Spanning almost the entire width of the car, my BTS's eggcrate grille takes on different proportions than it's domestic stable mates.
C H O P S — Cadillac BTS. Slightly smaller than the CTS and is a five-door hatch primarily for the European and Asian markets. Full-hybrid drivetrain standard, with a similar rwd-biased electronically controlled all-wheel drive as new Audis. The USA will receive the smaller rwd ATS instead of this BTS.
The Newport nameplate is revived for the five-door, mid-cycle LX update and facelift. Shown is the Chrysler Newport Tourback in St. Regis Blue Pearl.
Chrysler Newport Tourback. Could have been an additional bodystyle at the mid-cycle LX bodies' refresh. Instead of the full wagon, the euro-market 300 might have been available in this 5 door version, the Newport TourBack. Domestic sales would have followed if there was demand for it.
I'm not really sure how I feel about either one of these chops. Some nights you have it, and some nights you don't. Started working on some old wood boards today, so my mind might be wandering away from the digital requisites and into the 'analog' phase again . . .
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ReplyDeleteI like your BTS. Has much more presence and personality than the fugly one Cadillac unsuccessfully marketed in Europe. Should sell well in the Chinese market and give Buick a little internal competition. Shanghai's growth is amazing, they seem to put up new buildings almost overnight ;)
ReplyDeleteI also liked the Newport - do we want to resurrect this nameplate ? - particularly the updated Imperial taillights and the integrated spoiler. Great job!
I like it more every time I look at it. But it would never see an overseas market with Fiat in control - the only nameplate they'll export is Jeep. Maybe just add it to the 300 line as another model.
I woke up really late this morning, so I'm sorry the comments backed up!
ReplyDeleteI think you're right about Chrysler in Europe. It's interesting that Jeep is really the only viable division when its parent company is sold. The same thing was true in the '80s when AMC was sold to Renault. We'll see! An additional bodystyle is needed for the 300, but I doubt it would be a hatchback. That's why the world has me, lol.
about the name Newport. i'd like to see it used again, but I know the history of the nameplate, all the very cool cars it was used on, starting with the WW2-era dream car, the first Newport.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z16778/Chrysler-Newport-Concept.aspx
then it was used on Chrysler's first pillarless coupes starting in 1950 I believe. It also helped save Chrysler in the early 1960s when the base series Newport was first introduced. It was basically the previous year's full sized Dodge with a new front clip. It enabled Chrysler to drop the DeSoto and to sell a Chrysler-badged car in the lower medium price range. It's a cool story about how that first 'popular-priced' Newport was developed. Even the fuselage body Newports of the late sixties and early seventies had some panache, bottom-of-the-rung though they were.
But I don't like the fact there is a cigarette with that name too. (or there used to be, i have no clue if it's still around.)
Part of my family came from Newport in the 1800s, lol, last time we had any class.
Alright, I'll let you win the Newport argument.
ReplyDeleteDid I tell you that I had a girlfiend - yes,female(back in the 80's) - whose Mom had a place in Old Saybrook ? Probably hers now.I was there with her at least a half dozen times 4 or 5 summers in a row. I used it as a starting point for many New England excursions.
You know, the "class" comment cracks me up because of the movie Back to School with Rodney Dangerfield - in which he states that he "has no class". Funny scene, guess you have to see it !
Old Saybrook is only a few towns away from me. I worked in OS in the early '90s, right at the black swan marina on the river. I designed boating books for a publisher that had an office there. we had a pool and snack bar right at the office.
ReplyDeleteThat is amazing, as usual, no flaws.
ReplyDeleteWhich makes me wonder why you aren't posting anything at CF?
(That was me trying not to sound desperate asking you to come back to Car Fanatics)
thanks AR8. I've posted there in the past few weeks! I'll get some new chops over there soon. I've been pretty harried lately. : )
ReplyDeletepry yourself away from your wooden plaqued digital analogs...............
ReplyDeletei just spent 3 hours outside in the gardens.... weeding and watering and tying things up, pruning, pinching, deadheading, shaping... it never ends. all the day lilies are going now, and i hate dead flowers and stalks, so I have to cut them down every day as they have their last flowers... it's the driest time of the year here, so everything is turning brown. oh well, that's summer.
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