Check out Williamson Automotive's group Marketing Director (left) and Mary Scott Russell, President of the Chamber South (right) at the South Miami Chamber Expo in February.The event was a big success!

Cadillac ‘CUEs’ up Tablet-like Customization

Like many of today’s smart phones and tablets, a deep dive into Cadillac’s CUE in-vehicle user experience reveals customized conveniences and advanced features that enable user-created shortcuts to their favorite infotainment features.

From accurately guessing an intended destination to aggregating music playlists, CUE’s customizable approach to working a vehicle’s traditional audio and navigation features allow settings to be tailored to specific tastes.

Navigation shortcuts and information security

Most navigation systems prompt users to insert destination information by separately inputting state, city, street, and house number information. CUE users can manually or verbally input the entire destination address on one screen, saving time and keeping drivers focused on the road. In some cases, CUE will take a hint from partial information and automatically fill in city and state information.

CUE also offers “presets” of frequently visited destinations similar to radio station presets, CUE will support access of destinations and phone numbers without having to separately launch the vehicle’s navigation system or phone book. These presets live along the bottom row of all CUE screens, allowing for instant access regardless of application the user is in.

To offset security concerns, engineers equipped CUE with a “Valet Mode,” which blocks access to all center stack and instrument panel functions, as well as the storage bin behind the center stack.

“Drivers had reservations about their personal information, such as addresses or stored phone numbers, being accessed by a valet attendant, for example, or in case of theft,” said Cody Hansen, CUE interaction designer. “With ‘Valet Mode’ users can enter a four-digit pin and lock access to the center stack, steering wheel controls, and the storage cubby behind the center stack.”

Advanced media access and audio settings

CUE offers some of the industry’s most advanced audio features and connectivity options. Up to 10 different media devices could be paired at one time via Bluetooth. To help manage all those playlists, CUE’s media library aggregates all the playlists to make finding specific songs easier.

Integration of CUE’s main functions into the steering controls and a separate screen in the instrument cluster allows access to radio and navigation functions at the same time – – the equivalent of multitasking on two separate computer monitors at home or office.

Beyond playlists, users can fully customize and save radio tone settings for a personalized music listening experience. Most vehicles come with predetermined sound settings for certain music genres such as rock, jazz and talk. CUE allows users to save their own settings by adjusting the bass, treble, balance and fade to desired levels. Creation and naming of custom genres such as “Baby Mode,” where the fade and bass are turned down so as not to wake a sleeping child in the backseat.

“Twenty years ago when navigation systems began to appear in autos some thought of it as an unneeded add-on,” said Hansen. “Now navigation is a must-have for many. CUE elevates the levels of personalization so the driver interacts with features they may not have realized were so essential for their in-vehicle experience.”

Many auto industry-first features, such as an eight-inch capacitive touch screen display and proximity sensing, are CUE highlights. The system is available on the 2013 Cadillac ATS sports sedan, SRX luxury crossover and XTS luxury sedan.

Cadillac has been a leading luxury auto brand since 1902. In recent years, Cadillac has engineered a historic renaissance led by artful engineering and advanced technology. More information on Cadillac can be found at media.cadillac.com.

Courtesy of Cadillac Media

Win a free iPad mini from us!

Happy Monday fans! Just a reminder to click here and enter to win a free iPad mini from us. Hurry, this contest ends on March 31st. Good luck everyone!

It's Throwback Thursday! "Like" this post if you would want this classic Cadillac in your driveway!

Spring Into Action

Happy first day of Spring! What better way to celebrate than checking out our Spring Into Action specials! Click here to take a look and stop by for a test drive. We look forward to seeing you.

Team Cadillac Ready for 2013 World Challenge Season

Team Cadillac is ready to carry forward its championship-winning effort from 2012 into the new season of the Pirelli World Challenge Series.

Johnny O’Connell, 2012 Pirelli World Challenge GT Driver’s Champion, and Andy Pilgrim, runner-up in GT points, are poised to keep the Cadillac CTS-V Coupes at the front of the World Challenge field in 2013.

Having won four races in 2012, the first at the season opening St. Petersburg Grand Prix, No. 2 in the streets of Long Beach and the double race win on the Belle Isle Circuit in Detroit, O’Connell enjoyed an off season filled with work and family.

“It was a long off season to say the least,” O’Connell said. “We only did two days of testing, which were at Sears Point. It rained both days, but we were able to still achieve a lot.  Other than that, I spent a lot of time in Phoenix as vice president of the Bondurant School and, of course, I enjoyed all the time I could with my kids.”

O’Connell said he is looking forward to the two new circuits on the schedule.

“Of course everyone seems to love COTA (Circuit of the America’s), and I'm hopeful that the circuit suits our CTS-V Coupes well. I've actually won in Houston when I was driving the Corvette in the ALMS (American Le Mans Series). So I'm looking forward to trying to achieve the same with the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe.”

O’Connell is already feeling the pressure to repeat as GT champion.

