The concept stretches just over six inches longer than the CT6, the company’s current flagship, leading us to believe this may be Cadillac’s answer to the Teutonic luxury competition currently dominating the niche — the Audi A8, BMW 7 Series, and Mercedes S-Class.

Although maintaining a predominately angular design language, the silhouette has been softened to create a more finessed form. Sweeping, yet still angular chromed vents aft of the front wheels correlate with massive front scoops below the grille, and all the elements work together with accents at the back of the massive windows to visually stretch the vehicle. While the front lights unmistakably draw from the current generation Camaro, they balance aggression with elegance in a minimalist and understated way.

The name Escala might draw from the existing luxury SUV Escalade model, yet it’s also meant to be suggestive of the nature of the car and its position as Cadillac’s luxury flagship. The concept is powered by a 4.2-liter twin-turbo engine, designed for cylinder deactivation to reduce the consumption of the V-8.

Stunning screens make use of relatively new OLED technology, making for a familiar, yet modernized, interior which should be comfortable to the existing Cadillac customer, yet engaging and contemporary enough to attract new buyers. Buyers like you and me.

The post Truly Lust-Worthy: The Escala is the Cadillac You’ll Want Next Year appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

As silly as the names sounds, the current QX50 is actually rather good. Mostly because it utilizes Nissan’s “FM” platform, i.e. the front-mid-engine configuration. To give you an idea of how capable the QX50 is, all we have to do is say that the underpinnings of the QX50 are the same as those found in the Q50 and more importantly, the 370Z. The FM platform positions the engine in the front of the car, but behind the front axle, effectively giving it that front-mid-engine layout we talked about. This means that the weight distribution is about as perfect as it can get with a front-engined vehicle. The setup uses control arms at the front and a multilink rear setup. None of this has been lost in the transition from a sporty sedan or coupe such as the 370Z or Q50 to the QX50. This effectively means that you’re getting a proper sporty vehicle wrapped into a large SUV-shaped body.

The VQ engines from Nissan have always been powerful and rather charismatic, even if at times they seemed a bit rough. The VQ37VHR which is now under the hood of the QX has 3.7 liters and it develops 325 hp, despite the fact that it’s an “old-school” engine. We say that because it lacks forced induction (turbocharging) and direct fuel injection. What you do get however is immediate throttle response because there’s nothing holding the engine back. Just like in its lower, more sedan and coupe-shaped cousins, the QX50 has the engine mounted longitudinally and power is sent to the rear wheels.

If it does have one major drawback, it would have to be the seven-speed automatic gearbox. It’s okay for normal use, but the lack of paddle shifters and the relatively slow shift times (compared to new autos) make it a pain in the… We can’t fault the transmission since it is around seven years old, but we can fault Infiniti for not fitting anything newer in it.

The 2016 QX50 can hit 60 mph in around 5.8 seconds and it will run the quarter mile in around 14 seconds. Fuel economy is appalling (17/24 mpg for city/highway respectively). It is a large and powerful SUV however, and we can’t say we didn’t expect that.

In short, if you want a genuinely sporty SUV you won’t find anything better this side of a Porsche Macan, and we all know how much more expensive that is. For what it is, the QX50 is one of our favorites. The interior is luxurious and plush, and we can’t argue with the monstrous engine. A great buy if you’re in the market for a car like the QX50.

The post The Infiniti SUV With the 350Z’s Engine appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

The standard ATS received strong praises for its excellent driving dynamics, but the ATS-V takes the game a few levels up. It’s built on GM’s lightweight Alpha platform (a platform which will be shared with the next-gen Camaro). It’s a rear wheel drive platform and as you can imagine, it’s reserved for sport sedans and coupes. The engine powering the ATS-V is a 3.6 liter V6 strapped with two turbochargers, developing 464 horsepower and 445 pound-feet of torque. We think that a V8 can fit under the hood but for obvious reasons (the CTS-V), they didn’t do that. As far as transmissions go, you have two choices: a fast eight-speed auto and a six-speed manual. We’ll take the six-speed manual thank you very much.

