David Mulroney, Canada’s ambassador to China, was mocked on a Chinese social networking site for committing a major social faux pas – according to commenters on Weibo, a Chinese social networking site, Mulroney’s Toyota Camry, his official car, lacked sufficient prestige for a man of his station.

While the Audi A6L is the standard vehicle of choice for anyone who is somebody in China, Canadian cabinet ministers are capped at a car allowance of $32,500. Most Canadian politicians opt for Canadian built cars, which leaves them with a pretty good selection of rides; the Ford Edge, Chrysler 300/Dodge Charger and Chevrolet Impala can be seen in motorcades and government building parking lots. Prime Minister Stephen Harper usually rolls around in a black Suburban, and our Governor-General (the British Monarchy’s representative in Canada, and our official head of state) gets a Canadian made Lincoln Town Car.

The Globe and Mail article goes on to explain the semiotics of Chinese and Canadian car choices. Two obvious differences; any Canadian government official that bought an expensive luxury car with taxpayer funds would be publicly crucified – in fact, it’s happening right now. Second, driving a Buick minivan in North America is anything but a status symbol, no matter how cool it is in China.

Panther fans, grab your heart medication. Cadillac and Lincoln will be unveiling their entrants into the livery car market next week at the International LCT show in Las Vegas, based on the front-drive Cadillac XTS sedan and Lincoln MKT crossover.

The “W20 Livery Sedan Package” appears to be a trim level on its own, with distinct extended wheelbase and sedan chassis variants offered later this year. The W20 looks like  comes loaded with every option available, including the Brembo brake package. Lincoln has previously shown their MKT livery car concept. For my money, nothing beats a nice Signature L. The full press release is below.

Cadillac, Premier Sponsor at 28th Annual International LCT Show Produced by LCT (Limousine, Charter and Tour) Magazine, Set to Debut New Livery Vehicle

LAS VEGAS, NV–(Marketwire – Jan 26, 2012) – Annual International LCT Show produced by Bobit Business Media, with media sponsor, LCT (Limousine, Charter and Tour) Magazine announced a Premier Sponsor, Cadillac, will debut new their newest livery vehicle during the event, taking place February 13-15 at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Cadillac jump-starts a changing limousine market with a long-awaited premier luxury sedan it hopes will catapult it ahead of longtime livery rival Lincoln. Once unveiled Feb. 13, the Cadillac XTS will go head-to-head with other luxury brand sedans in the industry. Buyers will need to choose between the multiple luxury sedan offerings and the crossover-styled MKT Town Car that Lincoln is showing.

While a successor to the former DTS/DeVille line of luxury sedans, the XTS heralds a revamped design that emphasizes a sportier, younger luxury image suffused with advanced technology and intuitive connectivity. “This new vehicle will help dispel some of the myths out there about Cadillac,” said Ray Bush, Cadillac Professional Vehicles Program Manager. “The Cadillac of old was from the standpoint of large, floaty vehicles. Cadillac has moved away from that with its new products launched over the last 10 years. The XTS will further that with outstanding ride characteristics that compare favorably with Cadillac vehicles of the past.”

Standard features include: illuminated door handles, push-button start, Brembo brakes, rear vision camera and obstacle detection, and OnStar. Optional features include: Navigation system; a Luxury Package with a memory driver’s seat, heated/cooled front seats and a premium audio system with surround sound; and a Rear Comfort package with heated seats, side-window and backlight sun shades and Tri-zone HVAC controls.

The XTS “W20 Livery Sedan Package” will be unveiled in the Cadillac booth at the International LCT Show, with the extended sedan and limousine chassis available later this year. Special pricing and incentives are expected be announced at the show as well. All vehicles for the chauffeured transportation industry are covered with PVPP extended warranty for 3 years or 150,000 miles, whichever comes first.

For more information on the International LCT Show, visit www.LCTSHOW.com.

“With a languid stroke, her lascivious fingers caressed the seat. Out of nowhere, Chopin’s Nocturnes engulfed Rudolfo’s vintage Testatrossa in a sea of glissandi. Soon, Rudolfo’s  testosterone was on full volume. He opened the first button of her blouse, there was a pop, then – silence.”

If Maksim Skorobogatiy of the Polytechnic School in Montreal, Canada, gets his way, then this is how future novels will be written. Or car catalogs. Skorobogatiy suggests:

“In essence we are trying to reproduce the smartphone experience in textile form. We are looking for applications where we can weave in sleek, non-invasive control, avoiding blocks of push buttons.”

The Canadian researchers created a soft polymer-based fiber, or make that fibre, which has electrical properties that change depending on where it is touched. The fiber can be woven into any fabric. That way, it can turn a car seat, or the lady’s blouse (“it`s getting hot, mind if I turn this down a bit … there you go”) into a touch screen.  There already may be a customer.

“Touch-sensitive surfaces are a very interesting technology for controlling operations in a car.”

So said BMW spokeswoman Melina Aulinger to the New Scientist, which opines that “it might not be long before something similar is seen in our cars.”

Totally overlooked, a recent BMW concept car that appeared in March at the Geneva Motor Show, was operated via a touch-sensitive surface, heating and music were controlled by the driver’s gestures, Aulinger told the New Scientist.

It’s probably all a conspiracy to wean us away from leather and make us buy chintzy fabric seats that interface with our iPod.