1976 Cadillac El Dorado Bi-centennial Edition #36 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Lutz dishes dirt on GM in latest Autoline Detroit

Bob Lutz sits down for Autoline Detroit - Click above to watch video after the jump
Autoline Detroit recently played host to Bob Lutz, and, as is always the case, the former General Motors vice chairman dished out some great commentary. Lutz was promoting his new book Car Guys vs. Bean Counters: The Battle for the Soul of American Business, and talk quickly turned to his role as it related to product development and high-level decision making at GM. While on the topic of brand management, Lutz revealed a few rather interesting tidbits about his former employer:
All Chevrolet vehicles were required to have five-spoke aluminum wheels and a chrome band up front, as part of the Bowtie brand's overall image.

2020 Cadillac CT5 loses the fake scoop

Well folks, the inevitable has happened. The 2020 Cadillac CT5 luxury sports sedan prototype has shed its hood scoop. Yes, we're as disappointed as you are that instead of being outrageous and brash, Cadillac is still going to try to be classy, understated and luxurious when it comes to its mainline models. And yes, we're being sarcastic here ... but there's a part of us that would kind of like to see the scoop survive. Anyway, the good news is that the scoop is only one of a few bits of fake bodywork and camouflage that the CT5 has shed. As such, we get our best look yet at the new Cadillac sedan, and it looks pretty good. The grille is very wide and not nearly as tall as the prominent prows of current Cadillacs. It actually doesn't even look as tall as the grille of the Escala concept that inspired the CT5's design. The profile of the CT5 isn't too radically different from existing Caddies, with a long hood and a short trunk. It is still a conventional sedan, though, and not a sedan-like hatchback like the Kia Stinger and Audi A5 Sportback and A7. This is evident by the open trunk lid our spy photographer caught. The taillights also continue to be slim and vertical, though we can't quite tell if they will have a horizontal elements at the bottom like on the XTS and XT4. The car also has very bold and thick angular exhaust tips. We expect the CT5 will go into production in 2019 as a 2020 model, and it will likely take the place of both the CTS and ATS, but not be much smaller than the CTS. It will likely use versions of existing Cadillac engines including the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder, naturally aspirated 3.6-liter V6, and twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6. We wouldn't rule out the 4.2-liter twin-turbo V8 for a potential CT5-V in the future. Related Video:

GM recalling 54k Cadillac SRX, HD pickup models

There are more recalls to report General Motors, but these latest actions pertain to newer examples of the Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD. With so much scrutiny on the company's recall strategy, GM is under increasing pressure to call in defective models more quickly, and it appears to be doing so here.
Here in the US, the automaker is recalling 50,571 Cadillac SRX crossovers from the 2013 model year fitted with the 3.6-liter V6 because the transmission control module programming can cause a three- or four-second lag in acceleration at low speeds. The explanation filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states, "if the following sequence occurs within two seconds: during an upshift from first to second gear (8-10 mph), the driver then brakes the vehicle to less than 5 mph, and then accelerates again," the delay can occur. According to Automotive News, the recall effects 56,400 vehicles worldwide, and the company is not aware of any crashes caused by the problem. The fix consists of a transmission control module (TCM) reflash.
In a separate recall, GM is repairing 51 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD pickups from the 2015 model year in the US. In vehicles with diesel engines and dual fuel tanks, the nuts that connect the fuel pipe to each side of the transfer pump between the tanks may be improperly torqued, which could cause a fuel leak. Obviously, this could be a fire hazard. The remedy is simply tightening the hardware. According to GM spokesperson Alan Adler, there have been no fires actually caused by the potential leak. "Only 21 of the trucks are in customer possession and they can be fixed anytime because there are no parts involved. The others are being fixed at dealerships," Adler said in an email to Autoblog.