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What will the next Presidential limo look like?

With recent news that the Secret Service has begun soliciting proposals for a new armored limousine, we've been wondering what the next presidential limo might look like. The current machine, nicknamed "The Beast", has a design based on a car that's no longer sold: the Cadillac DTS. If General Motors gets the job again, which wouldn't be a surprise considering the government still owns a chunk of the company, the next limo's shape would likely resemble the new XTS (below, left). But Cadillac hasn't always been the go-to car company for presidential whips.
Lincoln has actually provided far more presidential limousines throughout history than Cadillac. In fact, the first car modified for Commander-in-Chief-carrying duty was a 1939 Lincoln K-Series called "Sunshine Special" used by Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the last Lincoln used by a president was a 1989 Town Car ordered for George H.W. Bush. If President Obama wanted a Lincoln today, it would likely be an amalgam of the MKS sedan and MKT crossover, as illustrated above.
And what about Chrysler? The only record we could find of a President favoring the Pentastar is Nixon, who reportedly ordered two limos from the company during his administration in the '70s, and then another one, known today as the "K-Car limo," in the '80s after he left office. Obama, however, has a personal - if modest - connection to Chryslers, having owned a 300 himself before he took office. A 300-based Beast (above, right) would certainly earn the U.S. some style points.

Cadillac clears camo off the XT3 revealing grille, lighting details

Up until now, every Cadillac XT3 we've seen has been buried under covers and vinyl wraps, but one of our spy photographers recently captured a group of them with significantly less camouflage. As a result, we finally get a relatively clear picture of what the car will look like. The nose blends the look of current Cadillacs with cues from last year's Escala concept. The headlights still appear to stretch up into the top of the fenders like its production brethren, but they don't descend as far down the front fascia, a hint of Escala influence. The grille also features more of egg-crate mesh like that Cadillac concept. In profile, we can see evidence of the XT3's smaller size compared with the XT5, mainly in the lack of any glass area behind the rear door. Other evidence of the smaller size is that our spy photographer reports the cars were being tested alongside the BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class. The profile also shows that the XT3 will have a hard-edged rear end with a rakish hatch. At the back, there isn't a whole lot to report, but the taillights look like they'll be interesting. There appears to be a horizontal element in the middle of the hatch similar to what we've seen on the Escala and the refreshed XTS. We can also see some lights up on the C-pillar, which indicates that the XT3 will also have tall vertical elements up those pillars like on the Escalade. We expect the XT3 to show up late in 2018. It will likely be powered by a turbocharged four-cylinder of some sort, and because it will probably be based on an existing GM crossover or sedan platform, it will probably have front-wheel drive and/or a front-drive based all-wheel-drive system. Related Video: Featured Gallery Cadillac XT4 Spy Shots View 13 Photos Image Credit: Brian Williams Spy Photos Cadillac Crossover SUV Luxury cadillac xt3

Dodge Dart falls short of Consumer Reports Recommended, Caddy XTS and Lincoln MKS, too

The Dodge Dart, Cadillac XTS and Lincoln MKS all failed to earn a "Recommended" rating from Consumer Reports. When it came to the compact Dart, the organization's testers thought the vehicle offered a quiet cabin, solid-feeling chassis and nimble suspension, but the new model ultimately fell short of the coveted rating due to powertrain issues. The institute's reviewers found the base 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine to be underpowered and noted "drivability issues" when the available turbocharged 1.4-liter four was paired with the optional dual-clutch transmission (some of our editors disliked it paired with the six-speed manual). CR also dinged the latter powerplant for sounding "raspy." For what it's worth, we think the forced-induction engine offers an excellent and playful exhaust note, but that's just us.
As for the XTS, CR lauded the car for its luxurious cabin, but the vehicle's experience was dulled by its finicky CUE infotainment interface. Overall, the big Cadillac scored much higher than its cross-town rival from Lincoln. While testers found the American luxury sedan to offer a quiet ride and quality fit and finish, they felt the MKS delivered a "cramped driving position, ungainly handling, uncomposed ride, and limited visibility." Ouch. At the end of the day, both cars fell short of rivals from Japan, Germany and Korea. Check out the full press release below with more details, along with CR's musings on the Chevrolet Spark and Lexus ES.