Cadillac Secures First-Ever Pole for 24 Hours of Le Mans
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Team Jota's Alex Lynn drove his No. 12 Cadillac Hypercar to the automaker's first-ever pole position for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. However, the British privateer team didn't stop there, as the No. 38 sister car secured the second place on the starting grid, giving Cadillac a historic front-row lockout for next weekend's endurance race.
Despite a strong performance by the Cadillac Whelen No. 311 car in the first round of qualifying, Jack Aitken could only secure eighth place, while the No. 101 of Wayne Taylor Racing will start 14th. Even with the disparity between starting positions, all Cadillacs looked strong during different moments of qualifying and should put up a good fight once the race gets underway.
After suffering a May from hell due to a cheating scandal at the Indy 500, Penske got off to a poor start at Le Mans due to the disqualification of the No. 6 Porsche for being underweight. That car will start at the back of the Hypercar grid, though the No. 5 will start third from the grid thanks to an impressive performance by Julien Andlauer. The No. 5 actually lost its right-rear wheel during the session, but Andlauer had set a good-enough lap time to retain his third place. Getty
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day was by the Ferrari team, which only managed to qualify in seventh and 11th positions. Having won the race two years in a row, Ferrari is the favorite to do so again, but it will have its work cut out due to its poor qualifying.
Cadillac has been building momentum over the last two years, and all of its effort seems to be paying off. In 2023, for its return to Le Mans after 21 years, it managed to finish third place overall, but it missed the podium by one place last year. With such a strong performance by Jota today, it certainly makes us believe that the American automaker has what it takes to win the most prestigious endurance race in the world next week.
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The front torsion bars and the rear coils are nicely managed by electronically controlled shocks and a ride-control computer that monitors sensor inputs 1000 times per second. It all works in a very polished way. Cadillac also adds a hydraulic self-leveling system in the rear to maintain headlight aim and ride height. Lincoln pulled out all the stops and completely reengineered the Navigator's frame and suspension for 03. The benefits over the old Navigator are obvious on rough or smooth roads; there's far less of the shudder and rumble of the previous vehicle. On the highway, the mighty Lincoln tracks along as if on rails, oblivious to powerful crosswinds. Changes in road grain and concrete highway expansion joints are silently swallowed and digested. The air bladders and upper and lower control arms at all four corners, plus the giant 18-in. Michelins, do a great job here. This suspension also works nicely during cornering. Rough bends with potholes that had the Cadillac's rear axle stepping out barely upset the Lincoln's. Like the Navigator, the M-Class has upper and lower control arms at each corner, employing torsion bars up front and coil springs in the rear. Mercedes has chosen a firm, well-damped ride character for its SUV. Ultimate plushness has been sacrificed in the name of more wheel and body control. In some ways, its ride reminds us of an '80s sport sedan with a touch of extra body roll. Detroit's badly patched, weathertorn expansion joints posed serious challenges for the Mercedes suspension, causing strong shudders to ripple through the bodywork. This overall tautness may also be partially attributable to the stiff, short sidewalls of the 275/55R17 tires fitted. On smooth roads, however, the ML500's ride quality is outstanding. It's What Inside That Counts Premium sport/utilities now have nearly every luxury and safety feature that the best sedans have—and these three have a few tricks even top-drawer cars can't match. As mentioned, all can electrically fold their power mirrors. The Lincoln motors out its optional ($925) running boards, powers open the rear liftgate, and electrically adjusts its pedals. All three have power-heated front seats; the Navigator can also cool its front buckets. Oddly, none has a power-adjustable steering column, employing conventional levers instead. The styling inspiration for the Lincoln's instrument cluster and dash was Clearly the classic '61 Continental. This design is clean and offers a nice heritage-inspired touch. But some of the functional items fall short. The delicate-looking speedo and tachometer are tough to read in strong light. Several drivers were concerned that the dash's painted-on satin finish won't hold up well. Finally, the articulating door that conceals the radio controls seems a needlessly busy touch. It also forces the radio face into a recess just out of convenient reach. On the plus side, with 104.4 cu ft of interior volume, there's practically an echo inside. The powered, three-passenger third-row seat seems like a gimmick—until you have to remove the third row from the M-Class or the Escalade. Unquestionably, the Lincoln's third row is the most comfortable in cushion space and legroom. Storage for small items throughout the vehicle is not a problem. The front console bin is way deep and wide. And our tester had two-passenger secondrow buckets with a second huge bin between the seats. Lincoln also offers the option of a three-passenger second-row bench. The Navigator seats seven or eight, depending on the second-row choice. The icing on the Navigator's luxury cake is an optional ($1295) DVD player mounted on the headliner between the front and rear