2013 Cadillac ATS takes one more camo'd run

We're just a week away from the official reveal of the 2013 Cadillac ATS, but the Caddy crew is continuing to work through the winter to hone its 3 Series fighter.

These latest shots of the ATS show a production-spec fascia (albeit obscured by camo), along with road-ready headlamps, tail lamps and a pair of vertical LED fog lamps set low in the front bumper. You can also catch a glimpse of the inset dual exhausts, which we're assuming will be available on both the V6 and four-pot variants.

The overall exterior effect comes off as a more modern CTS mixed with the subtle refinement of the recently revealed XTS – a good thing to our eyes. Even better is the inclusion of the 270-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four that's sure to give the revamped Audi A4 a run for its money in the performance and fuel efficiency department. Check the pics above to see a few more details and get ready to see the ATS uncovered and in the buff at next week's Detroit Auto Show.

from: autoblog.com

Bentley coming down to SUV decision as 2011 figures returns it to profitability

After two consecutive years posting losses in its balance book, Bentley is back in the black as the figures came in for the close of 2011. But don't think for one minute that the ultra-luxe British marque is about to stop there. No, Bentley's new CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer (pictured above, right) has big plans for the company, and having headed product development at Porsche for years, that can only mean one thing: more new vehicles. More types of vehicles, more bodystyles and more derivatives.

The biggest potential item in the pipeline is an SUV, a plan which Bentley has had in the making for some time now and which Dürheimer recently indicated in a conference call will be decided on soon. The Bentley of sport-utes would be significantly more upscale than anything currently offered, with a price tag upwards of $140,000, with underpinnings borrowed from the Porsche Cayenne which Dürheimer helped launch himself.

Beyond the SUV, the Bentley chief executive also hinted at a new sportscar range that would include a two-seat coupe, a hardtop convertible and even a racing version. The model would likely take the fight more directly to Aston Martin, against whose smaller GTs the larger Continental GT range currently competes with.

On the sales front, The Flying B was the first automaker to report its December figures and the 2011 calendar year as a whole, with global sales up 37 percent last year to 7,003 units. Sales for December were also up 69 percent versus 2010 to 1,059 cars, which Bentley claims is its second-best sales month of all time and best since the recession began.

What's more interesting is how Bentley sales break down geographically. The U.S. remains the brand's best-selling market with 2,021 cars sold, but sales in China "virtually doubled" last year to 1,839 units. In fact, the Chinese had already bought more Bentleys by last July than they did in all of 2010. With that kind of momentum, China should easily overtake the U.S. as as the automaker's best customer base in 2012. Even struggling Europeans managed to increase their appetites, buying 53 percent more last year than the year before. Follow the jump for the latest statement on Bentley's financial health.