SEPTEMBER 9, 2015

(Porsche Images)
Porsche is taking the wraps off its new 911 Carrera at the Frankfurt International Auto Show. The big news? Twin-turbo engines with a 20HP power increase compared to the previous models. The 3.0 liter engine in the standard Carrera now develops 370HP with 331 lb.-ft. of torque. While the Carrera S makes use of turbochargers with modified compressor wheels, a model-specific exhaust system, and a different tune for 420HP and 368 lb.-ft. of torque. Porsche PR minions say that both powertrains supply generous torque over a broad powerband, with a 7,500 RPM redline "accompanied by the familiar Porsche sound." (Well, there's that at least.) The new 911 Carrera Coupé with Porsche-Doppelkupplung (PDK) and Sport Chrono Package goes zero to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds – two tenths quicker than its predecessor. The 911 Carrera S with PDK and Sport Chrono Package goes zero to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds (also 0.2 s faster). Both models have higher top track speeds: the 911 Carrera will reach 183 mph, while the 911 Carrera S can hit 191 mph. All new 911 Carrera variants are offered with a manual seven-speed transmission as standard (halle-frickin'-luja). The other result of the new turbo engines? They're up to twelve percent more efficient.

Exterior details of the 911 Carrera have been visually refined from new headlights with four-point daytime running lights to integrated door handle recesses, a redesigned rear deck lid with vertical louvers, and new rear lights. There's a bunch of other new stuff on the new 911 Carrera (we won't bother going into all of it here), including revised PASM chassis (Porsche Active Suspension Management), new standard wheels with five twin spokes equipped with reduced rolling resistance tires that offer enhanced grip (hmm, really?). The rear wheels have been increased by 0.5 to 11.5 inches on all variants. The rear tires of the 911 Carrera S now measure 305 instead of 295 millimeters in width. Rear-axle steering is available as an option for the 911 Carrera S, adopted from the current 911 Turbo and 911 GT3.

The new 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera models will be launched in the United States in March of 2016. MSRPs: 911 Carrera, $89,400; 911 Carrera S, $103,400; 911 Carrera Cabriolet, $101,700; 911 Carrera S Cabriolet, $115,700.

(Rolls-Royce)
From Rolls-Royce PR Minions: “Our new Rolls-Royce Dawn promises a striking, seductive encounter like no other Rolls-Royce to date, and begins a new age of open-top, super-luxury motoring. Dawn is a beautiful new motor car that offers the most uncompromised open-top motoring experience in the world. A true four-seater; it will be the most social of super-luxury drophead motor cars for those who wish to bathe in the sunlight of the world’s most exclusive social hotspots.  Quite simply, it is the sexiest Rolls-Royce ever built. The name ‘Dawn’ perfectly suggests the fresh opportunities that every new day holds – an awakening, an opening up of one’s senses and a burst of sunshine. In its tentative, inchoate, anticipatory state, dawn is the world coming to light from the ethereal dark of the night. The early-day chill of dawn provides an erotic tingle on the skin, awakening the senses and passions as the day begins.  Like Eleanor Thornton, thought by many to be the inspiration behind the Spirit of Ecstasy, the  Rolls-Royce Dawn will itself prove to be the muse that leads its owner to believe that at the start of the day, anything is possible.” And that, friends, is a press release. Wow. That is all.

(Bentley images)
This is the Bentley Bentayga, which the automaker is calling "the fastest, most powerful, most luxurious and most exclusive SUV in the world." Powered by an all-new twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter W12 engine with 608 PS (600 bhp/447kW) and 900 Nm (663 lb. ft) of torque, the monster SUV goes 0-60 mph in 4.0 seconds (0-100 km/h in 4.1 seconds) with a top speed of 187 mph (301 km/h). Bentley also insists that the Bentayga "boasts the world’s finest automotive cabin, with unrivaled levels of precision." Get your Ya-Yas out, ladies and gentlemen.

(Volkswagen images)
Volkswagen will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the GTI with the new Golf GTI Clubsport, which will be the most powerful GTI ever built. The turbocharged and direct-injection engine in the anniversary model delivers an output of 195 kW / 265 PS, 35 PS more than the previous most powerful Golf GTI. And for a short time - for about 10 seconds - the driver can increase engine power by an additional 10 per cent to more than 290 PS using an overboost function. The Golf GTI Clubsport goes from 0 to 62 mph in 6.0 seconds with a 6-speed manual gearbox; with the optional 6-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DSG), the time is reduced to 5.9 seconds. The Golf GTI Clubsport has a top speed of 155 mph with both transmissions. Volkswagen says that because of the high power output and significantly improved downforce, the Golf GTI Clubsport has "groundbreaking handling properties at high speeds and breathtaking cornering speeds." That's a little much, but suffice to say GTI fans will have something new to lust after next year.

