General Motors introduces the 2008 CTS Sport-Sedan by Cadillac

General Motors Western Region Manager Susan Docherty, and Lund Cadillac Let Two for the Road USA take it for a spin.

When we had GM’s Manager of the Western Region Susan Docherty on our radio show recently, she was so enthusiastic about the 2008 iteration of the CTS that we decided to ask our friends at Lund Cadillac in Phoenix if we could take one out for a spin to see what all the excitement was all about.

Bill Says:
I have to say that the CTS has always been a bit of an enigma to me because at first blush I really liked the car, but there was something that didn’t quite sit right we me and I really couldn’t put my finger on it, until now. The design changes while subtle have a serious impact aesthetically. The car seems to have, for lack of a better word, bulked up and now sports a much more aggressive stance with bulging, muscular fender flares made possible by a 62-inch wide track, the widest in its class, giving the CTS a much lower more assertive stance.

The previous model seemed not only taller, but narrower, and that was what had been nagging at me. This car has stunning lines that flow beautifully back to the short rear deck-lid that give the CTS a beautiful profile and its fully functional chrome air inlets on the front fender’s let you know in no uncertain terms, that this is a serious performer.

Unfortunately the CTS-V performance car won’t be available for quite some time but when I got behind the wheel of our loaner and settled into the beautiful interior, I was really surprised at the response to my right foot. The surprise was due to the response from all-new, 3.6 liter Direct Injection V6 with Variable Valve Timing engine that propels the CTS from 0-60 in under 6 seconds. That’s the type of performance that will get anyone’s attention and it certainly got mine. Mated to a new 6-speed Hydra-Matic transmission, the shifts in CTS are seamless yet crisp and if you so desire, you can use Driver Shift Control mode for smooth clutchless.

There is an awful lot to talk about with the new CTS but I’m going to have to wait until we have one in the press fleet rotation to really get into what this car is all about. Suffice it to say, if you’re looking for a really nifty sports-sedan, the 2008 CTS has taken a quantum leap and I for one am very impressed with it, and I’m betting you will be too.

The base price on the car is just over $32,000 but with the performance package and other options, the one we drove came in just over $42,000. However, for what you get, there’s no doubt that Cadillac has kicked it up a notch with this car, and it will be very interesting to see how it impacts the Infiniti M-series, the BMW 5-series and the C-Class. I’m betting that I’m not the only one that will be surprised by the 2008 Cadillac CTS.

Cathy Says:
The new 2008 CTS is a beautiful, sporty sedan that has enough sex appeal for both a man and women to agree on the purchase. I personally would choose a black exterior and light beige interior for my signature CTS, despite the upkeep. I am glad to see the faux-mini-spoiler on the 2007 is missing off the new ’08.

The cabin of the redesigned Cadillac is significantly improved over its predecessor. It now has a come-hither-look and feel about it that gently welcomes your derriere into the soft leather seats. The materials used inside are high in quality and the detail of wood and alloy remind you of some of the top luxury imports that begin with the letter “L”.

There’s a new telescoping steering column, giving the driver quite a bit of belly room, along with a thinner front seatback; allowing the rear passengers more leg room. The navigation system (which is optional) has a unique leather over-hang, like the large brim of a baseball cap. It might be there for show or to cut any glare that might cause difficulty in viewing.

The CTS is complete with a 40GB hard drive along with the premium Bose surround sound audio system. It has all the up to date hookups for iPod interface and other technology toys I know nothing about. For instance you can set your AM/FM and satellite radio to be rewound, paused and resumed in a TiVo-like manner. Great! I can’t figure out how to do in on my TV, but leave it to Cadillac to have it in the CTS.

It’s not all about the interior look; I did get to drive the powerful sport sedan once I forced Bill out of the driver’s seat. Besides the quick start at the lights and hugging the corners, I found it doing a sort of quick step up a desert hill. I felt like goldilocks in the three bear’s story; sitting in all three chairs till finally she sat in the one that was “just right.” I felt at home, I could locate the controls easily and the icons were a good size. I was impressed with how the A/C chilled the cabin immediately and including vents that were positioned perfectly.

Even if you were to purchase an entry level CTS, you would have more than you expected and for under $33,000. Cadillac has created a luxury sport sedan both inside and out. This baby lives up to its Cadillac heritage.

It was plain to see that the CTS had female influence; so hats off to Susan Docherty of General Motors, who I’m sure had some input.

For more reviews visit http://www.twofortheroadusa.com/.

Size really does Matter!!

