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How GM's grueling 24-hour test gets the kinks out of its performance cars

One of the biggest challenges automakers face when designing a high-performance car is making sure that it is both fast and reliable. For General Motors, any car that might be taken to the track by its owner - like the Corvette, Camaro Z/28 (shown above) and the Cadillac CTS-V, for example - undergoes a rigorous and strenuous 24-hour test by engineers at the Milford Proving Grounds, as pointed out by Car and Driver.
We've posted on this topic in the past - on a video showing the Camaro ZL1 being brutalized, for instance - but this article gives a more in-depth look at what actually happens behind the scenes... including what that poor ZL1 went through. Though the test isn't for 24 hours straight, the cars are pushed as hard as possible by some of GM's best drivers with only the brakes and tires replaced frequently.
We don't want to ruin the fun for you, but it is an interesting article that tells just some of what GM does to develop its sports cars. Check out the full article over at Car and Driver for the rest of the story.

No, Eminem is not giving away the Cadillac Ciel concept, Facebookers

Damn it, Facebook people, stop being so gullible. When you see something on social media that requires you to share or like a status or page in exchange for a chance at winning something, it's almost always a hoax. This goes for iPads, or Bill Gates giving away cash or, yes, an Eminem fan page giving away a Cadillac Ciel. Now, normally we'd simply ignore this utter hogwash, but it's getting some traction on Facebook and, annoyingly, is beginning to clog our newsfeed. Ignoring the fact that the Ciel is a pure concept car that likely can't even be registered for regular use, there are more than a few things that should give this nonsense away as a hoax. First, Eminem has only ever gotten in bed with one automaker – Chrysler. It seems unlikely that he'd defect simply to give away a car on Facebook. Secondly, the page that is putting on the giveaway isn't even a verified page – Eminem's real Facebook fan page has 97 million likes, this one has 622,000. Third, a quick look at the caption for the Ciel's photo, shown above, reveals the sort of grammatical mess that no serious contest would allow. Take a look (sic implied throughout): "Only 24 Days Until Christmas, Can you Imagine yourself driving this Car? I'm about to make that happen, Its Official, I Will be giving away this 2014 Cadillac Ciel to one random lucky fan, all you gotta do is follow these three easy steps, Step 1) Share this photo, Step 2) Like my page, Slim Shady Step 3) Like this photo, Winner Will be picked On December 5th 4 Days Away, Good luck to Everyone!!" We reached out to Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell just for fun. Apparently, this photo and schtick pops up every few months with virtually the same text, only to vanish at the end of the "giveaway." You're as shocked as we are, right? So, once again folks, just because it's on the Internet doesn't mean it's true. If your friends, family and acquaintances are blowing up your Facebook feed and social network channels with this nonsense, be sure to set 'em straight with a link to this story – we're sure the real Slim Shady will appreciate it.

Cadillac Escalade Diesel Road Test Review | Winning us over

"Nope, I don't like it," I declared to my large son sitting in the 2021 Cadillac Escalade 600D's second-row captain's chairs. “Why?” he asked, staring in awe at the opulence around him and with his very own touchscreen staring back. “ItÂ’s too big. This thingÂ’s gonna suck to park,” I replied. And it did. Even with multiple camera angles, including a 360-degree view, the big Cadillac was a pain to navigate in parking lots. But, slowly, the big lug — the car, not my son — began to grow on me. Sometimes I had to remind myself that this was the diesel Escalade. I couldnÂ’t really hear the clunking of the motor up front or the exhaust running out the rear. I double-checked the tach for the telltale lower redline, and was reassured that I was driving the vehicle I was told would be delivered. Under the hood is GMÂ’s Duramax 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder turbodiesel engine providing a somewhat meager 277 horsepower – considerably less than the standard 6.2-liter V8Â’s 420 hp. But the Duramax boasts a robust 460 pound-feet of torque, the same torque figure as the V8. The advantage here is that peak torque is accessible from a low 1,500 rpm, while the V8Â’s full twist doesnÂ’t arrive until much higher in the rev range, at 4,100 rpm. The result is an SUV that feels eager to jump off the line and scoot about the neighborhood (if “scoot” is a word that can be applied to such a behemoth). That initial torque hit is almost instantaneous, but the dieselÂ’s staying power does have its limits. ItÂ’s on expressway on-ramps that the Duramax finally seems to labor under this EscaladeÂ’s 6,015-pound curb weight. The numbers on the speedometer just donÂ’t tick away with urgency once you approach highway speeds. That tends to happen with only 277 horsepower. While the sound deadening does a fabulous job of hiding the motor's sound when inside the Escalade, standing outside with the Duramax running leaves no doubt about the diesel mill powering this dressy brute. ItÂ’s not particularly loud or harsh, but the clatter is distinctive when youÂ’d normally expect to hear the humming of a V8 at idle. The 10-speed automatic transmission feels like a good fit for this powertrain. With a redline just over 5,000 rpm, the extra gears minimize time spent at the top of the rev range — a good thing in a vehicle for which low-end torque is king.