Cadillac Plans to Take Over the Limo Market from the Lincoln Town Car with its New XTS

General Motors has revealed new details on its plans for the limousine variants of the 2013 Cadillac XTS, which made its world premiere at last year's Los Angeles Auto Show.

The XTS will replace the DTS sedan not only in the passenger car market but will also take its place in Cadillac's professional vehicle lineup.

At the upcoming 28th Annual International Limousine, Charter and Tour Show that takes place February 13-15 at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Cadillac will unveil the XTS "W20 Livery Sedan Package" for professional use, which from what we understand, will retain the regular XTS' wheelbase length.

However, GM said it is currently working on two more versions of the XTS, the extended sedan and limousine, which Cadillac Master Coachbuilder (CMC) licensed manufacturers can build for the chauffeured transportation market by the end of the year.

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Cadillac ATS' Super Bowl Ad Tells Everyone who Doesn’t Believe it Can Beat the 3-Series to go to "Green Hell"

Unlike Cadillac's previous failed attempts, the all-new ATS sedan was designed from a clean sheet to compete squarely against the best Germany has to offer in the executive compact sedan segment, namely the BMW 3-Series sedan – and possibly, the rest of the Bavarian model's range later on.

And if there's one thing GM's premium brand has been touting about the ATS more than anything else since it began teasing the car last summer, it's the fact that it's handling and driving dynamics were honed at the Nürburgring race track in Germany, which as most of you already know, is nicknamed "The Green Hell".

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Cadillac ATS: The Journey from the Nürburgring to Detroit

Before the official unveiling of the new ATS earlier this month, Cadillac had given us an insight on the development of its new premium sedan model at the Nürburgring racetrack through The Journey web videos.

For the fourth episode of the series, the wreath and crest brand takes us on a trip behind the scenes of the car's world premiere at the Detroit Motor Show.

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Police Seize MegaUpload Founder's Vast Collection of Luxury and Exotic Cars [Video + Photos]

You've no doubt heard by now about the U.S. indictment against the owners of the popular file-sharing site MegaUpload, which was shut down by feds on Thursday and which triggered a massive cyber-attack from Anonymous on a number of government websites including the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice.

Today we also learn that the police seized a number of assets from the founder of MegaUpload, Kim Schmitz, aka Kimble, aka Kim Dotcom, including an amazing collection of automobiles with some rib-tickling license plates from his estate in New Zealand.

Twitter user Elliot Kamber was on hand to take a few shots of the cars that were seized, while we've also added a video after the break.

Among the vehicles taken from Schmitz's garage were a 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM with "Good" number plates, a 2010 Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG with a "CEO" plate, a pink 1959 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible, a 1989 Lamborghini LM002 and a 2010 Maserati GranCabrio. The cars are estimated to be worth over $6 million.

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Prada Burns Some Rubber with 1950s Cadillac and Hot Rod-Inspired Collection

This is not the first time we've shown you footwear inspired by the world of automobiles, but unlike the rendered Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera heels and the one-off, promotional Opel Agila pumps, the tail finned high-heels from Prada seen here will soon go on sale. And that's not all.

In fact, Prada's entire haute couture line for spring and summer 2012 is a tribute to the fabulous 1950s and especially the American automobile industry with Cadillacs and hot rods taking a center role.

Among the more impressive offerings from an automobile perspective are the high heels, wedges and pumps with flame designs, chrome trims, tailfins and cone-shaped tail lamps!

However, don't go promising your other half a pair of Cadillac Coupe de Ville heels unless you're willing to put your hands deep into your pockets as these babies are expected to cost as much as $1,450 a pair. More photos after the break.

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Cadillac Refocuses on Global Markets, is Preparing Right-Hand Drive CTS-V

With around 34% of the world's population driving on the left hand side of the road, in countries like the United Kingdom, Australia, India and Japan, any automaker that aspires to go global needs to produce right-hand drive (RHD) vehicles.

With only a few exceptions like the fifth generation Seville (built from 1998 to 2004), Cadillac has for the most part shied away from RHD markets. But this is about to change as the wreath and crest brand is getting more serious about increasing its presence in markets outside of North America.

Aside from the product presentations like the new BMW 3-Series rivaling ATS sedan that will eventually be offered with a diesel option as well, Cadillac is also getting ready to introduce right-hand drive models.

