Saabillac? Cadisaab?

[JST]

On the heels of the Corvillac (the XLR, or the CTS-V) and the Saabaru, we now see the Saabillac, a Cadillac based on the 9-3 platform. Sounds like the engines are pure Saab, too. No word on AWD, so it's likely FWD. It doesn't sound from this article like it's intended for the States.

http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=8120

[lemming]

if only GM could actually produce a car like the alfa GTA. despite being FWD, it's still pretty and fast.

i don't really see the point of saab anymore and they should just fold it into subaru so that subaru could have nice interiors and then the two companies could merge their turbo research.

i guess a lot of new englanders would argue with me about that.

[SteveM]

How about a Casaabillac.

I can just picture the tagline from their ad campaign:

Casaabillac - it's a melon, not a lemon!

[Rob]

I can't even begin to express how uninterested I am in that car. I think there is room for a smaller Cadillac, but it has to follow the pattern of success - rear wheel drive with a decent amount of power (just like BMW and Mercedes, although the power is a question for the Mercedes).

Frankly, I will be surprised if a fwd expensive car with a cadillac name on it sells any better in europe than any other fwd expensive car. This sounds like a disaster in the making to me. OF course, I know next to nothing about the market across the pond. Except that BMW and Mercedes make rwd cars.

[blee]

Well, at least it isn't as obviously rebadged as was the Cimarron. Maybe it'll sell, who knows.

[FC]

...rear wheel drive with a decent amount of power (just like BMW and Mercedes, although the power is a question for the Mercedes).

MB has been pretty quiet with power in their low-end vehicles recently. But people seem to love the new 3.5L V6, especially in the SLK application. That motor will soon appear on all curent 320 cars, including the C-class.

I still think that MB is not getting enough credit for putting out the SLK. C&D even hints at it being close to the Boxster S... for a lot less money.

I just found out that MB offers a sport suspension for $200 that C&D did not have in their comparo. I wonder how much of a difference it would have made.

[JST]

...rear wheel drive with a decent amount of power (just like BMW and Mercedes, although the power is a question for the Mercedes).

MB has been pretty quiet with power in their low-end vehicles recently. But people seem to love the new 3.5L V6, especially in the SLK application. That motor will soon appear on all curent 320 cars, including the C-class.

I still think that MB is not getting enough credit for putting out the SLK. C&D even hints at it being close to the Boxster S... for a lot less money.

I just found out that MB offers a sport suspension for $200 that C&D did not have in their comparo. I wonder how much of a difference it would have made.

C/D even revealed that there is a way to shut off the T/C in the SLK, which is good.

If the next-gen C has the driver's chops of the SLK, it will be quite a car. When is the next C due?

[FC]

...rear wheel drive with a decent amount of power (just like BMW and Mercedes, although the power is a question for the Mercedes).

MB has been pretty quiet with power in their low-end vehicles recently. But people seem to love the new 3.5L V6, especially in the SLK application. That motor will soon appear on all curent 320 cars, including the C-class.

I still think that MB is not getting enough credit for putting out the SLK. C&D even hints at it being close to the Boxster S... for a lot less money.

I just found out that MB offers a sport suspension for $200 that C&D did not have in their comparo. I wonder how much of a difference it would have made.

C/D even revealed that there is a way to shut off the T/C in the SLK, which is good.

If the next-gen C has the driver's chops of the SLK, it will be quite a car. When is the next C due?

My guess is that it is 2 years away. Maybe as a 2007 car.

It appears that the shitty electric gremlins are finally being addressed. MB is said to remove 600 functions form the E-class and do away with DBW brakes, etc. I think there is hope that 2006 and up models may have decent reliability.

FWIW, while true that MB has had a nightmare with electronics, the overwhelming majority of times are related to ridiculous options such as keyless go, panorama roofs, Navigation, distronic, etc. Their mechanicals and build quality seem great.

