Cadillac Accelerates Into 2008

Since this is a Cadillac, for the roof solar panel, I sure hope you are considering the top-of-the-line, most efficient, Mono Crystalline Silicon based panels; up to 16.9% efficiency is currently available commercially. The thin film ones are only 8% efficient, and would be a disappointment. I would think 200 to 300 watts per hour of full sunshine would be possible from the more efficient panels on a typical automobile roof.

Jim,

Congrats on the Provoq concept. I love both the exterior and interior styling, and I hope that this concept is a preview of what we can expect of the BRX when it debuts. The idea of a Cadillac being the unveiling at the CES show is perfect given it's history of technological innovation. Hopefully Cadillac will continue that trend by being on the leading edge of design with the e-flex platform for luxury applications. It would be a shame for GM to limit this platform to the mainstream brand at the launch given that the luxury segment has always dominated technological innovation simply because the clientele is willing to pay for it. The Provoq would give Cadillac a huge advantage over BMW, MB, Audi, Lexus, and Infiniti, and would go a long way toward cementing Cadillac's return to prominence.

I am really excited that cadillac has shined out of its Dark Ages. I am really excited I can once again tell everyone how better the CTS is compared to any BMW 3 series and even the 5 series. The interior is superb and I really hope that GM continues this trend of excellence accross ALL vehicles STARTING WITH THE CAMARO!

Anyways... A hurray for you. Thanks for bringing back the CTS-V the way that its coming. And please oh please, I know we have onstar (which you can't register for Puerto Rico) but please include Bluetooth into ALL CADILLACS. Its a bit of a shame that a Caddy doesn't bring BT when most small cars do and when all its competing products also have it installed.

When is GM applying an electronic power steering and brakes to its line up to have a full by wire vehicle and maybe an 8 speed auto?

arg! I commented too soon about this in the "happy Birthday Volt" post. I'll just repeat it: Love the concept, love the style, and feel that the Provoq is an excellent step in the right direction towards making alternative fuel choices more attractive to consumers.

CTS-V is hot. Best American sedan ever made. Excellent work.

Hi Bob,
While I applaud the look of the 2008 CTS, I'm a little bit disappointed by the look of the 2009 CTS-V. Why didn't GM keep the designof the regular 2008 CTS which is acclaimed by everyone? Please, do something Bob. I think it is not too late for GM to reverse its decision regarding the design of this car and give it the look it deserves, the one will make it the best of the best it is.

Put that Provoq styling on the SRX and you'd have another winner, and how about building the BRX on that new Alpha platform. It would give those new smaller BMW's a good run for the money.

STRAIGHT TALK:

THE NOSE OF THE CTS-V WILL CLEARLY STOP ME FROM BUYING
ONE WHEN MY MEGA-COMMISSION
HITS THIS FALL!!

I just wanted to say two things:

1. I test drove the new CTS and think it is great. It is currently at the top of my list for my next car when my current lease expires in March (both my wife and I thought the CTS interior was much nicer than in the G35 or the 3 series we drove);

2. Please don't stand still. The one thing we felt Cadillac was still lacking in was choice. We live in Toronto and, while the CTS was not so big as to disqualify itself, we did appreciate the size of the 3 series over the CTS for our day to day driving in the City. If not for the high quality of the CTS's interior v. the 3 series my wife would not support our getting the CTS.

Put another way, the CTS is great, put that stuff into a car in the low 180" length range, add a wagon and it would be perfect!

I think that we should admit that no matter what GM makes {and no matter how good it is} America hates GM and the American auto companies! All you have to do is read the comments in any car review to see that they are despised by the American buying public! It is sad but TRUE!!

The CTS-V looks fine. It supposed to be more aggressive and it does that well. The regular CTS has a more elegant, luxurious look. If the CTS-V was too bland people would complain that it's bare discernable from the regular car.

Why can't I get a CTS with a V8 motor without having to go to a CTS-V??

