Revealed: Cadillac Ciel Concept

I feel like it should have nautical flags flying from it.

Beauteeful! I want one!! Thanks Caddy for yet another winning design!! Score one for America!!!

Stunning!

This car is beautiful! That's what a Cadillac should look like.

I'd hit it.

I know Cadillac has been building good cars recently, but this... is Cadillac really back? This hard? This makes me think so. Because this is downright jaw-dropping.

Absolutely stunning! It's a combination of a 1963 Lincoln Continental and Caddilac's Art & Science design language. Gorgeous!

What a statement! a big hint at whats to come in design and powertrain tech.

Hopefully this is a prequel to Cadillacs new flagship. Isn't Mercedes planing a convertible version of it's next S-Class? This could be the start of something totally un-needed yet to cool to resist.

Love it or hate it, at least it's unique. This design would never age, and reminds me of the Caddies and Lincolns from the 50's and 60's.

Nice concept GM, now just build one.

RT @blackdynamite1: Now THAT is a "Land Yacht"!

Right....! Ahoy Matey. I was scared that Cadillac's rebirth would end with the CTS... but not if they execute these concepts right.

The back end and backseat are f-ing ugly. The front and sides I dig.

Hideous. Tacky. The folks in Stuttgart and Munich must have let out a sigh of relief.

Hey, everybody! Look! It's a Lincoln concept from the late-nineties/early-2000s!

One would've thought Caddy nabbed Lincoln's designer rather than the other way around. And just like those awesome cars, we'll never see a hint of this in production.

The Cien Concept they never had the guts to build
The Sixteen.......yeah right!

Another concept dog that won't hunt, in real life

It'd be nice if The General had the GUTS to be great!
BD

@markedwards.... Hate all you want this car is BEAUTIFUL and has style and swagger the "folks" in stuttgart and munich could only dream of having!

I think Caddy finally gets it and this is what a Cadillac should be bold and dripping with class.. How could not think this car is anything other than rolling art? Anyways the big news to me is the TT 3.6 with 425 H.P and 430TQ! BUILD it caddy this will put even RR and Bently on notice!

Wow, looks like you could land planes on the hood of that thing! I love being from Monterey this time of year. I was driving home today and saw two F430 Scuderias, a 911 GT3RS, and a Bentley Mulsanne. :D

nice. GM on a roll... keep em coming!

looks like a Lincoln

I openly don't care for Cadillacs, but I think that's so glamourous! Hollywood in the 60's reinterpted for today. I'm a fan!

^ this.
-mm

I would LOVE to cruise around in this beast. Absolutely stunning!

I no longer have a reason to lust over a Rolls anymore.

Well, the ZR1MAN is back! After a brief hiatus I am happy to resume my colorful but politically correct comments.

That is the best looking Cadillac I have seen in awhile. Probably since the Eldorado convertible. I hope they move it from concept to production. And bump up the horsepower too.

This will put Cadillac back where it belongs if they decide to build it

Cars like this and Cien are what Cadillac should be making. If you raise the bar you don't have to play catch-up.

3.6l twin turbo is probably the ats-v's engine, maybe the upcoming xts' uplevel engine, and probably the base engine for the yet-to-be-named flagship this concept is a design study for.

"Absolutely stunning! It's a combination of a 1963 Lincoln Continental and Caddilac's Art & Science design language. Gorgeous!"

kinda what i thought, classic american car design reinterpreted with a modern design theme

creative but grand, very hard not to like

...eww...well.

I appear to have drooled all over the keyboard from looking at this beauty. (gotcha!)

holy. freakin. crap. OMG!!! this thing is effing gorgeous! this takes my vote for the concept of the year!

@markedwards: germany couldn't make anything like this. neither the british or italians. this is pure american. be proud.

"jsimzo says: holy. freakin. crap. OMG!!!"

Yep, pretty sure that sums it up. Now THAT'S a Cadillac.

This is nothing but a lazy styling exercise with no chance of production. Caddy needs to follow the trends of cars being made by the hottest new American manufacturers, Fisker and Tesla. Instead they show this boat which is simply not feasible and would have been fit in another America with under a $1 gas and few cars on the road but huge boats that could not get out of their own way.

Is that designer the same guy who is responsible for the CTS coupe disaster? I never understood why CTS coupe does not have a trunk, like a Mustang or even a Camaro or 3 series or S5 or .... The regular CTS has beautiful form factor, but he screwed the coupe up bad. He is trying too hard and needs to be shown the door, replaced by Fisker as the design lead for all of GM

If Cadillac were to actually build this, it would not only be the most beautiful car Cadillac has made in a half century, but the most important car The United States has made in a half century. The USA hasn't had a prestigious car company since the 60's. (and don't give me some obscure niche car company making a handful of 200 + MPH carbon tubs) I'm talking about a car company that can compete and beat Rolls Royce, Bentley, etc...

The country needs this car more than you may know !!!! Something to be proud for the love of God !!!

Now THIS is a show car! Even though I agree with other posters it could pass for a Lincoln, it is still very cool. But it will join that group of great GM show cars that never go anywhere, sadly. I wrote to Bob Lutz and told him to put the 2004 Chevy Nomad concept into production and I would buy one. I did get a nice letter back but no sign of that car since 2004. And let's not talk about the 2003 Sixteen, which I actually saw at a car show in DC two years after it came out and which still breaks my heart. But I have hopes for the ATS Coupe.

Stunning car. It certainly would make a heck of a flagship and would not be confused with anything German or Japanese.

Those complaining about how Caddy keeps "teasing" us with these uber concpets have to realize that these cars are design studies. The Cadillac Cien was never built but a variant of its grille became the corporate Cadillac grille for that 2002-2007 new-car design year (first gen CTS, XLR, SRX, and third gen Escalade), the Sixteen may have never gone into production but a variant of its grille is the current corporate Caddy grille. It seems to me that cars like these are only an indication of design cues we will see on the upcoming Caddy S-Class fighter (I feel like it should be closer to a Maybach fighter, ain't that wat the XTS is for?). Anyways designers take cues from these cars. Maybe not all have gone into further production but almost all have lent some design to the Caddy lineup....and with news that both the XTS and the ELR are going to be built how can one seriously be too mad at them?? They are really becoming an AWESOME car maker again.....Just saw a CTSV Wagon yesterday on 285 in Atlanta.....gave my blood chills :)

This car MUST be made. This I command!

well, it is pretty exciting, and the interior looks great. Very retro feeling. My initial reaction was to let Bruce Wayne know that we brought his car around from valet parking.

It could be Bruce Wayne's car during the day and the Batmobile after-hours.

"This I command!"

a little GI Joe reference?

I'd expect the front and rear ends of this car to represent what the real S class fighter will look like in a few years. This isnt going to be a pointless design excercise- its being shown for a reason. The front end of this car is flawless. I really cant wait to see production XTS and ATS now.

@carpaul:

My understanding is CTS coupe has sold well and I have seen MANY of them. I dont love the design, but its bold and totally unforgettable. Kind of the opposite of the 2013 Lexus GS which looks like it could've come from any Asian automaker on the planet.

First, holy cow is that beautiful. Well done Cadillac!

Second, I can't believe it took over 35 comments before someone mentioned Bruce Wayne. It's the very first thought I had whenI saw the picture.

I can only imagine this car in a hip hop video or a sports star driving in Rodeo Drive

This thing is a looker, but what I am interested in is the motor, TT V6 w/ 425hp. I think this should be the entry level motor in the new CTS. think about what that would mean for the V. Caddy's back and I want one. Very nice.

Nice! A show stopper for sure.

@markedwards - Have you seen the new 7 series? I'd say that is about as far from elegant, original and captivating as you can get in car design.

This Cadillac design is polarizing at the very least.

It looks like the villain from Cars 3.

I'm also more interested in the engine. Is that the next base motor for the Corvette maybe?

Anyway, I don't much care for it but it is striking, and a toned down version would be an amazing flagship for Caddy.

Nice! A show stopper for sure.

@markedwards - Have you seen the new 7 series? I'd say that is about as far from elegant, original and captivating as you can get in car design.

This Cadillac design is polarizing at the very least.

That's the best looking Cadillac in thirty years.

Now I know what retro feel I get--not so much Lincoln as it does the biggest Eldorado series they ever made. How cool would it be if this became the new Eldorado? It would be a great parade car!

It's beautiful, but the interior reminds me of a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.

