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Exclusive: Secrets of the Matrix: Reloaded's Pulse-Pounding Car Chase; First Drive: Cadillac's XLR and Secret Plans for 500-hp Next-Gen Caddy CTSv; Chrysler Kills M80, Ford Makes Progress, Maserati Builds Four-Door - And More on TheCarConnection.com

DETROIT, May 27, 2003 -- Bullets fly, cars launch into the air, and hearts pound during the most intense car chase scene ever filmed. Now get the inside story on the 15-minute pursuit everyone's talking about in the Summer blockbuster, "Matrix: Reloaded," only on TheCarConnection.com.

When Matrix filmmakers went looking for a futuristic-looking car for the latest part of their trilogy, they turned to the then-unreleased Cadillac CTS. Stars Keanu Reeves, Larry Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss might have had an easier time getting away if they were driving the second-generation Caddy CTSv. In an exclusive report, TCC reveals plans to bump the Euro-fighter sedan up to as much as 500-hp in '06.

Go for a ride in the all-new Cadillac XLR, with its Corvette-based platform, big V-8, folding hardtop and lavish interior. Has Caddy caught up with the likes of the Mercedes-Benz SL or Lexus SC430? Find out in this week's issue of TheCarConnection.com.

Put the pedal to the metal in the Porsche Cayenne Turbo. And this week's spy shot captures the 2005 Maserati 4-door, sleek, sexy, Italian, but also a shade of practicality.

Approaching the end of your lease? This week's TCC Tip shows what to do when it's time to turn in your ride.

Chrysler's killed the hip M80 SUV/pickup project, along with an all-new Canadian assembly plant. Also in business news this week, see the signs suggesting Ford is actually making a much-needed comeback. But the number two automaker's upcoming centennial celebration could be disrupted by anti-SUV protesters.

Indeed, in the battle over fuel economy, perceptions are as important as reality. Curmudgeon-at-large Jerry Flint talks about the challenges of winning hearts and minds.

A radical new transmission design could shift the way Europeans look at automatics.

Stay on top of the latest news, trends, tips and bargains with TheCarConnection's free newsletters: Weekly Car Guide for smart shoppers, and Daily Edition, the automotive insider's bible, named the Internet's Best Automotive News Source in the International Automotive Media Awards.

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