The coupe version is slightly lighter than the sedan, and naturally the manual is slightly lighter than the auto. However, that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily faster. A manual coupe can hit 60 mph in 4.2 seconds from a dig, while an automatic CTS-V sedan will hit the same target in a blistering 3.7 seconds. It’s the same story with the quarter mile. A manual coupe does it in 12.6 seconds at 114.2 mph while a heavier automatic sedan will do it in 12.1 at 116.2 mph.

At the end of the day, does that really matter however? Well, if you want to brag and are into numbers then yes, otherwise no. We love manuals, and we can’t recommend an automatic when there’s a manual option. However, in the case of the ATS-V, it isn’t that simple. The manual is more involving and slightly more fun, but it can also be more frustrating. It’s not one of those buttery smooth, fluid manuals. It’s notchy and sometimes not that cooperative. It will at times annoy you but to be honest, an automatic will annoy us almost all of the time just because you can’t shift gears yourself. Despite the drawback, we’d go for the manual but you have to test drive both for yourself and only make up your mind after.

The handling is, like we said, superb. You get the feeling that this is a sports car first and a luxury second, while it’s the opposite with the Germans. Would we recommend it, even with the current offering of M3/M4, C63s and RS4s? Absolutely. The ride is supple and comfortable when you want it to, and stiff without body roll when you need it to be. The engine is a true powerhouse but it lacks in personality much like the M3’s engine does. That’s an issue the C63 does not have. This is a decision you’re going to have to make with your heart.

Don’t think over it too much. Choose which one makes you happy. That way you’ll be able to live with the drawbacks without regretting your purchase. Whatever you buy, you can’t go wrong. Just make sure to get the one which makes you flutter inside, otherwise you’ll regret it someday.

The handling is, like we said, superb. You get the feeling that this is a sports car first and a luxury second, while it’s the opposite with the Germans. Would we recommend it, even with the current offering of M3/M4, C63s and RS4s? Absolutely. The ride is supple and comfortable when you want it to, and stiff without body roll when you need it to be. The engine is a true powerhouse but it lacks in personality much like the M3’s engine does. That’s an issue the C63 does not have. This is a decision you’re going to have to make with your heart. Don’t think over it too much. Choose which one makes you happy. That way you’ll be able to live with the drawbacks without regretting your purchase. Whatever you buy, you can’t go wrong. Just make sure to get the one which makes you flutter inside, otherwise you’ll regret it someday.

The post American Exceptionalism in the Cadillac ATS-V appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

Known as Model 16610 to the afflicted, the Submariner was and is equal parts quality construction and marketing genius. Originally created and sold in 1953 at the bequest of Rolex Director Rene P. Jeanneret, who himself was an amateur diving enthusiast, the timepiece quickly found it’s way into the hands of Jacque Cousteau. Developed to withstand depths of 100 meters – an unprecedented feat at the time – and featuring several features designed for underwater use, Rolex made sure the watch was on messeur Cousteau’s wrist for his Oscar-winning and populace captivating film The Silent World.

With this advertising win under their belts, Rolex quickly pursued other leading men, real or imaginary, to throw it’s newfangled sports watch on. Sean Connery’s 1962 Bond performance in Dr. No needs no introduction here, but the Submariner was also provided to the British Navy and explorer Thor Heyerdal of Kon-Tiki fame.

Over the decades, Rolex has continually updated the Submariner both technically and aesthetically. Now available in a kaleidoscope of colors and materials, the classic Sub is also now good for depths up to a laughable 300 meters – three times the depth it originally started at.

From technical achievement in dive depth and ease of use through a wetsuit, to product placement on the wrists of tastemakers and heartthrobs the world over, Submariner has become a fashion mainstay and an easy way to proclaim your arrival at Success. Despite the fact that cheap quartz timepieces are undoubtedly more accurate day to day, a minute lost here or there is a small price to pay to carry such a legacy on your wrist.

