William Maley

Anyone want to take a gander at how many Cadillac ELRs are sitting on dealers? 100? 200? 500? Try 1,688 ELRs. According to Autodata, Cadillac dealers at the end of April had 1,688 ELRs or a 719 day supply.To help reduce the stock, Cadillac is offering their dealers a bit of an incentive. The Wall Street Journal reports that Cadillac is offering dealers up to $5,000 for those who offer test drives of the ELR this and next month to consumers. To qualify, a ELR demo vehicle must have a minimum of 750 miles and be logged by a dealer. There's an added incentive of $2,000 for every ELR sold in July, and $1,000 in August. "For many drivers, electrification is still foreign to them. The program gives dealers the freedom to give customers that experience. This [a plug-in hybrid] is also a different idea around our brand and we need to take our time with this. We are still in the early days," said Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell. Consumers get a little of this incentive action on ELR as well. GM is offering $3,000 off the ELR's pricetag to spark demand. Source: Wall Street Journal (Subscription Required) William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

From the 'We Can Dream' file, Auto Express is reporting that Honda is planning to bring back the S2000 nameplate for a new mid-engine coupe. Quite the departure from the front-engine roadster that was the S2000. The model is expected to be the middle of a trio of sports cars from Honda; the top being the NSX and bottom being a small roadster named S660. The reborn S2000 is expected to be powered by a turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder producing somewhere in the range of 350 horsepower. There is talk of using a simplified version of the NSX's hybrid powertrain as another option. The model is expected to arrive sometime in 2017, two years after the arrival of the NSX. Source: Auto Express William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

I hope so too.

Cadillac has announced that the CTS-V Coupe will get a limited run in 2015. The company will build 500 special edition models that will launch in the second half of 2014. The special edition CTS-V Coupe will come equipped with an ebony interior with red contrasting stitching, Recaro seats, midnight Sapele wood trim, microfiber suede steering wheel and shift knob, dark-finish V grille, satin-graphite wheels, and red brake calipers. A six-speed manual or automatic are you transmission choices. As for color choices, the special edition will be available in Crystal White, Black Diamond, and Phantom Gray. Cadillac also mentioned that the "next-generation V-Series models are in development and will premiere next year" in the release. “The special edition is a stepping stone to the next-generation V-Series, which will move to the next level with more dynamic design and technical sophistication," said Uwe Ellinghaus, chief marketing officer for Global Cadillac. 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 DETROIT – Cadillac today announced production of a limited, special-edition 2015 CTS-V Coupe, marking the last chapter of the current model before the next generation of the V-Series debuts next year. The 2015 CTS-V Coupe will consist of 500 limited-edition cars available during the second half of 2014. "The V-Series continues to elevate Cadillac, providing an exclusive family of high-performance luxury models that attract a new audience of elite and passionate buyers,” said Uwe Ellinghaus, chief marketing officer, Global Cadillac. The special edition CTS-V Coupe shares the high-performance technology of its predecessors built from 2010–2014 – including Cadillac’s Magnetic Ride Control, Brembo brakes and 556-horsepower (415kW) supercharged V-8 engine. The CTS-V Coupe is the most dramatic model in the V-Series range of high-performance luxury models, blending a personal 2+2 layout with a drivetrain vetted on Germany’s famed Nürburgring track. The 2015 special edition version features an exclusive Ebony interior with red contrast stitching, Recaro® performance seats, metal pedals, Midnight Sapele wood trim, microfiber suede-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, dark-finish V grille, satin graphite wheels and red brake calipers. The 500 special-edition CTS-V Coupes will be produced this summer. Pricing begins at $72,195, including a $995 destination charge and $1,300 gas guzzler tax, and are available for immediate order. Exterior color options include Crystal White, Black Diamond ($995) and Phantom Gray. Buyers can opt for either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. A sunroof also is available ($700). The next-generation V-Series models are in development and will premiere next year. “The special edition is a stepping stone to the next-generation V-Series, which will move to the next level with more dynamic design and technical sophistication," Ellinghaus said. View full article

A new report from Car & Driver says BMW is working on a front-wheel drive roadster that could possibly come out in 2016 or 2017. Possibly named Z2, the rumored roadster will use BMW's new front-wheel drive platform that underpins the new MINI Cooper and upcoming BMW 2-Series Active Tourer. The focus will be on designing a lightweight roadster that could possibly weigh around 2,500 pounds. Unlike the Z4, the Z2 will use a fabric top. As for powertrains, BMW could equip the Z2 with a range of three and four-cylinder engines. Car & Driver speculates BMW will stick fours ranging from 160 to 230 horsepower. Source: Car & Driver William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

At the moment, Fiat's headquarters is located in Turin, Italy; while Chrysler's headquarters is in Auburn Hills, MI. But with Fiat and Chrysler merged together, the company is planning a new headquarters. Reuters reports that CEO Sergio Marchionne announced that the headquarters of FCA will be in London, Great Britain. "Headquarters will be in London. It's clear that group executive functions, the board, my office, some of my functions, need to operate out of London, but that doesn't mean that I'm giving up my operational responsibilities of the U.S. We will be multi-faceted ... we will do stuff everywhere," said Marchionne. Marchionne has said that the move will not not affect jobs in Italy or in the U.S. No timeframe was given as to when the move would happen. Source: Reuters William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

There has been one request that Lexus dealers have been asking for the past few years. "Third-row seating is the No. 1 issue we hear from dealers. We feel like we're missing a 35,000-units-a-year opportunity. We're working hard to rectify that," said Lexus Division chief Jeff Bracken to Automotive News. "We could bring it to market in 2016 or 2017. If we can get it, that's the priority. We won't be bothered if it steps on RX. We want it." So how does Lexus plan on pulling this off? There appears to be two options on table. The first is making RX bigger. The current Toyota Highlander currently follows this idea with extending the body three inches to fit a third row. However, the third seat is very cramped and might not be what customers are looking for. The other is to build a new model by using either the Camry/Avalon/Highlander platform or the IS/GS platform. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article