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Cadillac's de Nysschen takes aim at Porsche 911, Cayenne

Johan de Nysschen has big plans for Cadillac. He's moved the brand from Detroit to New York, revamped its model nomenclature, and planning a raft of new models for the near future – including a $250,000 luxury sedan to take on the likes of Rolls-Royce and Bentley. But the veteran executive of luxury automakers has some more performance-oriented machinery in mind, too. Speaking with Car and Driver at the Los Angeles Auto Show last week, de Nysschen suggested Cadillac could be ready to launch a flagship sports car sometime in the next decade. The halo model would take aim at the Porsche 911 and do for Cadillac what Audi did with the R8, Mercedes is doing with the AMG GT and Acura once did (and is aiming to do again) with the NSX. Just what form it would take remains a big unknown, but de Nysschen indicated that the brand would need to be built up further before the sports car would be launched, lest it emerge too detached from Cadillac's image. The last time Cadillac delved into that territory was with the Corvette-based XLR, of which it sold only 15,000 or so examples – far below initial targets. The 911 rival isn't the only performance model de Nysschen has in mind, however. He plans to further expand the V series into a more substantial sub-brand to include a crossover to take on the likes of the Porsche Cayenne Turbo, BMW X5 M and all those many AMG-tuned Mercedes utilities. The idea of an entry-level model to slot in below the ATS was mooted as well. A range of diesel engines are slated to help Cadillac break into overseas markets in similar fashion to how Maserati has expanded its market reach with oil-burning versions of the Ghibli and Quattroporte. And we wouldn't be surprised to see Cadillac get in on a new flagship SUV being launched by Opel in Europe, either.

The Beast 2.0: What the 2016 presidential election winner will ride in

The current presidential limousine, which is referred to as "The Beast," will be altered for the next President of the United States. Our photographers managed to capture the vehicle testing. " The Beast 2.0" will follow closely behind the current presidential limousine that's built upon a rugged commercial truck chassis and has a sedan-like body. Instead of wearing styling details from the now-retired Cadillac STS, the new presidential limo appears to borrow looks from the latest Escalade and the CT6 sedan. The bomb-proof prototype is wearing LED headlights, has a more angular grille that features Cadillac's wreathless crest, and ditches regular antennas for a shark fin unit. Other than these changes, the Beast 2.0 should still be able to house seven passengers and have enough protection to be one of the safest vehicles on the planet. The prototype looks like it's higher off the ground, as well, which should help the next president to avoid an embarrassing moment. There's no word on whether the Beast 2.0 will be ready in time for the next president presidential inauguration in January, but our photographers report that GM recently stepped up its testing for the limousine at its Milford Proving Grounds. Related Video: Featured Gallery The Beast 2.0 Spy Shots Image Credit: KGP Photography Government/Legal Spy Photos Cadillac Truck Sedan president Hillary Clinton the beast

Cadillac XT3 caught covered in copious camouflage

While a bit difficult to tell thanks to the impressive camouflage used, what we're looking at here is likely the upcoming Cadillac XT3. There are a few details that stand out to lend credence to this prediction. There are a handful of sharp angles scattered throughout that are in line with Cadillac's modern design language. Specifically in the LED running lights and on the side mirrors. The rear profile also is reminiscent of the current, and slightly larger XT5. The rear lights extend into the D-pillars, which would match the current Escalade. We get a pretty clear picture of the rear suspension on this XT3. It's clearly an independent rear suspension using coil springs. While General Motors uses independent suspension on some of its crossovers, we can't quite match it to a particular model. We believe that if the XT3 is based on an existing model (which it almost certainly is), the platform and suspension have been substantially modified. The XT3 could use a version of the D2XX platform that underpins the Buick Envision. However, we know from a previous report that the XT3 will likely be built at the factory that produces the Buick LaCrosse and Chevy Malibu. The XT5 uses a modified version of the LaCrosse/Malibu platform, so it's possible the XT3 could use a shorter version of the XT5 chassis. Depending on how small the XT3 ends up being, it might even share a platform with the Chevy Trax and Buick Encore. However, considering their economy car roots and torsion-bar rear suspension, we think that's the least likely. Regardless of what chassis is underneath its crisp bodywork, we expect the XT3 to be released sometime next year. Related Video: