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Showing posts with label Cadillac. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Chrysler Grand Voyager Touring

Friday, August 5, 2011

2012 Cadillac SRX

The Cadillac SRX was introduced at the 2009 United states International Auto Show in Detroit, and is going down sale starting up at $33,330 for the base 3.0 Liter V6 powered front wheel drive version and climbs all the way up to $51,360 for the 2.8 Liter six cylinder Turbo Premium version. As the Cadillac of crossovers enters its second generation, the completely redesigned SRX delivers an engaged choice regarding look and feel and driving character to ordinary CUVs with its downsized fuel effective gas burning engines. The SRX comes regular using a front wheel drive layout and is provided with all wheel drive as an option. It is created atop a version of General Motors’ Theta platform that is also used in the Chevrolet Equinox and the Epsilon II platform which is usually also used for the European Opel Insignia.

And now, in 2011 Cadillac recently introduced a brand new, more efficient version of its 2012 Cadillac SRX mid-size crossover SUV, which now rewards vigor 3.6-liters direct-injected V6 engine with 300 horsepower.

That provide even far more acceleration that the current 3.0-liters V6 powered SRX, the new, 2012 Cadillac SRX is expected to hit the automaker’s car dealerships this august.

Don Butler, vp of Cadillac promoting and advertising, shares: “SRX is resonating with luxury buyers by offering the purpose of a crossover and the distinctive style of a Cadillac. Now, we’re raising the standards even higher by providing the SRX with enhanced performance. The brand new engine can make the SRX more responsive for creating the highway, entering freeways from on-ramps and climbing hills.”

Anyway its more horses, the most recent 3.6-liters direct-injected V6 plant also boasts FlexFuel capability and wider rpm range for its high torque, which gives the driver more power in front of a wider choice of speeds and driving conditions.

Further accessories on the 2012 model year Cadillac SRX luxury SUV include general Bluetooth cell phone connectivity, a heated steering wheel on the luxury, performance and prime quality trim levels and door lock switches on the driver and passenger door panels. Additionally in Cadillac SRX, a new machined finish on the huge 20-inch rims set arrives standard on the performance and high quality trim levels.

[Source: tunecar.info]

Thursday, April 28, 2011

2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe

Although most Cadillac vehicles still have a way to go to satisfy as drivers’ machines, the second-generation CTS has appeared on our past three 10Best lists. In awarding its 2010 trophy, we called it “maybe the best American car ever made.” High praise, and its combination of unapologetically brash styling, modern luxury, and strong performance credentials—especially in high-po V spec—backs it up. For 2011, the new CTS coupe joins the sedan and wagon, adding more style and a higher concentration of performance to the CTS’s winning formula.
Stunning Exterior Styling, Largely Familiar Cockpit
The CTS coupe is one of those cars that love the camera, and it’s no less stunning in the flesh. Walking around the car, one notices several aspects of the design easily missed in photographs, such as the parallel “light catcher” lines helping to break up the tall body sides, the tastefully glitzy twin center-mounted tailpipes, the remarkably seamless-looking joint between the body-side stamping and the roof, and the center spine that travels all the way back over the car’s huge rump. The windshield is two degrees “faster” up front than the sedan’s, and the razor-sharp taillamps and the CHMSL spoiler also have aerodynamic-enhancing properties. The only unfortunate bits are credit-card-sized spacer panels above the recessed, solenoid-actuated door releases; they mar an otherwise perfect waistline. In any case, there is visual drama from every angle, and it works.
Inside, most CTS sedan components are imported without change, although the mood is intensified due to a lower mounting point for the seats, dropping occupants roughly an inch lower into the dash and console architecture. The window sills are high, making arm-out-the-window cruising a bit awkward, but surprisingly, the super-high rear end doesn’t gobble up every shred of rearward vision. It feels purposeful, and we found ourselves very comfortable during our drive.
Amped-Up Performance
Cadillac’s product planners wanted to give the coupe a higher focus on performance. They started by skipping the sedan’s entry-level 270-hp, 3.0-liter V-6 and making standard the direct-injected 3.6-liter V-6. It delivers 304 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque, available at 6400 and 5200 rpm, respectively. As in the sedan, this engine comes with six-speed manual or automatic transmissions, the latter featuring manual shifting capability via the shift lever or buttons on the back of the upper steering-wheel posts (right for upshifts, left for downshifts). All-wheel drive is available, although we didn’t have the opportunity to drive a CTS so equipped; the only cars we drove were rear-drivers with automatics. In that configuration, the final-drive ratio is up to 3.73:1 from 3.42:1 to add some spring to the coupe’s off-the-line step. A unique-to-the-coupe exhaust system not only directs spent air through those sexy center-mounted pipes but also allows a bit more sound to tickle the driver’s ears in the process.

