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Mary Barra thinks GM is a leader in autonomous tech

Saying General Motors is "among the leaders" in autonomous vehicle technology, CEO Mary Barra rapped about her company's driverless work in an interview with USA Today. Barra covered a number of topics, including well-known efforts, like Cadillac's upcoming Super Cruise technology, as well as hinting at "a lot of efforts that are confidential." "Things are moving quickly in autonomous [cars] because there's so many different pathways and the standards aren't even set. A lot of people can claim leads because people are making advancements in different areas," Barra said. "Next year we're going to have Super Cruise on one of our Cadillacs. On highways you'll be able to take your hands off the wheel and feet off the pedals – with a very creative way to make sure the driver is alert and involved in the driving process." As for those "confidential" efforts, feel free to speculate. GM has recently confirmed that it'd be running autonomous Volts at its Warren, MI tech center, which certainly indicates that the company is playing with much more than Super Cruise. GM will need to continue to embrace autonomous driving, owing to both traditional competitors like Toyota, as well as non-traditional opposition, like Google and Apple. Speaking of its competition from Silicon Valley, Barra was asked about two of the region's biggest names – Apple's Tim Cook and Tesla boss Elon Musk. "I have tremendous respect for Tim Cook, and I don't really think he needs advice from me," Barra told USA Today with a laugh. And when asked about Apple's future as a "viable competitor," she said, "I have no insights other than what I read in the papers. But it would be foolish for me not to assume that they're going to." As for Mr. Musk's openness about future products and how it contrasts with GM's relatively closed attitude, Barra also gave a chuckle. "I'm sure you would like me to say yes. I think we're fundamentally different. Look at our volume and look at the segments where we compete. His product line – his two products – his scale, it's completely different." The rest of Barra's interview is certainly worth a read, and includes talk about the Volkswagen diesel scandal, GM's changed relationship with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and Uber. Head over to The Detroit Free Press website for the full story from USA Today.

Cadillac launches ATS-V, CTS-V Crystal White Frost editions

With power and performance enough to challenge the best that Europe and Japan have to offer, buyers in the luxury performance market shouldn't need much more reason to consider a new Cadillac ATS-V or CTS-V. But to make its fastest models that much more enticing, Cadillac is rolling out the new Crystal White Frost editions you see here. Available on the ATS-V coupe, ATS-V sedan, or CTS-V sedan (pictured), the new Crystal White Frost Edition models feature unique matte-finish white paint. They also get special wheels and the Carbon Fiber and Luxury packages as standard. Other equipment like Recaro buckets and microfiber-trimmed control surfaces are also available, among other options. GM's luxury division will only make 99 examples available across the three models – 39 ATS-V coupes, 31 ATS-V sedans, and 29 CTS-V sedans. So if you want to get your hands on one, you may have to act faster than these forced-induction performance machines will muscle their way around the track. Prices start at $71,460 for the smaller sedan and extend up to $94,900 for the larger one – those prices including destination but not taxes, registration, and other fees. For a full rundown of the equipment included and available, scope out the detailed press release below. Related Video: 2016 Cadillac V-Series Crystal White Frost Editions CELEBRATING THE FIRST-EVER CADILLAC ATS-V & THIRD-GENERATION CADILLAC CTS-V 2015-10-16 Cadillac today announced the exclusive Crystal White Frost Edition for all three of its new high-performance V-Series models – the 2016 Cadillac ATS-V Coupe and Sedan, and the 2016 Cadillac CTS-V Sedan. These new special edition models celebrate the ongoing launch of the first-ever Cadillac ATS-V and the third-generation Cadillac CTS-V super-sedan. They feature a special production run of low-gloss Crystal White Frost exterior paint, which first appeared for the world premiere announcements of the new V-Series models, receiving positive consumer reaction. The edition includes select V-Series wheels and Carbon Fiber and Luxury packages that are options on regular V-Series models. The 2016 Cadillac ATS-V Crystal White Frost Edition sedans start at $71,460 and coupes at $73,660. The 2016 Cadillac CTS-V Crystal White Frost Edition sedans start at $94,990, including destination freight charges but excludes tax, title, license and dealer fees.

GM may kill 6 car models as it works with UAW to tackle sales slump

The president of the United Auto Workers union said on Thursday the union is talking with General Motors about the potential threat to plants and jobs from slumping U.S. car sales. GM's response will be more trucks and SUVs, and sources say at least six slow-selling car models may be killed off. "We are talking to (GM) right now about the products that they currently have" at underused car plants such as Hamtramck in Michigan and Lordstown in Ohio, and whether they might be replaced with newer, more popular vehicles such as crossovers, Dennis Williams told reporters. "We are tracking it (and) we are addressing it," Williams added. GM has cut shifts at several U.S. plants this year as inventories of unsold cars have ballooned. Industry analysts said more jobs could be at risk as the automaker wrestles with permanently shrinking production of small and midsized sedans. GM is reviewing whether to cancel at least six passenger cars in the U.S. market after 2020, including the Chevrolet Volt hybrid, which could be replaced in 2022 with a new gasoline-electric crossover model, Reuters has learned from people familiar with the plans. Other GM cars at risk include the Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac CT6, Cadillac XTS, Chevrolet Impala and Chevrolet Sonic, sources said. Some analysts have singled out GM's Hamtramck plant in Detroit as one of the most vulnerable because of plummeting car sales. The plant, which opened in 1985, builds four slow-selling models: Buick LaCrosse, Chevrolet Impala, Cadillac CT6 and Chevrolet Volt. In the first half, it built fewer than 35,000 cars, down 32 percent from the same period in 2016, according to suppliers familiar with GM's U.S. production schedule. The typical GM assembly plant builds 200,000-300,000 vehicles a year.COMING ATTRACTIONS: TRUCKS AND SUVS GM must "create some innovative new products" to replace slow-selling sedans "or start closing plants," said Sam Fiorani, vice president of AutoForecast Solutions. The auto maker already has begun to shift future production plans from cars to trucks, according to Morgan Stanley auto analyst John Murphy. He estimates that fewer than 10 percent of the new vehicle models that GM will introduce over the next four years will be passenger cars, with the rest divided among trucks, SUVs and crossovers. GM plans to add production of the new Cadillac XT4 crossover next year to its Malibu sedan plant in Fairfax, Kansas.