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Watch Roadside Assistance Pull a Honda Civic from the Top of a Cadillac CTS

We just got our hands on fresh footage from the January 5 accident in Wellesley, Massachusetts, when a 51-year old driver of a Honda Civic sedan slammed the accelerator pedal instead of the brake and hit a curb that sent his car a flying into a garage and on top of a fairly new Cadillac CTS.

Fortunately, no one was hurt from the accident, though both cars were significantly damaged.

The newly released video, which you can watch after the jump, shows the roadside assistance trucks as they were trying to extract the Honda from the parking lot the same way it entered the building.

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Rumors: Cadillac Contemplating BMW X3-Rivaling Compact SUV

A couple of days after the official revealing of the brand-new ATS that will compete in the premium sedan segment against the likes of BMW’s 3-Series, Cadillac is rumored to be going all out against the Germans.

Aside from the development of a diesel version of the ATS, GM’s luxury brand is also said to be considering a smaller SUV to rival the likes of the X3, the Mercedes GLK and the Audi Q5.

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New Cadillac ATS Sedan: The Official Low Down Plus HD Pictures and Videos

We've been following the development of Cadillac’s all-new premium mid-size sedan for almost a year now but at long last, and after the first photos showed up online earlier today, the Detroit Motor Show-bound 2013 ATS has been officially revealed.

The design is what you'd expect from a 21st-century Cadillac, full of sharp creases and vertically stacked rear lights, with the exception of the headlights that extend back into the front fenders.

The interior offers a few surprises as well, including the instrument panel with a reconfigurable 5.7-inch display, though some of us found the center console and steering wheel bearing a passing resemblance to the Chevrolet Cruze.

Another highlight of the interior is the Cadillac's new CUE technology that pairs entertainment and information data from up to 10 Bluetooth-enabled mobile devices, USBs, SD cards and MP3 players with a vehicle infotainment system that includes an eight-inch LCD multi-touch sensitive screen.

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2013 Cadillac ATS Sports Sedan Photos Hit the Web

The cracks on the wall surrounding the Detroit Auto Show are getting wider as following the premature release of the 2013 Dodge Dart and 2013 Ford Fusion (Mondeo), we now have the first pictures of the 2013 Cadillac ATS.

The ATS sedan is perhaps one of the most important projects in the last decade for Cadillac as it offers the wreath and crest brand its first true rival against the almighty BMW 3-Series as well as the successful Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class models.

On the outside, the ATS looks exactly like what we expected: an offspring of the new XTS and the CTS in a mid-size sedan package. It's also surprisingly close to the rendering sent to Carscoop by one of our readers, Josh Byrnes.

As for the interior, we can't but help note the similarities in the design of the center console and steering wheel with the…Chevrolet Cruze. However, the Cadillac does get its own set of gauges if that's of any consolation.

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Oops…Honda Civic Driver Flies Onto a Cadillac CTS at a Parking Lot

Unless we knew better, we'd say that some drivers are purposely trying to get their automobiles airborne…

Following a bizarre incident earlier this week when a thief managed to perfectly land a stolen car on the roof of an apartment building in California, another driver, this time in Massachusetts, somehow piloted his burgundy colored Honda Civic sedan onto a Cadillac CTS at an office parking lot in Wellesley.

The Civic driver allegedly stepped on the gas instead of the brake pedal and hit a curb, which slung the car into a parking lot and onto the Cadillac.

Officer Chris Cunningham of the Wellesley Police Department said that no one was hurt from the accident that took place on Thursday morning. Video follows after the jump [pun intended…].

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And the Best-Selling Premium Brand in the U.S. for 2011 is…

The one thing we knew for sure after the manufacturing disruptions in Japan caused by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami was that Lexus wasn’t going to top the premium segment in the U.S. market for the first time in a decade. In fact, we also knew something else, the two contenders to the throne: BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

What we didn’t know up until Thursday is which of two brands was going to win, since both were caught in a neck-to-neck sales race. Going into December the gap was so small - less than 1,600 cars- that the win could go either way.

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U Design: 2013 Cadillac ATS Compact Sports Sedan Rendering Hits the Spot

While some of our readers are more handy with the camera (i.e. spy shots) others have a serious knack for designing car like Josh Byrnes that sent us a very well executed rendering of the upcoming 2013 Cadillac ATS, GM's first serious attempt (anyone remember the BLS?) to challenge the BMW 3-Series.

And it couldn’t come at a better time as Cadillac will reveal the new ATS in the flesh at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit next Monday on January 9.

Josh stated that he designed the rendering based on the details seen on the various camouflaged prototypes as well as the single teaser picture showing the sedan model's profile.

