Saturday, September 4, 2010

Dodge Challenger SRT10 Concept, 2008

Dodge Challenger SRT10 Concept, 2008




The opportunity for SRT engineering to "one-up" itself comes to fruition with the Dodge Challenger SRT10 Concept. Power for the car comes from the Dodge Viper 8.4-liter, all-aluminum V-10 engine with 600 horsepower and 560 lb. ft. of torque. It's a vehicle that delivers the well-known SRT credo of benchmark performance. The Dodge Challenger SRT10 Concept includes a fresh coat of Tornado Red paint with a carbon-fiber deck lid and hood.

The "shaker hood" is a nostalgic representation of the 1970 HEMI Cuda, giving the 600-hp Viper V-10 engine room to breathe. Brakes have been upgraded and BILSTEIN shocks at all four corners improve handling balance. The interior boasts sport seats and carbon-fiber accents throughout and, of course, true to the Viper-powered vehicle lineage, a red engine start push-button in the dash.
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Cadillac Escalade Platinum, 2008

Cadillac Escalade Platinum, 2008



Cadillac announced the introduction of the 2008 Escalade Platinum, a special edition of the segment-leading large luxury SUV that takes Cadillac's dramatic design, elegance and technology to its fullest expression.

Making its world premiere alongside the upcoming Escalade Hybrid, Cadillac announced the Platinum edition to market in the spring of 2008 as the most luxurious model in the Escalade lineup. It rounds out a full series of Cadillac Platinum models, including the XLR Roadster, DTS luxury sedan and STS performance sedan.

Advanced technologies
On Escalade and the extended-length Escalade ESV, the Platinum edition includes a blend of technical innovations and aesthetic enhancements. Escalade Platinum will be the world's first SUV to be equipped with Cadillac's advanced Magnetic Ride Control (MRC) technology.

Magnetic Ride Control, originally developed for performance vehicles such as the STS sedan, XLR Roadster and Chevrolet's legendary Corvette, is the world's fastest reacting suspension system and gives the Escalade Platinum more precise body motion control. It is a real-time damping system - "reading" the road in 1-milisecond intervals - that replaces conventional mechanical-valve shocks with electronically controlled shocks filled with a synthetic fluid containing minute iron particles. Under the presence of magnetic charge, the iron particles align to provide damping resistance almost instantly.

Segment-first, innovative LED headlamps
Escalade Platinum will be the first SUV - and one of the first vehicles of any kind - to offer Light Emitting Diode (LED) headlamps. Used previously only on concept vehicles or exotic sports cars, LED headlamps mark another step in Cadillac's application of advanced lighting technology and design.

LED headlamps emit a greatly more precise light pattern, while emulating the characteristics of natural daylight much more closely than traditional auto lighting. LEDs are environmentally friendly, using much less power and lasting more than 20 times longer than traditional halogen bulbs. LED headlamps will be an enhancement added to the Escalade Platinum in the summer of 2008, shortly after the start of production of the Platinum model itself in the spring of 2008.

Dramatic exterior, elegant interior
Escalade Platinum elevates the already-dramatic design of Escalade. The exterior features a unique front fascia and grille patterned after Cadillac's acclaimed and hot-selling CTS sport sedan. The Platinum includes unique 22-inch wheels and wears exclusive Platinum exterior badges.

The cabin is the latest example of Cadillac's 21 st-century return to handcrafted luxury details. The instrument panel, center storage console and door trim are wrapped and stitched by hand. They feature decorative French seams that convey an elegantly tailored look and feel. Materials include rich leather on the instrument panel, with unique wood inlays and aluminum trim.

Aniline leather is unique to the Escalade Platinum and is used to trim the first- and second-row seats. Contrasting-color stitching is used on the French seams for a distinctive, luxurious appearance and the seat backs feature embroidered Cadillac wreath and crest insignias. The leather-covered seats are comfortable and convenient, with the industry-exclusive power fold-and-tumble second-row seat feature that eases access to the third-row seat.

Standard interior features include Platinum-specific door sills and floor mats, a heated steering wheel and heated and cooled cup holders and a power lift gate that opens and closes with the touch of a button.

The DVD entertainment system adds screens integrated into each front seat headrest, in addition to the existing roof mounted screen. Each front-row headrest screen has its own driver and input controls. The headrest units can be operated independently or in tandem. The system enables passengers in different seats to watch or listen to different entertainment choices, while leaving ultimate control with the driver. Escalade Platinum models will include the acclaimed Bose 5.1 Digital Surround system, as well as the eight-inch touch screen for DVD-based navigation and control of the DVD, CD, MP3 and XM Satellite radio entertainment.

Power
Platinum models are powered by the Escalade's exclusive 6.2L V-8 rated at 403 horsepower (301 kW) and 417 lb.-ft. of torque (565 Nm). It is an all-aluminum engine that uses variable valve timing (VVT) to optimize camshaft timing to improve low-rpm torque and high-rpm horsepower. The introduction of variable valve timing through the unique, dual-equal cam phaser is the industry's first application of VVT on a mass-produced V-8 overhead-valve engine.

A Hydra-Matic 6L80 6-speed automatic transmission is matched with the 6.2L engine. One of the industry's most advanced automatics, the 6L80 features clutch-to-clutch shifting and has a wide, 6.04:1 overall ratio - including two overdrive gears - that helps deliver an excellent balance of performance and fuel economy.
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Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept, 2008

Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept, 2008




Industry awards and brisk sales, Cadillac CTS has moved into the vanguard of contemporary design. In doing so, Cadillac designers faced the question of what to do next. Their answer celebrates that design legacy with the exhilarating Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept, which premiered at the 2008 North American International Auto Show.

