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A car that I would take my hat off
to
by Madelyn Miller, the TravelLady
This car deserves formal praise for all its luxury features.
It was designed to be a feather in the cap of General Motors.
In a 60 Minutes interview
with Bob Lutz, part of a prototype Cadillac was revealed to audiences. The car
featured interior and exterior design influences from the 2003 Cadillac Sixteen
concept car . Prototype models photographed during testing at the Nurburging in
Germany appeared similar to the
prototype. Sort of like a Designer Fashion Show
The new car came with a six-speed manual transmission as standard equipment,
with GM's six-speed Hydra-matic
automatic transmission available as an option. On-demand all-wheel drive was
offered with both engines when equipped with an automatic transmission.
Suspension, braking, and steering improvements from the previous generation
CTS-V were designed into the new standard CTS. Just like changing hemlines, Fashionable Car Exteriors Change
The second generation was wider and longer than the original, measuring 191.6
inches (4866 mm) long, 72.5 inches (1841 mm) wide and 58 inches (1472 mm) in
height. Wheelbase remained unchanged at 113.4 inches (2880 mm), but with a wider
front/rear track of 61.8 / 62.0 inches (1575 / 1585 mm), donated by the larger
STS. Other changes included a tweaked exterior, with a new, larger grille,
slimmer headlights and taillights, side air extractor vents located forward of
the front doors, and new nine-spoke 18-inch wheels,
surrounding larger high-performance brake calipers and rotors. Available
features on the second-gen CTS included a Bose 5.1 surround sound system, GM's
Stabilitrak
ESC system, a tire pressure monitoring system, a navigation system with
real-time traffic and weather data, an integrated 40 GB hard drive for music
storage, swiveling headlights, and remote starting Fashion Trendsetters: Placement in The Matrix Reloaded
Sometimes designers loan their fashion garments to celebrities to wear for award
shows. The buzz and the features in fashion magazines build excitement for their
styles. The automotive industry parallel is to have their new cars featured in
films.
The success of the CTS has been attributed in part to the car's placement in the
2003 sci-fi action thriller The Matrix Reloaded. The producers of the film were
seeking a car to use for a chase seen in the film, and sought a car that would
complement the film's atmosphere. General Motors suggested the then-unreleased
CTS to the filmmakers, who accepted.
Ten prototypes damaged to different extents were used to represent the film's
star car, a silver CTS. The Escalade EXT was also featured prominently in the
film. About the Author
Madelyn Miller is a travel and food writer who loves driving new cars. She is a
member of Texas Automotive Writers Association and was proud when
www.carladynews.com
was named Best Automotive Website.
Read her stories on www.travellady.com,
www.carladynews.com,
www.yogayaya.com,
www.chocolateatlas.com,
www.cocktailatlas.com,
www.coffeeatlas.com,
www.teaAtlas.com |
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Well, I guess I would figuratively take my hat off. But the spacious trunk makes
it possible for me to sit comfortably in the trunk even with my hat on.
After months of speculation, GM revealed the all-new 2008 CTS at the North
American National Auto Show