The racing division of Cadillac travelled to the Sebring International Raceway for a second round of testing before the start of the Sports Car Club of America World Challenge GT season, which will mark the return of the brand with the crest to racing after a three year hiatus.

For the first time, both CTS-V Coupe racecars showed the full color scheme, decals and numbers they will wear during the 2011 season. The No. 8 car will be driven by Andy Pilgrim, while the No. 3 coupe will have Johnny O'Connell behind the wheel.

“It’s our first opportunity to get both cars on the track at the same time, in full race trim. Besides looking incredible on the track, the cars are performing at an exceptional level,” said Jim Vurpillat, Cadillac global marketing director.

“We’re getting in a lot of laps, and that’s what we need to do to get ready for the 2011 season,” said No. 8 car driver Andy Pilgrim. His teammate, Johhny O'Connell added: „With two full days of testing (Feb. 22-23), we’ll have a really good idea of how we’ll perform at the first race in St. Petersburg next month.”

The first race of the season will be on March 25-27 in St. Petersburg, Florida, followed by seven other venues in the U.S. and Canada.

By Dan Mihalascu

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It was a time when associating Cadillac with all-wheel drive was considered to be a heresy. But mentalities have changed and more American customers are specifying their cars with the AWD option. GM’s luxury brand has registered a combined sales increase of 38% for its 4x4 SRX, CTS and Escalade models in the past two years. Specifically, one-third of the SRX crossovers, almost half of the CTS and three-quarters of the Escalade vehicles sold in the U.S. have been equipped with all-wheel drive.

Not surprisingly, the highest demand comes from cold weather and mountainous areas. Besides offering better traction on snow, the Cadillac AWD systems also promises to enhance handling and performance in normal weather conditions.

According to the Detroit automaker, AWD improves the SRX’s passing acceleration compared to the front-wheel drive version by transferring more torque to the rear wheels, while also reduces the over-steer tendencies manifested by the rear-wheel drive CTS during aggressive cornering.

“Cadillac’s investment in advanced AWD systems across the line-up is enhancing the brand’s reputation for performance,” said Don Butler, vice president of Cadillac marketing. “We’re able to offer luxury buyers exceptional ride, handling and control on a wide range of road conditions.”

By Csaba Daradics

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In the age of high gas prices, hybrids and everyone supposedly going green like the government would make you think, the 2010 class of cars, SUV's and trucks took another hit this year with depreciation and upkeep costs. Just about all the top companies took a good hit in both categories of big and roomy and the supposedly fuel-efficient compact variety which is not as a big hit to people as many would tell you. Here's a listing of the worst performers of 2010 and vehicles you should avoid. These are not in any specific order. (contributed by Design 911)

Cadillac Escalade - Type: Luxury SUV

It's hard to say really what tipped the "experts" off on this vehicle. It did rank poorly amongst safety and value but the one statistic that really stuck out was this vehicle got top honours for the most stolen vehicle out of everything that's out there. "Pimp My Ride" apparently does not apply here.

Chevrolet Aveo - Type: Compact

The Chevrolet Aveo5 1LT overall value is at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to even more expensive models such as the Volkswagen Golf and Honda Civic. Consumer Reports concludes that "the ride is jittery and noise is constant." . What would you expect from driving something as small as a golf cart?

Chevrolet Colorado - Type: Pickup Truck

This vehicle has been rated poorly in just about in every aspect so I'm not going to waste my time telling you about it because what does matter is the fact that GM is soon doing away with this model as well as the Canyon. So, of course the best medicine would be to stay away from these models.

Dodge Nitro - Type: SUV

The SLT model is just another version of the Jeep Liberty but with lower marks. Consumers complained
how noisy this SUV is and how it lacks agility. There tended to be some sort of body lean which added difficulty for people steering. This would be the equivalent of pushing a baby stroller in gravel.

Ford F-250 - Type: Truck

The 2010 Ford F-250 Lariat was ranked the worst on gas mileage getting on average just 10 mpg. This was a diesel engine model as well. Hate to see how an unleaded version would do. At this bad a rate of miles per gallon, one would think you'd have to get a bank loan just to get back and forth to work every three months.

Jeep Wrangler - Type: SUV

The Unlimited Sahara was the main gripe but Jeep Wrangler overall has plummeted 23% in sales since the beginning of the year. Apparently it does well off-road but fell short when driven on-road. Handling is a challenge with vague steering and low cornering limits. It's reliability was another negative for consumers.

Chrysler Sebring - Type: Midsize

Car experts ridicule this unpopular gem for its cheap interior and poor performance. It is considered the worst midsize car for the money due to the high ownership costs. Its rate of depreciation is almost faster than watching paint dry.

Mercury Mountaineer - Type: SUV

Top honours for worst midsize SUV for the money, the Mountaineer (and its twin, Ford Explorer, which ranked right behind it) is truck-based. So therefore it makes it use more fuel than the competition and not something suited for city and suburban driving. If you live in this type area, the handling may cause a vein to pop out of your forehead as well.See another worst car 2010 here.

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