2004 Cadillac Srx Base Sport Utility 4-door 3.6l on 2040-cars

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Mercedes leads in US luxury car thefts

Mercedes-Benz makes some fine automobiles. The Silver Arrow'd cars are so good, apparently, that thieves can't help but try to steal them. The German brand is at the top of the charts for luxury car thefts in the US, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, with New York City leading the way. (And those New Yorkers complain about Detroit being bad!)
The C-Class was the most stolen model, with 485 ganked between 2009 and 2012 in NYC alone, while the E-Class and S-Class (which also boasted the worst recovery rate, at 59 percent) both finished in the top ten. Following the C-Class was the BMW 3 Series and Infiniti G. Not surprisingly, each of these were the most common models in their respective lineups. Los Angeles and Miami are also prime hotspots for luxury car thefts, according to the Detroit News report.
While getting your car stolen is pretty awful, there was one inspiring statistic compiled by the NICB - the average recovery rate across the board was 84 percent, with the Cadillac CTS getting recovered 91 percent of the time.

How GM's grueling 24-hour test gets the kinks out of its performance cars

One of the biggest challenges automakers face when designing a high-performance car is making sure that it is both fast and reliable. For General Motors, any car that might be taken to the track by its owner - like the Corvette, Camaro Z/28 (shown above) and the Cadillac CTS-V, for example - undergoes a rigorous and strenuous 24-hour test by engineers at the Milford Proving Grounds, as pointed out by Car and Driver.
We've posted on this topic in the past - on a video showing the Camaro ZL1 being brutalized, for instance - but this article gives a more in-depth look at what actually happens behind the scenes... including what that poor ZL1 went through. Though the test isn't for 24 hours straight, the cars are pushed as hard as possible by some of GM's best drivers with only the brakes and tires replaced frequently.
We don't want to ruin the fun for you, but it is an interesting article that tells just some of what GM does to develop its sports cars. Check out the full article over at Car and Driver for the rest of the story.

2021 Cadillac Escalade makes its grand debut among the stars during Oscars week

The 2021 Cadillac Escalade has arrived in high style in Los Angeles during Oscars week. With no January Detroit Auto Show, there’s no better place for the next generation of CadillacÂ’s iconic luxury SUV to be revealed than star-studded L.A. We got to spend some time in and around the Escalade a couple weeks ago, and now we can finally tell you all about it. As expected, the 2021 Escalade is following in the footsteps of all the other full-size GM SUVs by going with an independent rear suspension setup. Just like the Tahoe and Yukon, Cadillac is also making the next-gen magnetic shocks and new air suspension optional equipment. Engineers told us that thereÂ’s hardly any difference underneath the Escalade versus its platform stablemates, and our early impressions of the ride suggest thatÂ’s perfectly fine. Powering the new Escalade is GMÂ’s trusty 6.2-liter V8 or the 3.0-liter turbo-diesel inline-six — both are paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission.   Related: 2021 Cadillac Escalade vs. 2020 Lincoln Navigator | How they compare on paper 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV will debut at the New York Auto Show   WeÂ’re not surprised to see the oil-burner being offered as an option with the Escalade after itÂ’s been tucked under the hood of the Tahoe and Yukon, but it is a significant addition to the Escalade lineup. GM has never fit a diesel engine to an Escalade before, but engineers tell us that this motor is refined enough for an Escalade buyer. We were surprised by its smoothness in the Silverado, and weÂ’ll wager itÂ’s even more discrete in the luxury SUV. The lovely 4.2-liter twin-turbo V8 Blackwing engine was never mentioned in CadillacÂ’s presentation to us. We asked, but thereÂ’s no news to be had on the Blackwing front, as Cadillac shrugged us off. Arguably, the most important aspect of the new Escalade is its interior. When the redesigned Lincoln Navigator came out, it made the aging Escalade look like a boring dinosaur. Cadillac knew this interior had to be extraordinary to compete, and itÂ’s taken an interesting approach.  Do you recall the Cadillac Escala concept? If so, thatÂ’s exactly what Cadillac has done with the EscaladeÂ’s interior. The tri-screen layout of the EscalaÂ’s concept dash has been translated into a final production design, and it looks spectacular in person.