Cadillac cars

Video: The Cadillac ATS Underwent Serious Testing; Others Didn’t Fair Too Well

As we all know, all cars and trucks undergo some serious testing before they hit showrooms, but few take the sort of abuse that the all-new Cadillac ATS has taken. Cadillac starts the ATS’ testing by putting its engine on a high-speed motor to make sure its turbocharged 2.0-liter engine can handle high rpm for long periods of time. It then moved to the heat chamber to make sure the car can take the most extreme temperatures planet Earth has to offer. Later comes the “shaker,” which jostles the chassis around to verify everything responds as it should. Finally, the ATS ends up on the suspension test track that forces it to take on some of the most violent bumps and dips you’ll ever encounter on the road.

Well, since the 2013 ATS obviously passed these tests with flying colors, Cadillac decided to see if other luxury items could do the same. However, Caddy is confident the likes of the 3 Series and C-Class can’t hang with it, its testers put non-automotive luxury items to the test to see if they can hang.

In the above video, you’ll get to see a fancy grandfather clock take on the high-speed motor, only to “crack” under the pressure; a cake try to tackle the heat chamber, but have a complete “meltdown”; a fancy dining room hit the shaker only to have everything come crashing to the ground; and a grand piano take on the suspension test track only to see its dreams of beating the ATS fall to pieces.

We promise, this is one video that you won’t want to miss.

Video Note: There are four videos all together; simply refresh the page to cycle through all four of them.

2014 Cadillac ELR

Cadillac unveiled a first ELR concept back in 2011 and ever since then everyone was pretty sure a production will also follow. Things got pretty clear in 2012 when a leak from OnStar confirmed Cadillac will dive into the hybrid realm with a vehicle not named "Escalade." The model finally made its world debut at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show and according to the first official details we have, it offers "an unprecedented combination of luxury, advanced engineering and progressive design."

However, this is not the first time in Caddy’s long history that it’s tread into the economy car world. The first one was the laughably Cavalier-like Cimarron. If you recall, Cadillac was so embarrassed by the Cimarron that the automaker refused to call it a Cadillac and instead dubbed it the “Cimarron by Cadillac” originally. GM later forced a name change to “Cadillac Cimarron.”

Needless to say Caddy does not want to relive those days, so they took things pretty serious with the ELR. The model is being powered by the latest GM EREV technology that combined a pure electric drive and an efficient, range-extending 1.4 liter gasoline-powered electric generator. Updated 01/15/2013: This review has been updated with the official details, images and video.

Click past the jump to read the entire review to see if the ELR will end up on TIME’s “50 Worst Cars of All Time” list alongside the Cimarron.

UPDATE 4/14/2013: Cadillac has just revealed the details on the ELR’s unique regenerative-braking system that allows you to regen on demand. See more after the jump.

Video: Testing Grounds; The Cadillac ATS Doesn’t Need No Stinkin’ Testing Grounds

In the modern era, cars are all tested in controlled conditions with all of the variables that can affect performance well within the control of the engineer. Now, that’s no fun, is it?

Cadillac has bucked this trend with its new ATS, which offers up awesome performance, stunning handling and superior fuel economy. Yeah, this certainly isn’t your granddad’s Eldorado. Above, you can see a video that shows you just how Cadillac put the ATS through some serious testing.

The ATS hit the Dadès Gorge in the Atlas mountains and tackled its 100 switchback turns to test out the ATS’s Brembo brakes; took on the Circuit de Monaco at Monte Carlo to squeeze the maximum 272 horsepower from its turbocharged 2.0-liter engine; faced the intense “living winds” of Patagonia with its sleek aerodynamics; and even hit the Guoliang Tunnel in China at high speeds to prove its Magnetic Ride Control suspension is capable of handling its ever-changing road surface with grace. The ATS passed each and every onel with flying colors.

This is only part of the reason that it was voted the 2013 North America Car of the Year. It also receives high marks because of its sleek and functional design and top-level luxury.

Enjoy the videos; simply refresh the page to load the next video.

2014 Cadillac CTS Sedan

The Cadillac CTS was not the best-received model that the luxury automaker released when it debuted back in 2008. Despite its lukewarm reception, it has grown on buyers and has really blossomed into quite the staple in Caddy’s lineup. Now, at the 2013 New York International Auto Show, Cadillac has unveiled the third-generation CTS Sedan, but no coupe model yet.

Unfortunately for Cadillac, the images had leaked several days before the model actually debuted, so we already knew what it would look like. However, there are still plenty of details left unknown. For example, we have no clue what model will receive that sexy, sexy twin-turbocharged V-6 engine. We also have no clue what features the new CTS will include.

Well, all of the mysteries can be laid to rest today, as Cadillac has officially released all of the information on the upcoming CTS.

Click past the jump to read all of the information on the 2014 Cadillac CTS Sedan

Cadillac ELR Might Get a New Three-Cylinder Engine in the Future

When Cadillac unveiled the new ELR at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, the model arrived with a four-cylinder engine and electric generator that delivered a total of 207 horsepower. In the next two years, however, both the ELR and the Volt could adopt a new three-cylinder engine. The new engine would displace 1.0- or 1.2-liters and will be much more fuel efficient than the current 1.4-liter version.

This new engine will be developed in cooperation with one of the company’s Chinese partners, which asked to remain unnamed "due to the confidential nature of the subject." If approved for production, the new engine will be used for Volt starting 2015 and for the ELR in 2016.