Jim Taylor said: "Provoq is Cadillac’s vision for the petroleum-free future of luxury transportation, and a major statement on the development of GM’s breakthrough E-Flex technology. Provoq continues GM’s vision of the electrification of the automobile, but this time where electrical power is generated by an advanced hydrogen fuel cell and the only “tailpipe” emission is water vapor."

Mr Taylor,

Your Provoq looks interesting, and the idea of a car that uses hydrogen fuel cells is certainly attractive, but designing a car that runs on hydrogen is the easy part.

The thermodynamics of obtaining hydrogen

The long pole in the tent is producing the hydrogen -- not designing the vehicle.

Until you -- or someone -- is able to figure out where the hydrogen will come from, you are just spinning your wheels -- no matter how attractive the Provoq is.

Although building the infrastructure needed to distribute hydrogen will be expensive and daunting, producing the hydrogen will be even more of a problem.

Unfortunately, there are no pools of free, unattached hydrogen atoms waiting to be tapped. Although the most abundant element in the Universe, virtually all of the hydrogen on earth is already bound to other atoms making molecules that always takes energy to break apart.

Two primary sources of hydrogen

Hydrogen now comes from two primary sources:

Unfortunately, that dreaded Second Law of Thermodynamics mandates that both methods will always consume more energy than the hydrogen can ever return when burned as a fuel.

If we have to use electricity to crack water molecules, wouldn't it actually be more efficient to use the electricity directly to power a car?

The same is true for getting hydrogen from natural gas -- wouldn't it make more sense and be more efficient to use that natural gas directly as a motor fuel?

Why aren't you displaying a concept car that runs on a natural gas fuel cell? Or a methanol fuel cell? (Methanol is fairly easy to make from coal, and there are already methanol fuel cells on the market.)

Why Provoq?

What's with the name "Provoq?" It's just another nonsense word that doesn't actually mean anything. Of course you mean it to be pronounced as "provoke" but why the deliberately soft and cute spelling? Why not be direct and call it the Provoke? (Since some cultures place a high value on "cuteness" I'm sure your marketing people gave you an excellent reason to be "cutesy" with the name. Could you please share that reasoning with us?)

Best regards,

Gary Dikkers

very, very nice! the car saves a lot of money on hydrogen. it solves the problem of whether to equip the car with big hydrogen tank. at last gm, or any major automaker has used my idea of solar panel. it's quite expensive though right now. Maybe you could use thin-film solar panels?

Wow, GM designed a RAV 4! Wake up GM, We want big fuel efficient vehicles. Give us something we want. Dont forget Quality, the reason you lost your business in the first place.

I love the new styling direction with Cadillac. The new CTS is one of the sexiest cars on the market at the moment.
Recent news about Caddy dropping the "Ultra" V8 is disappointing however. The replacement for the DTS/STS (which needs to happen soon) needs to have a proper V8 as an option at the very least - The 430 hp LS3 comes to mind...it HAS to happen. Don't let Cadillac be one-upped by your foreign competition - that would be doing the brand a major dis-service. Cadillac w/out a proper V8 makes no sense - I know, and upper management at GM (you know, the ones determining the direction of the company) knows as well...you want to TRULY compete with Lexus, M-B, BMW, etc...you need a car one step up in size from the CTS with a proper V8. A Zeta based STS/DTS replacement with a 430 hp LS3 would be awesome - more than enough to compete with the Lexus LS460 and BMW 7 Series. You're custodians of an incredible brand name - don't let the Cadillac name down! With the Volt in production, you know you can have a few V8s in the line up too - don't drop V8's from the Caddy lineup - that would be utterly foolish.

Finally, Cadillac has an SUV that looks like a Cadillac! And it even has a name...Provoq (I like that). Sure glad it isn't another alphabet soup moniker like BLS, CTS, STS, DTS, SRX, XLR, EXT, ESV. Who knows what any of those contraptions look like anyway?

QUESTION: Skinny tires are definitely more viable for fuel efficiency, but what about BRAKING! Braking on ice or rain soaked roadways? That literally scares me to death. Any comments?