“When I look back at how we won the championship, it was never due to speed. We won it by being consistent and staying out of trouble. Between Andy and me, we only had one fast lap, which lead to us getting the pole at Detroit.”

The Flowery Branch, Ga., resident knows 2013 will be a challenge.

“With new cars coming in like the Mercedes, as well as better prepared Audi R8s, we will have to be just as smart and consistent in order to be a factor.”

Pilgrim has been busy in the off season working on the next installment of his Driving Zone videos that provide teachers with the crucial information that all new drivers need to help them survive the critical early years of driving.

“I have been editing my new DVD which is aimed at parents and how they can better prepare their children for driving by not driving distracted while the kids are in the car as they grow up,” Pilgrim said.  “It's a monster project and has been taking all my time.”

Pilgrim is also looking forward to taking his CTS-V around the new COTA circuit in Austin, Texas.

“I love the new COTA track, (and) feel quite sad we're not running the full circuit having driven it but I'm sure it will be a blast anyway.”

Like the crucial steps in teaching proper driving technique, the Boca Raton, Fla., resident is applying those to the upcoming season.

“My expectations for this season are realistic. We had a landmark season in 2012 taking it all as a team and one-two for drivers,” Pilgrim said. “I think race by race and corner by corner we'll see how it shakes out. As long as we are competitive, I know we'll be up front and be in with a chance and that's all we can ask for.

“The goal will be to repeat 2012 and that feels pretty good being able to say that. Having done it once, we feel we can do it again.”

The competition from newcomers to the series, as well those returning with reported improvements to their cars, has Pilgrim’s attention.

“At this point it seems to be rumor and bigger rumor. We've heard stories about the Audi, Aston Martin, Mercedes and BMW teams. If all of the rumors are true, I am excited about the higher level of competition that we will see this season,” he said.

“I'll see who and what actually shows up and how we stack up before losing any sleep. If all these great teams and manufacturers come, and we have a level playing field, then we'll have competition and depth like we haven't seen since 2005. I can't wait to find out.”

John Kraemer, V-Series Racing marketing manager, has the team focused on the track and another team just as committed on the activation side.

"We have the target firmly planted on our rear bumper heading into the 2013 Pirelli World Challenge Series," Kraemer said.  "The team at Pratt & Miller has worked all off season to keep the CTS-V Coupes at the front.  We will have fresh competitors from Germany, but we are equal to the task of repeating.  Off the track, Team Cadillac has developed a following based upon providing a great track experience.”

The Pirelli World Challenge schedule will kick off at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The race is run through the streets of downtown surrounding the marina and the Albert Whitted Airport.  The first race of the World Challenge Series will be at 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 23, with the second round on Sunday at 10:25 a.m. The races from St. Pete will be televised on NBC Sports on Sunday, April 7 at 12:30 p.m. EDT. Live streaming can be viewed on race day at www.world-challengeTV.com.

Cadillac has been a leading luxury auto brand since 1902. In recent years, Cadillac has engineered a historic renaissance led by artful engineering and advanced technology. More information on Cadillac can be found at media.cadillac.com.

Courtesy of Cadillac Media

Congrats to the Miami Hurricanes!

Miami Coach Jim Larranaga cuts down the net after the Canes' 62-49 victory over Clemson on March 9, 2013 to clinch the outright ACC regular-season championship. Congratulations to the Miami Hurricanes!

http://youtu.be/nUzKxLiGUFo

Cadillac ATS Applies Latest Advances in Driver Visibility

The 2013 Cadillac ATS luxury sport sedan offers visibility from the driver’s seat that inspires the same confidence as the North American Car of the Year’s acclaimed road-hugging performance.

Engineers worked to identify the vehicle attributes needed to maximize ATS’s driving character by making the most of sight lines. New visibility metrics developed from customer clinics in the United States and Germany consider exterior mirror and A-pillar area size, seat height, forward vision distance, side vision distance, and intrusive objects in windows such as rear headrests and the interior rearview mirror.

“Conducting clinics in Europe as well as the U.S. provided invaluable insight into the needs of drivers who use demanding roads like the Autobahn,” said Raj Mehta, General Motors vehicle architecture engineering group manager. “The findings led to new ways of measuring and evaluating visibility despite its highly subjective sensory nature.”

As with many cars today, ATS’s driver visibility is significantly influenced by design criteria, including aerodynamics, styling, structural stiffness, safety and vehicle packaging. The steeply raked windshields and A-pillars common today help make the most of aerodynamics for improved fuel economy, and higher hoods help provide pedestrian protection. Together, these measures can present visibility challenges.

Likewise, thicker roof pillars needed to accommodate air bags, lower roof heights required to decrease frontal area for improved aerodynamics, and higher decklids designed to accommodate customer cargo needs also pose visibility challenges.

A new visibility evaluation technique – known internally as “the Hedgehog” for its prickly appearance on computer screens – helps characterize the three-dimensional aspect of A-pillar sightlines. Designers can quickly study how changes in windshield angle or section size affect the driver’s ability to see targeted areas derived from careful evaluation of performance driving scenarios, such as the roads and tracks of the company’s Milford Proving Ground.

