1969 Cadillac Deville Base Convertible 2-door 7.7l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Playboy reveals its 2013 Cars of the Year

Vaunted men's magazine Playboy knows that its readers are nearly as interested in cars as they are in the female anatomy... sorry, we thought we could write that with a straight face. Anyway, the buff-book does occasionally fill some of its spreads with sexy metal, to accent all the rest of the sexiness.
To wit, the magazine has unveiled its feature on the 2013 Cars of the Year. Without giving us much in the way of criteria for the awards, nor a clear framing of the categories ("Responsible Ride" is a particularly challenging concept, especially when you consider that the Mazdaspeed3 was the winner), Playboy has nevertheless highlighted what we assume to be it's favorite 12 or 13 (depending on how you count) cars from the 2013 model year.
Headlining the class is the Porsche 911, which Playboy writers single out for having "remarkable electronic voodoo." BMW M5 is named "Slickest Sports Sedan" though the Cadillac ATS then follows on because "we couldn't resist giving the new Caddy a shout-out." The rest of the picks are pretty conventional (save, perhaps, the Honda Fit EV as "Ace Electric"), even if the categories and methodology are fairly wonky. Cruise through or gallery for a taste or check out the full list, here. The site is safe for work, and you can legitimately (this time) say that you were reading it for the articles.

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:

GM To Offer Car That Will Almost Drive Itself

Cars that can talk to each other and almost drive themselves at freeway speeds are just two years away from the showroom, according to General Motors executives. The company announced Sunday that the semi-autonomous system for freeways will be an option on an unidentified new 2017 Cadillac that goes on sale in the summer of 2016. In addition, another 2017 Cadillac, the CTS, will be equipped with radio transmitters and receivers that will let it communicate with other cars, sharing data such as location, speed and whether the driver is applying the brakes. The announcements were made Sunday at the opening of the Intelligent Transportation Society World Congress being held in Detroit this week. They are part of a barrage of similar declarations that are expected from other companies throughout the week as the industry shows off progress toward self-driving and safer cars. The freeway system, dubbed "Super Cruise," uses cameras and radar to keep the car in the center of a lane and also stay a safe distance behind cars in front of it. The system will bring the car to a complete stop if traffic halts without driver action, and it can keep the car going in stop-and-go traffic. Other automakers, such as Mercedes-Benz, now offer similar systems that work at low speeds, but GM says it's the first to announce a system that operates at highway speeds. Others could have freeway systems in two years, though. "If the mood strikes you on the high-speed road from Barstow, California, to Las Vegas, you can take a break from the wheel and pedals and let the car do the work," CEO Mary Barra said in remarks prepared for the conference's keynote address on Sunday. But GM said the car still won't drive itself, and the company is working on a system to monitor drivers to make sure they're still paying attention. Details of that system weren't released. "Sensing technology is not yet to the point where the driver can check out," said John Capp, GM's director of global safety strategy. "This is a level of automation that can be done, that is feasible." The new Cadillac that will get Super Cruise hasn't been officially announced yet. But executives have hinted that GM will build a big rear-drive Caddy to lead its lineup in the coming years. Also Sunday, the Michigan Department of Transportation announced that it will partner with GM, Ford Motor Co.