The post History of the Rolex Submariner appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

First and foremost, let’s deal with the teutonic elephant in the room. The BMW 3 Series has ruled the small luxury sedan market almost from its creation. This is the champion, the king, the yard stick. Every new lux sedan is compared to it, and almost always found wanting. I’m telling you right now, the new Cadillac ATS meets it’s German rival head-on and matches it blow for blow. While I won’t declare a victor between them, for my money the Caddy has heaps more style and personality both inside and out.

And inside and out this car is a delight. Styling is always subjective, but if you don’t like how this car looks you’re wrong. That’s fact. From the cool light of the LEDs to the sharp creases of the body, the ATS oozes modernity. Inside you’re greeted with an interior that is equal parts luxury and anti-German – gray on gray on black is banished for blonde leather and walnut wood. There’s color here, and character; haven’t seen that in this segment for a while…

From style to substance, let’s move to how the metal drives. She’s a heavy machine at 3411 (although its the lightest in it’s class of porkers), but she moves when you want her to. Thank 272hp from the 2.0T that came in my test car. The turbo does have some mild lag though, just when I thought modern cars were doing away with that evil sensation. I can readily attest to this rear wheel drive(!) Caddy’s  ability, and even willingness, to carve a mountain road. Let’s just say I sufficiently bothered a 90’s Porsche 911 up the sinewy Angeles Crest Highway to make him pull over and let me buy. And he was trying. Imagine traveling back in time to the 90s, and telling a Porsche owner that in 25 years a Cadillac would be giving him a run for his money. Utterly unthinkable at the time of Fleetwoods and DeVilles.

Finally, there’s the luxury this car just exudes. Interior, exterior, anterior, posterior – doesn’t matter. The whole vehicle screams “I’ve got disposable income!” like only it’s rival’s have before. Chalk it up to the fact that I receive so many new cars to review, but I’d rather give credit where credit is due. At one point during my week with the ATS, I walked straight up to a 3 series and tried to open the door because I thought it was the Caddy. I just had to stop and smile for a moment at that one. So they’ve done it. They’ve created a machine that toe-to-toe competes for the BMW 3 Series’ crown. Congratulations General Motors, you’ve made a believer out of me. Now get me an ATS-V to test!

The post Rightful Heir to The Throne: Cadillac ATS appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

Over and over “This is a Kia?” as he looked around, twisting left and right, running his hands over the surfaces and, from what I can gather, trying to find the ‘cheap’ that is associated with the brand.  But he didn’t find it, instead sitting back down with his jaw slightly dropped as he took the whole picture in.  Here was a vehicle, from the first glance to the ride over the next day, that completely ruined the idea that luxury had to be expensive.

This feeling of amazement was shared over and over, and even as I drove it, I found more features that just fell in love with.  But there was something that stuck out to me; everything was familiar.  I had seen almost every element before in one car or another.  And it was this point that I realized I was looking at the brazen attempt to bring the amazing elements that make up other cars into one single vehicle.  The technology and features I personally love in Audi, BMW, Lexus, and Mercedes all sat in front of me, packaged together seamlessly.  Brazen, yes, but even more so, genius to me.

Here is a car that does not hide the fact that there are reverse engineered ideas built in.  Here was a car, that from the very start, was designed and built to shake up the luxury car market, and just as my friend reacted, bring out that kind of reaction in others.  And as I drove it, I found myself looking for the inspiration of each piece, and here is what I’ve figured.  The MMI and AC controls are clearly Audi, the gearshift is BMW, the seat controls are Mercedes, while the seats and overall body shape have a Lexus look.  The cluster and design elements in the hood, headlight,  and grill are Jaguar, and the back seats controls are Audi as well. The glass panoramic roof is amazing, and most companies do it now.  The few items clearly Kia were the leather options and the steering wheel design, while little trim pieces here and there stood out in a fairly unique manner

I am not saying it was the perfect looking car, as the wheels and some of the fake chrome pieces stood out like a sore thumb to me, but I couldn’t help looking back at it time and time again as I would walk away.  That says something to me.