On the road, these alterations change the character of the CTS. Acceleration is strong, thanks to that more aggressive final drive. Handling feels considerably sharper as well, chalked up to the combination of the wider (by two inches) rear track, staggered-width wheel-and-tire combos (235/50 front and 265/45 rear with the 18-inch wheels; 245/45 front and 275/40 rear with the 19s), stiffer springs, and thicker rear anti-roll bar.

We’ll have to strap our test gear to a CTS coupe to determine the measurable performance differences between it and the sedan, but on the challenging, unpredictable, and wildly twisted roads surrounding California’s gorgeous Napa Valley and Lake Berryessa, the two-door CTS remained absolutely glued to the rough pavement, even in places where the road literally broke apart as we pounded over it. Meanwhile, the powerful brakes demonstrated remarkable resistance to fade, and the steering proved loyal and communicative. Shifts, although not lightning quick, still came speedily enough when summoned by the buttons. (We tried the sport mode, but it got a little aggressive with downshifts at times, so we generally stuck with the full manual mode.) Confidence built quickly as we acclimated to the coupe’s high level of grip. At every break in the route, we arrived energized and wanting more time at the wheel—not something we’d say about every vehicle we’ve driven on these brutal roads.
Something V This Way Comes
CTS coupe pricing starts at $38,990 for the rear-wheel-drive model equipped with the automatic, rear park assist, power seats, 18-inch wheels, keyless operation, and a Bose sound system. Selecting the manual transmission gives a $1300 saving but requires the $2090 summer-tire performance package. The $43,430 Performance Collection model adds HID headlights, leather seats, and a surround-sound stereo with a 40-gig hard drive and USB input. Jump up to the $47,835 Premium Collection, and enjoy ambient interior lighting, heated and cooled front seats, a heated steering wheel, genuine wood trim, a rearview camera, and navigation. All-wheel drive is a $1900 option. For comparison, a rear-drive BMW 335i coupe starts at $45,000 or so and will run well over $50,000 with similar equipment. Soon after launch, the CTS-V coupe will arrive with its monstrous 556-hp, 6.2-liter supercharged V-8. It will run a rather reasonable (for the performance) $62,990, and it comes with Brembo brakes, magnetorheological adaptive shocks, and 19-inch wheels with performance tires.
The standard and V CTS coupes will be heavily featured in upcoming advertising; Cadillac tells us the brand intends to display more bravado in relaying the virtues of its cars. Given the goodness of the CTS sedan and wagon, and now this coupe—and provided the upcoming XTS, ATS, and flagship models can display the same sort of competence—we’d say Cadillac deserves to thump its chest a bit.

2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Cadillac Eldorado

The Eldorado model was part of the Cadillac line from 1953 to 2002. The Cadillac Eldorado was the longest running American personal luxury car as it was the only one sold after the 1999 model year. Its main competitors included the Lincoln Mark Series and the lower-priced Buick Riviera. Although cars bearing the name varied considerably in bodystyle and mechanical layout during this long period, the Eldorado models were always near the top of the Cadillac line. Nevertheless, and except for the Eldorado Brougham models of 1957–1960, the most expensive models were always the opulent, long wheel-based Series 75 sedans and limousines, not the Eldorado. The name was proposed for a special show car built in 1952 to mark Cadillac's Golden Anniversary; it was the result of in-house competition won by Mary-Ann Marini (née Zukosky ), a secretary in the company's merchandising department. Another source, Palm Springs Life magazine, attributes the name to a resort destination in California's Coachella Valley that was a favorite of General Motors executives. However, the Eldorado Country Club in Indian Wells, California was not founded until 1957 - five years after Cadillac's naming competition. In any case, the name was adopted by the company for a new, limited-edition convertible that was added to the line in 1953. The name Eldorado was derived from the Spanish words "el dorado", "the gilded one" or "the golden one"; the name was given originally to the legendary chief or "cacique" of a South American Indian tribe. Legend has it that his followers would sprinkle his body with gold dust on ceremonial occasions and he would wash it off again by diving into a lake. The name more frequently refers to a legendary city of fabulous riches, somewhere in South America, that inspired many European expeditions, including one to the Orinoco by England's Sir Walter Raleigh.

