2009 Cadillac Cts Base on 2040-cars

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Hotter Cadillac CT5-V and CT4-V spy photos, video hint at engines

Cadillac has some extra spicy V cars on the way, and this latest batch of spy photos and videos is more revealing than anything we’ve seen yet. We donÂ’t yet know the final name of these Cadillac V cars, but they are supposed to be the true replacements for the CTS-V and ATS-V. The CT4-V and CT5-V we saw previously are only mild performance variants of the regular sedans. Diving into the video seems more important than the photos on this one. Our spy shooters managed to capture great audio that allows us to take some guesses at whatÂ’s under the hood of these cars. The CT5-Vs in black and white camouflage sound like they have some gnarly V8s under their skin. We canÂ’t pick up a supercharger whine or a turbocharger whistling away, but weÂ’re not going to rule out the former. The CTS-V has a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 that makes 640 horsepower, and it wouldnÂ’t be out of the question to see this car rival it in power. We still havenÂ’t heard the CT6-V at full song, but the engine weÂ’re listening to here just doesnÂ’t strike us as the sound of a 4.2-liter twin-turbo V8 in that car. It sounds a lot more guttural, like the LT4 or LT5 V8 engines. Also, none of the CT5-Vs here sounded like they had manual transmissions. CT4-V spied View 40 Photos Moving to the CT4-V in the blue getup, it sounds a lot like a V6 is under the hood. This also makes sense when we consider that the ATS-V had a 3.6-liter twin-turbo V6 itself. Most important of all to note, is the evidence of a manual transmission. In one of the acceleration clips, weÂ’re able to hear the tell-tale sound of a driver pausing in acceleration for a split second to change gears. This is great news, folks. The manual is looking alive and well in the Cadillac sedan to us. Another clip of a CT4-V in black and white camouflage makes it sound like that particular model is equipped with an automatic transmission, indicating that Cadillac may be offering both transmission options on the new car. As for the rest of the photos, go ahead and take in all the close-up details. We got photos of the tires on the CT4-V, showing 255/35/ZR18s up front and 275/35/ZR18s in back. Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S rubber is used, telling us this thing is going to have a ton of grip. There are more vents, wider fenders and more aggressive styling throughout on these cars compared to the lower-performance V cars. Now that weÂ’re looking at them from much closer than before, the package is looking even more comprehensive.

Super Cruise’s failsafes

Even though Super Cruise is not a fully autonomous system, it incorporates redundancies like those used in aircraft to ensure failsafe operation. Before taking off on a 700-mile, 11-hour test drive of the system — and putting my life in its hands without my hands on the wheel — I sat down with Daryl Wilson, lead development engineer for Super Cruise, to get a deep dive into the system and its critical safety backups. Autoblog: First, what makes Super Cruise different from similar systems? Wilson: The key differentiator for Super Cruise is hand-free driving. It's an industry first in that respect. Our competitors require the driver at minimum to place their hands on the wheel with some frequency to ensure that the car knows that the driver is there. We don't. Two key technologies allow us to do this. One is our Driver Attention System, which is our methodology for making sure the driver is engaged with the vehicle and engaged with the road. This is a driver assist system, not a fully autonomous system. So it requires driver engagement. We use an infrared camera that constantly monitors the driver's face to determine the direction they're looking. We're looking for the driver to be what we call on-road — not on the center stack, not to left or right or down. That's all done by the tracking of the face. We also track that the eyes are open. It's infrared because at night you need to illuminate the face and you can't be shining a light into the driver's face. Then we have our lidar mapping that provides a foundation for control and redundancy to ensure safe performance. Autoblog: How does the mapping act as a redundant feature? Wilson: This system is only for use on divided, controlled access highways. What I mean by a divided highway is something more than a painted line between you and oncoming traffic. Whether that's a grassy area in between the lanes or a concrete barrier, anything that separates you from oncoming traffic. That's the divided highway part. The controlled access part is entrance ramps and exit ramps. Not with roads that cross at grade, with traffic crossing at the same level. To do that we geofenced these roads to ensure that operation is only allowed in these conditions. We don't just recommend you use it there; we ensure that you only use it there.

Facelifted Cadillac ATS spied completely uncovered

The Cadillac ATS makes for a pretty svelte little coupe, and General Motors appears to know it, because multiple, completely undisguised prototype sedans have been spotted testing wearing what look like many of the forthcoming coupe's body parts.
Not only does it wear at least the outline of the brand's new, broader crest, it has the same front air dam with continuous chrome strip found on the coupe. The only real difference is that it has the somewhat taller side view mirrors from the sedan, rather than the narrower, longer ones from the coupe. Around back, the changes are harder to spot because the test car is outfitted with an unpainted lower bumper. However, it seems to lack the chrome strip that offsets the lower portion of the coupe from the sedan.
The ATS sedan is already a looker, but it is good to see Cadillac is taking a second pass using what it learned on the coupe. There's no word yet on when this revised sedan is going to hit the streets - let alone what changes will take place beneath the skin - but we're thinking it looks about right for 2015.