[Rob]

Maybe, but what is a ridiculous option to you is demanded by a lot of Mercedes customers (like panorama roofs and navigation). And the travesty that was the ML release didn't have anything to do with electronic gremlins. Well, maybe it did, but the majority of the problem is that the engineering on the car wasn't finished.

[FC]

Maybe, but what is a ridiculous option to you is demanded by a lot of Mercedes customers (like panorama roofs and navigation). And the travesty that was the ML release didn't have anything to do with electronic gremlins. Well, maybe it did, but the majority of the problem is that the engineering on the car wasn't finished.

True.

[ZBB]

BLS? What does that stand for "Boring Luxury Sedan"?

[lemming]

Maybe, but what is a ridiculous option to you is demanded by a lot of Mercedes customers (like panorama roofs and navigation). And the travesty that was the ML release didn't have anything to do with electronic gremlins. Well, maybe it did, but the majority of the problem is that the engineering on the car wasn't finished.

speaking of: how is your corvette-illac holding up?

[Rob]

So far, I have no complaints. The only time I experienced wheel hop was when I forced the issue as an experiment. My differential shows no signs of unhappiness. I recognized that the interior is somewhat plain by luxury car standards, but I didn't really buy it for luxury car standards (although I so like some of the luxury). It looks like Cadillac is making an active attempt to find a solution to the wheel hop issue. They are offering a 7 year 100k warranty on the rear drive line to appease people that have complained to the dealer and not received a satisfactory fix in the mean time.

It's just a blast to drive. It sounds good, it handles very well, and it has torque EVERYWHERE. The competition mode on the stability system lets you hang the back end out and still cuts in if you go too far (nice that it allows it at all) and the system can be turned completely off. Nobody expects this kind of ability out of a sleepy cadillac sedan, either. The look on people's faces as they are getting left in the dust can be priceless.

My only complaint right now (other than no rain sensing windshield wipers - :) ) is the seats are not great. They are great for long trips and they are very comfortable, but they are made to accomodate people of a much wider girth than myself. The suede inserts are sticky, but I would perfer a tighter bolster with more lateral support. Still . . . I can live with it, the wife is happy, we have four dours, and Magnusson makes a bolt on super charger when I get bored. Probably not cleared for CA emisions though.

[clyde]

CARB is dumb

[JST]

So far, I have no complaints. The only time I experienced wheel hop was when I forced the issue as an experiment. My differential shows no signs of unhappiness. I recognized that the interior is somewhat plain by luxury car standards, but I didn't really buy it for luxury car standards (although I so like some of the luxury). It looks like Cadillac is making an active attempt to find a solution to the wheel hop issue. They are offering a 7 year 100k warranty on the rear drive line to appease people that have complained to the dealer and not received a satisfactory fix in the mean time.

It's just a blast to drive. It sounds good, it handles very well, and it has torque EVERYWHERE. The competition mode on the stability system lets you hang the back end out and still cuts in if you go too far (nice that it allows it at all) and the system can be turned completely off. Nobody expects this kind of ability out of a sleepy cadillac sedan, either. The look on people's faces as they are getting left in the dust can be priceless.

My only complaint right now (other than no rain sensing windshield wipers - :) ) is the seats are not great. They are great for long trips and they are very comfortable, but they are made to accomodate people of a much wider girth than myself. The suede inserts are sticky, but I would perfer a tighter bolster with more lateral support. Still . . . I can live with it, the wife is happy, we have four dours, and Magnusson makes a bolt on super charger when I get bored. Probably not cleared for CA emisions though.

Have you done the !CAGS yet?

[lemming]

So far, I have no complaints. The only time I experienced wheel hop was when I forced the issue as an experiment. My differential shows no signs of unhappiness. I recognized that the interior is somewhat plain by luxury car standards, but I didn't really buy it for luxury car standards (although I so like some of the luxury). It looks like Cadillac is making an active attempt to find a solution to the wheel hop issue. They are offering a 7 year 100k warranty on the rear drive line to appease people that have complained to the dealer and not received a satisfactory fix in the mean time.

