07 Custom Escalade on 2040-cars

Auto blog

It's a V8 party! Lexus IS 500, Cadillac Escalade and more | Autoblog Podcast #667

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Road Test Editor Zac Palmer. It's all V8s all the time this week, starting with the Land Rover Defender V8 unveiling, Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance debut and pricing announcement on the Jeep Wrangler 392. Next, they move on to what they've been driving. Spoiler alert: That means more V8 talk. Zac has been driving the Cadillac Escalade with the 6.2-liter V8 and BMW M550i with its 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8. Greg and Zac take a pause from the V8 theme by discussing their shared time in our long-term Acura TLX. From this, they segue into a "Spend My Money" feature about garage lifts to finish the show. Autoblog Podcast #667 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown News 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 priced at nearly $75,000 2022 Land Rover Defender bulks up with a 518-hp V8 2022 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance brings back the V8 What we're driving BMW M550i Cadillac Escalade Acura TLX Spend my money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related Video:

2021 Cadillac XT6 adds 2.0-liter turbo and new base trim in second year

The 2021 Cadillac XT6 has been announced, and the three-row crossover is going through a few notable changes in its second model year. There’s a new base trim and base engine, and Cadillac has added tech features to improve the experience. Starting with the new engine: ItÂ’s the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that was initially introduced in the XT4 as the base motor. Power output is the same as the compact crossover at 237 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. ItÂ’s paired with the nine-speed automatic transmission and comes with front-wheel drive as standard — all-wheel drive is a $2,000 option. That engine only comes with the new base trim level: Luxury. Every other trim receives the 3.6-liter V6. The new Luxury trim (pictured above) is being added to the lineup as a base model to compliment the Sport and Premium Luxury trims. This will be the cheapest and most basic of the XT6s, but you can still option all-wheel drive. Features include 18-inch wheels, the eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system, black leatherette seats (heated and powered in front), brushed aluminum trim, tri-zone climate control and a number of other smaller extras along with a suite of driver assistance technologies. Cadillac is also adding wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto to the lineup as standard equipment — they were standard previously but required the traditional wired connection. ThereÂ’s also a new 20-inch wheel for the Sport model, and three new color options: Dark Moon Blue Metallic, Wilder and Infrared Tintcoat. The XT6 LuxuryÂ’s base price is $48,990, including the destination charge. ThatÂ’s a fair cut below the 2021 Premium Luxury ($53,790) and the Sport ($58,190) trims, but you are losing out on the additional equipment and luxury those trims offer. Cadillac says the updated 2021 XT6 will land in dealerships this fall. Related video:

Carpool Deville aims to be the world's fastest hot tub

The world needs crazy inventors with wild dreams. While we might not long for the things that they create, their contraptions certainly make the day a little more enjoyable. Take the Carpool Deville as an example. Nobody (well, almost nobody) is asking for a hot tub fashioned from a 1969 Cadillac that is still drivable. But now that you know that such a beast exists, don't try to tell us you aren't at least intrigued.
The team behind the six-year-long project has a pretty ingenious setup worked out. The Caddy's original 472-cubic-inch (7.7-liter) V8 both provides propulsion and heats the water. The interior is entirely replaced with a watertight, fiberglass tub that includes working jets, and the controls are all done by hand.
As if just building a mobile hot tub isn't enough, the team behind the Carpool Deville plans to take it racing too. Specifically, they intend to go to the Bonneville Salt Flats later this year to make a top speed run while immersed in water at over 100 degrees. They even have a roll cage all set to install to meet the safety requirements there.