on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Here's your chance to own a 7.0-liter V8-powered, stick-shifted Cadillac Catera

Cadillac never stuffed a V8 engine into the Catera, the entry-level model it sold in the United States from 1997 to 2001, so American tuner Lingenfelter stepped in and offered to perform the conversion. One of the few cars it dropped an eight-cylinder into is for sale, and the bigger engine is just one of many modifications performed on it. Listed on auction site Bring a Trailer, this 2001 Catera lost its V6 soon after it was leased to its first owner in Warren, Michigan. Lingenfelter replaced the 3.0-liter V6 with a 5.7-liter V8 and ditched the automatic transmission in favor of a six-speed manual, but that wasn't enough; the owner sent it back for more. It left the shop again with a custom-built, 7.0-liter V8 between its fenders. It's essentially a Chevrolet Corvette C5.R-based block topped with LS6 heads, an LS6 intake, and a less restrictive exhaust. Its horsepower and torque outputs aren't available, unfortunately, but we assume the V8 easily doubles the stock Catera's 200-horse output. Cadillac marketed the Opel-built Catera as the Caddy that zigs, not as the Caddy that humiliates hot rods on a drag strip, so additional modifications were required to keep the V8's power in check. Highlights include a limited-slip differential, a lowered suspension with bigger sway bars, and beefier brakes all around. At one point in its life, this Catera also received 17-inch alloy wheels, a three-spoke steering wheel, and a sprinkling of V emblems. Although engine swaps are often hit or miss, this Catera has spent approximately 18 years and 40,000 miles with a V8 under its hood, so it's apparently a solid, well-thought-out build. It currently has 42,000 miles on its odometer, and it's located in Michigan. Bidding stands at $6,250 as of this writing, with five days left in the auction. It won't stay in the four-digit range for long, and it might end up costing as much as a late-model ATS-V, but when are you going to find another one like it? Related Video:   Featured Gallery 2001 Cadillac Catera with V8 engine, Lingenfelter modifications View 10 Photos Aftermarket Cadillac Performance Sedan

How the demise of Lincoln's Town Car has kick-started a limo revolution

The deaths of the Ford Crown Victoria and the Lincoln Town Car have meant overhauls of three high-profile American fleets: police, taxi and livery car. Just as police fleets are more open to considering other options and a Nissan van is the new face of the NYC taxi, livery car companies are looking at replacements for the Town Car beyond The Blue Oval. Ford, via Lincoln, has made an MKT Town Car (pictured), but an article in the Detroit News claims "it has failed to win over most of the big limousine companies." The upstarts trying to move in include livery and limo editions of the Cadillac XTS, and livery specifications of the Toyota Avalon and Chrysler 300.
Each of those challengers, however, faces challenges. The Town Car was a workhorse, American, rear-wheel-drive sedan with plenty of rear legroom. Cadillac has been in the livery space before but with decontented models that were about selling the brand, not its luxury. It is taking the opposite approach with the XTS, pointing out that its livery edition is "contented in the upper half of the XTS range." Still, the CEO of Michigan's largest livery company says "it's quite a bit smaller than what we're used to," and he also prefers rear-wheel drive.
The Chrysler 300 is rear-wheel drive, and American, which matters to some companies, but Chrysler hasn't yet revealed the livery package for it. The livery Avalon marks Toyota's first time getting into that business in the US, a natural step after having done so well with taxi clients and with the Town Car out of the way. Still, the livery client is a different to taxi buyers, so the Avalon could face other soft-touch hurdles.

GM reworking mandatory OnStar plans for some 2024 models

For the 2023 model year, GM added its OnStar and Connected Services plan as standard equipment to a large number of Buick, GMC, and Chevrolet vehicles. Folding the $1,500 retail price into the MSRPs of models like the GMC Acadia and Buick Encore plumped up prices beyond the usual year-on-year bumps. Looks like there's a reversal in play for 2024, GM Authority reporting that many of the models fitted with OnStar and Connected Services — now called OnStar Premium — will step down to three years of OnStar Remote Access standard.   OnStar Remote Access comes with these features: Remote key fob, vehicle locate, and remote personalization through mobile and in-vehicle apps. Three additional features can be added to the plan: OnStar Guardian, in-vehicle hotspot, and Super Cruise. Owners can also upgrade to OnStar Premium if they choose.  Higher trims like Buick's Avenir and GMC's Denali, plus the GMC Hummer and the Cadillac Escalade will retain OnStar Premium as standard equipment. That suite starts with Remote Access and adds: Automatic crash response, stolen vehicle assistance and recovery, OnStar Guardian, in-vehicle app access, unlimited streaming, three years of Super Cruise on vehicles with the hardware, and six months of SiriusXM radio. The Escalade puts a cherry on top with three years Sirius XM instead of six months. The Remote Access plan normally charges $14.99 per month. We're not sure yet if GM will subtract the cost of OnStar Premium from the MSRP and add the $540 for OnStar Remote Access, or if the trial period comes free of charge. Even if that's what happens, the change could take nearly $1,000 off the MSRP of a car like the GMC Acadia before any 2024 increases. We'll know more as the 2024MY models roll out and prices are announced. Related Video 2022 Buick Enclave Avenir revealed