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2012 Cadillac Escalade gets New Security Features to Prevent Thefts

In late August, General Motors announced that it is preparing a raft of upgrades to improve the security of its Cadillac Escalade for the 2012 model year.

Today, GM released full details on the changes it has made and which the company claims will prevent the luxury SUV from a being a "pushover for push-away or towing thieves".

We'll remind you that a recent study from the Highway Loss Data Institute found that the Cadillac Escalade is more than six times as likely to be stolen by thieves compared to the average vehicle not only due to its popularity but also because it was easier to steal than other vehicles.

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Cadillac gives Regular 2012 CTS Models the "V" Touch with New Touring Package

Taking a page from its German rivals in the premium segment, Cadillac is now offering some of the performance and styling elements of its flagship V-series on the standard 2012 CTS models with a new Touring Package that is offered on the V6-powered versions of the Sedan, Coupe and Sport Wagon models. Read more »

Cadillac Recalls 2010 and 2011 SRX Due to Transmission Problems

An improperly installed transmission shift cable is the cause for GM's latest recall action that affects 15,817 Cadillac SRX crossovers worldwide, of which 8,789 units were sold in the United States.

The affected 2010 and 2011 model year Cadillac SRX vehicles were built from October 26, 2008, through June 23, 2011.

General Motors said that it became aware of the problem when it received a customer letter on June 22, 2011, alleging unintended vehicle motion in a 2011 SRX as the customer attempted to shift between Park and Drive and then back to Park.

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The Company Formerly Known as “Old GM” is Dead at Age 103

It was long overdue, but it was bound to happen: the company lawyers named Motors Liquidation Co. but which we came to know as "old GM" during the 2009 government bailout period, died on Thursday, December 15.

Though it had a very long lifespan of 103 years, no one really noticed its demise. After all, this was just U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Gerbert signing the death certificate. Giving birth to the “new GM” two years ago was a very painful process – and one that most of those involved would like to forget.

It meant the sacrifice of three of its brands (Pontiac, Hummer and Saturn) and getting rid of another (Saab, which ironically is now in a similar position), closing 13 plants along with 900 dealerships. GM also had to reduce its U.S. workforce from 91,000 to 68,500 employees, which either way, is a far cry from the 525,000 workers it had in the States and another 100,000 outside the country in 1955.

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Cadillac Engineers Try to Perfect the 2013 ATS on the Nordschleife [Video]

In the third chapter of Cadillac's video series on the new 2013 ATS, the Detroit firm's engineers explain to us why they chose the Nürburgring racetrack to complete the development of their soon-to-be revealed compact sports sedan.

"There's no other facility in the world like this. You can accomplish more in one lap around the 'Ring than you can running probably a dozen tracks in the U.S." says David Mikels, energy and powertrain integration engineer for the Cadillac ATS.

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GM Boss Mark Reuss Builds a Fantasy Supercar Out of the Company’s Parts Bin

Almost every car fan has, at one point or another, considered building his ideal car: for example, one with a Ferrari or Lamborghini bodywork, a Pagani interior, a Veyron engine, Porsche everyday usability and all this at the price of a used 300,000-mile Ford Escort…

Well, the automotive term for this is a parts bin special; that is, a model built by borrowing only (or mostly) existing parts from other models. Mark Reuss, GM’s North American president, was asked by Car & Driver to assemble his dream car by using components that already exist on the company’s shelves.

We have to admit that, even though General Motors is not the first carmaker that comes to mind when picking components to assemble our dream car, Reuss has managed to conjure a pretty interesting vehicle.

The bodywork would come from the 2002 Cadillac Cien concept, which Reuss believes “defined Cadillac”.

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Official: 2013 Cadillac ATS gets New 2.0-liter Turbo with 270HP, Plus 2.5L and 3.6L V6 engines [Video]

Cadillac is not…horsing around with its soon-to-be revealed 2013 ATS as the Detroit automaker will offer the compact sports saloon with a newly developed 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four producing an estimated 270-horsepower and 260 lb-ft. of torque (353 Nm) straight from launch.

The 2.0T is a different engine than the one used on the current Buick Regal GS, with the ATS being the first GM model to receive the force-fed powerplant.

“This engine is the perfect match for the new ATS, which will be a refined performance luxury sedan,” said Don Butler, Cadillac vice president of Global Marketing. “The 2.0T has an exceptionally smooth and responsive power curve that will make the ATS nimble, quick and fun to drive.”

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