Cadillac’s ‘Super cruise’ could be ready by mid-decade

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DETROIT – Cadillac is road testing a semi-autonomous technology it calls “Super Cruise” that is capable of fully automatic steering, braking and lane-centering in highway driving under certain optimal conditions. The system could be ready for production vehicles by mid-decade.

Super Cruise is designed to ease the driver’s workload on the freeway, in both bumper-to-bumper traffic and on long road trips by relying on a fusion of radar, ultrasonic sensors, cameras and GPS map data.

“Super Cruise has the potential to improve driver performance and enjoyment,” said Don Butler, vice president of Cadillac marketing. “Our goal with advanced technologies, like this and our CUE system, is to lead in delivering an intuitive user experience.”

Many of the building block technologies for Super Cruise are already available on the all-new 2013 Cadillac XTS and ATS luxury sedans, as part of the available Driver Assist Package. It is the first Cadillac system to use sensor fusion to provide 360 degrees of crash risk detection and enhanced driver assist features, including:

  • Rear Automatic Braking
  • Full-Speed Range Adaptive Cruise Control
  • Intelligent Brake Assist
  • Forward Collision Alert
  • Safety Alert Seat
  • Automatic Collision Preparation
  • Lane Departure Warning
  • Side Blind Zone Alert
  • Rear Cross Traffic Alert
  • Adaptive Forward Lighting
  • Rear Vision Camera With Dynamic Guidelines
  • Head Up Display

The key to delivering semi-autonomous capability will be the integration of lane- centering technology that relies on forward-looking cameras to detect lane markings and GPS map data to detect curves and other road characteristics, said John Capp, General Motors director of Global Active Safety Electronics and Innovation.

Even when semi-autonomous driving capability is available on vehicles, the system will have operational limitations based on external factors such as weather and visibility of lane markings. When reliable data is unavailable, the driver will need to steer.

GM and its research partners recently conducted a study funded by the Federal Highway Administration on human factors in semi-autonomous vehicle operation. When asked, some study participants expressed strong interest in having a vehicle that could drive itself, particularly for long trips when lane centering and full-speed range adaptive cruise control could help lighten the driver’s workload.

“The primary goal of GM’s autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicle development is safety,” Capp said. “In the coming years, autonomous driving systems paired with advanced safety systems could help eliminate the crash altogether by interceding on behalf of drivers before they’re even aware of a hazardous situation. More than ever, consumers will be able to trust their car to do the right thing.”

Cadillac has been a leading luxury auto brand since 1902. In recent years, Cadillac has engineered a historic renaissance led by artful engineering and advanced technology. More information on Cadillac can be found at media.cadillac.com.

CaddyInfo Cadillac Forum Server Shift

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Confusingly, the CaddyInfo Forum has shifted from where it was before, but it is in the same place.

To put it another way, it is at the same address, but the address has moved on the name servers (DNS) to a new address.  So until your local DNS server updates you may have difficulty finding the forum!  As it turned out mine changed right away, and if you CAN click right over to the caddyinfo forum then all this is old news for you.

In the mean time, you can use this trick to add the correct forum address to your local hosts file:

To override the DNS on your PC, and assuming you use Windows 7, you need to open this file for editing:

/Windows/System32/drivers/etc/hosts (there’s no file extension, it’s just ‘hosts’)

then add these two lines to the bottom of the file:

50.28.75.70 caddyinfo.ipbhost.com
50.28.75.70 www.caddyinfo.ipbhost.com

and save it. Make sure whatever editor you use doesn’t append a file extension like .txt or .rtf and saves it as just ‘hosts’. Reboot your PC, and you should get to the site right away. Remove those two lines in a few days.

Then after your DNS servers DO update you’ll want to get rid of these lines just to tidy up.

Feel free to comment here if you need assistance or have better info on how people can get to the forum.

Final Cadillac ATS power figures?

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The Cadillac Dealer Order Guide is online and although the ATS info still seems pretty preliminary, it shows the initial figures for the Cadillac ATS power trains:

LCV Engine, 2.5L I4, DI, DOHC, VVT (202 hp [150.6 kW] @ 6300 rpm, 190.3 lb-ft of torque [258 N-m] @ 4400 rpm)
LTG Engine, 2.0L Turbo, I4, DI, DOHC, VVT (272 hp [202.8 kW] @ 5500 rpm, 260 lb-ft of torque [353 N-m] @ 1700-5500 rpm)
LFX Engine, 3.6L V6, DI, DOHC, VVT (321 hp [239.4 kW] @ 6800 rpm, 274.4 lb-ft of torque [372 N-m] @ 4800 rpm)
  • 2.5L Four cylinder LCV: The new standard equipment ATS will get the new 202 hp inline 2.5L four cylinder.  It wasn’t that long ago that the 4.9L OHV Cadillac V8 was rated at 200 hp, and that Cadillac weighed more than the ATS will.  The 2.5L ATS should have plenty of power.
  • 2L Turbo Four LTG: The LTG 2L turbo was spec’d at 270 hp but has settled up to 272 hp.  This is likely to be the surprisingly balanced choice for an overall package, and offer a lot of room for upgrades and modifications.
  • 3.6L Six LFX: The Cadillac ATS LFX 3.6L variant gets a Camaro-like 321 hp.  This is a good selection, as it could have been the 304 hp flex-fuel variant or the 318 hp version from the CTS.  Out of the box this will be the ‘hot’ choice for the ATS.

The planned wheels are 17″ and 18″ wheels which are ideal for weight and performance.  This also highlights the choice of tires:

RB7
 Tires, P225/40ZR18 all-season, blackwall
QFN
 Tires, P225/40R18 front and P255/35R18 rear, 90W blackwall RF4

The 17″ wheels will have 225/40 tires, and the 18″ will sport staggered 225/40 and 255/35 tires.

Some packages will include steering wheel-mounted Magnesium paddle shifters for the automatic, so no matter which transmission  you choose there will be complete control over gear selection.