(Cadillac images)
This is the 2017 Cadillac XT5, the replacement for the SRX. Future Cadillac crossovers will all have the “XT” designation, with number indicating relative size and position. More details to come, it will be available (allegedly) next spring.

Engineered Like No Other...Hey, Wait A Sec...

Editor's Note: This week's "Quick Take" has us in the 2016 Cadillac CTS4 AWD 3.6L Premium Collection, but let's just call it the 2016 CTS, okay? As a longtime Mercedes-Benz E-Class devotee, I was particularly anxious to get my hands on the CTS. Would it truly rival the Benz? Could I actually ever see myself behind the wheel of an American luxury sedan? First off, the CTS was clearly designed within an inch of its life to compete with the E-Class - literally. Length, height, width, wheelbase - you name it - all with an inch or three of the E. It is more than 350 pounds lighter than the Benz, which is interesting, because the CTS feels decidedly heavier (and yes, I thought this before I compared the specs, honest). So the CTS feels big and solid, but in a good way. Substantial is the word, which made it a real pleasure on the highway (I would have liked a little more oomph, but I say that about just about anything that doesn't have a V8, so my judgment here is probably clouded). Inside is where the CTS really excels - and since that's where we actually experience our vehicles day in and day out, interiors are important! Gone are the bad "beige-on-beiger" combos that GM seemed to crank out in their sleep. Instead, our CTS tester featured a black and red interior treatment that was truly first rate. Very elegant, very tasteful, very refined. No wallowing in the lap of luxury for long, however. The CTS "warning-chime-followed-by-disembodied-voice" feature went off way too often and sometimes for no apparent reason - "Caution, road construction, narrow lane." Now, there's probably a way to shut this off, but in the meantime, I have declared it more of a hazard than a help, it is that jarring. (To be fair, nearly every car we've tested lately seems to be afflicted with countless driver alerts and enhanced crash-avoidance systems, all in the name of keeping us safe, I'm sure.) Having said that, the new CTS is also packed to its luxury gills with plenty of positive features and seems to be every bit the car that the E-Class is. It looks good, it feels good, it is good. Is it awesome? No, but then the E-Class isn't really "awesome" either. It just a well-engineered, well-equipped luxury car that still manages to embody more than a modicum of the prestige and exclusivity that the Mercedes-Benz brand used to be all about. And the CTS? It's a well-engineered, well-equipped luxury car that's trying to convince us that it has prestige and exclusivity equal to its rivals. Cadillac says it has no desire to out-German the Germans. But I say that the 2016 CTS is an American Mercedes, or at the very least an American interpretation of German luxury, and Cadillac has priced it accordingly. But there's the rub: If the CTS and E-Class are essentially cost equals, would I choose the Cadillac? No. Intellectually, I understand that the Cadillac is every bit as good as the Mercedes (and all of its luxury rivals, for that matter). But emotionally, I can't make the leap to the brand yet. -WG

