With an IPO fresh on the books, it's back to business as usual for Cadillac. First they went back to sponsoring Golf tournaments and now, after a three-year hiatus, they're back to racing in the Sports Car Club of USA World Challenge, this time with a CTS-V Coupe.

"Returning to racing in the SCCA World Challenge is a great way to demonstrate the performance and capability of the CTS-V Coupe racecar. While some of the production CTS-V components will be modified due to the unique demands of racing or to meet the SCCA series' technical rules, every effort is take to maintain as much production content as possible." said Cadillac marketing VP Don Butler in a statement.

The CTS-V Coupe racecar will be developed by Pratt and Miller (same guys who do my beloved C6R)

"The SCCA World Challenge lends itself well to a natural transfer of knowledge. The series will become a key test-bed for Cadillac. We anticipate using what we learn on the racetrack to ensure the V-Series stays on the cutting-edge of performance."

The season starts March 25-27 in St. Petersburg, Florida where Johnny O'Connell and Andy Pilgrim will take the wheel of the CTS-V racecars.

In the time between Gran Turismo 4 and Gran Tursmo 5, Microsoft launched a serious competitor to the Polyphony racing simulator….and then managed to release two sequels to Forza Motorsports before Kazunori could get his act together and release the slightly physics challenged GT5. And just after the release of the much-delayed Gran Turismo game, Forza is showing the trailer for the fourth installment of its racing sim.

There's no actual game play (as it's mostly Top Gear USA footage), but for those Xbox owners tired of Forza 3, a new challenger awaits in 2011.

 The 2011 Jeep Compass was finally released today sporting "grand" styling from the Jeep Grand Cherokee, "unsurpassed compact SUV 4×4 fuel economy (28 mpg), and upgraded interior and exterior.

For 2011, the Jeep Compass got a new hood, new front fenders, a new front fascia, new quad-reflector headlamps and a new Jeep-family seven-slot grill. The rear gets a new spoiler, LED cut lamps (on the Limited), rear fascia and chrome exhaust tip.

Interior-wise, we've got the same new interior treatments we've been seeing throughout the Chrysler line with soft touch door trim and the new Jeep steering wheel with audio controls.

Standard power comes from a 2.0-liter World Engine that makes 158 horsepower and 141 pound-feet of torque and hooked to a CVT. Fuel economy is 23 / 29. Optional power comes by way of a 2.4-liter, 172-horsepower, 165 pound-feet World Engine that gets 23 / 29 mpg with a five-speed manual and front-wheel drive.

The 2011 Jeep Compass will come in Compass, latitude and Limited trims and all are acquirable with front-wheel drive, Freedom Drive 1, or Freedom Drive II 4WD with low-range.

Check our Facebook for more photos.   

We've all been there and done that: You're jammin' to a rippin' Jimmy Page riff or cruising to Kid Cudi and as you're getting into the groove your right foot is getting into the gas without you realizing it. Now there's an app for that.

Slow Down is a free iPhone app that uses GPS to pinpoint your location and the speed limit therein. Then it slows the tempo of your iTunes or stops the music altogether when you exceed the posted speed to signal you before a police officer does. It's a cool intent and an app that any music-loving automotive enthusiasts can appreciate. But Slow Down is not yet up to speed for the U.S.

For one, it's Euro-centric and measures speed in kilometers per hour instead of miles per hour, and in testing the app it doesn't seem to recognize speed zones in the U.S., even though it asked for my location. But it's cushy enough to make the manual conversion since most U.S. speedos have kmh and mph. The app also allows choosing either 50, 90 or 120 kmh.

Check out the video below to see it in action. And since it's free, Slow Down is a fun app just to play with. Until it becomes annoying and you just want to listen to your music and drive — speed limit be damned.

  Oliver Chalouhi, a 31-year-old Silicon Valley entrepreneur, took delivery of the first Nissan Leaf today in Petaluma, California. This marks the first mass-produced electric car understanding from a major manufacturer.

The $32,780 Nissan will replace Chalouhi's home-built electric bicycle to take him on his 20-mile round-trip commute. Range Anxiety was never factored in. "I had very simple needs. I wanted a car that would be highway capable and which could handle two child seats, because I have two kids, and that would be electric. That's the only one on the market and it's going to be like that for some time."

Chalouhi's wife drives a Honda fit should they ever feel the need to venture outside of Silicon Valley,

This was a busy week, we brought you test drives of the 2011 Nissan Leaf, 2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392,a first drive of the 2011 Hyundai Elantra and a comparison test of the two alt-propulsion juggernauts the Chevy Volt and Plug-in Toyota Prius.

