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Cadillac CT4 Luggage Test | How much fits in the trunk?

If you go by exterior specs, the Cadillac CT4 is more similar to a BMW 3 Series or Mercedes C-Class. However, if you go by interior space (or price), it's more like a Mercedes A-Class or BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe. That's definitely true of the trunk, which measures a rinky-dink 10.9 cubic feet, according to GM's specs. That number is what you'd expect in a small luxury coupe rather than a sedan. Indeed, the old ATS Coupe had 10.4 cubic feet.  Nevertheless, the CT4 is somehow not the smallest in the segment. That would be the A-Class and its 8.9-cubic-foot trunk. Good grief. Now, Mercedes has been known to shortchange its cargo capacity numbers so we'll have to luggage test that at some point to know for sure. Today, let's see if the CT4 is in keeping with that 10.9 number. Also, how much worse is it than the also rinky-dink CT5 trunk or the overly optimistic 2 Series Gran Coupe? Yep, that looks pretty small. Also, note the weird rail-like things that hampered the CT5 (below right) are also present here in the CT4 (below left). There's also a similar lip to clear for the folding back seat, but the CT4's opening seems bigger.  As in every luggage test I do, I use two midsize roller suitcases that would need to be checked in at the airport (26 inches long, 16 wide, 11 deep), two roll-aboard suitcases that just barely fit in the overhead (24L x 15W x 10D), and one smaller roll-aboard that fits easily (23L x 15W x 10D). I also include my wife's fancy overnight bag just to spruce things up a bit (21L x 12W x 12D). All but the biggest bag fit, which is exactly the same number that could fit in the CT5. As the below photo shows, the bigger car has just a bit more space left over. Maybe for a pair of grocery bags. That would be consistent with the difference in cubic feet: 11.9 cubic feet versus 10.9. What about the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe? BMW says it has 15.1 cubic feet of space, but it doesn't. At least not using the same measurement criteria that the vast majority of other manufacturers use. It can carry the biggest bag, but it would still need to leave the fancy bag behind. That's also while utilizing the 2 GC's ample under-floor storage compartment.  As such, the CT4 does indeed have a small trunk, but it's at least in keeping with its competitors. The CT5 cannot say that, regardless of which segment you compare it to.  Unfortunately for the CT4, though, the story does not stop here.

Remembering Pierre Cardin's automotive legacy

Pierre Cardin has passed away at age 98, and while the designer had a great impact on the world of fashion, he also brought his signature style to the automotive realm, chiefly with the unlikely partner of American Motors. At the dawn of the 1970s, AMC decided to seek out a little glamour for its freshly renewed product lineup by having famous fashion designers work their magic on AMC cars. The first model to get the fashion treatment was the Hornet Sportabout wagon, with a special Gucci edition that became available for 1972. Later that same year, Pierre Cardin's Javelin was introduced. The Cardin Javelin arrived midway through the '72 model year as an interior option package. The designer had submitted as many as 10 proposals to AMC, and the chosen selection was a black interior with a wild multi-hued stripe of silver, white, red and purple that grooved across the seats, touched the door panels and continued onto the headliner. "People should feel like they're sitting in a living room rather than a machine," the designer was quoted in ads introducing his eponymous Javelin. In a press release, AMC said, "Cardin takes an ultra-modern abstract approach to his interior design." The Cardin interior option package was available with specific exterior colors: Snow White, Stardust Silver, Trans Am Red, and Wild Plum. For the '73 model year, Diamond Blue was a new exterior color option. The Pierre Cardin option was only $85 and was offered exclusively on the Javelin SST, although it's reported that the Pierre Cardin option also appeared on a handful of Javelin AMX models. For 1973, you could officially get a Pierre Cardin Javelin AMX. A total of 4,152 were built over the two model years. AMC's next fashion special was the Matador coupe, but the automaker tapped Oleg Cassini for that gig. Pierre Cardin was not finished with the automobile business, though. In 1975, he put his touch on the Sbarro Stash, an obscure supercar based on the SV1, with the result displayed at the Paris auto show. The designer next customized a run of early-'80s Cadillac Eldorados, and this time the treatment extended beyond the interior. A redesigned front end featured hidden headlights behind a full-width horizontal-car grille but unfortunately made the already-considerable front overhang even longer; the rear treatment was similarly modified with the factory vertical taillights replaced with horizontal units.

Here's your chance to own a 7.0-liter V8-powered, stick-shifted Cadillac Catera

Cadillac never stuffed a V8 engine into the Catera, the entry-level model it sold in the United States from 1997 to 2001, so American tuner Lingenfelter stepped in and offered to perform the conversion. One of the few cars it dropped an eight-cylinder into is for sale, and the bigger engine is just one of many modifications performed on it. Listed on auction site Bring a Trailer, this 2001 Catera lost its V6 soon after it was leased to its first owner in Warren, Michigan. Lingenfelter replaced the 3.0-liter V6 with a 5.7-liter V8 and ditched the automatic transmission in favor of a six-speed manual, but that wasn't enough; the owner sent it back for more. It left the shop again with a custom-built, 7.0-liter V8 between its fenders. It's essentially a Chevrolet Corvette C5.R-based block topped with LS6 heads, an LS6 intake, and a less restrictive exhaust. Its horsepower and torque outputs aren't available, unfortunately, but we assume the V8 easily doubles the stock Catera's 200-horse output. Cadillac marketed the Opel-built Catera as the Caddy that zigs, not as the Caddy that humiliates hot rods on a drag strip, so additional modifications were required to keep the V8's power in check. Highlights include a limited-slip differential, a lowered suspension with bigger sway bars, and beefier brakes all around. At one point in its life, this Catera also received 17-inch alloy wheels, a three-spoke steering wheel, and a sprinkling of V emblems. Although engine swaps are often hit or miss, this Catera has spent approximately 18 years and 40,000 miles with a V8 under its hood, so it's apparently a solid, well-thought-out build. It currently has 42,000 miles on its odometer, and it's located in Michigan. Bidding stands at $6,250 as of this writing, with five days left in the auction. It won't stay in the four-digit range for long, and it might end up costing as much as a late-model ATS-V, but when are you going to find another one like it? Related Video:   Featured Gallery 2001 Cadillac Catera with V8 engine, Lingenfelter modifications View 10 Photos Aftermarket Cadillac Performance Sedan