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Man trapped in Cadillac XLR for 14 hours after battery dies

A 75-year old Cleveland man ended up trapped in his 2006 Cadillac XLR for 14 hours last month, according to a story reported by the Detroit Free Press. The owner of the car, Peter Pyros, hopped into his roadster to back out onto his driveway, but he quickly learned that the battery was dead. He was "trapped" because the doors use an electric button to activate the door latch to open the door. Since the battery was dead, the buttons did nothing. Now, GM planned for an eventuality like this by placing a manual door release handle on the ground next to the seat. It's marked with a red diagram of the driver-side door opening. There's also a section about it in the owner's manual. The only problem here, was that Pyros says he didn't know the release was there, and he didn't have his owner's manual in the car. Because of this, Pyros may not have made it out alive if not for a neighbor coming to his rescue. "I came to the conclusion that I was going to die ... I was at peace with it. I asked God to help me twice, then I said, 'OK, God if this is the way I'm supposed to die, I will die,'" Pyros said to reporters. There's every chance he could have died in the car, too. Temperatures in Cleveland hit 77 degrees the day he was in the car, and he said it was unbearably hot and difficult to breathe after only 30 minutes sealed inside. Pyros reportedly tried yelling, pounding on and even trying to break the car's windows without success. At one point, Pyros wrote a note to his nephew explaining what happened if he ended up dying. What eventually saved him was a curious neighbor who came to investigate after he noticed his garage door was still open late at night. His neighbor called the police after he found him in the car, and emergency personnel actually ended up charging his car's battery up enough to get the electric door release to work. Of course, after everything settled down, there are now lawyers involved. They're going after GM, with an argument accusing the automaker of not making the emergency latch more obvious both in the car and in the owner's manual. GM doesn't appear to be having any of it. Here's its statement on the matter: "Because this varies by make and model, drivers should review the door lock section of their owner's manual, and follow up with their dealer or customer assistance center if they have any questions," GM spokesman Tom Wilkinson wrote to the Free Press. This type of door release isn't particularly uncommon for GM vehicles.

2016 Cadillac CT6 First Drive [w/video]

Cadillac moved to New York, renamed its cars and crossovers, and made cutting-edge technology one of its pillars. It's fighting hard to attract new customers and kill its outdated reputation as an old-man car brand in the United States. Change happens slowly, and then sometimes, all at once. Enter the 2016 Cadillac CT6. This is Cadillac's range-topping sedan. It's almost as long as the Mercedes S-Class and BMW 7 Series, yet in some configurations, it's lighter than their smaller siblings, the E-Class and 5 Series. The CT6 is a rolling showcase of General Motors' latest and best technologies, with potential breakthrough features like Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving waiting in the wings. It comes in a wide variety of flavors. The CT6 starts as low as $54,490 with a four-cylinder engine and rear-wheel drive, which is the car that Cadillac hopes will be cross-shopped with the mid-tier Germans. The top-end CT6 Platinum with all-wheel drive and the 404-horsepower V6 begins at $84,460, and it could make S-Class and 7 Series buyers rethink American luxury. Put simply, the CT6 means everything to Cadillac, but it will mean different things to its customers. It can be the executive chauffeur with all the backseat accouterments. Or it can be the massive yet somehow kinda sporty and nimble rear-wheel-drive sedan that weighs only 3,657 pounds. We tried both versions and came away impressed with both the strategy and the execution. It's a little strange to think that Cadillac doesn't offer a V8 in its biggest sedan. Taking the wheel on a sunny, cool day in rural San Diego County, we wonder if a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine has what it takes to really move this giant. Our concerns quickly dissipate – this engine is also under the hood of the Chevy Camaro, and its 265 hp and 295 pound-feet of torque are more than up for the task. The big sedan handles curvy mountain roads adeptly. There's not a lot of roll for a car this size, even when we're aggressively whipping through tight turns. This poise comes from the CT6's rigid, lightweight aluminum and steel structure called Omega. We switch through the driving modes but settle on sport for the dash to the lunch spot. The steering is surprisingly tight and the brakes have strong response with little pedal travel. After a quick bite in an old mining town called Julian, we take off in the spotlight CT6, the Platinum trim, powered by the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6. It's an enjoyable car to stretch out on the highway.

Both BMW and Audi shutter vehicle subscription programs

Both BMW and Audi are either cancelling or pausing their respective vehicle subscription programs, Automotive News reports. This is yet another blow to what was once a growing and burgeoning group of automakers introducing pay-as-you-go vehicle subscription options in a number of cities across the U.S. Both Mercedes-Benz and Ford shut down their services last year, and Cadillac turned off the tap in 2018. BMW’s program — Access by BMW — was only ever offered in the Nashville area. A BMW spokesperson explained the companyÂ’s decision making to Automotive News. "Our intent with the pilot was to learn about the viability of the subscription model and gauge customer interest. We are in the process of developing the next iteration of the program,” he said. When that next iteration will arrive is still uncertain. Audi doesnÂ’t claim that a comeback is on the way. Instead, the companyÂ’s website simply says its services are ending on January 31 this year. Audi limited its subscription service to the Texas area throughout its whole campaign. CadillacÂ’s subscription service was promised a reboot a long time ago, and today is the first time weÂ’ve heard some rumbling. ANÂ’s report claims that Cadillac is testing a rebooted version of the service in a dealer pilot now. WeÂ’ve reached out to Cadillac to see if it can provide any further details. As of today, the official Book by Cadillac website says Cadillac “will be debuting a new program in early 2020.” ItÂ’s now early 2021, so Cadillac is officially a year late on its announcement. A number of OEM-run vehicle subscription services still exist (Porsche, Volvo, Lexus, Nissan), but instead of the market expanding, itÂ’s shrinking these days. Related video: Audi BMW Cadillac Car Buying Ownership Luxury