Cadillac"s All-Wheel Drive Model Sales on the Rise in the U.S.A.

It was a time when associating Cadillac with all-wheel drive was considered to be a heresy. But mentalities have changed and more American customers are specifying their cars with the AWD option. GM?s luxury brand has registered a combined sales increase of 38% for its 4x4 SRX, CTS and Escalade models in the past two years. Specifically, one-third of the SRX crossovers, almost half of the CTS and three-quarters of the Escalade vehicles sold in the U.S. have been equipped with all-wheel drive.

Not surprisingly, the highest demand comes from cold weather and mountainous areas. Besides offering better traction on snow, the Cadillac AWD systems also promises to enhance handling and performance in normal weather conditions.

According to the Detroit automaker, AWD improves the SRX?s passing acceleration compared to the front-wheel drive version by transferring more torque to the rear wheels, while also reduces the over-steer tendencies manifested by the rear-wheel drive CTS during aggressive cornering.

?Cadillac?s investment in advanced AWD systems across the line-up is enhancing the brand?s reputation for performance,? said Don Butler, vice president of Cadillac marketing. ?We?re able to offer luxury buyers exceptional ride, handling and control on a wide range of road conditions.?

1955 Ford "Beatnik" Bubbletop Custom Concept going up for Auction

Making its way down to Florida for RM Auction"s annual Amelia Island event on March 2, is this 1955 Ford "Beatnink" Bubbletop custom concept inspired by futuristic design studies from the 1950s. Despite its name, the Beatnik is a fairly new creation built by Gary ?Chopit? Fioto. It is based on the body of a 1955 Ford model but rides on a modifies chassis of a 1988 Lincoln Town Car and is powered by a Chevrolet 350-cubic inch small-block V8 engine.

The brand mixing doesn"t stop there as Fioto used a variety of components from Cadillac, Chrysler and Lincoln, including the canted quad headlights. The front bumper was adapted from a "59 Cadillac, while the rear bumper was fashioned from the front bumper of a "58 Cadillac. In addition, the finned taillights are sourced from a 1960 Chrysler. However, the front and rear fenders, the door skins and the entire rear section of the car were all hand formed.

The one-of-a-kind model, which took four years of hard work to create, also features a bespoke interior complete with an aircraft control yoke-inspired steering wheel and a rounded dash pod as a tribute to the late 1950s and early 1960s concept cars from Detroit.

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Lingenfelter Raises the Bar with 700HP+ Tuning Package for Cadillac CTS-V Models

If there"s one company that knows a thing or two about tuning GM"s products, it"s Lingenfelter. The Indiana-based tuning firm has just announced its latest package for the Cadillac CTS-V series, which covers the sedan, station wagon and coupe models. In stock form, the CTS-V"s 6.2-liter supercharged V8 churns out 556HP and 551 lb.-ft of torque.

Lingenfelter"s engine tune includes a variety of mods such as ported LSA cylinder heads and the addition of LPE"s GT9 ZR1 supercharger camshaft, which help push the V8"s output to more than 700-horses at the crankshaft. The long-time GM tuner also tried out a CTS-V Coupe with a manual transmission on the dyno, with the test yielding 623HP and 617 lf-ft at the rear wheels. Follow the jumps for a video and detailed info on the tuning package.

Lingenfelter Cadillac CTS-V Turnkey Package:

- Engine removal and removal of supercharger assembly, cylinder heads and camshaft
- Lingenfelter CNC porting & polishing of LSA cylinder heads for optimal flow
- 2.165" diameter hollow stem intake valves
- 1.59" diameter high temperature inconnel exhaust valves
- Lingenfelter multi-angle valve job, cc chambers, surfacing and spring height adjustment
- Competition Cams valve springs, titanium retainers, 10 degree locks
- Lingenfelter GT9 camshaft
- GM Head gaskets & head bolts
- 2.55" diameter steel supercharger drive pulley - powder coated black - 8 rib
- 8 rib serpentine belt
- Lingenfelter LS9 solid supercharger isolator coupling
- Port and polish supercharger front cover
- Lingenfelter air intake duct
- K & N Air Filter
- Lingenfelter 10% overdrive harmonic balancer
- 63 lbs/hour fuel injectors
- Fuel injector connector change
- 160 degree thermostat
- Professional installation
- Engine testing and expert ECM tuning
- Chassis dyno testing before and after installation
- Excellent drivability, highway mileage not adversely affected
- Lingenfelter certificate of authenticity
- Lingenfelter 2 year/24,000 mile warranty

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2014 Cadillac ATS and ATS-V Spec Sheet Makes the Internet Rounds, but is it Real?

A supposedly official preliminary spec sheet of Cadillac"s forthcoming new small luxury sedan surfaced on the internet today. We"re not going to call it a leak just yet as we"re not at all certain for its authenticity. That said, we"d advise you not to take anything you read on the paper after the jump for granted.

Labeled as the 2014 Cadillac ATS, the spec sheet says the Detroit firm"s BMW 3-Series rival will be offered with three engine options including a 270HP 2.0-liter turbocharged four-banger and a 330HP 3.6-liter V6 for the standard versions, and a 470HP 6.2-liter V8 for the M3-challenging ATS-V. The four-and six-cylinder models are said to be hooked up to an 8-speed automatic transmission, while the flagship V8 comes with a 6-speed auto.

While we can"t vouch for the numbers and data shown on the spec sheet, we can tell you that the ATS, or whatever else GM decides to name its new entry-level sedan, is expected to hit the market within the next two years.

Via: Cheers and Gears & Atsforums

New Cadillac CTS-V Coupe Racer Hits the Tarmac for the First Time

Cadillac is getting ready to return to the fabulous world of motorsports with its new CTS-V Coupe race car. Following the two-door model"s world premiere at the Detroit Motor Show last week, the race-prepped CTS-V Coupe hit the track for the first time on Monday driven by Johnny O?Connell and Andy Pilgrim, for tests at Sebring International Raceway.

GM"s luxury car division had pulled out of racing before the U.S. government bailed out the company in 2009. More specifically, the last time Cadillac competed was in 2007 in the Sports Car Club of America World Challenge GT series. Now, the company will reenter the series, beginning with the season-opening race in St. Petersburg, Florida on March 25-27. Hit the jump for a comprehensive gallery.

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