1980 Excalibur Series Iv Phaeton Original 35k Miles 100's Hi-res Photos & Video on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #325 LIVE!

We're set to record Autoblog Podcast #325 tonight, and you can drop us your questions and comments via our Q&A module below. Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven't already done so, and if you want to take it all in live, tune in to our UStream (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.
Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #325
Twin-turbo Cadillac CTS coming

2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe prepares to fight BMW 4 Series

Cadillac introduced its new ATS Coupe at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show today, bringing customers an alternative to the growing range of sport luxury coupes typified by the BMW 4 Series, Audi A5 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe.
The ATS Coupe, as a slightly more premium offering, ditches the wheezy 2.5-liter engine found in the basic ATS Sedan, but retains the four-door's 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder and 3.6-liter V6. That four-pot turbo benefits from a fettling that has increased torque from 260 pound-feet to 295, although its peak is only available from 3,000 rpm to 4,600 rpm, unlike in the sedan, where peak twist arrives at just 1,700 rpm and sticks around until 5,500 rpm.
Power can be channeled to either the rear or all four wheels by the owner's choice of a Tremec six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission. According to Cadillac, the new Coupe can get to 60 in 5.6 seconds when fitted with the 2.0-liter turbo.

Cadillac toned down ATS Coupe design due to customer feedback [w/poll]

Automakers always face a difficult decision when it comes to styling their cars. Design them too blandly and nobody will get excited about them. But style them too aggressively and they'll often end up turning off potential buyers.
Cadillac, for its part, is no stranger to aggressive design, but when it came to the new ATS Coupe, it elected to tone things down a bit. Speaking with The Detroit News in a wide-ranging interview, Cadillac design director Bob Boniface revealed that the original design for its compact coupe was edgier - closer to that of the CTS Coupe - with a wedgier profile, a more steeply raked beltline and a more severe grille. But potential customers surveyed in clinics apparently didn't like it. They found it looked heavy, inefficient and not fun to drive. So Boniface and his team literally went back to the drawing board and "took as much visual mass out of the car as [they] could." The resulting coupe, while handsome, looks far more similar to its four-door companion than did Cadillac's CTS.
What do you think, does the new ATS Coupe look just right, or is it too conservative? Voice your opinion in our quick online poll.