Hennessey Tuned Cadillac CTS-V Wagon With Over 1,000 RWHP Dyno Tested

Hennessey’s VR1200 kit for older-gen Cadillac CTS-V models turns these cars into straight line monsters capable of doing the quarter mile in the eyebrow raising time of ten seconds, or thereabout, depending on the chosen body style.

You Can Partially Thank 3-D Scanning for the Stunning Looks of the Cadillac Elmiraj

While it looks like we won't be seeing the Elmiraj turning into a production car, Cadillac continues to tell us about its well-received luxury concept. This time, is has revealed details on how it used an advanced measuring technology called structured-light 3-D scanning for its development.

Often used for fine art restoration and reproduction, 3-D scanning uses projected light patterns and an advanced camera to capture three-dimensional shapes. The shapes are then converted into math data that can be manipulated in digital modeling programs. The Cadillac Elmiraj coupe concept benefitted extensively from this digital mapping technology.

Thanks to 3-D scanners, designers can quickly reverse engineer and update the master math model, and then apply them to the physical model by milling the clay.

GM has used 3-D scanning since 2001, but the Elmiraj is the first drivable concept car for which this technology has been used to validate nearly every pattern, mold and part during each phase of the vehicle build.

“With the Elmiraj, we were able to use 3-D scanning as the bridge between traditional hand-sculpting teams who work in clay and digital modeling design teams who work in math,” said Frank Saucedo, director of General Motors’ North Hollywood Advanced Design Studio.

Not only that, but 3-D scanning allows designers to revert to a previous design phase. “A scan can even reveal the need to take a step back to a previous iteration, and 3-D scanning makes it relatively easy to do,” said David Bolognino, director of GM Design Fabrication Operations.

Probably the best part of 3-D scanning is that it makes possible the transition from a scale model to a full-size model in less than one week, speeding up the design process.

Scroll down to watch how 3-D scanning works from the video posted below.

By Dan Mihalascu

VIDEO

CNET Checks Out the Tech on Cadillac's $75,995 ELR Coupe

The stylish range-extender Cadillac ELR, that starts at a slightly ridiculous $75,995 without incentives, hasn’t received too much attention since its launch.

It’s probably partly down to the price, which puts it in Tesla Model S territory, and with only 35 miles (56 km) of EV-only driving available before the 1.4-liter 84 hp petrol engine from a Chevy Aveo kicks in to recharge the 16.5 kWh battery pack.

But none of that matters to CNET and their recently uploaded video feature of the ELR, which focuses, as we’d expect from them, on the technology it comes with, the way it works, and if it’s usable, useful or just annoying.

Too bad it’s so darn expensive, because as this video proves, it really has a lot going for it, from the good-looking interior and exterior, to its undeniable green credentials if run on battery power most of the time, and operated in the correct fashion, taking its power from the socket and not the petrol engine.

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

The New Cadillac CTS is MotorTrend’s Car of the Year 2013 [w/Video]

If, for whatever reason, you weren’t convinced that the Cadillac CTS was worth a look in the crowded BMW 5-Series and Lexus GS class, perhaps MotorTrend choosing it as their car of the year will.

The CTS managed to impress the judges for all of the noted criteria, proving to be a consistent package that also happens to be very well balanced and good to drive.

Its well-judged looks were also a positive talking point, as were the engines and the one in the Vsport in particular, though; even the smallest 2.0-liter turbo unit was called competent, despite the size of the car. In this context, we are reminded that the CTS is lighter than most of its rivals, reaping all of the inherent advantages that it brings.

If you’re still not convinced that it should be chosen as the year’s most prominent example of automotive advancement, check out the video posted after the virtual jump, as well as other videos that praise the paint off it...

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

Why is This Man Freaking Out Screaming "Kill Me" and "Sprechen Sie Deutsch"? [NSFW]

Just so you don't start thinking that Russia is the only country in the world where crazy things happen on the road, here's a bizarre incident that took place in Rochester, Michigan.
For the record, we first stumbled upon a version of the video uploaded on YouTube today, but upon further research, we discovered an older edition uploaded by a user nicknamed "onetwodo2001" in April of 2011, which we believe to be the original (if we're wrong, send us a message).
The driver with the camera slows down when he sees a white Cadillac DTS that had exited the road at the point where a black Corvette had pulled (?) over.

