Tag Archives: ATS

Cadillac ATS the Journey – The Transcript

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Cadillac has begun a series of video previews for the upcoming Cadillac ATS smaller-than-a-CTS model on youtube.

Interestingly, Cadillac had previously said that the ATS name was not final, but certainly they are using it here to refer to this model (along with everyone else), so perhaps it is becoming more final now.

Here is a transcript from the audio:

Dave Mikels, Energy & Powertrain Integration Engineer:

This is like the Mecca for auto enthusiasts.  It was labelled by Jackie Stewart as ‘The Green Hell’.  Its an experience like no other.

Chris Berube, Lead Development Engineer:

These trips to Germany and the Nurburgring are extremely special to me.  I like the culture’s focus on everything being right and precise.

Mark Reuss, President, GM North America:

If you want to compete with everybody who’s the best in the world, this is where they do it.

Dave Mikels, Energy & Powertrain Integration Engineer:

Making a car that is great on the ‘Ring, you will disappoint no one.  And that is the whole reason we come here.

Chris Berube, Lead Development Engineer:

The Nurburgring itself is special in a number of ways,  It’s not the fact that its famous — in some cases it is infamous — once you enter the track and you start driving it, it requires and demands your full attention.

Our test period here is a 2 week period.  We work through the weekend; we basically maximize our time here. There is certainly a lot of pressure on this program.  We are targeting some competitors who are known to be leaders, and have been for quite some time.  If I had to describe the ATS to someone, I’d really focus on the low mass, agile, fun to drive — yet at the same time, it is a Cadillac, and it will have luxury appointments in it.

We want to come out of here having pushed the boundaries, increased the strength of  the car, and be able to demonstrate that when we get home.

Dave Mikels, Energy & Powertrain Integration Engineer:

Being successful here is what makes our cars successful.

Next on ATS:  Rear toe?

Update: Steering the Cadillac ATS #NewGM

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Automotive news has a good article about changes at GM to the way that purchasing is organized.  Here is a link to the original article: GM purchasing gets a re-engineering – Automotive News.

The Cadillac ATS (new vehicle on the way that is Smaller than a CTS, also known sometimes as Alpha, or BMW Fighter) steering info:

Stephens said the integration already is paying off. GM executives point to their recent selection of a more expensive power-steering supplier over a cheaper offer because the winning supplier offered a more desirable technology. That decision — for a future rear-wheel-drive Cadillac sedan that GM employees call the “BMW fighter” — was made jointly by purchasing and engineering, Stephens said.

This was previously mentioned in this article Re: GM to lavish cash on new vehicles [Like the ATS], although from a different point of view.  Clearly the ATS is getting some interesting steering setup that will allow it to meet or exceed state of the art steering ‘feel’.  Because the ATS is aimed squarely at the BMW 3-series, steering feel and performance can be a make-or-break attribute for this new Cadillac.  Spending money on a terrific steering system is perfectly value added, because it may directly influence purchasing decisions.

One of the slogans that Mercedes uses for their E class is “Built to a standard”, not to a price point.  By this they would like to suggest that the vehicle vision and specification were attained with cost as a dependent variable to the selected design.  This appears to be what Cadillac is doing with the ATS as well — building it as a better, more capable Cadillac, seeking best value rather than the lowest cost supplier in each case.  This makes tremendous sense to me, although I am somewhat troubled with  highlighting this as a change — I would have expected it to be the way that GM was previously making Cadillacs.

The article goes on to detail that Engineering and Purchasing have now aligned their organization structures and are co-locating their personnel so that they can more easily team with each other and with suppliers.  All good, and certainly good to start doing now if it was not already being done.

The article also mentions Amerigon thermoelectrics.  Amerigon makes the heating/cooling elements for Cadillac seats.  They also offer heated or cooled cup holders.  They use a peltier effect system.

BENEFITS OF THERMOELECTRIC HEATING AND COOLING:

  • Ability to cool or heat by simply reversing the current flow
  • Solid-state, few or no moving parts
  • Rugged, highly reliable assemblies
  • Very effective for automatic temperature control
  • Quiet, small, lightweight
  • Environmentally safe

It will be interesting to see what else GM has in mind for this system. Perhaps we will yet see the return of the heated washer fluid reservoir, or heated/cooled steering wheels.