It's just a blast to drive. It sounds good, it handles very well, and it has torque EVERYWHERE. The competition mode on the stability system lets you hang the back end out and still cuts in if you go too far (nice that it allows it at all) and the system can be turned completely off. Nobody expects this kind of ability out of a sleepy cadillac sedan, either. The look on people's faces as they are getting left in the dust can be priceless.

My only complaint right now (other than no rain sensing windshield wipers - :) ) is the seats are not great. They are great for long trips and they are very comfortable, but they are made to accomodate people of a much wider girth than myself. The suede inserts are sticky, but I would perfer a tighter bolster with more lateral support. Still . . . I can live with it, the wife is happy, we have four dours, and Magnusson makes a bolt on super charger when I get bored. Probably not cleared for CA emisions though.

that wheel hop issue is so overrated. not sure many people actually take their V's to the dragstrip, anyway.

glad to hear that you haven't had any issues, mechanical or electronic, with the car. CAGS can usually be skipped if you goose the gas deeply enough.

:smile:

[Rob]

Have you done the !CAGS yet?

I installed the !CAGS plug from StealthV on day number 3. I ordered it the day I signed for the car. I live on a hill - when the car was cold and I was driving easy, it would force me into 4th gear on a 9% grade. Not good. I would have done it anyway though - CAGS is BS.

I did the driving light mod on day number 20 or so - it took that long for the part to arrive and I didn't want to risk the one in car without a spare in case I cut the wrong plug. Those huge yellow driving lights are ugly. Had to go.

lemming, it's true that most drivers will never see it or see it very rarely, but it's also true that most drivers would like to smoke the tires in a car like that every once in awhile. You really can't with the wheel hop. Well, some people can, but the one time I experimented I couldn't.

On the other hand, the tires are like $330 each, so it's probably just as well. Even replacements other than the Good Year SuperCars are $225 - $300 each. I might go with original pilot sports when these go bad. Or maybe Potenza RE050 if I want to keep runflats. I won't go with the stock tires, I don't think. Wear is supposed to be horrible.

[lemming]

Have you done the !CAGS yet?

I installed the !CAGS plug from StealthV on day number 3. I ordered it the day I signed for the car. I live on a hill - when the car was cold and I was driving easy, it would force me into 4th gear on a 9% grade. Not good. I would have done it anyway though - CAGS is BS.

I did the driving light mod on day number 20 or so - it took that long for the part to arrive and I didn't want to risk the one in car without a spare in case I cut the wrong plug. Those huge yellow driving lights are ugly. Had to go.

lemming, it's true that most drivers will never see it or see it very rarely, but it's also true that most drivers would like to smoke the tires in a car like that every once in awhile. You really can't with the wheel hop. Well, some people can, but the one time I experimented I couldn't.

On the other hand, the tires are like $330 each, so it's probably just as well. Even replacements other than the Good Year SuperCars are $225 - $300 each. I might go with original pilot sports when these go bad. Or maybe Potenza RE050 if I want to keep runflats. I won't go with the stock tires, I don't think. Wear is supposed to be horrible.

i wouldn't let JeSTer near your car, if i were you.

then we'd end up with two people with CTS-V's on this board.

LOL.

[Rob]

and that would be bad how? :lol:

[clyde]

The funny thing is this...

rwg has offered to let me drive his CTS-V when I'm in SD next month. What rwg doesn't know (and, PLEASE, no on tell him) is that I do not have a return plane ticket...becuase I will not need one... :shhh:

:cool:

[Rob]

It has On Star you know. You probably better disable that as soon as you get around the corner. :lol:

[blee]

It has On Star you know. You probably better disable that as soon as you get around the corner. :lol:

All that needs is careful use of a Ford wrench.