ProClip iPhone Car Mount for the #Cadillac XLR Test Drive @ProClipUSA #cars @iPhone_News

Posted on by
Reply

After meeting them on Twitter ( @ProClipUSA ) I recently ordered a ProClip iPhone 6 Plus holder for my Cadillac XLR.

What ProClip USA is doing is nice — they make a custom mount that sort of clips into the geography of your specific car, then make standard holders for various phones or tablets that anchor to their mount.

I was expecting the parts to all snap together so I was a bit surprised that some assembly was required — one main screw and 4 anchor screws.  Not much trouble though and may be a trade off for versus shaky video.  The video is framed because the iphone is vertical.  Keep in mind we are testing the mount and not the camera/phone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6carwTfiww

Here is a resulting unedited quick drive test.  The sound is a useless but the video capture looks pretty good.  The mount appears to hold the iPhone 6 plus fairly steady.  I did NOT ask YouTube to steady the video, although that is available post-production.

I am concerned that for out the front of the car the camera should actually be turned side-ways for video.  The mount is really perhaps designed to help you use your phone as a phone while in the car, for phone calls or navigation.  I will see if turning the phone still lets it see out (!)

Updated: Here is a quick car-stopped video of the rear camera with the iPhone rotated sideways:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMTGh1G6P9E

Proclip Sideways out the front is a bit blocked:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc6tpbrMFjI

The last two pics in the gallery are stills out the front from the vertical iphone:

IMG_2760

or with ‘reverse video’ turned on for the iphone and shooting a still back into the Cadillac XLR from the rear camera on the iphone

IMG_2761

and a still with the phone rotated sideways:

IMG_2772

Overall the ProClip USA mount appears to work as intended.  Install required a few minutes. I will update the post with more info as it gets more use.

 

 

Cadillac XLR LH2 V8 Tuning – Tune 10B MBT

Posted on by
Reply

Tune 10B uses MBT values, adjusted for static retard and VVT adders, as the main spark table.  MBT, or minimal timing for best torque, is a table that shows Cadillac’s calculated ideal timing.  Often it cannot be reached without knock.

XLR Tune 10B Comparisons

The results look very good — 327/313 for one run, 323/309 corrected 2nd gear HP/Torque for the other.

XLR Tune 10B VirtualDyno Comparison

The virtual dyno results for the same two runs were similar — 269/256 and 263/252 which divided by 0.8 for automatic losses would be 336/315 and 329/315 Hp/Torque.

XLR Tune 10B-0457

There was some slight KR in one run, although it did not repeat in the other run.

XLR Tune 10B-0747

All in all I am happy with 10B and will keep gathering more data on this tune to see where to go from here.

 

 

New Technologies Boost Efficiency for 2016

Posted on by
Reply

CYLINDER DEACTIVATION AND START/STOP SYSTEMS BEGIN PRODUCTION ON ATS AND CTS PRODUCT LINES

Renowned for luxury and design, Cadillac has recently added dynamic driving performance to its list of attributes. Now as 2016 model year production begins, Cadillac adds new fuel-saving technologies. Active Fuel Management and Automatic Stop/Start technologies, and widespread use of a new 8-speed transmission, are combining to raise fuel economy ratings and reduce emissions in Cadillac’s portfolio.

Cadillac’s all-new six cylinder engine contains Active Fuel Management, or cylinder deactivation, technology enabling it to seamlessly switch from six-cylinder to four-cylinder operation under certain light-load conditions, while maintaining excellent performance.  The new 3.6-liter engine is part of the 2016 ATS and CTS product lines. Additionally, the Cadillac Escalade luxury SUV’s V8 will shift to four-cylinder operation in many daily driving conditions, as will Cadillac’s all-new high performance CTS-V sedan.

Cadillac’s advanced engine technology will accelerate in the new Twin Turbo-powered CT6 prestige sedan, which will be the world’s only six-cylinder engine to combine turbocharging with cylinder deactivation and Stop/Start technology.

Cadillac’s ATS and CTS also offer a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the most popular choice among buyers. These models also see fuel economy improvements in 2016 via the use of Automatic Start/Stop, or AutoStop, technology. This system reduces emissions and fuel consumption by automatically turning off the engine when the car is stationary, such as at red light.  The engine quickly and automatically resumes as soon as the driver releases the brake.

Previous Start/Stop systems often relied on the car’s battery system. Cadillac employs a voltage stabilization system powered by ultracapacitors to re-start the engine. This alternative power source inside the car enables smoother and quicker re-starts compared to previous systems, while enhancing durability by reducing strain on the existing electrical systems.

Cadillac’s new 8-speed transmission nets another efficiency gain, and like the new V6 engine, just started production in the 2016 ATS and CTS.

“While these new systems increase efficiency, a main focus in engineering at Cadillac is to integrate these systems smoothly with no compromise to the driving experience,” says David Leone, Cadillac executive chief engineer. “Our new 8-speed transmission was developed internally for fast and smooth shifting in every situation with Cylinder Deactivation and Start/Stop are integrated in a more seamless manner than our competitors.”

The result is cleaner and more fuel-efficient Cadillac models. CO2 output has been reduced up to 6 percent on 2016 ATS and CTS models.