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Cadillac executive appointments have global flair

Cadillac has rearranged its executive suite in order to take full advantage of its sales momentum. Don Butler is moving from his role as US VP of marketing to a newly created position with the title VP of global Cadillac strategic development. It will be his job to "drive the next phase of Cadillac growth internationally," planning strategy and developing new markets.
He will be replaced by Steve Majoros, an exec poached from Chevrolet's ad agency of record, Campbell Ewald. Majoros, who has the Chevrolet campaigns "Like a Rock" and "American Revolution" on his resume, will oversee Cadillac's US and international marketing.
Another component in the brand's renewed global focus includes conducting an ad agency review. Announced last month, Fallon Worldwide remains Cadillac's agency of record, but others, said to include Campbell Ewald, will be bidding to make the creative that helps Cadillac expand sales percentages by triple digits here and in China. Scroll down below for the official press release.

Cadillac's striking Escala concept is reportedly headed for production

Cadillac is reportedly planning a new flagship four-door, and it won't be based on its alphanumeric naming system a la the CT6. It'll be the Escala, the stunning concept fastback it revealed in 2016 in Pebble Beach. The news comes via Autoline, which cites AutoForecast Solutions. The Escala is said to be planned for production starting in December 2021 at GM's Detroit-Hamtramck plant, which currently builds the CT6, Buick LaCrosse and Chevrolet Volt and Impala. That suggests the Escala, which was branded as a four-door coupe, will likely keep that layout. It'll also be built on the CT6 platform. Cadillac has been talking about fitting a flagship sedan above the CT6 for years, and the Escala's design language has been influencing bits of other Cadillac models, from the refresh of the CT6 to the broad grille shape on the new XT4 crossover, which debuts at the New York Auto Show next week. The concept Escala featured a wide, muscular stance and a minimalist, white mid-century modern interior aesthetic, with tail lamps that evoke waterfowl in flight. Interestingly, it came equipped with a 4.2-liter twin-turbo V8 with cylinder deactivation, which Cadillac President Johan De Nysschen said at the time was "absolutely worthy of a car of this caliber." But with such a long horizon before production, there's obviously lots of time to develop a more pragmatic production model and cue ravenous speculation. Or, for that matter, to decide to rename it something like the CT8. Related Video: Featured Gallery Cadillac Escala Concept View 33 Photos Image Credit: Jeff Jablansky Design/Style Cadillac Coupe Concept Cars Luxury Sedan cadillac ct6 cadillac xt4 cadillac escala

Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400 priced at $48,855, AWD at $50,855

Infiniti's most powerful production model, the new Q50 Red Sport 400, now has a starting price. You'll need at least $48,855 for the rear-drive model or $50,855 for all-wheel drive. (Both figures include the $905 destination charge.) A fully loaded, rear-drive Q50 RS400 with Direct Adaptive Steering, navigation, adaptive cruise control, a heated steering wheel, and Infiniti's entire alphabet soup of safety equipment, tops out at $57,045. (Again, add $2,000 for AWD). When it comes to rear-drive competition, the closest base price to the Q50 is the 320-hp BMW 340i. This German undercuts the Infiniti by two grand, $46,795 to $48,855. But the BMW outprices the Q50 as soon as you start selecting options. A 340i with similar equipment to a loaded Q50 Red Sport 400 costs just under $60,000. All-wheel-drive German competitors also lose out in the price war. Like with the rear-drive models, the BMW 340i xDrive undercuts the Q50 RS400 by around $2,000. Add the options, and the Infiniti becomes a better value. The other two big German rivals, the Audi S4 and Mercedes-Benz C450 AMG start at a higher price and only get more expensive. Technically the S4 starts cheaper than the Q50, but only with the standard manual transmission. Selecting the S-Tronic dual-clutch model kicks the price from $50,125 to $51,125, and going for the top-end Prestige trim will bump potential Audi owners up to $57,025. Throw on must-have S4 options, including adaptive cruise control, adaptive dampers, and a sport differential and you'll be shell out $64,425 for the Audi. The Mercedes-Benz C450 AMG is the priciest choice in this group, starting at $51,725, or roughly $900 more than a base Q50 RS400 with AWD. Options, again, are the downfall here. Building a C450 to match a loaded Infiniti will drive the Mercedes' price up to $64,315. While it occupies something of a weird space relative to these vehicles, it's also worth mentioning the Cadillac CTS VSport. It's the only car in this impromptu pricing comparo that can outgun the Q50, with its 3.6-liter, twin-turbo V6 good for 420 hp and 430 lb-ft of torque. It also starts at $60,950, although that includes plenty of standard equipment. All this means that the Q50 Red Sport 400 represents a relative value. It packs more power than the Germans – 80 more than the 340i, 67 more than the S4, and 38 more than the C450 – and a more comprehensive list of options, too.