Cadillac unveils Black Diamond Edition CTS-V

General Motors has just unveiled its new take on the mighty Cadillac CTS-V called the Black Diamond Edition. Available on all iterations of the supercharged beast (sedan, coupe and wagon), the appearance package dips the company’s muscle-bound luxury fleet in new, proprietary SpectraFlair paint. The final product is achieved through a three-coat process that includes flakes of aluminum encapsulated in magnesium fluoride. The result is a paint that’s as gorgeous as it will undoubtedly prove impossible to repair.

This is not a car that’s to be left anywhere near a shopping cart.

The paint is joined by a set of Satin Graphite 19-inch wheels and yellow Brembo brake calipers outside. Slide yourself indoors and meet an interior that boasts microfiber suede Recaro seats and Midnight Sapele wood accents littered throughout the cabin. GM says that the whole package is meant to invoke images of a well-tailored tuxedo.

Prices start at $69,190 for manual transmission models and $70,490 for the automatic, including destination. Those figures mark a $4,850 bump over the standard CTS-V, and buyers can expect some fluctuation depending on whether they opt for the sedan, coupe or wagon body style. Follow the jump for the official press release and to see GM folks explain the Black Diamond Edition in a video.

Source:Autoblog

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2012 Cadillac SRX to get 3.6L V6

General Motors may have pulled the plug on the Cadillac SRX Turbo, but fear not, we will not be stuck with the anemic 3.0-liter V6 as the Caddy’s sole powerplant. A report from GM Inside News states that the 2012SRX will use the automaker’s well-received 3.6-liter V6 with direct injection – the unit currently found in theCTS sedan.

Not only is the 3.6-liter V6 more powerful than the outgoing 2.8-liter turbocharged six, it will likely be tweaked to improve overall fuel efficiency when it makes its way under the SRX’s hood. Known internally as “LFX,” this engine currently produces 304 horsepower in the CTS, though rumors have suggested that power will be increased for use in the larger crossover. GM Inside News also reports that the SRX will get a few other tweaks for the 2012 model year, including a heated steering wheel.

Source:Autoblog

1956 Cadillac Eldorado Broughham Motorama show car cruises to RM Amelia Island

 

These days, automakers routinely unveil concept cars and new models at major auto shows. Back in its heyday, General Motors played by a different set of rules. It organized its own car shows under the Motorama banner. Running throughout the 1950s, Motoramas were GM’s opportunity to showcase its products to the public and whet consumers’ appetites. Few Motorama cars were as showy as the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham Town Car concept. 

Unveiled at the Waldorf-Astoria in Manhattan for the 1956 “Highway of Tomorrow” Motorama, the Brougham Town Car was a concept for a chauffeur-driven version of the production Cadillac Brougham that hit the market the following year. The Town Car featured a half roof that left the driver, in classical style, exposed to the elements, and created a split cabin. Up front, the chauffeur sat in the open air surrounded by black leather and chrome. In back, the pampered occupants were coddled in beige leather, deep-pile Wilton carpeting and gold trim covering everything from the tissue dispenser and decanter to the bulkhead-mounted phone used to speak to the driver. After the New York Motorama, the Eldorado Brougham Town Car went on the road to Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Boston, but was then retired to GM’s Warhoops salvage yard. The staff there, according to the story, didn’t have the heart to rip the Brougham apart, so it stayed under a tarp for thirty years. 

It then passed through the hands of several prominent collectors before RM gave it a thorough restoration, including the installation of a detailed 365 cu. in. OHV V8 engine with four-speed Hydramatic transmission, suitable for driving the car off the trailer and over the concours judging stand. Consigned to RM Auctions, the car is set to cross the auction block on March 12 at Amelia Island, where it’s expected to fetch between $500,000 and $750,000. Follow the link to the auction site for full details of the lot and event, and check out the high-res images in the gallery below.

Source:Autoblog