When spending big dollars on a Super Bowl ad buy, companies would do themselves well to remember that the successful spots aren't just the ones being talked about the next day. The ads that more eyeballs actually saw while watching the game were also worth their weight in focus groups.
For the second year in a row, General Motors is claiming that it aired the most watched ad during the most watched event in U.S. TV history. We are speaking of the 30-second spot entitled "Green Hell" featuring the Cadillac ATS that aired during the game's most tense moments, right after the official two-minute warning was reached. The time was 9:37 PM EST and, according to analysis by Kantar Media, more people were watching NBC's broadcast at that time than any other.
And since this year's Super Bowl was again viewed by another record audience - 111.3 million viewers in the U.S., not to mention over a billion worldwide - the ATS ad therefore becomes the most watched advertisement on television in U.S. history.
We said this is the second time that GM has claimed this crown. The first was with last year's Camaro commercial called "Miss Evelyn." To see the two most watched spots in U.S. television history back-to-back, just follow the jump.
Continue reading Cadillac ATS earns GM another Most Watched Ad Ever title
Motor Trend launched its new "Wide Open Throttle" news program on YouTube with a bombshell: "Cadillac Puts Hold on ATS Coupe." While it certainly gave us reason to click play, there's just one problem. The report - claiming that not just the coupe, but multiple ATS variants have been delayed or cancelled - may not be accurate.
Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell gave us the usual manufacturer disclaimer about not commenting on future product, but he did tell us, "There has been no recent radical shift in strategy" for the ATS. Reading between the lines, that either means an ATS coupe hasn't gotten past the idea stage, or that GM is still working hard at bringing us a two-door version of Caddy's BMW 3 Series fighter.
"On either end of the spectrum the reporting is inaccurate," Caldwell said, referring to those who have opined that Cadillac will launch several variants of the ATS sedan that comes to market later this year, including a coupe, a convertible, a wagon, and a shooting brake.
"We do plan to do variants," Caldwell told us. "We haven't yet called our shot of how we're going to execute that."
So what do we make of all this? We're pretty sure that we'll still see an ATS-V sedan, and perhaps that could be it for ATS models if the standard sedan is not well received. If sales take off, however, don't be surprised if Cadillac does move forward with at least one new bodystyle.
Click past the jump to watch the premiere episode of "Wide Open Throttle."
Continue reading Cadillac denies ATS Coupe development halted [w/video]
Town Car may be a nameplate still associated with Lincoln, but as any New Yorker will tell you, it's also a class of car and its application: large domestic luxury sedans used as chartered taxi cabs preferred by executives and highly valued professionals to get from one meeting to the next through Manhattan's notorious traffic. It's a market Lincoln itself is keen to retain, but with the demise of the Town Car as a model, it's pitching the MKT crossover for the application. Cadillac, however, is going with the XTS.
The top-end GM marque's new flagship sedan will be presented on February 13 at the upcoming International LCT (Limousine, Charter and Tour) Show at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. There, Cadillac will showcase the XTS W20 Livery Sedan Package, paving the way for extended-wheelbase and even sedan chassis to be made available sometime later this year.
So will Cadillac finally be able to leapfrog past longtime rival Lincoln in this vital market? Will the XTS prove the ultimate successor to the Town Car? Follow the jump for the full press release and cast your vote in the poll below.
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Continue reading Cadillac to show XTS town car at Vegas LCT show [w/poll]
Super Bowl Sunday is a scant six days away, which means you've got less than a week left to prepare yourself for the onslaught of advertising that will commence well before kick off. We're doing our part by showing you the car commercials ahead of time so you can use those commercial breaks for more important things like evacuating your bladder or refilling the salsa, not necessarily in that order.
Cadillac has developed an ad for the Super Bowl that will be 30 seconds in length and highlight its new ATS sedan, which debuted this month at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. Unlike every other Super Bowl commercial you're probably going to see, Cadillac's playing it straight with this one. There will be no humor, no overpaid celebrity endorsement and no sweepstakes on Facebook involved.
Instead, you'll just see real footage of the ATS being tested during its development in an inhospitable environment. No, it isn't footage of the ATS playing Peek-a-boo among the snow drifts of Scandinavia or arid dunes of Death Valley. Where this footage was shot was truly hell. Descend to the first circle after the jump.
Continue reading Cadillac's Super Bowl ad shows ATS in hell
One rear-drive coupe with over 500 horsepower would be enough for most automakers. But not General Motors. The biggest of the Detroit automakers just couldn't get by with what some rivals would put on a showroom turntable with more flood-lights than an ATF raid. That's why it makes the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and ZR1, the Camaro ZL1 and the Cadillac CTS-V. (And that's before we get into overseas products like the Holden Commodore GTS/Vauxhall VXR8.)
The question is, which one is best for burnouts? To bring us one step closer to the answer we all crave, our compatriots over at Inside Line took two such 500+hp GM super-coupes - the Z06 Centennial Edition and the CTS-V Coupe - down to the Streets of Willow for the fifth installment of their Burnout Super Test.
So, which of the General's eight-cylinder muscle machines laid down the longest strip of rubber? We won't spoil it for you, so follow the jump to watch the video clip and the link for the full article.
