2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe Pricing Starts At $38,990 [Photo Gallery]

The updated two-door luxury coupe from Caddy will go on sale in the United States at the end of this summer, holding an entry price of $38,990 including the $995 destination fee, which is $6,000 more than the ATS sedan.

Naturally, there are a few differences between the ATS sedan and coupe, but both sport the same performance traits. Riding on the same 109.3-inch wheelbase as its four-door brother, the revised Coupe has 0.8 inches of extra bodywork length and a slightly lower ride height than the sedan.

Due to its wider front and rear tracks and lower roofline, slightly different doors, rear fenders and trunk lid, along with a specific front fascia and standard 18-inch wheels, the 2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe is pretty in a form follows function kind of way.

“All of the surface development unique to the ATS Coupe was done with aerodynamics in mind,” declared David Masch, ATS chief engineer. “We are able to achieve lift and downforce requirements to insure, at top speed, we retain handling without having to add a rear spoiler.”

Offering either rear-wheel or all-wheel drive platforms, the 2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe will be offered at launch with a choice of two engines. The 2.0-liter turbocharged four-pot churns out 272 horsepower, with torque curve revised to offer 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) from as low as 3,000 rpm. Customers can couple the powerplant to a six-speed manual or a six-speed auto.

As for the 3.6-liter V6 mill, 321 horsepower and 275 lb-ft (373 Nm) of torque are at hand thanks to technical solutions such as direct injection and dual overhead cams with continuously variable valve timing. As opposed to the 2.0-liter model, the V6 comes only with the Hydra-Matic 6L45 six-speed automatic transmission with tap-shift control.

Inside, the sedan’s driver-focused cabin carries over to the Coupe, featuring handcrafted cut-and-sewn upholstered interior combinations, decorative stitching and authentic materials, including leather, aluminum, carbon fiber and wood, intended to enhance the emotional connection to the driving experience.

The 2015 Cadillac CTS Coupe may also be equipped with OnStar 4G LTE Internet connectivity with built-in Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth connectivity for smartphones, a text-to-voice feature that converts incoming texts to spoken messages played over the Bose audio system, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, a 5.7-inch three-window instrument panel cluster display and a head-up display.

We remind you that a more powerful ATS-V Coupe version will follow shortly, which will pack BMW M4-rivalling performance and driving dynamics.

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Chrysler Starts Producing 9-Speed Auto At Tipton Facility [Photo Gallery]

After years of sitting idle, the American manufacturer recently celebrated the reopening of its facility in Tipton County. With the help of three nearby facilities located in Kokomo, the Indiana-based plant will manufacture an all-new nine-speed automatic transmission.

The first American production vehicle to be fitted with the ZF 9HP gearbox was the 2014 Jeep Cherokee, which was followed by the 2015 Chrysler 200 mid-size luxury sedan. Jaguar and Land Rover adopted the new unit as well, while the Mercedes-Benz E350 CDI BlueTec uses an in-house developed 9G-Tronic transmission.

But why do you need gears that rival the number of those fitted to a mountain bike? Simply put, those extra cogs offer three main advantages: improved comfort, better mpg figures and better kick-down response. According to ZF officials, the 9HP can save up to 16 percent more fuel than a normal six-speed automatic, while shift times are kept below the threshold of human perception.

The 9HP gearbox was specially developed for front-transverse drive cars due to the fact that over 75 percent of modern passenger vehicles built around the world feature this type of engine and driveline layout.

Chrysler's Tipton Transmission Plant is the first American facility to industrialize the nine-speed automatic. According to Sergio Marchionne, the CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, the plant will initially employ about 600 workers by the end of the year.

Transmissions built in the 782,000 square-foot facility will be exported to Italy, Turkey, Brazil and China as well. When it reaches full capacity, Tipton will ship about 800,000 finished transmissions to Toledo, Ohio, for use in the Jeep Cherokee and Sterling Heights, Michigan, for the Chrysler 200.

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Mahindra Starts GenZe Electric Scooter Production in Michigan

Last year in late September we reported about Mahindra’s new electric scooter, the GenZe STS, and it’s now time to tell you that production started in the Ann Harbor, Michigan plant.

The new Mahindra North American Technical Center (MNATC) facility currently delivers the GenZe with a rate of up to 9,000 units per year, but official sources, in the person of Anand Mahindra, Chairman of the Mahindra Group, mention that the production capacities could be increased to almost 20,000 units per year, if need be.

GenZE has been designed and engineered in Michigan, by the brand’s R&D local department and judging by its architecture, it is the only electric scooter with such a design in the US. While most similar two-wheelers rely on underseat storage, Mahindra opted for a “bed” behind the solo seat, not unlike pickup trucks have. Time and sales figures will tell whether this will turn out to be a winning one.

It comes with a lightweight battery which provides enough energy for a 50 km (31 miles) ride, with a speed up to 50 km/h (31 mph). The battery is replaceable, so getting two or more can turn your scooter into an even more practical machine, while a weatherproof compartment provides USB charging for smartphones and tablets. The GenZe also boasts smartphone integration for GPS and music. The initial rumored price was $3,000 (€2,220), and a payment plan for students is now rumored, too.

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