seats. But its fold-down screen inhibits the rearward view when it's open. We appreciate that Lincoln is using a finer grade of carpeting and leather in the new Navigator. Some drivers like the sporty look of the Escalade's aluminum-trimmed gauges and its trip computer; others compared the look to that of a cheap diver's watch. All agreed everything is easy to read and that the extra information about engine hours, coolant temperature, oil pressure, transmission temperature, and voltage could be handy when towing. Like the Lincoln, the Caddy has a beautiful leatherwrapped wooden wheel with a smooth, rich feel. The Escalade's Bose sound system and in-dash six-dise CD changer provide awesome sound power and tonal clarity that easily match home systems. Our testers couldn't agree whether the Cadillac or the Lincoln had softer seat leather (only in a premium SUV shootout would this be at all relevant). The Cadillac's third-row seat is split in half and can fold up off the cargo floor. That's a good stowage compromise, but we'd give the convenience nod to the Lincoln. The Escalade also provides less shoulder and legroom for third-row passengers than in the Navigator, despite the factory measurements. The Caddy gets a DVD player next year, by the way. The M-Class is a different story. Its interior, despite this year's much welcome tweaks to the center-stack controls, appears dated. Its business like black-face gauges, black-leatherwrapped steering wheel, and gray plastic dash remind us of the interior in the '96 E-Class sedan—not bad, just a little yesterlook. Yet, it still works well in this rugged sport/utility environment, especially if you're not a big fan of the dramatic, organically flowing interior designs Mercedes is installing in the rest of its lineup. The controls are well positioned, and the gauges easy to read, day or night. Our drivers particularly like the sporty perforated gray leather on the seats. The front buckets require few adjustments for decent comfort, and the second-row bench is comfortable for three riders, if perhaps a bit flat. What about that two-passenger third row? Mercedes tells us only about 10 percent of M-Class vehicles are equipped with its optional rear bench. That's probably because it's really suitable only for small children and costs an extra $1180. Although the Cadillac's OnStar can be used for operator-assisted navigation, only the Mercedes has a GPS based system with a color screen and moving map to follow. It's not the easiest we've used, but the Mercedes system is relatively easy to program for local and long-distance destinations. And it proved quite useful during our meandering drives on Michigan's back roads. With the seats down, the ML offers 81.2 cu ft of cargo volume. Do we need to point out that's more than 20 cu ft less than the two domestic players? Actually, it's 0.1 cu ft shy of the 02 Ford Explorer's volume. Safey All three players provide the front-line safety benefits of excellent four-wheel-disc braking systems, four-wheel drive, high mass, and deep crush zones for passenger protection. Beyond that, some offer the latest in airbag technology and phone-based emergency-alert setups. But the differences in each vehicle's safety details are worth noting. Standard fare on the Escalade includes front- and side-impact airbags, an ultrasonic rear-parking system, traction control, and stability control called StabiliTrak. This system monitors steering angles, individual wheel traction, wheel speeds, brake application, lateral and longitudinal acceleration, and yaw rate to avoid over- or understeer instability. Standard equipment also includes the aforementioned OnStar system, which automatically calls an emergency operator when an airbag is deployed and then provides location assistance with its global positioning system. Dual-stage front airbags and safety belts with crash pretensioners and energy-management retractors are standard on the Navigator. Engineers added a headliner airbag, called the Safety Canopy, which is inflated for up to six seconds in the event of a rollover or side impact. This protects first- and second-row passengers from head injury and ejection from side windows. Optional AdvanceTrac, a stability-control system, reduces engine power and applies the brakes to help recover vehicle control, if instability is detected. The other safety tweaks include an optional tire-pressure monitoring system and ultrasonic and radar-based parking assist. Mercedes equips the M-Class with dual-stage front airbags, side-impact bags in the front doors, and a 6-ft-long headliner air curtain that works like the Lincoln's Safety Canopy. Also standard are anti-lock brakes, traction control, and a stability-control system called Electronic Stability Program. It senses a spin or slide and applies any or all of the four brakes independently to keep the vehicle heading in the steered direction. TeleAid is the Mercedes telematics package that can be used for valet services, remote diagnostics, and emergency door unlocking. Like OnStar, it can automatically call an operator and provide precise vehicle location via its GPS transponder in the event of a crash severe enough to pop an airbag. Fortunately, despite icy roads and 5° F temperatures, our winter road test crew avoided hard decelerations that might have involved the passive safety devices. Choosing a winner isn't as easy as 'who has the best leather, wood, and chrome.' For some, brand preference will be the deciding factor, whatever we say. Cadillac and Lincoln have been at war for 75 years, and most loyal buyers wouldn't think of crossing that line. For those who insist on an upscale import badge, the Navigator and Escalade may be irrelevant (though we hope you shop more open-mindedly than that). If, in your case, 'it's about driving' and heavy-duty passenger, cargo, and towing missions are rare, the ML is the $50,260 answer. Its trim, midsize SUV proportions, great power-to weight ratio, superb handling, and excellent all-wheel-drive system make it the choice. If space/cargo/towing criteria rate higher on your list, you'll want to head straight for the Lincoln or Caddy. The newly remodeled Navigator is a smoother-riding, better-handling, more sophisticated piece than the previous-generation truck. With the right engine—perhaps a V-10?