MARCH 29, 2023

Sunday, March 26, 2023 at 08:50AM
Editor

(Cadillac images)
Cadillac has announced the development of Cadillac House at Vanderbilt — a new, state-of-the-art facility dedicated to the individualized, bespoke client experience of the Cadillac CELESTIQ, the world’s first all-electric ultra-luxury sedan. The Saarinen-designed facility at General Motors’ Global Technical Center was restored to bring together select clients and designers for unprecedented collaboration on the ultra-luxury EV. Located on the modernist-style General Motors Global Technical Center campus, in Warren, Michigan, Cadillac House at Vanderbilt will welcome clients to collaborate personally with CELESTIQ designers and a concierge for an unparalleled custom commission experience. Cadillac will start the process of selected client engagements in late spring, with the facility welcoming the first clients in late-summer 2023. “Every CELESTIQ is personally commissioned and working on-site with our Cadillac designers provides clients an elevated experience,” said Bryan Nesbitt, executive director, Global Cadillac Design. “It’s a unique opportunity to collaborate with our design team, enabling clients to directly translate their vision of their CELESTIQ into a one-of-one piece of moving sculpture.” The new Cadillac House is named after pioneering designer Suzanne Vanderbilt, who, in her day, was one of only a few women working in automotive design industry-wide. She joined GM Design in 1955, shortly before the Global Technical Center was inaugurated, and worked in the Cadillac studio. Her early work included the design of two unique vehicles: a 1958 Eldorado Seville Coupe called Baroness and the Cadillac Saxony convertible. She performed collaborative work with the Advanced Interior and Research Studios, designing safer vehicle interiors and securing two patents. Over the years, she provided essential mentorship to the next generation of women designers, before retiring in 1977. GM's Global Technical Center, designated a National Historic Landmark in 2014, is an icon of mid-century design and set the standard for the modern American corporate campus. It was the first major commission awarded to the celebrated modern architect Eero Saarinen. The building that Cadillac House at Vanderbilt inhabits — located directly across the lake from the main entrance — originally served as Central Restaurant and was an open space where the brightest creative and technical minds met to collaborate and design the future of transportation. In 1955, the design won an Honor Award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

(Lamborghini images)
In the marque’s 60th anniversary year, Automobili Lamborghini has unveiled the Revuelto, the first super sports V12 hybrid plug-in HPEV (High Performance Electrified Vehicle) from the manufacturer. The new naturally-aspirated 6.5-liter V12 mid-mounted engine is complemented by three electric motors, one of which is integrated into the new double-clutch eight-speed gearbox. This is mounted transversely and placed for the first time behind the combustion engine. In what has been the transmission tunnel since the days of the Countach, there is a lithium-ion battery instead, which powers the electric motors. The electric motors boost power delivery at low revs and can also turn the new Revuelto into a purely electric car, reducing overall CO2 emissions by 30% compared to the Aventador Ultimae. Although production details and pricing haven't been announced, Lamborghini expects the new Revuelto to deliver acceleration from 0-100 km/h in 2.5 seconds and a top speed of more than 350 km/h. 

(Kia images)
The new Kia EV9 features a choice of electric powertrain configurations based on the Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) and utilizing Kia’s fourth-generation battery technology. A 76.1-kWh battery is offered exclusively with the RWD Standard model, while a 99.8-kWh battery is fitted in both the RWD Long Range and AWD variants. The RWD Long Range model utilizes a 150 kW/350 Nm electric motor, delivering a 0-to-100 km/h time in 9.4 seconds (preliminary estimate). Also powered by a single electric motor, albeit a more powerful 160 kW/350 Nm variant, the Standard RWD EV9 can accelerate from 0-to-100 km/h in 8.2 seconds. The AWD variant is equipped with two electric motors that together have a total power output of 283 kW and a combined torque of 600 Nm. This combination enables the SUV to go from 0-to-100 km/h in 6.0 seconds. An optional Boost feature - available for later purchase at the Kia Connect Store - increases torque to 700 Nm, enabling the EV9 to accelerate from 0-to-100 km/h in 5.3 seconds. The Kia EV9 RWD Long Range model with 19-inch wheels offers an estimated target range of over 541 km, according to WLTP. Using an 800 Volt charging system, the vehicle’s battery pack can be replenished with sufficient charge to power the vehicle for 239 km in approximately 15 minutes. Kia is set to embark on a series of global campaign activities, led by the statement ‘Here to reshape the way we move’. The EV9 is set to make its inaugural physical debut at the Seoul Mobility Show 2023 later this month. It will then be showcased at this year’s New York International Auto Show in early April.

(Chevrolet)
GM has announced that the Chevrolet Camaro will be retired at the conclusion of the 2024 model year. The final, sixth-generation Camaros will come off the assembly line at the Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant in Michigan in January 2024. "As we prepare to say goodbye to the current generation Camaro, it is difficult to overstate our gratitude to every Camaro customer, Camaro assembly line employee and race fan,” said Scott Bell, vice president, Global Chevrolet. “While we are not announcing an immediate successor today, rest assured, this is not the end of Camaro’s story.” Chevrolet will offer a Collector’s Edition package on the 2024 Camaro RS and SS, and on a limited number of ZL1-equipped vehicles available in North America. The Collector’s Edition will pay homage to Camaro, referencing ties that date back to the development of the first generation Camaro in the 1960s, when the program’s initial code name was Panther. More information on the 2024 Camaro and the Collector’s Edition package will be available closer to the start of orders this summer.

Article originally appeared on Autoextremist.com ~ the bare-knuckled, unvarnished, high-electron truth... (http://www.autoextremist.com/).