Okay, this isn’t going to be as titillating as you may have thought the subject matter was, but the truth is, there’s been a lot of ink lately about the Insurance Institute’s recent announcement that there are more traffic fatalities when a small car is involved in an accident than there are when large cars or SUV’s are. Now if that isn’t a case of stating the obvious I don’t know what is. The statistics I’ve seen show a ratio of about two to one between SUV’s and cars, and to that end, here are some thoughts I have about that.

My wife and I have always been fans of roadsters and over the last 30 odd years we’ve always owned a small two-seater of one kind of another. We’ve been asked countless times about driving a small car and the dangers we face because of the overabundance of huge SUV’s on the highway today.

Both of us are what I call aggressive defensive drivers, and by that I mean, if at all possible we do not stay behind vehicles we can’t see around, and we never stay in anyone’s blind spot and more importantly, because we drive cars that have a degree of performance, we have the ability to move quickly to avoid dangers on the road. I have to add that there is not any statistical data that I’m aware of the validates my claim of maneuverability keeping smaller cars out of harms way, but non-the-less, I know that I feel better about my odds of staying out of trouble with the quickness and agility of smaller cars.

Okay all that said it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that the law of physics is immutable and therefore cannot be denied. So clearly we understand that if there is a collision between a 6000 pound Hummer and my wife’s Z4, the BMW will lose. Yes, smaller cars are indeed more dangerous but my question is, how big is big enough?

A Taurus will likely be safer than a Honda Civic in a collision, as will a Crown Victoria in a collision with the same Taurus, and the same goes for a GMC Denali if it collides with the Crown Vic and on and on. So, it begs the question. How big is big enough? Life is full of risks so what are the issues to take into consideration to help abate this ever growing problem caused by consumers wanting to drive smaller more fuel efficient cars.

The issue is that small cars are here to stay now, and with the Smart car coming to America, there will be even more deaths because no matter how well a vehicle meets safety standards, the aforementioned law of physics holds sway. I recently read that GM is cutting production at six plants that build pickups and SUV’s because of falling sales so it will be interesting to see how the balance of size shifts over the next few years.

The absolute truth of the matter is that each of us is responsible for how safely or unsafely we drive. Unfortunately people in big cars and SUV’s sometimes appear to throw their weight around which causes problems, and sometimes people in smaller cars try to squeeze in where there simply isn’t room because they think they can. We all have to remember that size does in fact matter when it comes to our vehicles.

Your thoughts? visit http://www.twofortheroadusa.com and let us know.

How many people will have to die???

I find it hard to believe that less then a month after hearing about the five young girls killed in New York because the driver was texting while driving, we hear about two more people killed here in Phoenix because allegedly a young lady was texting while driving. Even more disheartening is the fact that we just dedicated an entire radio show to the problem of driving while texting.

Now I know that everyone doesn't listen to the show, but I'm sure you get my drift. There simply isn't enough outcry about this ever growing problem. Clearly it's always a tragedy when anyone dies in a car accident, but when someone dies because another driver was texting is virtually criminal.

It begs the age old question of whether or not there should be stronger limits on teenage driving because of the distractions presented to them with today's hi-tech information systems in cars, as well as the multi-tasking that teens seem to need to do. I have to be quick to point out that I am well aware of the fact that many adults use their blackberry's while driving, dial phone numbers and so on. But the truth is, teens are much more likely to have a problem with it than more experienced drivers.

Another part of the equation is how docile cars are today. I'm sure there are quite of few of us old enough to remember when steering components were linked together by rods and bushings that wore out, making it necessary to move the steering wheel all the time to keep the car in our lane. Today's cars are so well built that they appear to be able to drive themselves and in fact, some almost do. Key word being "almost." Maybe if all vehicles were required to have a lane departure warning system like some high end cars do, who know, maybe the seven people now dead would in fact still be with us.

So, the question is, who is accountable, and what can each of us do to make driving on today's very crowded highways, with vehicles traveling at a pretty high rate speed, safer. I know that I worked with my sons for two to three years teaching them "about" driving as well as driving. I know there are no guarantees, but there has to be a way to cut down on the senseless tragedy of people dieing because someone can't wait to text a friend instead of calling, which in and of itself is dangerous.

Let us hear from you. You can reach us at http://www.twofortheroadusa.com/

Life's too short, just drive.

