2011 Cadillac Cts4 Coupe 2-door 3.6l on 2040-cars

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Cadillac ATS was almost front-wheel drive

"We were going to do a front-wheel drive Cadillac compact off of Delta because it was going to be less expensive," Doug Parks, General Motors' vice president of global product programs, told the Automotive News during the Detroit Auto Show in January of this year. That sentence, referring to early ATS discussions more than five years ago - a period when the automaker, and the industry, was struggling - reveals that Cadillac's highly acclaimed rear-wheel drive compact sedan almost never happened.
Parks revealed that that automaker actually built a 2.0-liter test mule, on GM's Delta platform (shared with the Chevrolet Cruze and Buick Verano) and tested it in Europe. While the prototype was "pretty darn good," according to Parks, the team realized that in order to compete against Mercedes-Benz and BMW it would have to invest in a new rear-wheel drive platform.
The resulting all-new Alpha platform would eventually underpin the Cadillac ATS, and many would argue that its balanced rear-wheel drive chassis is its single most important attribute. Thankfully, the Alpha's goodness won't stop with the ATS. The upcoming 2014 Cadillac CTS and the future Camaro will also share its architecture, meaning the Cimarron will remain a distant memory.

The 2016 Pebble Beach Concept Lawn was nuts as always

The Concept Lawn at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is like the smallest, most expensive car show you can imagine. A bunch of unobtanium concepts and almost-production models line an irregularly shaped putting green for people to stare at while on their way to see other, older insane cars. This year's crop was a particularly good one. We'll walk through the gallery above in order: That's a new Ford GT. Not quite a concept, but it's not in production yet, so we'll let it slide. Then there's the one-of-a-kind Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo that was recently bought by a Saudi Prince along with a matching Chiron. Next up is the Lamborghini Centenario Roadster, which was unveiled last week and is already sold out. This orange automobile is BMW's 2002 Hommage with its latest livery, a Jagermeister-themed affair called Turbomeister. This silver Infiniti, the Q80 Inspiration Concept, is an oldie but a goodie. It first appeared in Paris in 2014. The extremely long automobile after that is the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6, which was unveiled in Monterey this year. The 6 in the name is because it's 6 meters, or about 18 feet, long. Most of that's the hood. Next we have the one-of-99 Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato coupe, which continues to be beautiful. After that is a Fisker Karma with a V8, the VLF Destino. Thank you, Bob Lutz. The black sedan you see after that is the Cadillac Escala Concept, which also made its debut in Monterey this year. Then we have a Rolls-Royce Wraith Black Badge. Not a concept, but exclusive enough to join the others. Next is the McLaren 570GT customized by MSO that arrived for Pebble 2016. It has special design touches plus an electrochromic panel to replace the normal glass roof. The light blue car is the Genesis New York concept. The name didn't change even though it was in Monterey. Then we have the large and in charge Lincoln Navigator concept, taking up two regulation concept spots. The red car with suicide doors is Acura's Precision Concept, which we first saw at the Detroit show this year. Another non-concept, the Lexus LC 500h at least looks futuristic enough to be a show-specific car. And here's a 2017 Maserati Quattroporte, which is definitely not a concept. A Bentley Mulsanne EWB, because why not? It's not available in the US, so that almost qualifies for concept status. Then there's a reproduction Lister Knobbly, which we could stare at all day.

2018 Cadillac XTS V-Sport Drivers' Notes Review | Cruise missile

The XTS is a standout in Cadillac's current lineup. It's a throwback to the automaker's cars of the '90s and early 2000s. It's big, comfy and packs a punch under the hood, but there's only a slight pretense of sportiness, despite the V-Sport moniker. If you want a Cadillac that handles, buy a CTS or ATS. Still, there's nothing wrong with being a big, slightly soft cruiser. Not everyone is out to conquer the Nurburgring. Some people just want comfy seats and a half-mile of wheelbase. Our tester is the range-topping Platinum V-Sport trim. At $73,040, it's not exactly cheap. That said, you do get a hell of a lot for your money. This car has heated and cooled massaging front seats with 22-way power adjustment, a heated steering wheel, heads-up display, the latest version of Cadillac's infotainment system, Bose surround sound, LED headlights and adaptive cruise control. That's not including all the V-Sport goodies like Brembo brakes, magnetic ride and a howling 3.6-liter twin-turbo V6. Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder — Hopping in the Cadillac XTS, the familiar surroundings created a certain set of expectations. Like judging a book by its cover, it's an easy trap to judge a Cadillac by its interior (they all feel the same to me). Some of what I expected, I got: a smooth ride, hearty pep, robust driver assist and fussy audio and HVAC controls. What surprised me was just how urgent this motor is. On paper, that should come as no surprise. The V-Sport's 3.6-liter twin-turbo V6, making 410 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, is bound to pack a punch. You almost forget what that should feel like, though, until you put your right foot down. There's no lag, and despite the all-wheel drive, there's even a little torque steer. The lightness of the steering means it's no difficult task to account for it, though. Speaking of steering, I actually enjoyed bending this through tight corners. It's a breeze to saw the tiller back and forth, and the car communicates the interaction between the tires — especially up front — with the road. I'd like to take this Caddy to the track. Associate Editor Reese Counts: I liked this car way more than I thought I would. I was expecting a DTS or STS with a fresh face and a bit more punch. In a way, that's what this is, but I don't mean that as a knock. I don't need every car I drive to be able to put down hot laps. Sometimes I want something with soft seats (that massage!) and a big engine to get me home quickly.