New Cadillac ATS 3.6 vs. BMW 335i and Mercedes C350 in MT's 6-Cylinder Rematch

Like the VW Golf, the BMW 3-Series has been dominant for so long, shrugging off one newcomer after another, that it practically defined the premium compact sports sedan segment.
This, of course, makes it not only harder for BMW engineers to come up with something better every time there's a replacement due, but it also makes it the car all rivaling manufacturers have set as their benchmark.
Cadillac has made quite a fuss about its new ATS being a bona-fide, Nürburgring-bred sports saloon that can take on the best – i.e. the brand new, F30 3-Series.

Cadillac ATS' Super Bowl Ad Tells Everyone who Doesn’t Believe it Can Beat the 3-Series to go to "Green Hell"

Unlike Cadillac's previous failed attempts, the all-new ATS sedan was designed from a clean sheet to compete squarely against the best Germany has to offer in the executive compact sedan segment, namely the BMW 3-Series sedan – and possibly, the rest of the Bavarian model's range later on.
And if there's one thing GM's premium brand has been touting about the ATS more than anything else since it began teasing the car last summer, it's the fact that it's handling and driving dynamics were honed at the Nürburgring race track in Germany, which as most of you already know, is nicknamed "The Green Hell".

President Obama’s Cadillac gets Trapped on a Ramp in Ireland

The heavily armored Cadillac that U.S. President Obama relies on for short-distance travel caused an embarrassing moment during his trip in Dublin, Ireland, today when it got jammed on a ramp after exiting the U.S. Embassy's complex. The first cars from the presidential motorcade passed without problems through the gates of the Embassy, but a BMW 7-Series preceding the Cadillac slightly touched the asphalt.
The Presidential Cadillac, nicknamed ‘The Beast’, came next and hit the ground much harder and was immobilized. "There was a loud kind of bang, metal-on-metal, grinding, crunching noise and the car was stuck," an RTE reporter told the AFP.

Hennessey's HPE1000 Escalade Cracks 60 in 3.3 Sec, bests Nissan's GT-R [with Video]

The concept of turning SUVs into pavement-pounding, drag-racing, supercar-shredding monster rods never ceases to amaze me, and by that I mean my jaw is on the floor and I'm completely boggled. I love me some automobiles (and vehicular transportation in general), but there's something about a nigh-three ton box on wheels and oodles of GO that seems...weird.
However, if monster rods - or high performance in general - are your cup of Starbucks soy latte, then Hennessey has got you covered (as if you didn't know that already, what with their cray-cray 1,000+ horsepower Vipers from way back when). Below, for your viewing pleasure, is video of a 2011 Cadillac Escalade drag racing a 2011 R35 GT-R and beating it.

VIDEO: 2014 Cadillac ATS Compact RWD Sports Sedan Spied Out Testing

A prototype version of Cadillac’s upcoming BMW 3-Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class rival, dubbed the ATS, has been caught on video during road testing. Though still heavily camouflaged, it appears that the Detroit firm’s compact, rear-wheel drive sports sedan will continue with Cadillac’s Art and Science design language.
The new ATS sedan will be positioned below the CTS, taking its place as the Cadillac’s entry-level model. The introduction of the ATS will allow the next iteration of the CTS to grow in dimensions to better compete with Germany’s executive saloons like the BMW 5-Series and Audi A6.
The engine lineup of the ATS is pretty much speculation as of right now, though a supposedly official document that leaked onto the internet in January made word of three engine choices including a 270HP 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, a 330HP 3.6-liter V6 and a 470HP 6.2-liter V8 for the range topping ATS-V.

Cadillac Marks its Return to Racing with a Series of Short Films on the CTS-V Coupe

"Refueled: The Return of the CTS-V" is the name of Cadillac’s new series of short films that were created to give us a behind-the-scenes look at the development of its all-new CTS-V Coupe racing car, with which the company marks it return to competition after a four year hiatus. The newly released footage documents the genesis of the CTS-V Coupe racecars as well as their connection to the production version of the sports coupe.
The Cadillac CTS-V will make its competition debut at the season-opening race of the Sports Car Club of America World Challenge GT series in St. Petersburg, Florida on March 25-27. The GT series’ schedule for 2011 includes eight races in the U.S. and Canada from March to October. Click through to the jump for the videos.