The Cadillac CTS Coupe takes Cadillac's acclaimed Art and Science design language and adds more of both. More expressive, more technical and very personal, the Cadillac CTS Coupe extends the dramatic design of its sedan predecessor with all-new sculpted bodywork aft of the front fenders.

The Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept has a classic 2+2 interior layout, highlighted by black leather and Alcantara microfiber trim that is complemented by yellow ochre-colored seat inserts and leather stitching. It is designed to accommodate a range of engines for the global luxury market, including Cadillac's popular 3.6L Direct Injection V-6, as well as a new 2.9L turbo-diesel currently in development.

Generated from the spark of the CTS design team's imagination, the Cadillac CTS Coupe casts a profile unlike anything else on the road. Its fast-rake styling - it has the same wheelbase as the CTS, but an overall height that is approximately four inches (101 mm) shorter - blends with hand-sculpted bodywork that bulges around the wheels, giving the vehicle a ready-to-pounce stance that is dramatic, powerful and sleek.

A design gem
Among the Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept's signature design cues are a number of elements that suggest the look of a carefully cut diamond - particularly at the rear. These elements are seen in everything from the chrome header above the rear license plate holder to the indents that comprise the basic form of the rear fascia.

The Cadillac CTS Coupe shares only the instrument panel, console, headlamps, front fenders and grille with the production model:
  • Classic hardtop styling, with no B-pillar
  • CTS production windshield laid at a faster angle to create a sleeker profile
  • Chrome, split seven-spoke wheel design; 20-inch front wheels and 21-inch rear wheels
  • Sculpted lower front fascia with unique brake-cooling vents
  • Slim-profile outside mirrors
  • XLR-type hidden door handles with proximity remote opening
  • Unique front fender vents
  • Diamond-cut rear fascia with mesh lower grilles and center-outlet exhaust
  • Taillamps with a subtle fin profile and are highlighted with LED lighting technology with light pipes
  • Rear spoiler integrated into the center high-mounted stop lamp
  • Sculpted roof-mounted antenna for OnStar, XM Satellite Radio.
The surfaces of Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept are complex, inviting careful inspection. The rear fenders, for example, were sculpted by hand in the design studio until they provided a perfect, muscular form that wrapped tightly over the wheels. At the top, the rear fenders are beveled - owing to the diamond-cut theme - and become part of a horizontal plane that runs from the leading edge of the tail lamps and merges into the roof.
Personal passenger environment
A classic 2+2 interior environment enhances the Cadillac CTS Coupe's personal feel. It shares the hand cut-and-sewn instrument panel and center console with the CTS, but features unique front and rear seats, a continuous console running between the front and rear seats, and custom door panels.

Custom-trimmed sport seats from Recaro are located in all four positions. They support the grand-touring nature of the car and are covered in rich, black and suede-like microfiber material, with yellow ochre-colored inserts. The yellow ochre color provides dramatic contrast with the black surrounding trim, but is a subdued hue consistent with the interior's overall feeling of refinement. Yellow ochre stitching also is used throughout, including the seats, instrument panel, shifter knob and more.

Black microfiber fabric covers the front armrest, as well as an armrest located between the rear seats. The armrests are part of a continuous console that stretches from the instrument panel to rear seats. Carbon-fiber trim accents the console. The interior also features ambient lighting throughout, creating a distinctive environment at night.

The CTS Coupe Concept's interior is home to a host of technologies, including a premium Bose audio system, 40-gigabyte hard drive and XM Satellite Radio. On Star with Turn-by-Turn Navigation enhances the vehicle's on board navigation system, which - like the CTS - features a screen that rises out of the center of the instrument panel.

Performance-bred powertrain and suspension systems
As is the case with its design, the Cadillac CTS Coupe extends the acclaimed capabilities of the sedan in terms of performance technology. This includes the capability to support a broad engine range of gasoline and diesel engines.

The Cadillac CTS Coupe, of course, ascertains the sedan's 3.6L V-6 engines, including the 304-horsepower (227 kW) Direct Injection power plant. The Coupe Concept also is designed for a new 2.9L turbo-diesel being developed for international markets. This new engine, tailored for use in the CTS, will deliver an estimated 250 horsepower (184 kW) and 406 lb.-ft. of torque (550 Nm).

A six-speed manual transmission backs the engine, sending torque to an independently sprung rear axle. The CTS Coupe's sport-tuned suspension gives it a slightly lower ride height than a production CTS - a look enhanced by the car's rakish shape and large, 20-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels.

Behind the chrome, split-spoke, aluminum alloy wheels is a set of high-performance brakes, featuring cross-drilled rotors. Six-piston calipers clamp down on the front rotors, while four-piston calipers grab the rear rotors. All of the rotors have a distinctive, yellow-painted finish.

CADILLAC CTS Coupe CONCEPT SPECIFICATIONS
  • Vehicle type: two-door, four-passenger rear-wheel-drive coupe
  • Wheelbase (in / mm): 113.4 / 2880
  • Length (in / mm): 187 / 4750
  • Width (in / mm): 73.6 / 1870
  • Height (in / mm): 54.7 / 1390
  • Track (in / mm): 61.8 / 1570 (front); 62 / 1575 (rear)
  • Powertrain: 2.9L turbo-diesel; six-speed manual transmission
  • Suspension: four-wheel independent: MacPherson strut front; multilink rear, progressive rate coil springs, monotube shock absorbers
  • Brakes: four-wheel disc; crossed-drilled rotors
  • Wheels: cast aluminum; 20-in front, 21-in rear

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