2014 Cadillac Xts Luxury on 2040-cars

Auto blog

What if the mid-engine Corvette is really a Cadillac?

Call me crazy, but I'm not convinced the mid-engine Corvette is the next Corvette. The rumor is strong, yes. And, contrary to some of the comments on our site, Car and Driver - leader of the mid-engine Corvette speculation brigade - has a pretty good record predicting future models. But it's another comment that got me thinking: or maybe it's a Cadillac. There is clearly something mid-engine going on at GM, and I think it makes sense for the car to be a Cadillac. First off, check out how sweet the 2002 Cadillac Cien concept car still looks in the photo above. Second, there are too many holes in the mid-engine Corvette theory. There are too many holes in the mid-engine Corvette theory. The C7 is relatively young in Corvette years, starting production almost three years ago as a 2014 model. Showing a 2019 model at the 2018 North American International Auto Show would kill sales of a strong-selling car before its time. Not to mention it would only mean a short run for the Grand Sport, which was the best-selling version of the previous generation. More stuff doesn't add up. Mid-engine cars are, in general, more expensive. Moving the Vette upmarket leaves a void that the Camaro does not fill. There's not much overlap between Camaro and Corvette customers. Corvette owners are older and enjoy features like a big trunk that holds golf clubs. Mid-engine means less trunk space and alienating a happy, loyal buyer. Also, more than 60 years of history. The Corvette is an icon along the likes of the Porsche 911 and Ford Mustang. I'm not sure the car-buying public wants a Corvette that abandons all previous conventions. And big changes bring uncertainty - I don't think GM would make such a risky bet. Chevrolet could build a mid-engine ZR1, you might say, and keep the other Corvettes front-engine. Yes they could, and it would cost a ton of money. And they still need to fund development of that front-engine car. I highly doubt the corporate accountants would go for that. But a Cadillac? Totally. Cadillac is in the middle of a brand repositioning. GM is throwing money at this effort. A mid-engine halo car is the just the splash the brand needs to shake off the ghosts of Fleetwoods past. And it's already in Cadillac President Johan De Nysschen's playbook. He was in charge of Audi's North America arm when the R8 came out. A Caddy sports car priced above $100,000 isn't that unreasonable when you can already price a CTS-V in that range.

Cadillac's semi-autonomous Super Cruise pushed back to 2017

It looks like General Motors is discovering just how difficult it is to bring autonomous vehicle technology fit for public consumption to market. The company has pushed back the launch of its semi-autonomous Super Cruise technology by several months. Originally promised by CEO Mary Barra for a fall 2016 debut, Super Cruise was supposed to be offered first on the new CT6 sedan. Automotive News is reporting that won't be the case, following a statement from GM confirming that the new system would be pushed to sometime in 2017. At the very least, that's a several month delay. GM cited the need to get the system right and keep owners safe, which prevented a firm date for Super Cruise's debut. Product boss Mark Reuss was more blunt, though, telling AN, "It will come out when it is ready." Super Cruise would be one of the earliest examples of driverless tech to be put into public hands, following the introduction of Tesla's semi-autonomous AutoPilot system in 2015. Most other automakers experimenting with the autonomous vehicles don't foresee public sales until early in the next decade, including Toyota, Renault-Nissan, and Volvo. Before Barra suggested a 2016 debut, GM originally aimed to introduce its semi-autonomous system in 2020. Related Video:

2020 Cadillac CT5 prototype shows off more lighting details

The elusive 2020 Cadillac CT5 luxury sports sedan has once again been spotted by a spy photographer. This time, we get to see it from all angles, whereas last time we only saw it from the front. It still has quite a bit of fake body work, and it's very clear Cadillac still hopes you'll think this is a Charger, from the big hood scoop to the fake full-width taillights. Digging past those misdirects, we can find some new details about the car. First, the car's front lighting has developed further. There are production-ready headlights fitted that appear to have some sort of LED illumination. These production lights also fit the shape we saw on the last prototype, so they'll end high up on the body, extending slightly horizontally toward the grille. There's still a section that extends back along the fender, seeming to bridge the gap between current Cadillacs and the Escala concept from which this car takes inspiration. Another addition are the vertical LED accent lights. This is another trademark feature of both current Cadillacs and the Escala, but they were absent from the last prototype we saw. We also get a look at some of the grille's details. Instead of slats, this CT5 has a plastic mesh of small rectangles. The pattern is reminiscent of brickwork. These photos also give us our first look at the back of the CT5. It looks like a fairly typical Cadillac. It's much more conservative than the front end. There are some angular cutouts in the bumper to allow exhaust gases out. The taillights have the current Cadillac look with the top curving over the rear fender. We can't tell if there will be a horizontal element like on the Escala, due to the fake lights. We're expecting the CT5 to be shown sometime next year in time for the 2020 model year. Odds are it will use off-the-shelf Cadillac engines including the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, naturally aspirated 3.6-liter V6, and the twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6. Now that Cadillac has revealed its twin-turbo 4.2-liter V8, we'll be interested to see if that shows up in a future CT5-V. Related Video: Featured Gallery Cadillac CT5 prototype spy shots View 23 Photos Image Credit: SpiedBilde Spy Photos Cadillac Luxury Sedan cadillac ct5 cadillac escala