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smk4565

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Everything posted by smk4565

  1. smk4565
    The steering wheel is the same as the one used in the Impala, with a piece of wood glued on. If they cut corners on the thing you touch the most, you gotta wonder about the rest of the car. I think the Continental is more impressive than this. The CT6 looks like a big CTS with tacky lights. If the Continental ends up front wheel drive that will be what kills it, if the Continental is rear drive, I like it more than the CT6.
  2. smk4565
    I like it, I hope it looks close to that, obviously the production car won't have 21 inch wheels, probably 18 standard and maybe a 19 or 20 optional, but too big of wheels can make a car look odd.
  3. smk4565
    The grille reminds me a bit of a Jaguar, but Jags are good looking cars, so I guess they are a good car to copy. Overall I like it. It looks good inside and out, looks expensive, Ecoboost engine seems to be standard, so all around quite good and I like the Lincoln emblem shapes in the grille. I also love that they are using the Continental name. I heard this is probably a FWD or AWD car though, if that is the case it will be no better than an Acura RLX, which is lame. Hopefully they don't destroy a good design by building it on the Taurus platform.
  4. smk4565
    Formula 1 is the highest form or Motorsport and Mercedes is the best at it right now although Ferrari got a win over them today. But the point was made how the torque is more usable on the 2.0T engine, all I am saying is you can tune a naturally aspirated V6 to make peak torque in the 3000-3500 rpm range. BMW non turbo engines used to be pretty good at that. I would think Cadillac could get more usable torque from the V6 than they can get from the 2.0t if they wanted to. Thus no need for the 2.0t CTS.
  5. smk4565
    So engineer the V6 to make peak torque at 3,500-5,300 rpm, as the Mercedes V6 does. My car is naturally aspirated and makes peak torque at 2800 rpm. The problem with Infiniti and Cadilllac is they set their engines to make max power at 7,000 rpm and max torque over 5,000, which is pointless for everyday driving, but they probably want to be able to put 330 hp in an advertisement. And I am saying make the 3.6 V6 the value engine in the $45-50k CTS, make the new twin-turbo 3.0 the main line engine in the CTS that sell in the 50-60k range that competes with the 535i and A6 and E350/E400. The ATS-V 460 hp engine could still be used in a V-sport CTS at $65k, which would be like their S6 or 550i competitor, and the V-series obviously above that. CT6 should have a base turbo-diesel V6, 275 hp, 440 lb-ft, 8-speed and 40 mpg highway, 3.0 TT V6 with 400 hp , plug-in hybrid TT V6 and a twin turbo V8 with plug-in hybrid. The same engine line would work in a CT8 with a V12 added at the top. For economies of scale, the twin turbo V12 for the CT8 flagship could also be used in a mid-engine Cadillac super car with 200+ mph top speed and 0-60 under 3.0 seconds. This would be ultimate GM sports car competing with the Lamborghini Hurcan and Ferrari 488, the Corvette would stay front engine rear drive in the $50-100k range.
  6. smk4565
    Every corporation is in business to make money. If you don't turn a profit, you need to file bankruptcy and get a government bailout.
  7. smk4565
    Europe is a tough nut to crack, they could sell CTS-V's for 30,000 Euro and the E-class and 5-series would probably still crush it in sales. Europeans don't want an American car, so they could have to build something so spectacular to blow people away, then put in a dealer network. The barriers to entry are huge.
  8. smk4565
    To be better and give the customer more power. The 2.0T has only a 1 mpg advantage over the 3.6 V6, if the V6 is getting an improvement in fuel economy, then that advantage is gone. Most V6s are getting 30 mpg highway, which is all the Cadillac 4-cylinder gets. The 2.0T is good for the base ATS because the C300, 328i and A4 have a turbo 4. I see the CTS more in the spot of the Infiniti Q50, you have to give the customer more to get some sales. The Lexus GS and E-class have standard V6s also, as does the Acura RLX is you want to call that a competitor, it is about CTS size and price.