Editor-In-Chief's Note: About the 2016 Cadillac CTS4. I too flat-out refuse to use "Premium Collection." Memo to Cadillac, if you want to use the term as part of the list of features on the sticker to indicate that it is equipped as such, fine. But there is nothing and I mean nothing premium about including the phrase "Premium Collection" on the title of this car. It's cheese-ball nomenclature and Cadillac needs to do away with it asap, because after all, if you're going to throw down with the Germans, you cannot leave even the smallest detail to chance. That said, the True Believers in GM Engineering and Product Development should take a bow, because the CTS is indeed an impressive piece of work. (Apparently we don't get to drive the V-Series cars because Cadillac deems a review from the editors of Horse & Hound to be more important. Whatever. In this case it's fine because this is the car that Cadillac needs to sell a lot of, and it deserves a critical going over.) I could not fine one fault with this car in terms of performance. Not one. Aggressively tuned - and impressively so, I might add - everything about the CTS rings true, especially for people who know and understand the difference. The steering and braking feel, the tautly-tuned suspension, the overall accuracy of the dynamic execution, everything about the actual driving of the CTS is first rate, second to none, in fact. I'm not crazy about the sound value of the engine, but the engine and eight-speed automatic gearbox work seamlessly and in perfect harmony. And the high level of performance is certainly competitive with its German counterparts. As for the rest of it, I concur with WordGirl because the interior of the CTS is simply stunning, with a quality of materials and level of workmanship that again, are second to none in the segment. But the thing I like most about the CTS? It has a point of view that is distinctly Cadillac. Yes, the True Believers at GM are trying to make the lives of their competitors miserable, but they're going about it in their own way with their own set of values and proclivities, which is refreshing to see. And it says a lot about the confidence instilled in the product development troops by product guru Mark Reuss that they're encouraged to do it that way. When the True Believers actually believe in what they do it resonates throughout the company and results in excellent and even outstanding machines. The CTS bristles with a clarity of thought and a level of detailed execution that takes a back seat to no other manufacturer in this hotly-contested segment. It's simply one of the best cars available in the market today. -PMD
2016 Cadillac CTS4 AWD 3.6L Premium Collection: $67,925 ($64,685 Base Price; Stellar Black Metallic, $495; Jet Black Interior with Morello Red Accents, Semi-Aniline Full Leather seats, $1,500; 3.6L V6 with 335HP and 285lbs-ft of torque; All Wheel Drive; Eight-speed automatic transmission; Sport suspension; Magnetic Ride Control; 18" ten-spoke polished aluminum wheels; All-season run flat tires; Brembo performance front brakes; Stabilitrak stability control with traction control; Tire pressure monitoring system; Full leather, performance front seats; Power lumbar, driver and front passenger; Memory driver seat; Rear split-folding seat; Heated and ventilated seats, driver and front passenger; Heated rear outboard seats; 12.3" reconfigurable instrument panel cluster; Cadillac CUE with navigation, 8" full-color touch display; Bose Surround Sound stereo system; SiriusXM and HD Radio + service subscription sold separately by SiriusXM after three months; Bluetooth for phone and audio; Apple Carplay capability provided by Apple, available with compatible smartphones; Head-up display; Leather-wrap steering wheel; Magnesium paddle shifters; Heated steering wheel; Power tilt and telescoping steering column; Sport alloy pedals; Tri-zone climate control; Auto dimming ISRVM; Rainsense windshield wipers; Power heated outside mirrors with auto-dimming on driver's side; LED interior ambient lighting; High intensity headlamps with adaptive forward lighting; Intellibeam headlamps; Illuminating door handles; Keyless push button start; EZ Key passive entry system; Adaptive remote vehicle start; Park assist front and rear; Automatic parking assist; Ultraview sunroof; Power rear sunshades with manual rear side windows; Wireless charging; Cooling system, extra capacity, $250; Destination Charge, $995)
Adherence to Brand Image: There can be no denying that Cadillac truly has it goin' on. The issue is that the brand continues to lag behind its luxury rivals in sales (we're talking cars sales here; the Escalade is doing just fine), and it continues to struggle with a perception gap that has hampered the brand now for years. That said, the 2016 CTS oozes luxury and refinement and style - it is exceptionally well done (especially the interior) and aims squarely at the Germans, Mercedes in particular. And Cadillac is definitely going all-in by pricing its vehicles in the top-tier luxury realm and believing that the buyers will come. Cadillac deserves all the props it is getting for what they have done to their lineup. The design and engineering are there - it's public opinion they have to continue to contend with. -WG

Editor-In-Chief's Note: Simply put, as good as the CTS is, getting consumers to turn away from BMW, Lexus or Mercedes is an extremely difficult proposition. And it will take years for Cadillac to make a dent in that prevailing mindset. It's a nonstop grind that isn't likely to get any easier either. Given that, Cadillac needs to trim its prices and undercut its competition by more than a little. The classic example? When Toyota wanted in to the American luxury car market it made the conscious decision to lose $15,000 on every Lexus sold, understanding that it would take years to scratch out a piece of the market for the brand. And by willingly taking the long view, Toyota overlords succeeded at a high level. The long view isn't big around these parts. Despite protestations to the contrary, the business as writ large here in the Motor City is measured out in 30-day increments, and patience is not something that is invested in on a regular basis. Johan de Nysschen, Cadillac's leader, has preached patience from the moment he arrived at the brand. Patience as in five years minimum, even though he knows deep down it will take 20. In a place where everybody looks at their watches and "What have you done for me lately?" is part of the lexicon in exectuive suites all over town, moving the needle for Cadillac is the toughest job in the industry. -PMD