"nothing more than a suggestion of where the brand can go in the future"??? No. They need to literally build this concept car specifically the way it is to introduce yet another exotic spice the automotive world. Totally unique. Love it.

I just j***ed in my pants.

Oh yeah bring the old school feel and look back. Now this is 'Lac'

All it needs now is a wood steering wheel and it would be perfect.

nevermind that sucker has wood on the bottom of the steering wheel. This thing is insane!

@ noburgers +10

That WOULD BE a great Eldorado. The back end kinda makes you think of the Eldos of yore! I bet that there will mos def be some design cues taken from this for the future flagship. Nice to see Caddy, not just counting on the CTS and all its variants for fame and attention.

And anyone who thinks this is "over the top" or "only for hip-hop artist and d-bag Hollywood types", then go drool over the "beige-ness" of the new GS350 then!!! It looks like a flippin' swollen IS250!

So. Much. Win.

They must build it.

As an Eldorado.

Really, this puts a Bentley/Rolls to absolute shame. And I like Bentley.

Oh HECK yeah!

Makes me feel like a kid again when my grandpa drove me around in his big, long Caddys in the 70's.
I like it. Just in photos alone it feels like a Cadillac from the glory days. A Goodfella should have pulled up in it.

It has real mirrors! Could this stunning beast actually see production? Let's all hope so!

I know its just a concept but it needs to seat 5 in the back.

Doing what Cadillac did best! Huge good looking convertibles. I mean damn. Pimps rejoice!!!

Of course it is just a design experiment...god forbid they actually produce a great looking ride like this...remind anyone of Lincoln circa 1960??

Side note: met a former GM division manager responsible for bowling green plant.... he said that the new Corvette C7 will have a turbo charged 6 that produces about 400 hp......fyi.... not sure if he is reliable...no rear engine and the marketing will be similiar to porsche....

Someone at GM still has class.

That thing probably weighs (displaces?) 6000lbs. That engine is not really a credible part of the concept. Couldnt they unearth the V-16. Lord knows there is room under the hood for even a nuclear powered steam turbine (think of the EPA numbers that would get).

Love the interior. That has to be the nicest steering wheel I have ever seen. All that chrome would blind you drving around in the sun though.

MAKE IT SO!
BD

Stunningly beautiful and surely the best looking American vehicle in a very, very long time.

Too bad it will never be built.

Name it the 'Cadillac Impact'. THIS is what the Cadillac brand should represent..

I would be OK with this vehicle not having a manual transmission.

Of course, if it did it would make it even better.

Dear GM engineer,

I know you guys read these blogs and our comments. Look at this long line of posts.... there hasn't been one negative comment. The consensus is begging you to build it. We grew up watching Caddys roll up and down the streets in style like this. It's what our grandfather's and fathers drove. We don't want a hole fleet of vehicles made like this as if we are in the 60s-80s. We want just one specialty/flagship vehicle to showcase the class and luxury of the past.

P.S... We want hard-top and convertible form.

Build it - instant classic. Reminds me of when Cadillac had guts, like the 70's El Dorados that were longer than today's Suburbans.

Forget Pebble Beach. This thing needs to be at the Woodward Dream Cruise here in Detroit tomorrow.

Quite a statement!

"Someone at GM still has class."

I dont know who that would be. Its garish and overdone...like most show cars. In this economy it is even more silly to think it will be built. In order to make money, it would have to be priced in the stratosphere and Caddy has yet to prove it can sell a car north of 75K. Remember the XLR or whatever the CaddVette thing was called? It was a dismal sales failure. Yes, these are different cars but super expensive Caddys are a long shot in the best of times. Sorry to rain on the dream parade with facts, gents. Let the excellent CTS-V be Caddys halo car...it actually sells.

It takes 3 years to bring a car to market and no automaker can predict the economy 3 years from now. On top of that the S class and 7 series sell in ANY economic climate so there's no reason to believe there wont be a market for this car.

The CTS is too small and too cheap to be a "halo" car- its just a midsized luxury model.

I dont think THIS will be built but they are obviously previewing aspects of the upcoming large lux sedan that will sit atop the CTS. With CAFE rules there is no way you will see a V12 or V16 in anything like this. You may not see a V8.

Love the wheels on this thing

bodyblue says:

10:16 AM, 08/19/11

"Someone at GM still has class."