I’ve heard variations of that philosophy before of course, but never those exact words, and when I saw them for the first time, what followed blew me away. Part of what I read was; “maybe you’ve imagined yourself behind the wheel of a true Supercar like the Mercedes SLR McLaren.” Now in my opinion, any car aficionado to not have lusted for driving a McLaren, well then he or she wouldn’t be a true car nut. The phrase however, belongs to a group of people that put on the

World Class Driving event that began in Europe a few years ago, came to the States in 2006 when over 1500 people had the extreme pleasure of driving some of the most fantastic cars ever produced. Today, World Class Driving travels all over the world allowing a select few individuals to drive some of these incredible machines. Rod and I had the opportunity on a beautiful day in May to go to Sedona Arizona and spent some 150 miles worth of seat time in six of the most stunning cars I’ve ever had the privilege to drop my derriere in.
Imagine if you will, 12 hours of Sebring racer and one of the premier Ferrari drivers of all time, Didier Theys, handing you the keys to a beautiful yellow $170,000 Ferrari F430, then leading you out to cruise the streets and highways in one of the most beautiful locations in the world. How cool is that? To verbalize the exhilaration one feels when flicking through the gears with the steering wheel mounted paddle shifters, while listening to one of the most thrilling exhaust notes around coming from the 490 horsepower V8 sitting directly behind you, is virtually impossible.

Now try and imagine how you’d feel if Didier then tossed the keys to a black Porsche GT-3 and said follow me. I don’t know about you but Rod and I were both thinking that it was a bit of a let down after the F430, but I have to admit, it didn’t talk long to appreciate the racing heritage in the Porsche. Very different cars for sure but the GT-3 was certainly a blast to drive.
That was followed by a spin in the Ford GT which, truth be told, was a very surprising car. This is pure American muscle at its best. While the Italian and German cars are high rpm cars, the Ford GT is a brute at 500 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of pavement blistering muscle. This car screams from 0-60 in a breathtaking 3.4 seconds, and while following the Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder, and listening to the magnificent exhaust singing while downshifting, it was interesting to see just how easy it was to stay with the Gallardo without having to downshift the GT. Simply tickle the throttle and the monstrous 500 lb-ft of torque comes to life and moves the Ford with very little effort.

Okay, now we jump out of the GT and get to slip into the sweet sounding lime green Lambo and I must tell you, it simply doesn’t get much better then cruising in Sedona Arizona in May, in a Gallardo Spyder. The exhaust was echoing off the canyon walls begging you to downshift just to listen to the exhaust note. So I did. This car without a doubt has the sweetest albeit most raucous exhaust sound you’ll ever hear and I’m here to tell you, this 500 horsepower car is fast, agile and incredibly fun to drive.

The fastest and most race-like car there was the Noble M400. Noble rolling chassis' are shipped from the manufacturing facility in Port Elizabeth, South Africa without the engine or transmission. The Noble® M400 is sold in limited quantities as a component rolling chassis only. The units come factory assembled, painted, upholstered, with full instrumentation and brakes systems, along with suspension, exhaust wheels and tires. The engine and transaxle has to be installed by the buyer or under the buyer's supervision by an independent contractor. The car computer is mapped to 425 horsepower, and with the ratio of pony power to weight, this car performs with the best in the world, and actually better then most but as Rod said, in reality, this is pretty much a street legal race car.

And then there was the Mercedes SLR McLaren. Almost 620 horsepower and a mind numbing 595 lb-ft of torque moves this huge Supercar down the highway in the blink of an eye. At almost $500,000.00, this is the only car that we had to have a co-pilot with, and truth be told, I simply didn’t care. Make no mistake; this is not a plush cruiser. This is a serious performer with seats that wrap around you giving you the impression of being in the cockpit of a very luxurious race car, and in truth, that’s not a bad analogy. While the Ferrari and Lamborghini are undoubtedly exotics, and the Ford GT is all about muscle with the Noble being all about racing, the SLR McLaren is about everything. Stunning styling, one of the most iniquitous stances you’ll ever see on a car, an interior that’s second to none and performance that is intimidating to everyone else on the road, and in truth, it can be just a bit intimidating behind the wheel. When I had the opportunity, and permission, to “get on it” just a bit, I was dumbfounded at how seamless this car was as we shot from 60 to…. Well, let’s just say I had to back off without even coming close to taxing this very potent engine.

There is a lot more to come on the website in the near future as Rod and I write more, and share some video with you about the incredible day we had with World Class Driving. You must go to their website; www.wcdriving.com and find out where they’ll be next, and if there is anyway you can do it, well as Nike says, just do it, or more importantly, as Jean-Paul Libert and his crew say, “life is to short: just drive.