2004 Cadillac Xlr Base Convertible 2-door 4.6l on 2040-cars

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Nine cars we wish were convertibles

The snow has melted, the sun is shining, and the days are getting longer. At the Autoblog Detroit office we feel like our winter hibernation is finally over. And with warmer temperatures come visions of opening up a convertible roof and cruising. You know, just turn up the bass and let the Alpine blast. There are plenty of droptops on sale in the US, and more on the way (like the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata). That said, we always want more. More! More! More! In that spirit, we cooked up a list of nine cars aren't currently sold as convertible, but ought to be. Check out our picks, below. Summer's just around the corner. Subaru BRZ / Scion FR-S In some parallel universe, this car actually happened. Toyota showed us a FT 86 Convertible concept at the Geneva Motor Show in 2013, and we immediately started licking our chops over the thought of a rear-wheel-drive convertible based on the Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S twins. These days, the MX-5 Miata is our only option for affordable roadster fun. A competitor to the Mazda seems like a no-brainer to us, especially since we have naught but good to say about the BRZ/FR-S as-is. Unfortunately in our present timeline, this car is as likely for production as a BRZ STI. Which is to say, not very. Dang. Lexus RC F Unlike the FR-S, a convertible from Toyota's luxury division might actually see the light of day. The current IS convertible is about to be phased out, and the Lexus LF-C2 concept from the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show is really a thinly veiled look at a possible RC convertible. A droptop RC would be plenty good, but let's reach for the starts. What we really want is to run topless in an RC F, complete with that powerful, loud, 5.0-liter V8 engine. Lexus says the RC F is a true competitor to the BMW M4. If that's true, it only makes sense for Lexus to mimic the Germans and offer its performance coupe in a folding hardtop form. Maybach Landaulet Maybach is bach back, recast as an upper crust trim level for Mercedes-Benz. The Mercedes-Maybach S600 is seriously awesome, and more luxurious than a trip to the spa. But why not go a step into the truly ridiculous levels of extravagence and bring back that open-top Landaulet? We think your local princess will love this idea, and with better S-Class bones underneath, Jeeves will have a pretty enjoyable ship to steer, too. Besides, with that slick new Mercedes design language, a Landaulet redux wouldn't be nearly as hideous as the old model, pictured here.

2021 Cadillac Escalade will get next-gen Super Cruise with auto lane-change

Super Cruise is getting its first big update since it was originally launched on the 2018 CT6 sedan. As that large car fades away, this new version of Super Cruise will be coming online in the 2021 CT5, CT4 and … the 2021 Escalade! Yes, ladies and gents, Cadillac is finally applying its advanced driver assistant to the iconic Escalade. The biggest change to this version of Super Cruise is a new feature called “Lane Change on Demand.” When Super Cruise is engaged, the driver can tap the turn stalk, and the car will execute a hands-free lane change if itÂ’s safe to do so. This kind of lane-change functionality is similar to that offered by other manufacturers' systems (i.e. Mercedes-Benz, Tesla, BMW). However, like the rest of Super Cruise, the car is able to complete the task with the driverÂ’s hands completely off the steering wheel so long as the driver monitor can tell that youÂ’re paying attention. Further improvements abound. “This is our most extensive update weÂ’ve made to Super Cruise since its debut,” said Mario Maiorana, Super Cruise chief engineer. “We have made a number of improvements to make Super Cruise more intuitive, better performing and more accessible for our customers. In addition to the automated lane change functionality, weÂ’ve made improvements to the user interface and hands-free driving dynamics.” Cadillac says that it has gathered richer map information to make the lane change function possible and also to make turns and highway interchanges smoother. The software was also improved with the aim of gaining “better steering and speed control.” Cadillac also made the system easier to engage. It did this by allowing the operator to switch the Super Cruise system on, and then get the vehicle in a proper lane position — it automatically activates once the vehicle is positioned. Previously, the driver had to get the vehicle centered in the lane properly, and then you were allowed to switch the system on. The auto lane changing function operates similarly to other systems like it. When driving, you can either tap or fully depress the turn signal stalk. The car then looks for an acceptable opening in the indicated lane. Once found, the car begins its lane change. Within the gauge cluster, there are animations that keep the driver apprised of the lane change at all times. Once the vehicle has moved into the new lane, itÂ’ll shut the turn signal off and continue driving along.

Next Cadillac Escalade's interior spied for the first time

Update: Now that new spy photos of another large GM SUV have surfaced, we believe these shots show us a GMC Yukon interior, not a Cadillac Escalade. You can see the new spy shots here that depict a much more upscale vehicle interior compared to the fuzzy center stack shown in the shots of the Yukon. The new Cadillac Escalade has a lot of work to do in order to properly compete with Lincoln's wonderfully luxurious Navigator. These interior spy photos are our first look at what Cadillac is working with on the inside of its new luxury truck. We won't make final judgements, as this vehicle is still a prototype and subject to change. However, a few key bits are noticeable from the fuzzy photos. As expected, Cadillac's CUE infotainment and center stack is nowhere to be seen. Replacing it is a new interior design language, with a tablet-like screen that seems to rise out of the sloped stack on top. Below the screen is a strip of stitched leather and a couple prominently placed air vents. To the left of this area is what appears to be a push-button gear shifting system, replacing the column-mounted shifter currently in use. Below all that on a lower level of the center stack are all the climate controls, along with what look like physical buttons for what could be audio-related controls. Does it look as luxurious as the Lincoln? Not with all the coverings and shrouding it doesn't, which means we'll have to wait until we get the full picture. One thing that's clear is that the interior design is definitely going to be wildly different than the current Escalade. That center stack flows downward as one sloping piece into the high and bulky center console area. This design looks like it brings the center console further downward, and also uses a multi-tiered look. It's tough to read what's on the screen, but the software looks like the same stuff we got a preview of on the new Cadillac CT5 and CT4 sedans. As for the exterior shots, there's almost nothing that we haven't already gotten a taste of in previous spy photos. The independent rear suspension is a go, as are what appear to be massive headlight and LED DRL fixtures. If you look through the wrapping, you can make out how far up and down the lighting fixtures stretch ... or perhaps they're separate units altogether. It's tough to tell at this point.