  9. smk4565
    BMW might feel tight, but Daimler just had it's 3 most profitable years in company history, they don't need BMW's help. Daimler already has a partnership with the Nissan/Renault alliance, so some engineering work and parts sharing goes on there. BMW probably could use an ally, but Daimler already had one.
  10. smk4565
    If the 3.6 is not your cup of tea... there is going to be a 400 hp 3.0TT offered in the CT6. It says so right in the article...I know because I wrote it. What's the problem with having choices? The ATS should be 2.0T base, 3.6 V6 optional, that 2.5 liter should be gone. CTS could probably start with the 3.6 V6 base, the 2.0T isn't getting that big of a fuel economy advantage, so might as well dump it. If the CT6 is supposed to compete with the big boys, it should have the 3.0 TT V6 standard, and a 4.0 TT V8 optional. I like choices when they are good choices, or when a diesel engine or hybrid is a choice. Not when you get to pick from the Malibu's 4-banger, a 2.0 turbo or a V6 with no torque below 4,000 rpm.
  11. smk4565
    The diesel S-class had 455 lb-ft and gt 31 mpg, that was a good engine, but it is gone. The other V6 is in the plug in hybrid S-class, but that car also has 436 hp/479 lb-ft and should be best in segment fuel economy. They aren't putting NA V6's with 280 lb-ft of torque in an American market S-class. I think the new inline sixes will end up in an S450 base model for the American market. In Europe they can do whatever they want, because they dominate the segment so much, and there is almost zero American or Japanese competition there.
  12. smk4565
    That cross coupe concept looked cool, but I have a hard time believing they are going to do bolder designs. They have made nothing but boring for a long time. Their last breakthrough design was the Beetle in the 1940s.
  13. smk4565
    They may have added start/stop and cylinder shutdown to the V6, but that stuff has been around a while on other car. Even if Cadillac is making the best naturally aspirated V6 of all time, you can get a 3.5-3.6 liter V6 in an Accord, Camry, minivan, Traverse/Colorado, Impala/Lacrosse, Charger/300/200, Altima/Maxima, Taurus/MKZ/Explorer, etc, etc. That sort of engine is so common. At the price point of an ATS it doesn't matter, a 335 hp V6 with 280 lb-ft is enough power for that size car, and Japanese competition has a worse V6 than that. Get into the CT6 size and prize range and that NA V6 is a knife in a gun fight. This is why Infiniti and Acura struggle to cross $50k, and the Lexus GS has sold like crap for the past 15 years, even when offering a V8 for the price of the German sixes. You need something special to sell cars at $70,000+
  14. smk4565
    They never got to sharing V12s, Mercedes until this year had the SOHC 5.5 liter V12, BMW a DOHC 6.0 liter, and lots of the industry sources the same parts. It isn't like BMW and Merceres are co-developing cars, why would you want to help your biggest rival? This is shaping up to be the best E-class ever, the current car suffered with a couple years of the 268 hp V6 in 2010-2011, and now the 302 hp V6 is old news as well. Finally the E-class will have class leading horsepower and torque and the only 9-speed transmission in the segment. It should be the fuel economy champion as well, because no one can touch their diesel mpg. The S-class inspired interior will fix the other problem of the boring interior. The technology, build quality, ride quality and safety of the E-class is already there.
  15. smk4565
    The 3.5 is not turbo, that is the V6 they have had since 2012 model year. This is a mid-cycle refresh of the ML, so when the new one comes around 2018 I'd imagine the inline engines would replace the V6s.
  16. smk4565
    But the CTS competes with the 5-series, isn'tt the CT6 supposed to compete with a 7-series? What we really need to see is how the CT6 is priced. Cadillac was selling the 3.6 liter V6 in a $40,000 CTS in 2008, I can't imagine people 7 years later wanting to pay $70,000 for a car with the same engine. Unless they price this car cheap, but Cadillac wants to price like Germans do, so I doubt the CT6 hits the market at $55k.
