William Maley

That's coming in 2016.

I think a V6 (the TT 3.6) is very likely as the base engine. A V8 of some kind (maybe the Corvette's) will be there as well.

At last, another long-standing rumor we can start to put to bed. This morning, Cadillac announced that they will build a "top-end, high-technology" model that will go into production in the forth-quarter of 2015. The model according to Cadillac will be position "above today’s CTS and XTS product lines, the new top-of-the-line Cadillac adds to rather than replaces any model in the portfolio. The model name will be announced soon. It will make its public debut in the first half of next year." “The objective for this upcoming model is to lift the Cadillac range by entering the elite class of top-level luxury cars. Currently in development, this new rear wheel drive-oriented sedan uses completely new, custom-designed materials on a unique vehicle architecture. In addition to new technology in the car itself, we are instituting innovative manufacturing techniques to assemble it with the precision deserving of a luxury make,” said Cadillac president Johan de Nysschen in a statement. Production will take place at GM's Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant. Source: Cadillac William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. Press Release is on Page 2 New Top End Cadillac to be Built in Detroit in 2015 DETROIT – Cadillac announced today it will elevate its growing portfolio with a new, top-end, high-technology car. The as-yet unnamed Cadillac will go into production in the fourth quarter of 2015 at the Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant. The addition of this new Cadillac is part of a previously announced $384 million investment in the facility on Detroit’s east side. Tools and equipment unique to the Cadillac model were installed recently. “The objective for this upcoming model is to lift the Cadillac range by entering the elite class of top-level luxury cars,” said Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen. “Currently in development, this new rear wheel drive-oriented sedan uses completely new, custom-designed materials on a unique vehicle architecture. “In addition to new technology in the car itself, we are instituting innovative manufacturing techniques to assemble it with the precision deserving of a luxury make.” Positioned above today’s CTS and XTS product lines, the new top-of-the-line Cadillac adds to rather than replaces any model in the portfolio. The model name will be announced soon. It will make its public debut in the first half of next year. Said Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder: "Michigan takes great pride in being recognized as the automotive capital of the world, GM's choice to build its Cadillac flagship sedan at Detroit Hamtramck is a testament to the spirit, resolve and talented workers residing in our communities and state, and demonstrates the high quality of what 'Made in Michigan' means. And it's another sign of the amazing comeback underway that's building a strong foundation and bright future for all Michiganders." Four of seven Cadillac models – the ELR at Detroit-Hamtramck and the CTS sedan and ATS sedan and Coupe are built at Lansing Grand River – are assembled in Michigan. “This is another testament to the power of collective bargaining and what can be achieved when we all work together,” said UAW Vice President Cindy Estrada, who leads the union’s GM Department. “Our members work hard and take great pride in creating quality products that drive the industry forward and make these achievements possible.” Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly opened in 1985 and spans two cities - Detroit and Hamtramck. It is the home of GM electric vehicles, including the Cadillac ELR and is the company’s most complex plant in North America building five models on one production line. GM has invested more than $1 billion in the plant over the last five years. "This is wonderful news for Michigan. For 110 years, Cadillac has been building beautiful, cutting-edge vehicles right here in Michigan, and today’s announcement just reinforces how exciting the future is for Cadillac, GM, and our state,” said U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow. “I am thankful for (GM CEO) Mary Barra’s commitment to Michigan and American manufacturing.” View full article

Fisker's new owner, the Wanxiang Group wants to get the Fisker Karma back on the marketplace as soon as possible. How fast? According to a report from Reuters, the company is planning to stick with the original 2012 design. A source tells Reuters the reason for sticking with the older design is due to not going through crash testing and certification again. "It will have to be nearly identical to the 2012 model, or it would need to go through (safety) testing and certification again. I don’t think they want to put a lot of engineering into it either, as well as probably use up some of the old parts that are in inventory," said the source. However this plan presents a problem. Suppliers who dealt with Fisker aren't happy with the brand because of losses suffered with the company going under. "They lost money and had dedicated facilities that were severely underutilized. Many scrapped their tools or took them out of their facilities," another source said. Now a source close to Fisker says the Karma will be slightly different, but wouldn't go into detail about what will change. “Not 100 percent identical. The new Karma will be different in many key areas. It will have noticeable upgrades.” Source: Reuters William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

