2005 White! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Autoweek divulges details on Presidential limo

Ever since the latest presidential limousine, also known as The Beast, debuted in 2009, we've wondered what's underneath that black Cadillac body. We already know a few details, like the fact it isn't a Cadillac at all, but a very heavy duty truck chassis from General Motors with a body that resembles a super-sized Caddy. Autoweek, however, has managed to extract new details from veteran Secret Service agents about the closely guarded presidential limo. Their methods, of course, are classified.
Designed to be a rolling office, bunker and escape pod all in one, the current presidential limo is far different from previous presidential state cars, which were heavily modified production vehicles. As we would expect, The Beast uses thick, military-grade body armor (eight inches on the doors), an armored fuel tank, special run-flat tires with Kevlar lining, an encrypted satellite phone, a fully sealed cabin with its own oxygen supply and a trunk full of weapons and medical equipment that includes a supply of the President's blood type (in case the car gets cut off from the ambulance that's always present in the President's motorcade).
The Beast also comes with a Halon fire-suppression system, night vision and is powered by a V8 engine, which we already knew runs on gas and not diesel, that returns an EPA-unfriendly estimated 3.7 miles per gallon. The Secret Service operates a fleet of 12 limos and each Beast costs $1.5 million. Lastly, AW estimates that the 18-foot-long state car weighs 15,000 pounds, and each Secret Service agent that drives the car must be specially trained to maneuver such a massive vehicle.

GM CEO Akerson calls out Tesla, says Cadillac will compete on EVs

Cadillac will be taking on Tesla Motors, the underdog EV manufacturer that's seen heaps of critical acclaim and stock market buzz with its most recent sedan, the Model S. "If you want to compete head-to-head with Tesla, and we ultimately will, you want to do it with a Cadillac," Dan Akerson, the chairman and CEO of General Motors, told media in Washington, according to The Detroit News.
Akerson continued, telling The News, "We'll sell more Volts and lose less money on the Volts than they'll lose on the Model S." He also took time to point out that Tesla getting vehicles out to customers isn't a guarantee of success or permanence, using Fisker as an example, saying "Does anybody even remember Fisker? I mean, there were a number of them; they are all gone."
This strong talk from Akerson comes after Doug Parks, another GM exec, let slip that the Detroit-based manufacturer has an EV in the works that will cover 200 miles per charge and only cost about $30,000, a massive upgrade over similarly priced EVs that struggle to top 100 miles per charge. Until that vehicle arrives, though, GM is preparing the Cadillac ELR, a small coupe that, like the Volt with which it shares technology, uses a gas engine as a mobile generator to recharge the batteries. Akerson took aim at Tesla again, saying, "But I do think when the ELR comes out late this year, early next - it's certainly the same postal code as Tesla, but now we're going to move up. It's not going to be a mass-produced car."

Cadillac ATS Crimson Sport Edition is here for a limited run

The Cadillac ATS has been a well-received entry into the small sport sedan segment for General Motors' premium brand, but keeping the model fresh is an understandably high priority. A two-door coupe variant is on the way and should help keep interest up, but the line's volume leader is still expected to be the sedan. In order to keep awareness high and sales going, GM will need to lavish a little attention on its four-door, as well. That's where the Crimson Sport Edition comes in.
Crimson Red Metallic paint is the exterior highlight for this special-edition Cadillac, while the interior is complemented with a number of microsuede touchpoints, including the heated steering wheel and shifter. To this point, the car's rich burgundy finish has only been offered on CTS-V Coupe and Sport Wagon models, and brand spokesperson Donny Nordlicht tells Autoblog that this is the first time that the company has offered a microsuede wheel with heat. Four interior trims are also available, although all have been seen previously.
The Crimson Sport will be limited to production this spring, and the trimmings can be added to either the 2.0T Performance or the V6 Premium specifications. Both rear- and all-wheel drive will be available, as well. Prices start at $46,010 for the turbocharged model and $51,010 for the V6 including destination fees, which represents a premium of $2,990 for the extra equipment.