadillac break into overseas markets in similar fashion to how Maserati has expanded its market reach with oil-burning versions of the Ghibli and Quattroporte. And we wouldn't be surprised to see Cadillac get in on a new flagship SUV being launched by Opel in Europe, either.

Cadillac picks Publicis as new agency of record, continues cutting ties with Campbell Ewald

Cadillac is setting itself up for major changes in the coming years with its decision to hire Johan de Nysschen as the brand's new boss and moving some of the staff to new digs in the trendy SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan. With those two big shifts in place, there's one more on the way with the company's announcement that Publicis Worldwide is now its global creative agency of record, effective immediately. The firm replaces former, long-time General Motors associate Campbell-Ewald; now a portion of Lowe and Partners. "This appointment is designed to accelerate the global expansion and elevation of Cadillac into a truly global luxury brand," said Cadillac Chief Marketing Officer Uwe Ellinghaus in the company's announcement. "We have spent much of this year refocusing on the core values of our brand." Although, some work may remain at Lowe and Partners for now. According to Cadillac spokesperson David Caldwell via email to Autoblog: "The bulk of work makes this shift. It is possible that maybe a small individual smaller project or two might still be handled by Lowe. Not certain yet." The fruit of this new partnership shouldn't take long to mature, either. "We will have substantially new marketing and brand identity work in early 2015." said Caldwell. According to Ad Age, Cadillac's advertising had been handled by Lowe and Partners, Campbell-Ewald in Detroit (now entirely part of Lowe) and Hill Holiday. Caddy had a relationship with the agency since 2013 but has changed firms several times in 2006. GM had a long collaboration with Campbell-Ewald, though. Chevrolet was its partner for nearly a century until the automaker also jumped to Publicis in 2010. The firm was responsible for campaigns like, "The Heartbeat of America", "Like A Rock" and "An American Revolution." Scroll down to read Cadillac's full announcement of the change. Cadillac Appoints Publicis Worldwide 2014-12-04 DETROIT – Cadillac announced today the appointment of Publicis Worldwide as its global creative agency of record. Publicis Worldwide is the largest creative agency of the Publicis Groupe network and its appointment to Cadillac is effective immediately. A fully dedicated team, comprising key managers from Publicis Worldwide, will lead the account and have access to specialist and premium resources within the larger Publicis Groupe.