Continue reading Chevy Corvette Z06 Centennial goes head-to-head with Cadillac CTS-V Coupe in Burnout Super Test
Barrett-Jackson 2012, Camaro ZL1 vs Shelby GT500, Volkswagen says it's really #1, C7 Chevrolet Corvette
Episode #266 of the Autoblog Podcast is here with Chris, Dan, Zach and Drew Phillips this week. Topics include the Barrett-Jackson auction, smack talk from the Camaro ZL1 chief, Volkswagen disputing GM's claim of #1 in the world, and a C7 Corvette sighting. Your questions and comments power the end of the 'cast, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. We've embedded our Q&A module after the jump for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #266:
Barrett-Jackson 2012
Camaro chief says ZL1 will beat Shelby GT500
GM beats Volkswagen, or does it? And does it matter?
Chevrolet C7 Corvette spotted
In the Autoblog Garage
2012 Cadillac CTS-V Wagon
2012 Jeep Wrangler
2012 Nissan Rogue
2012 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL
Hosts: Dan Roth, Chris Shunk, Drew Phillips, Zach Bowman
Runtime: 01:07:43
Get the podcast
[UStream] Listen live on Mondays at 10PM Eastern at UStream
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes
[RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator
Long before the first U.S. soldier laid a boot on Iraq soil in the first Gulf War, General Motors planned to build a manufacturing facility in the country. According to The Detroit News, the years since haven't been entirely kind to the automaker's sales efforts in Iraq. That's no shock given America's reputation in the Middle East nation, but its prospects are beginning to look up. Whereas GM once trailed even Renault in sales, the company managed to move 35,000 vehicles last year. Not bad considering the entire new vehicle market in Iraq totaled just 115,000 in 2011.
GM's sales largely consisted of SUVs and pickup trucks (like the locally available version of the Colorado seen above), though The Detroit News notes that some Chevrolet and Cadillac sedans have sold as well, too. That's particularly impressive given that Iraqi drivers aren't required to have insurance and kidnappers in the country have been known to favor those who drive high-dollar luxury vehicles.
Cadillac is getting ready to launch the much anticipated rear-drive ATS and new flagship XTS this year. The Lincoln MKZ concept shown at this month's Detroit Auto Show was very well received, and will be followed by six more new and refreshed vehicles by 2014.
Earlier this year, General Motors CEO Dan Akerson told reporters he thought "holy water" should be sprinkled on the Lincoln brand. Ford's marketing chief Jim Farley dropped the "F" bomb on GM in Bill Vlasic's "Once Upon A Car" book, and says brands like Caddy, Lexus and BMW have become "big box" retailers.
AOL Autos Editor-in-Chief David Kiley, in his HuffingtonPost Grand Blvd. column, looks at whether the old rivalry between Caddy and Lincoln can be rekindled.
2013 Porsche Boxster, Detroit Show Editors' Choice, Chrysler/Fiat looking for a third, Nissan NY debut, VW beats Toyota
Episode #265 of the Autoblog Podcast is here with Chris, Dan, Zach and Chris Paukert this week. Topics include the 2013 Porsche Boxster, a discussion of the Editors' Picks from the Detroit Auto Show, a possible third partner for Chrysler and Fiat, a mystery debut in New York for Nissan, and Volkswagen beating Toyota in sales for 2011. Your questions and comments power the end of the 'cast, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. We've embedded our Q&A module after the jump for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #265:
VW beats Toyota
2013 Porsche Boxster
Big New York debut for Nissan?
Marchionne looking for yet another partner?
Editors' Choice from Detroit
In the Autoblog Garage
2012 Cadillac CTS-V Wagon
2012 Jeep Wrangler Sahara
2012 Cadillac SRX
2012 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ
Hosts: Dan Roth, Chris Shunk, Chris Paukert, Zach Bowman
Runtime: 01:31:13
Get the podcast
[UStream] Listen live on Mondays at 10PM Eastern at UStream
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes
[RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator
The unfortunate reality of a post-JFK, post-9/11 America means that our president needs to be hidden away from public view, and the details of his high-security transportation are just as hidden. But there was a time when the leader of the free world was paraded around for all to see, and for three presidents of these United States, this was the car in which they met their constituents.
Nicknamed the Queen Mary, this 1938 Cadillac V-16 President Convertible Parade Limousine was one of only two specially made for the White House (the other dubbed Queen Elizabeth), and was used by FDR, Truman and Eisenhower during their presidencies. Delivered on special order shortly after the introduction of Cadillac's second-generation sixteen-cylinder engine (which was smaller and lighter than its predecessor but delivered the same output), the Presidential Limousine's 165-inch wheelbase made it eleven inches longer than the already gargantuan production model.
After the end of WWII, as part of its routine maintenance, Cadillac replaced the sixteen-cylinder engines with V8s that were both more economical and easier to maintain. The cars were last used by President Eisenhower during his re-election campaign, after which longtime Cadillac dealer Jack Tallman, who witnessed the pair being rebuilt several times while visiting the factory, was offered the chance to purchase both cars. Tallman selected the Queen Mary for his collection, where it stayed for four decades. In 1999, the car was sold to one Al Wiseman, who showed it at Amelia Island in 2002 where it was awarded as the best original, unrestored vehicle.
It is now being offered for auction by the estate of John O'Quinn, its last owner, at the upcoming RM Auctions event in Arizona next week, where it is expected to fetch between $300,000 and $400,000. Have a closer look in the high-res image gallery and the detailed listing after the jump.
Continue reading 1938 Cadillac V16 convertible parades from White House to auction house