  17. smk4565
    Mercedes and BMW don't share anything, they are competitors. The inline 6 does save Mercedes money in manufacturing and development cots. Inline sixes have always been better, it is just that most cars and SUVs now are front wheel drive and need a V6 for packaging reasons. RWD > FWD I-6 > V6
  18. smk4565
    The Atlas engines would have made even more economic sense if they were in cars and not just the Colorado and SUVs. But when the GMT360s died in favor of FWD crossovers, there was no point to an inline six anymore. Mercedes moved away from the inline six during the Daimler-Chrysler cost cutting days of the late 90s, it was easier to chop down their V8 into a V6 and call it a day. The straight six is the superior engine, but circumstances, packaging and bean counters have made it nearly extinct. I'm glad Mercedes is going back to it.
  19. smk4565
    Because most manufacturers want an engine they can put in a FWD car. Thus they need a square that can go either way. BMW and Mercedes don't ever need to transverse mount a six cylinder engine. Inline six doesn't need a balance shaft, an inline 8 would be too long. This move streamlines engine design, production and parts for economies of scale. The 2.0 inline 4 and 3.0 inline six share something like 75% of their parts, pair two inline 4's for the 4.0 V8. So the accountants are happy with the economies of scale to lower costs, the engineers are happy that they get smooth running inline sixes. This is the advantage that BMW and Mercedes have, because Toyota, GM or VW can't copy their strategy. Because for GM or Toyota to do it would mean no more V6 engine, so every Chevrolet, Buick and Toyota sedan and crossover would have an inline four, while only larger SUVs and RWD luxury cars would have room under hood for a straight six.
  20. smk4565
    I have a DOHC engine that is N/A and peak torque is 2800-4800 rpm, relatively low and flat curve. If you don't go to the Honda VTEC school of engineering, you can make a DOHC engine make torque.
  21. smk4565
    The really big news is the speculation of the quad-turbo inline six, that makes over 400 hp in gas or diesel versions and the torque numbers are over 550. I really like this move back to the inline six, because they used to make some good ones in the 80s and 90s, and inline sixes are well balanced. Plus it makes manufacturing easier when the inline four and inline six share common parts, and it drives up the economies of scale. I personally like the look of the 2010-2013 E-class, it is starting to look a bit too similar in front to the C-class now, I hope they have a 4 light set up even if it is one piece of plastic covering 4 bulbs, the overall shape of the new E-class looks good. The current car has a boring interior, the new car looks like it will fix that with some more curvy and flowing design, rather than the T-square and ruler designed dash they have now. I think sometimes people forget this is the bread and butter Mercedes product. Yes the S-class is the flagship, the SL has been the icon, but the E-class globally is probably their best seller over the past 30-40 years. It is sort of the glue that holds the brand together, and it seems like they are going all out for the new model.
  22. smk4565
    Rumor is the new E-class has a quad-turbo inline six that in gas form makes 367to 435 hp and as much as 553 lb-ft, and in diesel form makes 313 to 400 hp and 516 lb-ft to 627 lb-ft of torque. They are bringing a pretty big gun to the fight, Cadillac may want to rethink that 3.6 V6 and just make the 400 hp engine standard.
  23. smk4565
    Bankruptcy/bailout was 6 years ago, it takes 4 usually to design a car. The cars coming for 2016 and beyond would have been started after the bailout. Cadillac is obviously better off than Lincoln or Acura, and it is good that they are trying to go up the luxury ladder. I am curious how the CT6 turns out. I am just skeptical that they can pull it off, because they haven't really beat the imports in the $35-50,000 price range, going to $75,000+ or so where the imports dominate is like putting a Cadillac on sale in Europe and seeing what happens.
  24. smk4565
    So this is another stop gap product? This is Cadillac's problem, the savior vehicle is always 5 years away. This is shaping up to be a pricier XTS.
  25. smk4565
    That is what I meant, cabin noise levels at highway speeds. Engine noise isn't a problem in most of these cars because the V8 cars don't really need to rev much past 2500 rpm for every day driving, and even a lot of these turbo sixes make a lot of low end torque.
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