—it could dominate this segment. In spite of the Lincoln's excellent new IRS and innovative power assists, the Cadillac Escalade remains the better choice. It's a slick, quiet, high-content luxury sport/utility that gets the big jobs done, is priced right, and is ultimately more satisfying—and fun—to drive than the Navigator. Design Image The strongest reaction against the lozenge-like sameness of Japanese and American sedans and coupes is the rush to buy sport/utility vehicles. There are those who bemoan America's enthusiasm for SUVs, but their voices are drowned out by the general enthusiasm and genuine pleasure of hundreds of thousands of satisfied SUV buyers, people just like you and me. Sport/utility vehicles aren't beautiful. They don't try to be beautiful. Sheer size tends to dominate in establishing the look that will best express what they are and what they do. They look big. They look strong. They look comfortable. They look safe. Many look like fun. As it turns out, all these design cues are accurate. They're all these things, the mix of attribes varying from vehicle to vehicle. The Mercedes-Benz ML500, most directly descended from the AMG ML55 and similar in appearance to the basic Mercedes ML320, looks like a minivan with a Mercedes front end plus trick wheels and fat tires. No one cares. It's a Mercedes-Benz and, as such, it's a hot item. Its minivan looks don't accurately advertise its character. It's fast and fun to drive. The Lincoln Navigator looks like a Ford Expedition. It's a fancy Ford Expedition, loaded with luxury features, but it lacks the playful spirit of the Mercedes, and it seems to have been designed so that no one will overlook its size. It seems huge, especially when booming up behind you in fast traffic. It doesn't project friendliness or good humor to the occupants of vehicles sharing its road. Drivers of Expeditions and Navigators alike look a little grim. The Cadillac Escalade's appearance is dominated by a wide, toothy robot grin. Despite this eerie 'I'm in control' smile, the rest of the Escalade design tells you it's sophisticated, refined, competent, and expensive. The public's continued enthusiasm for SUVs and the success of the Escalade and its sibling, the EXT pickup, among some of America's most visible celebrities, dictate that Cadillac will be led back to health and prosperity by the most unlikely Cadillacs in 100 years, and the Escalade smiles all the way to the bank. —David E. Davis, Jr. Second Opinion If Ford's Lincoln Navigator were the only sport/utility vehicle on the planet, we'd undoubtedly love it. We're impressed by the improvement in this latest iteration, but, unfortunately, there is the Cadillac Escalade, which has simply raised the bar beyond the Navigator's reach. The Cadillac, even with a solid rear axle, offers ride, handling, and roadholding superior to that of the Lincoln, despite its new independent rear suspension. Clearly, GM engineers have done their homework on this Escalade. It offers levels of refinement and sophistication hitherto unseen in vehicles of this type. The Mercedes-Benz ML500 is odd man out here, in that it's both smaller and less luxurious than the two American SUVs. To its credit, it feels quicker and more agile than the other two, and it is. If there were a sports-car category for SUVs, the ML500 would rule that niche. It won't do the heavy lifting that we've come to expect from these big bruisers, nor will it accommodate similar crowds of people and pets, but it is fun to drive. With very large tires, relative to the size and weight of the vehicle, it practically begs to be thrown into corners, and its compact exterior dimensions make it easier and more reassuring to drive in tight, twisty places. All three of these vehicles are burdened with third seats. This rush to provide extra seating far back in the stern sheets seems motivated by some marketing need to make the more profitable sport/utilities into 'minivan substitutes.' The third seat in a Chevrolet Suburban or Ford Excursion is bad enough, but the third seat in the Tahoe-size Escalade or the even smaller Mercedes ML is just not a place where you want anybody to sit, unless theyre being punished for something. The power-folding third seat in the Navigator is brilliantly executed—mainly in the ease and simplicity of making it disappear; we don't want to sit back there. These are more like badroad vehicles than off-road vehicles. Their sheer bulk—especially their width—and lack of serious off-road hardware limit their usefulness in deep mud and dark woods. This is okay, however, because their owners are seldom apt to go off-road, except accidentally, when they're fumbling for a cellphone or trying to snip the end off a cigar while hurrying along some winding suburban avenue. —David E. Davis, Jr. 2002 Cadillac Escalade Pros Superb powertrain Polished ride High feature content Cons Boy-racer gauges No low range Small rolling stock 2003 Lincoln Navigator Pros Tailored new look Power-folding third row DVD player Cons Needs more power (or less weight) Engine drone underboosted power steering 2002 Mercedes ML500 Pros Sporting powertrain Agile for an SUV Nav system Cons Midsize SUV cargo volume Optional third-row seat is tiny Cheap-look dash plastics
