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Cadillac is doing a 'second installment' of the CT6-V for $92,790

After being all but certain the Cadillac CT6 would begin pushing American daisies June 1, the brand said "the CT6 was never meant to be fully on the chopping block." The same day we got that news, Cadillac began taking pre-orders for the CT6-V. Limited to 275 units and costing $88,790 after destination, orders came in so quickly that order books closed only hours later. Turns out the phrase "275 pre-order slots" was another slight miscommunication. Cadillac has announced continued production of the CT6-V, this time costing $92,790. In February, Cadillac Society confirmed with the automaker that the 275 figure only applied to pre-orders. It isn't clear how many CT6-Vs will be built in what the brand calls the "second installment," but it is clear that buyers who didn't get in early will pay more. Cars Direct was privy to a letter sent to dealers that said pre-order buyers "were rewarded with a special introductory offer by quickly raising their hand." Those slow on the draw have hopefully used the extra time to fish another $4,000 from their pockets. The elevated price buys the same car that was $88,790 two months ago - nothing has changed but the bottom line. The new MSRP puts more distance between the hot CT6-V and the $89,290 CTS-V. Conversely, the CT6-V with a Blackwing V8 beating 550 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque is now just $4,000 less than the coming Platinum V8 trim, which costs $96,790. That Platinum version gets a detuned Blacking putting out 500 hp and 553 lb-ft. The vague phrase "second installment" phrase makes us think Cadillac's not committing to a number so it can cap production at will depending on how this more expensive go-round fares. Still, it's good news for anyone who wanted the sedan new and didn't hit the buzzer quickly enough in January. As if all that weren't surprising enough, GM Authority reported that there's a second-gen CT6 in development. The outlet's sources say the new sedan will move to GM's VSS-R platform, the modular architecture that will replace both the Alpha and Omega platforms. The platform initialism stands for Vehicle Set Strategy - Rear-wheel drive. The car even has a codename: 7ESL, where 7 represents the architecture, E the segment, S the sedan body style, and L the Cadillac brand. Looks like the CT6 will be nothing but surprises this year.

Bring back the Bronco! Trademarks we hope are actually (someday) future car names

Trademark filings are the tea leaves of the auto industry. Read them carefully – and interpret them correctly – and you might be previewing an automaker's future product plans. Yes, they're routinely filed to maintain the rights to an iconic name. And sometimes they're only for toys and clothing. But not always. Sometimes, the truth is right in front of us. The trademark is required because a company actually wants to use the name on a new car. With that in mind, here's a list of intriguing trademark filings we want to see go from paperwork to production reality. Trademark: Bronco Company: Ford Previous Use: The Bronco was a long-running SUV that lived from 1966-1996. It's one of America's original SUVs and was responsible for the increased popularity of the segment. Still, it's best known as O.J. Simpson's would-be getaway car. We think: The Bronco was an icon. Everyone seems to want a Wrangler-fighter – Ford used to have a good one. Enough time has passed that the O.J. police chase isn't the immediate image conjured by the Bronco anymore. Even if we're doing a wish list in no particular order, the Bronco still finds its way to the top. For now (unfortunately), it's just federal paperwork. Rumors on this one can get especially heated. The official word from a Ford spokesman is: "Companies renew trademark filings to maintain ownership and control of the mark, even if it is not currently used. Ford values the iconic Bronco name and history." Trademarks: Aviator, AV8R Company: Ford Previous Use: The Aviator was one of the shortest-run Lincolns ever, lasting for the 2003-2005 model years. It never found the sales success of the Ford Explorer, with which it shared a platform. We Think: The Aviator name no longer fits with Lincoln's naming nomenclature. Too bad, it's better than any other name Lincoln currently uses, save for its former big brother, the Navigator. Perhaps we're barking up the wrong tree, though. Ford has made several customized, aviation themed-Mustangs in the past, including one called the Mustang AV8R in 2008, which had cues from the US Air Force's F-22 Raptor fighter jet. It sold for $500,000 at auction, and the glass roof – which is reminiscent of a fighter jet cockpit – helped Ford popularize the feature. Trademark: EcoBeast Company: Ford Previous Use: None by major carmakers.

Cadillac's Super Cruise — look, Elon, no hands!

Cadillac is about to start selling vehicles with an autonomous driving mode and TechCrunch got an early look at the technology in a production car. "Wait for the green light and let go," the Cadillac engineer instructed. That's it. The car was driving itself. I, the person behind the steering wheel, was no longer the driver. Cadillac's Super Cruise system was driving. The 2018 Cadillac CT6 sped along U.S. 23 under the direction of Super Cruise. Traffic was light and the weather was perfect. The system held the Cadillac sedan in lane and responded appropriately to traffic. I spent an hour on the expressway and touched the steering wheel and pedals only a few times. Super Cruise made the drive boring. I think that's the point. Here's how it works Super Cruise is available once the driver navigates the vehicle onto an expressway. When ready, a little icon is displayed by the speedometer and the driver hits a button on the steering wheel to switch it on. Once the light bar on top of the steering wheel turns green, the driver can let go. Super Cruise is driving.This steering wheel light bar is key to the operation. When green, the driver knows Super Cruise is in control. Blue means the driver interrupted the system to change lanes and red means Super Cruise needs the driver to confirm they're paying attention and not checking Twitter. When active, Super Cruise controls the steering and speed, but again, only on an expressway. This is done through onboard sensors and using GPS and mapping data. GM employed GeoDigital, a startup in GM Venture's portfolio, to map 160,000 miles of expressways in the U.S. and Canada. The car company then used Super Cruise-equipped vehicles to test each mile. This combination of onboard systems combined with map data makes the system feel polished and sophisticated. During my admittedly limited time in the vehicle, the CT6 precisely held its position in the lane and confidently handled sweeping curves at speed. There was no wiggling or squirming — from the Cadillac or myself. The car was in control, and I felt safe. Although the driving conditions were perfect for my test ride, during adverse weather, the system will work normally until one of the key systems is unable to operate.