I dont know who that would be. Its garish and overdone...like most show cars.

Isn't that the point of 'Concept Cars' - to push the envelope? And regardless, if even some of this makes it into a new Caddy flagship that'd be fine. Cadillac has said it wants to move upmarket and mix it with the big boys.. why shouldn't it? The only way Cadillac is going to prove it can sell a car north of 75k is too build something spectacular. This may be it. No one thought Hyundai would be able to sell a $50k car and then they got the Genesis and the Equus.
I bet if this car makes it to production with even 75% of the concept cars style it would be a major hit.

What I really want to know is. What is the Sedan in the background, because it's sweet!

I like the idea, I think Caddy needs an uber-luxury flagship, something that could compete with Benz, RR, and the S-class. And I really like a lot of the new stuff from Caddilac. However, I do not like the looks of this car. Bring back the Sixteen, but I suppose they could ditch the sixteen part.

This car is awesome! Beautiful, gorgeous, sexy, sleek, cool, etc. Look how thick the doors are. I love this car. This is a stark contrast to the German stuff (much of which I also like). Do it, Cadillac. And Lincoln, where the eff are you? Take notice. Does anyone else have that tingling in your brain which is indicative of a modern American auto renaissance?

"On top of that the S class and 7 series sell in ANY economic climate so there's no reason to believe there wont be a market for this car. "

HUH? S class and 7 series sell because they have MB and BMW on them. Selling something like this would be a HUGE risk. Fine, let them do it.....but not with taxpayer money riding on the outcome. They can do what they want as soon as they pay back the billions they owe the taxpayer, not a day sooner. Caddy has nowhere NEAR the brand cache' to sell cars over 75K.

"The CTS is too small and too cheap to be a "halo" car"

I said the CTS-V.....I am looking for somewhere it says that a halo car has to be big?

I said it. I'm not aware of any top sedans from any luxury auto maker from any part of the world that aren't rather large. Works for Lexus, Audi, MB and BMW- will work for Cadillac. Halo car needs to be big and offer ample rear seat dimensions. The cramped CTS fails on both counts. Aside from the V its too cheap to be a halo car. It doesnt have the size or features to be a halo car. Its a midlevel luxury brand offering and nothing more. Which is why this will be larger and cost far more.

Who said it wouldnt be a risk? Not me. They need to take the risk as others have noted. The car is long overdue and to be credible you need a CAR that costs more than the CTS in your lineup. Even Lexus knows that. The A8 has never sold as well as the 7 or S but Audi isnt going to give up. Cadillac needs to be in the mix as well and they know that and the car is coming- like it or not.

+10 arthurbishop! Love it when people say with confidence that certain brands CANT do or sell certain products. How many times have such predictions been proven wrong? Before the CTS came out people also said Cadillac would never be able to shake its old image and build legitimate rivals to RWD German cars.

"And Lincoln, where the eff are you? Take notice. "

Lincoln revival is in the works. refreshed MKS and MKT are first followed by all new MKZ next year. Ford is finally about to pump serious money and effort into Lincoln. I dont think they will be doing anything like this however.

That is cool, if caddillac is serious about being the standard they need to do something like this. Caddy's were all about big luxo-cruisers, if they can put some real quality into this then it can be a winner if they jazz up a corvette and overcharge then it will be yet another GM epic fail(XLR anyone?)

Put a top on it. Call it the BMFFTW (Big M*****F****** Fleetwood For The Win), and I'd buy it. To me, this is what Caddy is really all about.

"I said it. I'm not aware of any top sedans from any luxury auto maker from any part of the world that aren't rather large"

OK fine......but Caddy cant compete in the 70k+ price range. They can make a big halo car for less than that...WHEN they pay off their debt to the US taxpayer.

"Love it when people say with confidence that certain brands CANT do or sell certain products"

Like when they said Caddy could not sell Cavalier rip offs like the Cimmeron....or the Allante' or The Catera or the XLR....those of us that said they could not do it were RIGHT. Caddy has had a history of flops in the past 30 years....only in the past 10 have they had some hits like the CTS, the car that saved them. THAT is the reason it should be their halo car. It is their best.

Can you name a mainstream manufacturer that HASN't had at least 4 flops in the past 20 years?