1982 Cadillac Eldorado Diesel start & run

Unlike the Fleetwood and de Ville models, Eldorado didn't have a unique luxury package to provide it with a title change (such as the "d'Elegance" package). This was rectified in mid-year 1976 with the Biarritz package. The most unique feature of Biarritz, a name that hadn't been used since 1963, (the Fleetwood designation was used for all Eldorados produced from 1964 through late 1976) was a brushed stainless steel roof covering the front passenger compartment for model years 1979-1985. This was a styling cue reminiscent of the 1957/58 Eldorado Brougham. The rear half of the roof was covered with a heavily padded landau vinyl top accented with large "opera" lights. The interior featured "pillowed"-style, ("tufted") velour or leather seating, with contrasting piping, along with an array of other options available. For example, the 1978 Biarritz option packages consisted of the Eldorado Custom Biarritz ($1,865.00); w/Astroroof ($2,946.00); w/Sunroof ($2,746.00) and Eldorado Custom Biarritz Classic ($2,466.00); w/Astroroof ($3,547.00); w/Sunroof ($3,347.00). For the 1978 Eldorado model year only, there were 2,000 Eldorado Custom Biarritz Classics produced in Two-Tone Arizona Beige/Demitasse Brown consisting of 1,499 with no Astroroofs or no Sunroofs; 475 with Astroroofs; 25 with Sunroofs and only One (1) was produced with Power Sliding T-Tops. The Biarritz option stayed with the Eldorado through the 1991 model year. Some of the original styling cues vanished after the 1985 model year, such as the brushed stainless steel roofing and the interior seating designs, but Biarritz remained unique just the same.

Cadillac Eldorado Interior

Cadillac Eldorado Show Up

The 1978 Cadillac Eldorado was the only American luxury car in its class (or any car class) to be offered with Power Sliding T-Tops that folded neatly inside the center-front roof. In this regard, only seven 1978 Cadillac Eldorados were known to have been produced with Power Sliding T-Tops customized and manufactured by American Sunroof Company under the direction of General Motor’s Cadillac Motor Division. There are seven known 1978 Cadillac Eldorados with Power Sliding T-Tops remaining: One (1) Black Eldorado Cabriolet; One (1) Carmine Red Eldorado Cabriolet; One (1) Cotillion White Eldorado Cabriolet; One (1) Colonial Yellow Eldorado Custom Biarritz; Two (2) Cotillion White Eldorado Custom Biarritz and One (1) Two-Tone Arizona Beige/Demitasse Brown Eldorado Custom Biarritz Classic.For 1986, yet another downsizing occurred, and it was fairly extreme. Eldorado lost about 16" in length, and some 350 pounds in weight. Convertible models were gone. As was the case in previous years, Eldorado shared its chassis with the Oldsmobile Toronado and Buick Riviera, as well as Eldorado's four-door companion, the Cadillac Seville. However, the coupes from Buick and Oldsmobile both utilized Buick's 3.8 liter V6 engine, while Cadillac continued to use their exclusive 4.1 liter V8. The $24,251 Eldorado was now the same size that GM's own compact cars had been only a few years earlier, and considerably smaller than Lincoln's competing Mark VII. Its styling seemed stubby, and in a final unfortunate flourish, for the first time the Eldorado abandoned its "hardtop" heritage and featured framed door glass. News reports later indicated that GM had been led astray by a consultant's prediction that gasoline would be at $3 per gallon in the U.S. by 1986, and that small luxury cars would be in demand. In fact, gasoline prices were less than half that. With a sales drop of 60%, seldom has any model experienced a more precipitous fall. Production was only about a fifth of what it had been just two years earlier.Although a touring suspension option had been available on Eldorado since 1980, there was an Eldorado Touring Coupe model introduced in mid-1982, and continued through 1985. In 1990, the Eldorado Touring Coupe (ETC), the 2-door version of the Seville Touring Sedan (STS), re-appeared. The car had a special handling and suspension package, quicker steering than the standard Eldorado, and a higher final drive ratio of 3.33:1 in contrast to the base model's 2.97:1. Badging was restricted to ETC badges on both C-pillars, a Cadillac crest on the grille along with the Cadillac script logo and a special "Cadillac Motor Car Company" badge on the trunk, which it shared with the STS. Available in Sable Black, Cotillion White, Medium Slate Gray Metallic, Black Sapphire Metallic (Dark Blue), and Crimson (Bright Red), all with a special beechwood interior. An additional color, Polo Green Metallic, was added for '91. The driver's outside rearview mirror held glass with a blue-tint to reduce glare from following vehicles. The model also featured body-colored door handles, wider side rocker panels, an additional marker lamp behind the rear wheel well, and dual rectangular exhausts. The international-theme tail lights, which were Touring Coupe specific, featured a distinct split-style with "amber above red" lenses.Eldorado Touring Coupe production for 1990 was 1,507, with an additional 2,249 in 1991.