Driving wise, the car was quiet.  I mean amazingly quiet, and even at higher speeds on the rough roads of Colorado construction, it just seemed to glide over every bump.  Even at a mile high, the naturally aspirated motor had no problems with the climbs of the mounts, accelerating off the line, or keeping up with the standard flow of traffic.  While lacking a bit compared to the cars it was going against in the power range, it is more than enough for a 4 door sedan, and the V8 was surprisingly efficient for a vehicle this size, showing an average MPG of 21 even as I drove it fairly defensively.

So what’s the word on the 2014 Kia K900 VIP?  Well, I love it.  Other loved it.  And even as an Audi fan myself, I sat and thought to myself about how I could have one of these in my garage.  This is not the car to make a massive financial statement by any means, but it has the presence to turn heads and be desirable.  And for the price, while high for a Kia, feature vs. feature, it has proven that the market can be shaken up a bit.  The 10 year warranty included, it might just be the best buy you can make if you’re looking for a full sized luxury sedan with all the bells and whistles.

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It’s been four hours, and I’ve got another eight to go. I’m headed north somewhere in the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains in Virginia, driving along the east coast from Atlanta, Georgia to Princeton, New Jersey in BMW’s latest mid-sized sedan. The cruise control is set at 100mph, and has been for the past half hour and the car is averaging just under 30mpg. Like nearly everything BMW has produced in the past five years, this car is an exercise in over-engineered precision. Even with the speeds firmly fixed among triplets on the speedometer, the car is almost completely silent and remarkably compliant. Imperfections in the road surface disappear under the chassis like interstate landmarks in the vehicles rear view mirror.

As the miles wear on, the heavily weighted steering continues to inspire confidence as I negotiate the gentle mountainous curves at triple digit speeds. In spite of the hilly terrain, the ample torque from the twin turbo charged straight six and the intelligently controlled six speed transmission keep the car calm and relaxed even when the landscape would force a downshift in lesser vehicles. Without the slightest hint of perspiration in my palms, the thick rimmed steering wheel is comfortable, and its spoke mounted controls make finding entertainment on my long journey fast and easy.

It occurs to me, as I near northern Virginia that I am in the heart of NASCAR country, and although my autobahn inspired German chariot lacks the thunderous V8 soundtrack, the 320ft-lbs from the sequentially operated turbos ensure passing in traffic is a mere breath on the accelerator away. It’s upon entering the state of New Jersey that the 5 Series really begins to come into its own. Even over the apparently cobblestone constructed roadway disaster and perpetual construction nightmare that is the New Jersey turnpike, the car remains comfortable and composed. Perhaps more importantly, despite the entire state of New Jersey not possessing a single intersection where a u-turn is legal, the BMW’s nav system makes short work of finding my destination, even when I’m sure the scope of my navigational incompetence could crash a supercomputer.

It’s not until I’m pulling the BMW curbside amongst a sea of yellow cabs, that I realized what a truly remarkable automobile this is. While coddled in a ocean of luxury, supple leather, and traveling at sustained speeds nearing or in excess of a hundred miles per hour, I had lost track of the time that had passed. In short the 535i, like so many of its predecessors, is timeless. This is an expression that also applies to both the design language and to the driving experience itself. As my passengers disembarked, to attend the wedding that was the cause for my journey, I felt nothing but sympathy for those individuals forced to arrive in the stained bench seats of Crown Victorias and Town Cars. They may have found the venue, but for my passengers and I, we had arrived.