This is about a 95% positive post from people that think this is a beautiful car that should, at the very least, influence bringing Cadillac back to their heritage...the cars that got people excited about buying American luxury. Why, why shouldn't they bring this design exercise out to gauge public reaction. Saying, "Stick to what you're doing now and nothing else" is what will destroy what the taxpayers money was invested for that you love to bring up every stinkin' GM post.

"Sorry to rain on the dream parade with facts" A little pretentious, don't you think?

Happy Friday everybody.
This is a friggin beautiful vehicle.

Sorry BB, don't always agree with you, but usually respect your views. That quoted sentence got me going.

Reminds me (in spirit) of the '57 Eldorado Brougham (which directly competed with the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud). I like the exterior styling; not so much the seats. I really like the idea of a Cadillac that would seriously compete with Rolls and Bentley (in elegance, comfort, finish, and performance; I wouldn't mind if it cost a lot less).

Like most others on here, I really love the CTS-V in wagon, coupe and sedan. But with this, I see that Cadillac really, REALLY has it's mojo back! This is awesome. A stunning, classic design. A beaut!

"Sorry BB, don't always agree with you, but usually respect your views. That quoted sentence got me going."

No worries, I can see how that sentence could get you going, but the gushing on this thread was a bit much to me. It is big and overdone and way to garish for me and for the times I think as well. But I think the last good looking Caddys were the 79-86 ElDorados....they were the few that were not garish and overdone. (IMO)

If you build it, he will come!!!! The Ciel is the definition of "Halo" vehicle. That being said, the Ciel looks remarkably close to production ready compared to the Cadillac Sixteen that had a wild interior that couldn't be done in the real world. I'll bet a "green Light" from Gm execs, and the Ciel would only be one more redo from production ready.

IMO, the only major redo on the Ciel before production would be adding some form of B-pillar between the doors if it is going to remain a convertible. We won't see a Ciel V-Series running a "hot Lap" at the Nurburgring without a B-pillar to stop chassis flex. I also CRINGE to what the side impact results would be on the Ciel without a B-pillar, and no roof for support. Even a hard enough front impact would have enough energy to buckle the center of the Chassis, and total the vehicle.

Another ugly GM vehicle. It's no wonder why GM's stock is dropping "like a rock".

haters are going to hate and I see both people trashing the vehicle seem to be GM/bailout haters which means they have little to say about the car itself.

We wont know if Cadillac can sell this until they try. It has nothing to do with the XLR- that was a car based on another GM vehicle that was priced $20k cheaper but offered superior performance. This car will stand alone and not compete with anything else GM makes. To my knowledge they have never really tried to compete with a sedan or 4 seat coupe in this price range so it's hard to claim with credibility that this wont work and Cadillac "can't" compete. Years back people would've said Hyundai couldn't compete with cars in the $35k-$45k range but folks aren't saying that any more.

The cimarron and catera have NOTHING to do with this. One was based on a chevy compact (a mediocre one at that) and the other was an Opel imported to be sold as a Cadillac. Let's not forget the CTS replaced the Catera and was a success from the start. CTS and SRX have done well in the $35k-$70k price range (including V) so its time to take it up a notch. And it should be noted the Escalade starts in the $60k range and goes up to $80K+ and does just fine.

IN addition, I cannot fathom how it makes sense to advice Cadillac not to make a vehicle that could yield huge profits if you claim to want to see taxpayers recover all of their investment from gov motors. More profits should lead to higher stock price which leads to better recovery by gov.

I love the gushing. It shows that peoples passion for American luxury is there, we just need that "something" to gush over.

When I saw this, I immediately thought of old time movie stars showing up in their Cadillac's. Every video or old movie shows them driving big ol' luxury cars, and everybody that saw that, wanted to be like them and drive cars like them. This is that kind of car, whether it gets produced or something like it gets produced. I really like the XTS, but I don't think that car will produce the level of emotion like this one has done so far, just from this post.

Show me another vehicle that has produced the level of excitement and almost complete lack of negative response on insideline as this one has. AND IT'S AMERICAN!

WOW!, good job GM, if this is your answer to S-class, you're on the right path. Stunning, beautiful, jaw dropping!

"IN addition, I cannot fathom how it makes sense to advice Cadillac not to make a vehicle that could yield huge profits if you claim to want to see taxpayers recover all of their investment from gov motors."