VIDEO: Top Gear China 15-Minute Pilot Episode Hits the Web, Includes Cadillac vs…Donkey Comparo

We’ve already told you about Top Gear’s plans to export the franchise to China, but today we stumbled upon what is claimed to be the first 15-minute long pilot episode of the TV series. China’s version of the famous car show keeps the familiar format with three male hosts and includes an oddball test where a Cadillac STS is compared to a donkey to see which is better suited to millstone work. If you follow the jump, you can watch the full video while we’ve also added a second clip that contains some English subtitles, though there’s no way of being sure about its accuracy.

VIDEO: Hennessey’s Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon vs Nissan GT-R and Porsche 911 Turbo

American tuning firm Hennessey has crafted some pretty insane vehicles over the years. One of its most recent tunes is based on the Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon, which leaves GM’s factory with a 556-horsepower 6.2-liter V8 lump, but once Hennessey’s engineers perform their magic under the hood, output is lifted to 650 horsepower.
To show off the tuned CTS-V Sport Wagon’s potential, the Texas-based company brought the Cadillac to the track and drag raced it first against a stock 480HP Porsche 911 Turbo [997] and then a standard 485HP 2011 Nissan GT-R. Watch what happened in the video after the jump.

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.

Meet Louie Mattar and his Fabulous, Record-Setting 1947 Cadillac [with Video]

Some of you may have noticed a special, one-off car among the beauties showcased in our San Diego Automotive Museum gallery piece. It's Louie Mattar's $75,000 1947 custom Cadillac. In 1952, Mattar and two other men drove this one-of-a-kind Caddy from San Diego to New York and back, without a single stop. Their trip totaled 6,320 miles!

To be able to do this, Mr. Mattar worked 5 years on modifying his 1947 Cadillac, which, by the time it was completed, turned into quite a unique car. For examples, the Caddy automatically refills the radiator and changes the oil. Having drilled axles, the wheels could be inflated while turning and, also, hydraulic jacks could raise the car to allow the wheels to be changed while moving.

In Making the latest Cadillac Escalade More High-Tech, GM Actually Made it Easier to Steal...

According to the Highway Loss Data Institute, the Cadillac Escalade is numero uno when it comes to stolen car claims here in the US. The group says that for the first three years of the third-generation Escalade's production (2007-2009) there have been an average of 10.8 claims - from stealing the rims up to the entire car - for every 1000 insured Escalades. That's approximately five times more claims than the average car.

This surge in Escalade theft isn't just because Cadillac's big SUV is many celebrities' vehicle of choice, however. After 2006, the SUV was actually made easier to steal than most cars because GM did away with the simple yet effective steering wheel lock. Instead, it was replaced by some electronic nannies that were supposed to be "better". Don't worry, the lock's back for 2010, so all you up and coming pimps will have harder-to-jack rides. Watch the report in the video below.

VIDEO: MT Pits Audi RS5 Against Cadillac CTS-V Coupe and BMW M3 Coupe [with Poll]

Audi may have confirmed the new RS5 for the States, but Americans won't be able to sample the scorching hot high-performance coupe until sometime in 2012. But when there's a will, there's a way, so the crew from Motor Trend headed to Germany to compare the two newest entries in the sports coupe segment, the Audi RS5 and Cadillac CST-V Coupe, with BMW's 'old-timer', the M3 Coupe.

We won't spoil the video for you by telling you won, so follow the jump to check it out along with the performance details on all cars and then don't forget to take our poll on which sport coupe would you be more likely to buy.

2009 Cadillac CTS-V 556HP Video Compilation

As the 2009 CTS-V heads into production, Cadillac is stepping up its efforts to create a buzz around its new BMW M5 rival. This video that was created by the folks over at Cadillac's official blog showcases the 556HP strong CTS-V at the Monticello Raceway in New York and at the Nurburgring track, where John Heinricy completed a full lap of the Nordschleife in 7:59.32 which is the fastest recorded time for a production saloon. Click through to watch the video: -Continued

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Via: Cadillac Driver's Log