These findings were validated and used to create a Driver Visibility Calculator.

ATS achieved a “very good” internal score for forward visibility because the development team kept the hood low and the A-pillars slim through the use of high-strength steel. Designers positioned the A-pillars wide to allow a broad field of view and angled towards the driver to require minimal head movement to peer around. They also designed a narrow support structure for the exterior rearview mirrors, leading to a “very good” internal score on cornering visibility through turns.

The driver’s rear view is aided by the ATS’s available rear vision camera with dynamic guidelines. The camera provides a natural view of objects directly behind the ATS in the center stack display. Dynamic guidelines laid over the video image assist in parking maneuvers by showing the vehicle’s path and available space.

The rear vision camera is part of Cadillac’s “control and alert” strategy that employs advanced technologies such as radar, cameras and ultrasonic sensors to help prevent crashes. These technologies bolster driver vision and awareness of road hazards, and intervene to help the driver avert potential crashes.

“Smart design and the use of advanced materials like ultra-high strength steel help provide ATS drivers with a clear view of the road ahead and advanced technologies help extend their vision around the car,” said David Leone, executive chief engineer. “Our ability to execute good visibility based on robust scientific methods will be an important tool in the development of Cadillacs to come.”

Cadillac has been a leading luxury auto brand since 1902. In recent years, Cadillac has engineered a historic renaissance led by artful engineering and advanced technology. More information on Cadillac can be found at media.cadillac.com.

Courtesy of Cadillac Media

2013 Cadillac V-Series Challenge for Charity

Hey fans! Check out this video from the PGA Tour for Wednesday’s charity event when we tried to turn the PGA Tour professionals into race car drivers. 

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Ordering Parts

Ordering parts has never been easier. Just click on the link, fill in the information you need and presto! Why wait? http://bit.ly/Zv8QSQ

Fashion in the Gardens on March 1st

Williamson Automotive, Cadillac Buick GMC, sponsors Fashion in the Gardens which took place on March 1st at Pinecrest Gardens.  Williamson proudly supports the Pinecrest schools with this wonderful event.

Carol Williamson receiving the "Women of Impact" Award

Carol Williamson, one of the owners of Williamson Cadillac Buick GMC receives the prestigious award, "Women of Impact". She was one of seven women recognized for her community involvement.

Cadillac Driver Assist Technology (Video)

Our new Driver Assist technology uses cameras, radar, ultrasonic sensors and automatic braking to make everyday traffic situations safer. Click here to check it out!

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Cadillac Technologies Target Traffic

Cadillac is packaging safety technologies to help ease the rigors of the daily commute from the driveway to crowded parking structures and congested freeways.

The new ATS sport sedan is one of three 2013 Cadillac models with Driver Assist technology that uses cameras, radar, ultrasonic sensors and automatic braking to help make common traffic situations safer. In certain low-speed conditions, the car can even brake automatically to help prevent collisions.

“The mall parking packed with cars making it difficult to see what’s coming, or the parking deck at work, or the stop and go of a freeway commute – these are hassles that drivers navigate every day,” said James Bell, General Motors head of consumer affairs. “Cadillac Driver Assist can help make these situations less treacherous and maybe more bearable.”

Some of the Driver Assist features designed to ease the everyday commute include:

    Full Speed Adaptive Cruise Control extends traditional cruise control to more situations, such as managing the car’s acceleration and braking automatically from a driver-set highway “cruising” speed down to a full stop, such as at a toll booth, while maintaining a safe following distance.  
    Rear Cross Traffic Alert – Scanning areas adjacent to the car on each side extends driver vision such as when backing out of a parking spot with vehicles on both sides. Cadillac’s Safety Alert Seat warns the driver of traffic approaching from the left or right using directional seat vibration pulses.  This patented warning approach is tied to all of the on-board crash avoidance systems.
    Rear Vision Camera with Dynamic Guidelines allows the driver, when in reverse, to view objects directly behind the vehicle via the eight-inch monitor on the center stack. A set of red and yellow guidelines appear on the display to mark the vehicle’s turn radius, allowing for easier parking and backing maneuvers.
    Automatic Front and Rear Braking will apply emergency braking automatically in certain driveway, parking lot and heavy traffic conditions if it detects a vehicle in front of or behind the car.
    Forward Collision Alert uses the Safety Alert Seat's haptic warning to vibrate both sides of the driver's seat when the car approaches a stationary or moving vehicle ahead too rapidly.

In addition to the ATS, the Driver Assist package is available on the all-new XTS luxury sedan and the revamped SRX luxury crossover.

“Most of us think of driving a luxury car on open roads, and of course cars like the new ATS sport sedan are right at home doing that,” said Bell. “But traffic and parking situations are way more common. A great car should help you in those conditions, too.”

Courtesy of Cadillac Media