Lately, Cadillac has been showing the automotive world that it is dead serious about making cars worthy of beating zee Germans. This incessant pursuit of perfection is taking each of Cadillac's noteworthy models miles ahead of where the brand used to be when it made cars for your grandparents. Cadillac has recently released the ATS-V and the CTS-V, direct competitors to the BMW M3/M4 and the M5. But the rest of the lineup will be getting love from the GM engineers as well.

For those who cant afford the V-powered Caddy's, the six-cylinder models of the ATS and CTS will receive a new engine and transmission combination that features cylinder deactivation, start-stop technology, and eight forward speeds instead of six. The reward for all of the fuel saving technology is a 12-horsepower bump from 321 to 333 horsepower. Cadillac wants start-stop technology to be a brand staple, so the V8 in the CTS-V and Escalade will also get the technology, which Cadillac claims is much smoother than its competitors. These upgrades may not seem like much, but in order for Cadillac to nudge itself into a segment run by Mercedes-Benz and BMW, the brand needs to make every incremental improvement possible.