1969 Cadillac Eldorado on 2040-cars

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Lego's 18.5-inch Ghostbusters Ecto-1 will make you feel like bustin'

If there's something strange in your neighborhood, Lego has something to help you take care of those non-terminal repeating phantasms or class-five full-roaming vapors. This week, it announced a supremely detailed version of the Ecto-1, the iconic 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor ambulance from the 1984 film classic, Ghostbusters. The set is comprised of a whopping 2,352 Lego pieces and when completed, will measure 18.5 inches long. It's one of the more accurate Lego vehicles the company has created, and features a steering box connecting the steering wheel to the front wheels, hinged doors and an opening hood with replica V8 engine inside. Like the movie car, it's packed with ghost-fighting gadgetry. There's a rotating ghost-sniffer activated by the wheels, a gunner seat that deploys from one of the rear doors, and a roof rack stacked with loads of spirit-trapping gear. Lego says it's even got some easter eggs that will be discovered as the kit is assembled. Lego says that two automotive pieces were developed specifically for the Ecto-1: a 6x14 curved windscreen and a five-module steering wheel. These should translate well to other vehicles in the future or for custom builds. Notably, this kit was designed by the Michael Psiaki, who created Lego's James Bond Aston Martin DB5 kit. The set is released as a tie-in with the upcoming Ghostbusters: Afterlife movie. It was supposed to be released this summer but was delayed until (as of now) June 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As for the Ecto-1 kit, it will hit shelves Nov. 15 just in time for holiday shopping.

Cadillac prices new ATS-V from $61,460*

It's official, Art & Science students: Cadillac has opened the order books for the new ATS-V, and while it was at it, has told us how much we should expect to shell out for the privilege. Pricing starts at $61,460 for the 2016 Cadillac ATS-V sedan (*plus tax, title, license, dealer fees and any optional equipment). Go for the sleeker (but less practical) ATS-V coupe and you'll be looking at $63,660 (with the same conditions). For all that scratch, you'll be looking at a 3.6-liter twin-turbo V6 driving 455 horsepower and 445 pound-feet of torque through a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission, for a 0-60 time of 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 189 miles per hour. The ATS-V also features Brembo brakes, magnetorheological dampers, launch control and rev-matching with no-lift shifting. Cadillac has still yet to tell us how much gas its new performance model will guzzle, but it's got time before production gears up in the spring and the online configuration tool launches in April. Cadillac Opens Ordering for 2016 ATS-V Dual-purpose performance luxury compact designed for the track, touring 2015-02-10 DETROIT – Cadillac dealers have begun accepting orders for the 2016 ATS-V – the brand's inaugural luxury compact performance car starting production this spring. Available in sedan and coupe forms, the twin-turbocharged ATS-V offers a dual-purpose luxury performance experience: a car with true track capability straight from the factory with sophisticated road manners. Powered by the segment's highest-output six-cylinder engine – the Cadillac Twin Turbo rated at 455 horsepower (339 kW) and 445 lb-ft of torque (603 Nm) – the ATS-V achieves 0-60 performance in 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 189 mph. The Cadillac Twin Turbo engine is backed by a six-speed manual – with Active Rev Match, no-lift shifting and launch control – or a paddle-shift eight-speed automatic transmission featuring launch control and Performance Algorithm Shift. "The V-Series is the ultimate expression of Cadillac's re-ignited product substance and the passion at the core of our brand," said Johan de Nysschen, Cadillac president. "The ATS-V expands the V-Series lineup, bringing a new kind of performance character to Cadillac. Lightweight, agile and potent, the ATS-V will make an ideal pairing with the larger and even more powerful all-new 2016 CTS-V midsize sedan, which arrives later this summer," he said.

GM to build $1.3 billion Cadillac plant in China

General Motors has gotten approval to build a $1.3 billion manufacturing facility for its Cadillac brand in China. China's National Development and Reform Commission signed off on plans for GM to build the plant in the country's Shanghai's Jinqiao zone; construction is expected to begin in June of this year. According to a Bloomberg report, the plant will have an annual production capacity of 150,000 units.
No surprise here, but Cadillac would like to sell a lot more cars in the plush Chinese luxury market. The brand moved only 30,010 cars in China last year, compared with 400k for Audi, and about 330k for BMW. With Cadillac already telling us that it would be moving production of its XTS sedan to China - a production decision that saves having to pay 25-percent import tariffs - approval of the factory is a critical win for the company.
In fact, according to earlier comments by GM China president Bob Socia, it's at least conceivable that Chinese-built Cadillacs could be shipped back to the US for sale. The brave new world of globalization, getting stranger by the minute.