In the process of telling us what kind of materials it used on the upcoming 2013 ATS compact sports sedan, Cadillac unleashed a new batch of photos of its BMW 3-Series fighter shot during performance testing this past Tuesday, May 8, in Dawsonville, Georgia.
Cadillac claims to have engineered the ATS to be “the lightest compact luxury sports sedan”, something it achieved through the use of what it calls “smart materials”.
These include the aluminum hood, magnesium engine mounts, specially engineered straight steel links with lightening holes for the rear suspension, and laminated windshield and side windows.
“Smart material selection and styling modifications that reduce complexity are key enablers in our quest to reduce vehicle mass,” said Bob Boniface, Cadillac exterior design director. “As consumer demand for more features, space and comfort continues to increase, so too has our proficiency in designing vehicles that offer aerodynamic performance and efficiency equivalent to lower vehicle weight,” he said.
The wreath and crest brand says that the weight saving measures did not come at the expense of performance.
“We designed and engineered ATS’s vehicle architecture to deliver quick, nimble and fun-to-drive dynamics,” said David Masch, ATS chief engineer. “We distributed mass to key areas, much like an athlete builds muscle where he needs it most. This enabled ATS to achieve the performance characteristics that luxury sport sedan buyers demand.”
According to Cadillac, the ATS achieves a curb weight less than 3,400 pounds (1,542kg) with a 50-50 mass distribution between the front and rear and highway fuel economy “well over 30 mpg”.
The new ATS sedan goes on sale in the States this summer with prices starting at $33,900 for the 200hp 2.5-liter 4-cylinder model rising to $42,090 for the top 320hp 3.6-liter V6 variant.
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