Starting today, General Motors is beginning to ship their new midsize trucks to dealers across the U.S. GM says demand for the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon is very high, with 30,000 orders alone for the Colorado. GM has claimed that over 100,000 configurations of the two models have been created since the the "build your own" features went live on September 3rd. To help cope with this initial demand, GM has added 750 employees at their Wentzville, Mo. assembly plant to accommodate a third shift of production. Source: General Motors William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. Press Release is on Page 2 Colorado and Canyon Start Shipping to Dealers New midsize trucks making their way to dealerships nationwide WENTZVILLE, Mo. – The two newest entries in the midsize truck segment are one step closer to being on the road, with the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon shipping to dealers today. Consumers have created more than 100,000 configurations of the trucks since the Colorado Build Your Own and Canyon Build Your Own websites went live on Sept. 3. “The Colorado was designed to meet the demands of the modern midsized truck buyer, and now we’re fulfilling the demand they’ve placed on us,” said Brian Sweeney, U.S. vice president of Chevrolet. “Chevrolet and everyone at the Wentzville plant has worked hard to get the truck out on time to fulfill as soon as possible the orders our dealers have placed.” Said Duncan Aldred, U.S. vice president of GMC: “We have heard our customers loud and clear – they want a modern midsize truck that’s refined and capable. We’re excited to introduce them to the Canyon. We’re confident the Canyon will redefine the segment, with the latest technologies and premium materials throughout.” Both the Colorado and Canyon benefit from technologies like cabs and frames made with more than 72 percent high-strength steel, available active aero shutters to make the truck as aerodynamic as needed, and available OnStar with 4G LTE, creating a rolling Wi-Fi hotspot for up to seven mobile devices to connect to the Internet. The duo’s available 3.6L V-6 engines return 18 mpg city and 26 mpg highway in 2wd form, making them the most fuel efficient V-6s in their class, offering three to five mpg better than their competitors. For the 2016 model year, Colorado and Canyon will add a 2.8-liter Duramax turbodiesel to the engine lineup. Technical details and EPA fuel economy estimates will be available closer to launch. With the introduction of Colorado and Canyon, Chevrolet and GMC will offer customers more pickup choices than any other brand, including midsize, full-size light duty and heavy-duty pickups.WENTZVILLE, Mo. – The two newest entries in the midsize truck segment are one step closer to being on the road, with the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon shipping to dealers today. Consumers have created more than 100,000 configurations of the trucks since the Colorado Build Your Own and Canyon Build Your Own websites went live on Sept. 3. “The Colorado was designed to meet the demands of the modern midsized truck buyer, and now we’re fulfilling the demand they’ve placed on us,” said Brian Sweeney, U.S. vice president of Chevrolet. “Chevrolet and everyone at the Wentzville plant has worked hard to get the truck out on time to fulfill as soon as possible the orders our dealers have placed.” Said Duncan Aldred, U.S. vice president of GMC: “We have heard our customers loud and clear – they want a modern midsize truck that’s refined and capable. We’re excited to introduce them to the Canyon. We’re confident the Canyon will redefine the segment, with the latest technologies and premium materials throughout.” Both the Colorado and Canyon benefit from technologies like cabs and frames made with more than 72 percent high-strength steel, available active aero shutters to make the truck as aerodynamic as needed, and available OnStar with 4G LTE, creating a rolling Wi-Fi hotspot for up to seven mobile devices to connect to the Internet. The duo’s available 3.6L V-6 engines return 18 mpg city and 26 mpg highway in 2wd form, making them the most fuel efficient V-6s in their class, offering three to five mpg better than their competitors. For the 2016 model year, Colorado and Canyon will add a 2.8-liter Duramax turbodiesel to the engine lineup. Technical details and EPA fuel economy estimates will be available closer to launch. With the introduction of Colorado and Canyon, Chevrolet and GMC will offer customers more pickup choices than any other brand, including midsize, full-size light duty and heavy-duty pickups. View full article

It was three months ago that General Motors published a scathing report on its handling on the ignition switch problem. Now its National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's turn. This morning, the House Energy and Commerce Committee released a 44 page report on NHTSA's handling of GM's ignition switch problem. The report was based on the review of millions of pages of records and interviews with key NHTSA officials and found that a series of critical mistakes and “ample information” already on hand meant that the agency should have found the problem sooner. “Both GM and NHTSA had ample information necessary to identify this defect. It was a failure to process, share and utilize that information within each entity that enabled this safety defect to persist,” the report states. “NHTSA also lacked the focus and rigor expected of a federal safety regulator. The agency’s repeated failure to identify, let alone explore, the potential defect theory related to the ignition switch — even after it was spelled out in a report the agency commissioned — is inexcusable. This was compounded by NHTSA staff’s lack of knowledge and awareness regarding the evolution of vehicle safety systems they regulate." A key example of this was found by Yahoo's Motoramic. Back in 2006, an accident in Wisconsin that involved a Chevrolet Cobalt claimed the lives of two boys. Wisconsin State Patrol Trooper Keith Young who was investigating the crash looked into the data from vehicle and was able to pull up a dealer bulletin about certain GM models having ignitions that could be bumped into the accessory position. In a report filled in February 2007, Young said the ignition was switched into the 'accessory position', thus leading the Cobalt's airbags not to deploy. The report showed that NHTSA officials had read the report, but didn't do anything there after. This report also says NHTSA officials didn't fully comprehend how airbags and that investigators believed that the air bag systems were designed not to go off under certain off-road conditions. "Agency staff were blinded by outdated perceptions about how air bag systems operated. Even as manufacturers began installing advanced air bag systems in response to new federal standards, NHTSA investigators lacked a fundamental understanding of how these new air bag systems functioned. For a decade, ODI investigators evaluated air bag concerns based on their knowledge of first generation air bag systems," the report continued. "They assumed that advanced air bag systems, like their predecessors, operated from an independent energy reserve and were completely unaware of the relationship between power mode and air bag systems. Only after the GM recall, in February 2014, did ODI investigators realize the chasm in their understanding of air bag technology," the report says. The report also takes mentions how NHTSA employees would defect and blame others, eerily similar to GM's report. “NHTSA likewise had critical information in its possession which pointed to this defect. Whether the information was not understood, overlooked or lost in organizational stove-pipes, the agency’s failure to followup on this information contributed to NHTSA’s inability to identify this defect. The agency would not tolerate similar conduct from a manufacturer. The NHTSA Shrug: the agency does not hold itself to the same standard of accountability as those it regulates. There is a tendency to deflect blame and point the finger at others rather than accept responsibility and learn from its own failures. It is no different than the “GM salute.” What happens next for NHTSA is up in the air at moment. Today, federal auto regulators will testify to the Senate Consumer Protection Subcommittee to discuss their role in the GM ignition switch recall and what can be done to improve NHTSA's role. Source: The Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, Yahoo Motoramic William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article