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Cadillac to expand V-Series but discontinue CTS-V and ATS-V

Cadillac said Tuesday it will expand its V-Series performance sub-brand with the arrival of the CT6-V sedan in 2019 ( formerly known as the CT6 V-Sport), with plans to add high-performance variants across its portfolio. The flipside to that expansion is the sunsetting of its two existing V-Series performance cars, the ATS-V (both coupe and convertible) and CTS-V sedan. Two new unspecified sedans will slot below the CT6 in Cadillac's lineup, a spokesman said. The CT6-V will arrive next spring, roughly a year after it bowed at the New York auto show. It will feature Cadillac's new "Blackwing" V8, a twin-turbo engine that displaces 4.2 liters and produces an estimated 550 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque, sending it through GM's new 10-speed automatic transmission to drive all four wheels. A less-aggressive version of the engine will also appear in the CT6 Platinum model, offering 500 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. "Beginning with the debut of the CTS-V Sedan in 2004, the V-Series sub-brand sparked new life into Cadillac," Mark Reuss, executive vice president and president of GM Global Automotive Group and Cadillac, said in a statement. "As a result of the overwhelming response the CT6 V-Sport received when revealed in early 2018, we've decided to formally make it a V-Series, signaling the expansion of V-Series." View 61 Photos A Cadillac spokesman tells Autoblog the 2019 model year will be the last for the ATS-V and CTS-V. The ATS-V is powered by a twin-turbo 3.6-liter V6 that's good for 464 hp and 445 lb-ft of torque, an increase of 262 hp and 173 lb-ft from the base, four-cylinder ATS, which is also set to go to pasture at the end of the 2018 model year. The CTS-V, meanwhile, boasts a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 under its carbon-fiber hood that puts out 640 horsepower and 630 pound-feet of torque, good for a 3.7-second 0-60 mph time and a top speed of 200 mph. In a Quick Spin review last year, Autoblog Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore called the car "old-school muscle in an Esquire-approved suit. It's 'roids and cufflinks." As for what's next for an expanded V-Series, Cadillac has the new XT4 crossover, and already other companies are banking on performance versions of crossovers. Cadillac's also developing a less expensive luxury sports sedan called the CT5. It's also said to be planning a production version of the Escala concept starting in late 2021, so those could be possibilities.

Weekly Recap: GM scales back as Russian auto market teeters

General Motors' extensive plans to scale back its Russian operations are the latest sign the automotive market in the former superpower is collapsing – and there are few signs of recovery. GM said Wednesday it will stop selling mainstream Chevrolets and shutter the entire Opel brand in Russia. The moves leave GM with a luxury-focused presence consisting of Cadillac and Chevrolet's Corvette, Camaro and Tahoe. The cutbacks will be completed by the end of the year. The automaker will also idle its factory in St. Petersburg and end a contract-assembly agreement with Russian manufacturer GAZ. "We had to take decisive action in Russia to protect our business," Opel Group CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann said in a statement. "We confirm our outlook to return the European business to profitability in 2016 and stick to our long-term goals." GM is the latest automaker to scale back in Russia as the economic conditions, volatile currency and uncertainty over the conflict in the Ukraine all have sandbagged new car sales. Last month, vehicle sales collapsed 38 percent in Russia to 128,298 units, according to the Association of European Business, which records sales. Joerg Schreiber, chairman of the AEB automobile manufacturers committee, didn't even feign optimism in a statement announcing the figures. "The market is entering a very difficult phase now, and February is only the beginning," he said. "Industry sentiment is the next few months will be extremely difficult and the market bottom has yet to be found." The dovetails with industry experts, who predict the Russian auto sector will remain in the doldrums. IHS said earlier this year it expects Russia's sales to slip to just 1.8 million units in 2015, which is a 40-percent drop from 2012. Other News & Notes Chief leads Jeep's Easter Safari stable Jeep is bringing seven attention-getting concepts to Moab for its annual Easter Safari off-roading celebration in Utah, but the Chief is perhaps the standout of the group. It salutes the 1970s Cherokee with a throwback appearance and surfer styling cues. The Chief has a custom modified razor grille made famous by the Wagoneer, and it rolls on 17-inch slotted mag wheels. The surf theme comes in with ocean blue paint, floral cloth and leather seats and a tiki-style shifter handle. Based on the Jeep Wrangler, the Chief has removable sides, a 3.6-liter V6 engine and a six-speed manual gearbox.

Driven: 2020 BMW X7 M50i, M760i and M340i | Autoblog Podcast #623

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by West Coast Editor James Riswick and Road Test Editor Zac Palmer. They discuss news about the Cadillac V Blackwing, as well as some interesting auction listings that we spied. They also talk about cars from the fleet including the BMW M760i, X7 M50i and M340i. Autoblog Podcast #623 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars we're driving 2020 BMW M760i xDrive 2020 BMW X7 M50i 2020 BMW M340i Impala auction listing Cadillac V Blackwing news Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: Nissan Frontier and a mid-engine Mustang | Autoblog Podcast #622