Author Archives: Bruce Nunnally

Woot — Cadillac Returns To Racing With CTS-V Coupe

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Very good news today — Cadillac to return to racing with the CTS-V Coupe.
Racing improves car design, durability, and performance.  Manufacturers learn more about what breaks when on the track than they can in the lab where cars are not under the same stress levels.
Showing the cars on the track also helps consideration levels and subsequently sales especially to people who don’t realize that modern Cadillacs are among the fastest cars in the world.
Press Release:
  • Racecar based on award-winning CTS-V Series line
  • Program designed to validate, enhance Cadillac performance
  • Andy Pilgrim, Johnny O’Connell signed as Cadillac drivers

DETROIT – Cadillac announced today it will return to racing in 2011 with a race-prepared version of its CTS-V Coupe competing in the Sports Car Club of America World Challenge, North America’s top production-based racecar series.

The move returns Cadillac to a series where it competed from 2004 to 2007. Competing in the GT Class with the CTS-V Sport Sedan, Cadillac captured the Manufacturer’s Championship in 2005 and 2007 and the Driver’s Championship in 2005.

Cadillac will field two teams in the upcoming SCCA World Challenge GT Class with a racecar based on the CTS-V Coupe. The CTS-V line, which also includes the CTS-V Sedan and CTS-V Wagon, was recently named to Car and Driver magazine’s 10 Best list for 2011.

“Returning to racing in the SCCA World Challenge is a great way to demonstrate the performance and capability of the CTS-V Coupe,” said Don Butler, vice president for Cadillac marketing.   “The racecars in this series are production based, which allows us to validate our performance against the best of our competitors on the track, and not just the showroom.”

Cadillac is working with Pratt & Miller, a New Hudson, Mich., engineering firm which specializes in motorsports, to develop the CTS-V Coupe racecar. While some of the production CTS-V components will be modified due to the unique demands of racing or to meet the SCCA series’ technical rules, every effort is taken to maintain as much production content as possible.

“The SCCA World Challenge lends itself well to a natural transfer of knowledge,” said Jim Campbell, GM vice president for Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “The series will become a key test-bed for Cadillac. We anticipate using what we learn on the racetrack to ensure the V-Series stays on the cutting-edge of performance.”

The first event in the SCCA World Challenge is March 25-27 in St. Petersburg, Fla. Johnny O’Connell, a three-time GT1 champion in the America Le Mans Series, and Andy Pilgrim, who won the 2005 SCCA World Challenge GT class in a Cadillac, will be behind the wheel of the CTS-V racecars.

Introduced for the 2003 model year, the CTS-V has quickly earned a reputation among luxury sports car buyers. For the 2011 model year, Cadillac added the CTS-V Coupe and the CTS-V Sport Wagon to the CTS-V Sport Sedan, creating an impressive family of performance vehicles. The CTS-Vs feature Brembo brakes, a supercharged 6.2L V8 delivering 556 horsepower and a Magnetic Ride Control suspension system that can read and react to the road 1,000 times a second.

Started in 1944, the SCCA organizes and supports racing at all levels from amateur to professional. The World Challenge series is designed to provide teams, manufacturers and aftermarket suppliers a competitive production-based race series in which to prove their products. The races follow a 50-minute maximum time limit, with the number of laps and total distance determined by track configuration, lap times and race conditions.

The Best Cadillac

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The BEST Cadillac is the one that fits your lifestyle.

Some Cadillac Drivers are all about having the fastest sedan in the world, and the Cadillac CTS-V fits.

Other Cadillac Drivers need luxury and performance and to carry 7, or to tow, or to occasionally get offroad to survey land, and the Escalade family is the best choice.

Some Cadillac Drivers want to seat 4/5, maximum luxury, and the Cadillac SRX or Cadillac Sport Wagon fill those needs in different ways.  They differ in their approach, handling, seating, and appearance, so each appeals to slightly different Buyers.

The Cadillac DTS attracts Buyers who want a larger sedan, with elegant luxury and a V8 engine.  The Cadillac STS offers similar space, with luxury appointments and RWD.

The Cadillac CTS Sedan is a great selection for Cadillac Buyers who want a balanced package — sport, luxury, efficiency, style.  The new Cadillac CTS Coupe is more highly styled, and offers that 2-door look that some Drivers prefer.

What is the right Cadillac for you?  The one that fits your lifestyle, fills your needs in a luxury automobile, and delivers that luxury and performance mix that just hits the spot.

There are no bad choices in the current Cadillac line.  If you have not driven a Cadillac lately, you owe it to yourself to stop by your local Cadillac Dealer and get a taste of American luxury.

Cadillac SRX continues to Please Buyers / Owners

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Regular Readers know I am a fan of the 2010 Cadillac SRX.  I had been fairly ho-hum on the new model, but after driving one on a weekend test drive I found it to be a terrific vehicle.  Terrific to the point that it is almost my favorite current Cadillac.  I am still a big fan of any V-Series model, then the CTS Sedan Premium Model, but the SRX is almost in a dead heat.  It is that good a Crossover.

Now, the previous model SRX, made from 2004-2009 was also a fine automobile.  It was based on the CTS Generation 1 Sigma chassis, RWD or AWD, and more of a tall station wagon type of vehicle.  It could seat 7, and is selling quite well in the used vehicle market.  So no complaints about the ‘original’, 1st generation SRX.  But the current SRX model is well thought out, capable, and refined.   It has a lot of personality, and it is clear when you spend some time in one why it has been a very popular seller — currently leading Cadillac sales for all models, as well as doing very well in its segment in general against all competitors.

2010 SRX Has Largest Gains In Sales And Residual Value In Segment

Sales up 493 percent, projected resale value up 17 percentage points

DETROIT – Since its debut last year, the all-new 2010 Cadillac SRX has posted the largest gains in its segment for both sales and projected resale value, establishing SRX as a leader among mid-size luxury crossovers.

SRX total U.S. sales through May have risen almost 500 percent, compared to the first five months of last year, outselling the Mercedes-Benz M-Class, Audi Q7, BMW X5 and Acura MDX. The average transaction price for the new SRX is more than $2,300 higher than the previous model.

Along with the sales and transaction price increases, SRX’s projected resale value has risen 17 percentage points in the past year, the largest gain in its segment. SRX’s projected resale value after 36 months is 48 percent of the initial purchase price, compared to 31 percent for the previous model, according to the May/June forecast by ALG, an industry benchmark for residual values and depreciation data.

“Cadillac has done all the right things to support higher residual values for the SRX,” said Matt Traylen, ALG’s Chief Economist. “The all new 2010 model is substantially improved, but was launched with a significantly reduced MSRP. This resulted in record low incentive spending for the SRX, lower reliance on fleet sales, a quicker turn time on dealer lots and ultimately a positive impact on brand value.”

The SRX has remained in high demand since its launch last summer, said Kurt McNeil, vice president of Cadillac sales. The 2010 SRX delivered bold design to the fast-growing mid-size luxury crossover segment, he said.

“Residual value is a key indicator of the strength of the new SRX,” McNeil said. “SRX has succeeded by offering distinctive styling, great handling and a host of features that help it stand out in the luxury crossover crowd.”

Offered in all-wheel and front-wheel drive versions, SRX comes standard with a 3.0L direct injected V-6 engine. It has an optional 2.8L turbocharged V-6. SRX’s available features include a cargo management system, pop-up navigation screen, adaptive forward lighting that swivels the headlamps in synch with vehicle steering, integrated hard drive for audio storage and pause-and-replay radio and a dual-screen system for rear entertainment.