ON THE TABLE

November 21, 2012

   Dodge. Even though Consumer Reports praised the new Dodge Dart for its ride and handling, the magazine fell short of giving the Dart one of its coveted "recommendations." Given the credibility of CR of late, that very well may be a good thing for Dodge and the Dart.

(Ford)
The new 2014 Ford Fiesta on sale next year will be the first vehicle available in the United States with Ford’s 1.0-liter, three-cylinder EcoBoost® engine. The smallest engine available in its class, Ford’s 1.0-liter EcoBoost is projected to produce 123 horsepower and peak torque of 148 lb.-ft. “Customers are going to be pleasantly surprised at what the smallest member of the EcoBoost engine family can do,” said Joe Bakaj, Ford vice president of Powertrain Engineering. “Most customers are not going to be thinking about the number of cylinders under the hood when they drive the new 1.0-liter EcoBoost Fiesta. They’ll notice an extremely smooth and quiet idle, terrific acceleration accompanied by a sporty sound at high revs, and – most importantly – outstanding fuel economy.”

(Rolls-Royce)
Karl Lagerfeld presented his photography exhibition, entitled "A Different View," at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in the latest of the luxury manufacturer’s Icons of Art series. Lagerfeld presented the exhibition, which comprises his own unique photographs of Rolls-Royce motor cars, to private guests at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, West Sussex. Throughout 2012, Rolls‑Royce Motor Cars has hosted the Icons of Art series, a succession of private talks by contemporary artists "in tribute to the impeccable artistry behind each Rolls-Royce motor car." The series "provides an opportunity to share passion for innovation and artistic merit, exploring innovative canvasses for artistic creation and modern day excellence," according to the luxury manufacturer. Besides his work as a fashion designer, Karl Lagerfeld has extensively pursued his passion for photography since 1987. His images have been shown in several international exhibitions, from the Langen Foundation in Neuss, to the Museum del Bramante Cloister in Rome. Talking about the exhibition, Lagerfeld said, “I can no longer view life without juxtaposing its abstraction. I view the world, fashion and automobiles through my camera lens. That allows me to keep a critical distance to my work. This approach serves me more than I had ever thought possible in my view of reality. Each of my shots of the Rolls-Royce is the abstract representation of a concrete reality. The technical medium of photography is a welcome means for my artistic work, creating my different view.” Previous Icons of Art include John Zinsser, Marie-Jo Lafontaine and Isaac Julien. The series concludes this December at Art Basel Miami.

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Our "quick take" this week has us in the 2013 Cadillac ATS. Powered by a direct-injected 3.6-liter V6 with 321HP, this new Cadillac represents everything GM product development knows about ride and handling and vehicle dynamics in a car that isn't a Corvette, Camaro or V series, and it shows. Within moments of setting off in the ATS, any enthusiast driver will know right away that this is no ordinary entry from GM. For me it's all about feel and this new Cadillac is a revelation. It's reminiscent of mainstream BMWs from at least a decade ago (not counting the various M3s), the ones that were still engaging behind the wheel. Taut, direct, agile, communicative and rewarding to drive, I found the ATS to be exemplary in every over-the-road situation. For me it's clearly superior in feel to the new BMW 3 Series, which has now finally succumbed to BMWs volume-engorged mindset. The ATS is simply more fun to drive, something I never thought I'd say about a mainstream Cadillac. Yes, the V-series cars are remarkable and the M cars from BMW are still worth lusting after, but this new Cadillac is something special. It says more about the True Believers at GM than any other car they build. It's easy to do a Corvette or a Camaro, or a V-Series Cadillac. And it's easy to "benchmark" competitors and nail a competitive set of target ingredients. But to come out with a mainstream Cadillac that has a distinct point of view, one that clearly makes a statement about what a right-sized performance-oriented Cadillac should feel like, is simply remarkable. One of the things I've railed against since the beginning of this publication is manufacturers using "benchmarking" as a crutch. Copying isn't hard in this business, but developing a distinct point of view of your own, as a manufacturer, is. It has taken some manufacturers years to develop one of their own and some have never gotten it, instead making careers out of copying other brands. This is an important car for Cadillac, but it may even be more important for the True Believers at GM. The Cadillac ATS states emphatically that they not only know how to play the game, they're going to carve out a playbook of their own. If you're an enthusiast, you owe it to yourself to take a proper test drive in the ATS, it's that good. And, I eagerly await a drive in the highest performance turbocharged 4-cylinder version, because it's supposed to be even better. - PMD

2013 Cadillac ATS 3.6L Performance Collection: $47,780.00 ($43,695.00 Base Price; Crystal Red Tintcoat, $995; Light Platinum with Jet Black interior; 3.6-liter, 321HP V6 with Direct Fuel Injection; 6-speed automatic gearbox with performance algorithm tapshift and magnesium paddle shifters; ZF premium electric steering, 17" painted aluminum wheels with all-season run flat tires; Brembo performance front brakes; Stabilitrak stability control with traction control; High intensity headlamps with adaptive forward lighting; Handcrafted cut & sewn interior, leather seating surfaces; Memory driver's seat; Power lumbar, driver and passenger; Performance 12-way driver seat and 10-way front passenger seat; 5.7" full-color driver information center; Cadillac User Experience (CUE) with surround sound; 8" full-color touch display, AM/FM Stereo, CD player, Bose; SiriusXM and HD radio; 18" machined-finish aluminum wheels, $800; Navigation system, $795; Cold weather package - Driver & front passenger heated seats, heated steering wheel - $600; Destination charge, $895.)

Adherence to Brand Image: The ATS marks new territory for Cadillac and that's a good thing. But where the car fits into the Cadillac brand image is another question altogether. Cadillac has the CTS, the XTS, the SRX and the Escalade, and an "ultimate" Cadillac sedan is coming in 2015. Cadillac strategists will argue that a diverse product portfolio is every bit as applicable for Cadillac as it is for Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, and they would be correct, to a point. The ATS is a clear departure for the brand and if this car represents the new direction for Cadillac, then I am encouraged. But if it exists in a vacuum unto itself, and the other products go off in various directions with no link to the point of view projected by the ATS, then it will be a bitter bowl of Not Good. - PMD

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