All systems go on new Cadillac

Cadillac’s 2005 production STS will trial 50 advanced GM automotive technologies.

GM will use a Cadillac to test new automotive technology including a real-time satellite feed that shows individual objects surrounding the vehicle, such as lamp-posts and trees.

GM’s Cadillac STS SAE 100 includes a Bosch system that enables the driver to view the vehicle from above, the same vantage point as the satellite.

The new car has 50 different technologies, of which 19 have never been in production. Of the remaining 31 technologies, 22 are in production outside GM and nine are incorporated into the manufacturer’s 2005 production Cadillac STS.

The vehicle has a new 505hp engine, and includes a sensor that shows the level of oil remaining and how long it will last. It will be the first car to carry two Microsoft Xbox games consoles/DVD players, fitted to the rear of the front seats.

GM also claims to have crammed the car with the best safety technology.

The Cadillac uses a Mobileye system that causes the driver’s seat to shake when the car inadvertently crosses a lane marking at more than 35mph. Rather than rely on the bump when the car crosses the line to trigger the shake, Mobileye uses real-time video to monitor the car’s drift.

The rearview mirror has an embedded LED screen so drivers can see back-seat passengers at a glance without turning around. According to a GM-commissioned study, road accidents where vehicles run into another car resulted in 48 per cent of years lost to incapacitating injury. An adaptive cruise control system from Continental Temic forces the Cadillac to slow down when it draws too close to the vehicle in front.

Valeo’s blind-zone alert system should reduce the number of vehicles (830,000 in the US) damaged every year when one driver pulls out in front of another.