The post The BMW 535i is the Executive’s Extended Stay Sedan appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

This is a completely different A3 from what has come before. The last generation A3 was Audi’s entry-level car for the North American market, and it felt like it. We spent a week with it, and although we quite liked its sporty feel it just wouldn’t be able to compete with this new breed of luxury pocket machines. Audi knew this and came up with an all-new A3 concept that was short on sheet metal but not on opulence so they could go toe to toe with their rivals. Did it work? Well let’s find out…

The 2015 Audi A3 cuts a remarkably more distinct silhouette than it’s predecessor. Where the last model had rounded surfaces and was generally inoffensive, the new A3 is brimming with sharp angles, shadowed areas, and aggressive stance. Also gone is the hatchback body. The 2014 model is launching with a traditional “3 box” design consisting of a small front area, a large cabin in the middle, and another small trunk area. The 2015 Audi A3 is first and foremost a 4 door sedan. The sharp angles liberally sprinkled over the entire body give this A3 a thoroughly modern look and feel, and the head designer explained to FactoryTwoFour that their positioning and rake give the car a animalistic stance and profile. Specifically, and I can’t make this stuff up, the rear wheel well positioning is designed to be reminiscent of a horse’s thigh. Seriously.

Moving into the cabin, the only beastly hints are the great swaths of soft leather Audi has seen fit to drape over the many touch surfaces. Any point where your body or hand frequently rests is covered in a thick layer of cow hide, and the cockpit is a welcoming place for it. This is where Audi really needed to hit the luxury note hard, and although you’ll never mistake sitting in the 2015 A3 for an A8 it certainly stacks up against the Mercedes CLA and thoroughly trounces the BMW i3. Especially nice are the high-design AC vent controls and the instruments pulled straight from more expensive Audi machinery. Stepping into a 2015 Audi A3 is an experience of being immediately greeted with an upscale feel that denies its small size.

On the road that does not mean this vehicle is soft or ponderous. In fact, the ride is quite stiff and even sporty. What we have here is a small car with a long wheelbase, meaning stable running and a planted feel, but unfortunately also a poor turning radius. This A3 is aimed squarely at the young and upwardly mobile, and as such is planning on most of its life being spent in urban environments. This vehicle’s ride is such that I would not relish taking it up the coast on a scenic tour, but it is tailor made for zipping in and out of traffic and maneuvering into tight parking spots.

The 2015 A3 is a departure and new beginning for Audi’s pint-sized warrior. Gone is the stigma of being “entry level.” This machine is just as plush and refined as Audi’s lineup that costs twice as much. The A3 is today’s Audi concentrated, reduced, and refined. This is a pure shot. This is the espresso of Audis. With the 2015 A3, they have showed us that size doesn’t matter, but quality does.

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Right off the bat, the E550 hits you with its angular design language. This isn’t the mathematical and cold “flame surfacing” of modern BMW’s or the brutalist slabs and creases of new Audis. No, the current Mercedes design language is a more organic and pressed theme. It works well in the flesh and is a welcome departure from the jutting faces of the Mercs from just a few years ago.

Inside you’ll find the same quantity and quality of leathers and surface materials that have been a trademark of the silver arrow almost since the company’s inception. Everything feels up to a high standard and the aggressive, angular design continues here as well. Of special note are the seats – pounding out a cross-country trip in these bad boys would be about as comfortable as laying in a bed made entirely of Tribbles.

Upon first firing up the powerful 4.6L V8 the first thing that struck me was the delicious “thrummm” of the engine. The next thing I noticed was that the radio was already set to Classical. Natch. With the roof down, radio off, and AC disengaged, in other words all distractions removed, I embarked upon my journey. It immediately become clear that the E550 is not a panacea for every driving need and condition. The following are all the things the E550 is not: a sports car, a city car, a posing car, or a fuel-sipping miser car. This is a grand-tourer in the traditional sense. A big, powerful motor paired with an eminently comfortable cabin and sublime road manners. It is built to gobble up great swaths of road at a time.

Because the E550 Cabriolet is more about marathons than agility sprints, the basic concern with convertibles – their softness and propensity to wobble – is not even worth worrying about. If you are thinking of tracking or autocrossing this car, you have bigger problems then body roll and stiffness. Taken for what it is, the 2014 E550 Cabriolet is the only choice for cross-country motoring.

You can check out more of the car in the gallery below:

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