Comments on: Cadillac Plug-In Hybrid?

By: faygo

faygo — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:55:34 +0000

it’s very common to have test equipment in the back seat of a car for calibration or other testing. nothing surprising there.

as others have noted, it’s likely an old (or new if a RHD program is still active) test car which is being used for something. if the car is already paid for, why take a new car off the line ?

the gas port/connections are likely to allow running different fuel directly into the car when testing on dyno or similar. easier than draining the tank & filling with something else. could indeed also be for urea filling, but if it wasn’t at the diesel pumps, that’s not part of the equation.

By: Runfromcheney

Runfromcheney — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:35:24 +0000

I am skeptical of this. It just looks like a pic of a CTS at a gas station. I believe this is a fake.

By: tced2

tced2 — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:22:30 +0000

@sutski
I didn’t forget Japan. I mentioned it in my comment.

Cadillac has never been a big seller in Japan. Probably never will be. As far as I know, there hasn’t been a right hand drive version of the CTS.

I don’t know much about Cadillac in India but I suspect the sales are non-existent.

I’ve been to Japan. They drive on the left side of the road using vehicles with the steering wheel on the right.

HEATHROI is probably right – a right hand drive mule never used for a production vehicle. But why fit experimental drive equipment into an oddball vehicle? When doing engineering and development, you choose a platform closest to what you are developing. Why not just take a standard production CTS off the lot?

By: HEATHROI

HEATHROI — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:15:18 +0000

there was a plan to sell the CTS in Australia/New Zealand which I believe has been since cancelled (in NZ anyway) – GM is probably using a left over RHD car as mule.

By: educatordan

educatordan — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:59:09 +0000

I’d get it one piece at a time
And it wouldn’t cost me a dime
You’ll know it’s me when I come through your town
I’m gonna ride around in style
I’m gonna drive everybody wild
‘Cause I’ll have the only one there is a round.

So the very next day when I punched in
With my big lunchbox and with help from my friends
I left that day with a lunch box full of gears
Now, I never considered myself a thief
GM wouldn’t miss just one little piece
Especially if I strung it out over several years.

Yup, just as Johnny sung it, that’s the only explanation. ;P

By: sutski

sutski — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:51:11 +0000

@tced2

“I wonder about the right-hand drive part. That has limited application. England. Australia. Japan.”

Errrr I believe you may have forgotten the small markets of Japan, India, Indonesia, New Zealand, Singapore and South Africa who also drive on the right side of the road?!!

By: MLS

MLS — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:44:44 +0000

Might the extra outlet provide access to a urea tank, as is all the rage with newer diesel models?

By: SupaMan

SupaMan — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:39:01 +0000

A hybrid CTS? Maybe they’re making a more powerful version of the Volt system for the CTS.

Hmmm….suspicious indeed.

By: BlueBrat

BlueBrat — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:36:44 +0000

A Hybrid CTS would be most excellent, though I wouldn’t be able to afford that any time soon I bet. I’m camping the new gen off a lease as it is.

By: tced2

tced2 — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:46:25 +0000

I wonder about the right-hand drive part. That has limited application. England. Australia. Japan.

By: greenb1ood

greenb1ood — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:37:17 +0000

“One piece at a time, and it didn’t cost me a dime…you’ll know it’s me when I roll thru your town.”

By: dwford

dwford — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:26:43 +0000

Looks like a photo of a regular CTS taken at a gas station to me. Without a photo of the described features, it seems suspect to me.

If it is true, maybe a plug in hybrid CTS? Why not, other makes are working on the same.

By: Strippo

Strippo — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:23:59 +0000

“Cause I always wanted me one that was long and black.”

Which makes the huge black unit in the back seem like overkill.

By: AJ

AJ — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:12:12 +0000

Maybe before he loses his job he’s building his own out of whatever parts are still available?

“Cause I always wanted me one that was long and black.”