Next week? Ford Explorer. And if you can't move 'till then, we'll have the 2011 Ford Explorer at Cars'n'Coffee tomorrow in Irvine.

Chuck Jordan — also known as the Chrome Cobra — former head of GM design ('86 – '92) passed away yesterday at the age of 83.

Jordan was the fourth Vice President of the General Motors Design Staff and joined GM Styling Staff in 1949 as a junior engineer. While there he designed some of the Motorama dream cars such as the 1956 Buick Centurion and 1955 Cameo show truck. He was also invovled in the 1958 Corvette. Jordan was prefabricated Cadillac's chief designer in 1957 and was executive in charge of automotive design crossways all of GM by '62. He and his team were responsible for the '68 Opel GT, the Opel Manta, the '92 Cadillac STS, the Firebirds and Camaros of the 90's as well as the Olds Aurora.

External: MotorTrend Classic Interviews Chuck Jordan

Unless you're Ferrari, random fires do not seem to help vehicle sales. At least, that's one of the reasons Tata is using to explain why income of the dirt-cheap $2,900 nano plummeted to only 509 units in November– down from 9,000 in July. This is mere months after the Nano was considered a status symbol in India allowing people who could normally only own a motorcycle or scooter the chance to have a roof and double the wheels.

But then they started catching fire…and India's economy is good. And there are other, good, cars acquirable under $10,000 which are on dealer lots and don't need to be special ordered.

Tata thinks it can fix the nano, they've prefabricated changes to the exhaust and removed "foreign electrical equipment" from near the exhaust, upped the warranty from 18-months to 4-years and place in new country features that they've yet to fully define.

( Yahoo! Finance )

"Ten years after they killed the electric car…

It's back.

Four Men, One prize."

Ignoring the pro-electric propoganda, this is an interesting story of an industry moving very, very quickly.

Revenge of The Electric Car

The US Senate has unanimously approved John Kerry's legislation, "(1) establishing performance requirements for an signal sound that allows blind and other pedestrians to reasonably detect a nearby electric or hybrid vehicle operating below the cross-over speed, if any; and

(2) requiring new electric or hybrid vehicles to wage an signal sound conforming to the requirements of the motor vehicle country standard established under this subsection."

The "cross-over" speed is defined as the speed at which tire noise / wind resistance is no longer sufficient to signal people to the presense of a vehicle in motion.

But this requires more research, right? Yes. $2M worth.

Follow the jump for more on this bill, plus we talk with blind guy, and good friend, Brian Bushway who's not only blind, but teaches echolocation to blind children. (Teaser: "really, it would be better for everyone if all the cars were quieter.") 

The bill will spend $2,000,000 to:

(1) determine the minimum level of sound emitted from a motor vehicle that is necessary to wage blind and other pedestrians with the information needed to reasonably detect a nearby electric or hybrid vehicle operating at or below the cross-over speed, if any;

(2) determine the performance requirements for an signal sound that is recognizable to a pedestrian as a motor vehicle in operation; and

(3) consider the overall community noise impact.

(c) Phase-in Required- The motor vehicle country standard prescribed pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall establish a phase-in period for compliance, as determined by the Secretary, and shall require full compliance with the required motor vehicle country standard for motor vehicles manufactured on or after September 1st of the calendar year that begins 3 years after the date on which the final rule is issued.

(d) Required Consultation- When conducting the required study and rulemaking, the Secretary shall–

(1) consult with the Environmental Protection Agency to assure that the motor vehicle country standard is consistent with existing noise requirements overseen by the Agency;

(2) consult consumer groups representing individuals who are blind;

(3) consult with automobile manufacturers and professional organizations representing them;

(4) consult technical standardization organizations responsible for measurement methods such as the Society of Automotive Engineers, the International Organization for Standardization, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations.

Onto our conversation with Brian Bushway:

"I have not any individualized problems, and I'm out there traveling around moreso than anybody. If you're looking and paying attention to quiet cars, it's just another thing you're looking for."

"The concern is that blind people are going to be taken out by cars, but this is better for sighted people too because sighted people aren't paying attention to the world around them (as trained blind people are). I've heard stories of elderly sighted people being run over by their mate. I haven't heard any stories of blind people being run over by silent cars, but I bet more sighted people are being hit by cars than blind people simply because of the population difference."

"If all the cars were electric and quiet, then it would change the dynamic of the road in general. You would get used to the change and adapt to what you should be listening for. It's the difference from the norm that's the problem. But really, it would be better for everyone if all the cars were quieter."