#cts

Imagine, if you will, a group of Cadillacs driving together. In your mind, it’s a serene, soft cruise, with the drivers enjoying the scenery, the road, and more importantly the buttery-smooth ride of their American luxury cars.

Not anymore. Many Cadillacs, like the CTS-V, include a viciously powerful engine, not to mention suspension and braking components designed for maximum performance. These machines need the apex of a mind-bending corner to reach their limits and the purity of a race-track to fulfill their purpose.

That’s the main reason Cadillac enthusiasts, as well as tuning group D3 Racing, have partnered to create the Cadillac Challenge. It’s the first Cadillac-exclusive race that allows owners to compete with one another in a “Time-Attack” format. David Caldwell, a PR representative from Cadillac, said “There are certain cars that compel their owners to drive them to the fullest extent. I think that’s how this idea and series was conceived for CTS-V drivers.”

GM has revealed a new Touring Package for the Cadillac CTS, designed to give the standard CTS a bit of its bigger brother CTS-V’s styling. The touring package will include HID headlights, sport-tuned suspension, spoiler for the taillight, 18- or 19-inch wheels, and interior accessories.

Last week, the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety announced that 2012 earned a record number of “top safety picks,” but the automotive industry is looking to set the record number even higher.

Cadillac‘s 2012 SRX crossover and CTS sports sedan and wagon models received a crash safety rating of 5-star overall. According to the National Highway Traffic Adminstration, only 21 vehicles earned the overall high score for 2012.

The SRX and CTS sedan and wagon were tested under NHTSA’s revised New Car Assessment Program first put to effect for the 2011 model year. This revision requires vehicles to pass frontal, side and rollover tests. The 5-star overall rating takes into account the combined results of all the tests.

GM executive director of Vehicle Safety Gay Kent expresses, “Receiving five stars under the new rating system is an impressive feat– on that clearly demonstrates the strength of the SRX and CTS advanced structure, overall crashworthiness and effectiveness of the models’ state-of-the-art safety technologies.”

Hit the jump to watch the video:

As the CTS spearheads Cadillac‘s revival, old faithfuls and the newly converted alike happily anticipate for the next big thing. The ATS, arriving 2012, is designed around an all new Cadillac specific RWD-AWD platform that is intended to be Cadillac’s latest answer to the long standing BMW 3-series benchmark.

In the following video, President of GM North America Mark Reuss is accompanied with various engineers associated in the ATS project to discuss the car, what it stands for, and also to share some future visions within the Cadillac company.

Two remarks stand out during the ATS promo video. Mark Reuss took this opportunity to explain, “We’re really trying to hone the DNA of what Cadillac is all about, which is performance and luxury.” Global Vehicle Chief Engineer Dave Leone follows through, assuring that Cadillac, “will be very fun to drive, very spirited, very nimble.”

Spy photos of the ATS have circulated for some time. In the video, you will get an opportunity to get a better peek before the new product goes on sale next year.

General Motors has quietly phased out production of the Cadillac STS. The last sedan drove off the Lansing Grand River assembly line last week.

After two recent unsuccessful attempts at marketing a convertible Cadillac to the general public, Cadillac will be making another attempt at a much lower price point. Instead of a folding-hardtop roadster that we saw with the XLR (above), we’ll be seeing a softtop convertible based on the Alpha platform and will find itself in between the ATS and CTS Cadillac models.

Chrysler is recalling 25,265 Dodge Caliber and 71 Jeep Compass models due to faulty throttles that may become stuck, in a manner similar to the infamous Toyota gas pedals that lead to a number of motorist deaths and injuries.

The much-anticipated Cadillac CTS Coupe will arrive in May of next year as a 2011 model. The sporty two-door won’t be alone either, as the new model will debut alongside a high-powered CST-V sibling.

Amid all the terrible news coming out of the U.S. auto sector, there are some glimmers of hope… sort of. While General Motors is cutting models and whole brands, it is making a commitment to introduce a new Cadillac model under the CTS. Unfortunately it won’t be the rear-drive 3-Series fighter many would have liked.

Cadillac has just announced that it will begin offering it’s best-selling CTS model with WiFi internet access. The new system, by Autonet Mobile, will be available in April and will allow passengers and those in close proximity to the car to have access full high-speed internet – perfect for passengers with laptops or mobile devices.