The company announced no specifications for its new engine, but for sure the new engine is part of the company’s strategy to reduce weight by as much as 15 percent by 2016.

There are no details up to this point if the new engine will be offered in the U.S. A GM spokesman said: "We don’t have one right now for the U.S. and I wouldn’t be able to say that we have one planned for the U.S. at this point either. We have not announced any of that."

2013 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe Pirelli World Challenge

Cadillac has just released details on the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe that will be used in the 2013 Pirelli World Challenge Series where the team hopes to obtain the same success it did during the 2012 racing season. In the race the CTS-V will have to take on models from Audi, Mercedes, Aston Martin and BMW.

The CTS-V Coupe Pirelli World Challenge was tested for just two days, but Andy Pilgrim says he is pretty confident the car will do great this year. No other details have been offered on the race version, but it looks like when compared to the standard version it received a more aggressive exterior kit, with a huge rear wing that will deliver improved dynamics at high speeds.

Under the hood, the road-going model uses a 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 engine that delivers a total of 556 horsepower and a peak torque of 551 pound-feet of torque. The race-ready model will likely undergo a little tweaking for the race.

Hit the jump for the press release and the official statements.

Cadillac Bringing the ’Sixteen’ Concept Car Back to Amelia Concours

Back in 2003, Cadillac developed a concept car called the Sixteen that it proudly showed off at the Amelia Concours d’Elegance. Rumor had it that the Sixteen came very close to production, but for whatever reason, those plans were scrapped and the concept went back to gather some dust.

It’s been 10 years since that time and apparently, Cadillac is getting ready to brush off the dust and bring the Sixteen back to the Amelia Concours d’Elegance. The automaker has given no indication as to why it’s bringing the Sixteen back, but don’t be surprised if they’re doing so to gather intel and feedback about the car in preparation for what could become Caddy’s next flagship sedan.

To refresh your memories, the Sixteen Concept was an extremely long car - 19 feet in length - that was powered by a ridiculous 13.6-liter V-16 engine that produced an astounding 1,000 horsepower. Its design, particularly the audacious vertical headlight setup, was eventually seen in a more recent Caddy concept, the 2012 Ciel.

The Sixteen’s powertrain alone is enough to make people take notice. We just don’t know how an engine with that much displacement will go over with the more environmentally aware population of today. But hey, Cadillac has long wanted a super luxury flagship in its lineup.

If they can do some tweaking here and there on the Sixteen, maybe it’ll receive that production future it was supposed to get ten years ago.

2013 Cadillac XTS W20 Livery Package

As no surprise, more than 9 of 10 all-new XTS models are sold to individual luxury buyers. Now, Cadillac is further increasing the luxury level offered by the XTS limousine with the addition of a new W20 Livery Package offered exclusively to livery companies through Caddy’s Professional Vehicles program.

The new W20 Livery Package is built on the range-topping XTS Platinum and will add 19-inch wheels plus LED-infused door handles. The car’s safety will be further increased with the addition of a new rear-vision camera, while the interior adds a micro-fiber suede headliner.

The package can be further updated with a new rear-seat comfort package that adds heated front and rear seats, window sun shades and a power inverter to charge mobile devices. Cadillac’s new CUE system for connectivity and control will also be available with the new W20 Package.

Thanks to Cadillac’s new Professional Vehicles program, companies can further customize their vehicle fleets according to a specific set of standards required by their own activities.

Next Cadillac CTS-V May Get a Boosted LT1 Engine; ATS-V to Get Boost too

Now that we know the next-generation CTS will make its world debut at the 2013 New York Auto Show next month, we can also expect a new-generation CTS-V. First details on the model suggest it will be powered by a new forced-induction version of the new LT1 V-8 engine we have seen in the Corvette Stingray. Rumors suggest that Caddy is developing both a twin-turbo and a supercharged variant of this engine and one of them will be used in the CTS-V.

The ATS-V on the other hand will get a twin-turbo V-6 engine, while a V-8 version could still be offered in some kind of "ATS-V Plus" version.

Now, it’s time for a bad news: it looks like the idea of a new flagship sedan built on the Omega-platform has been dropped. It is also very possible that we will not to see a coupe and station wagon variant for the next generation CTS.

Also, it is very possible to see a new Cadillac naming strategy in the near future, because it looks like clients aren’t very happy with the current names offered by the company.

2013 Cadillac CTS-V Silver Frost and Stealth Blue Limited Edition

It looks like Cadillac is preparing to say "Good Bye" to the current-generation CTS in a very nice way: with two special editions based on the CTS Coupe and V-Series models. First there will be a CTS-V Coupe Silver Frost Edition limited to just 100 units and the second a Stealth Blue edition. Both new editions will arrive in March.

As their name suggest, the two new special editions will be pretty much about the exterior colors, with no updates under the hood. The Silver Frost edition will also get a new set of high-polished or satin-graphite wheels combined with brake caliper in yellow or red. On the interior the only updates will be limited to a suede-covered steering wheel and shift knob.

The Stealth Blue will get a dark finish grille, plus a new set of wheels painted in satin and combined with silver calipers. On the interior it will add Recaro performance seats.

Hit the jump to read more about the Cadillac CTS-V Silver Frost and Stealth Blue Limited Edition.