"Could" is the key word here. Do you watch the news? Have you seen the jobless rate in this country?.....the horrible financial condition of the United States? If you think that introducing a almost 100K car is a sure money maker, you dont have a clue as to what you are talking about. If this was 2005 when the economy was screaming along and growing nicely then MAYBE it would be a good idea. This would be the wrong time to introduce such a car....but that never stopped GM from making a wrong decision....look at the flops I talked about above.

"Show me another vehicle that has produced the level of excitement and almost complete lack of negative response on insideline as this one has. AND IT'S AMERICAN!"

My friend, the excitement of car nuts on car blogs and show goers really has nothing to do with sales of a 100K car in the middle of terrible financial times. I am glad so many like this car (I find it too much for me)but I just think it is the wrong car at the wrong time. It has nothing to do with hate, it has to do with reality. And the fact that I dont like the looks of the car and I am not afraid to say it in the middle of a thread that loves the car. The only Caddys I thought were good looking were the 79-85 El Dorados. The rest were either disgusting fin-chromemobiles or pointy and edgy like the current look. The CTS-V is an awesome machine for sure, but I dont think it is nice looking. Sorry, I guess that is "hate" to some people.

So the S class and 7 series and A8 arent selling anymore? News to me-I see S classes all over the place. In addition, it takes 3 years to bring a car to market which means this vehicle would likely be a 2015 model. No one knows what the car market or economy will look like in 3 years. According to your logic Europes lux car makers should stop working on new models that will sell for over $60k based on the state of the current economy. Wealthy people still have money- regardless of the unemployment rate. Luxury goods are still selling well in spite of the slow economy. Luxury cars are more profitable than regular cars for obvious reasons- its one reason why BMW is one of the most profitable automakers in the world in terms of gross margins. Meanwhile the larger automakers like Ford and Toyota only profit at a rate of 4-5% of revenue. A $100k car is a pure money maker. You said I have no clue what I'm talking about but really didn't explain how you determined that an expensive car wouldn't make money.

As explained earlier, risk taking means that flops are inevitable. That's how things work. The brands you claim have far more presitage than Cadillac have had their share of flops. Some of them (X6 for example) are on sale right now. Low volume models are always a risk- but the auto industry would stink if everyone followed your advice and stuck to high volume, low risk models.

"My friend, the excitement of car nuts on car blogs and show goers really has nothing to do with sales of a 100K car in the middle of terrible financial times. "

My friend, this is a "concept" meaning its not a production car meaning that the actual production car is YEARS away. It wont be on sale in this economy because its not even a confirmed model yet. If you already know the state of the economy in 2014 than you should put your talents to use as an economist or work on Wall Street. Car guys ALWAYS get excited about cars they cant afford- thats how it works. Expensive cars are never high volume. Is the R8 a bad move on Audis part because they only sell a few of them? I think not. Do you criticize the 7 series or A8 or LS460 simply because they are low volume luxury sedans that 95% of us can't afford? What about Ferraris? Since you basically said you don't like anything Cadillac makes or has made in 25+ years I'm not sure why anyone would believe there is ANY Concept they could offer that you wouldnt trash. Haters are going to hate, that's what they do. And haters definitely hate when the subject of their ire is getting praise from others.

Barf

"And haters definitely hate when the subject of their ire is getting praise from others."

Get over yourself. Your arguments about the S class and 7 series are total BS. Maybe you dont understand car markets. Those are ESTABLISHED high end name plates from car companies with awesome reputations that are able to demand and get 100K per car with no sweat. Caddy has none of that. Rich people will always have money, very true but how many of those rich people will buy a 100K Cad over a 100K Merc or BMW? That is the question. GM does not have the reputation for quality that in needs to succeed in the super lux market. Let them build it..I really dont care, BUT pay back the taxpayer first before they take a chance with MY money. That is not hate, it is just the right thing to do.

So wait, the rationale is changing now? before you said that its stupid to release a $100k car in this economy. If that be the case than its stupid for MB to sell the S class, BMW to sell the upper trims of 7 seriess and for Audi to continue to push for success with the A8. I never claimed I could predict how many high end Cadillacs can be sold- but I'm sure they can sell some. YOu are the only one here arrogant enough to proclaim exactly what will happen if and when this car goes on sale. I said no risk, no reward and all automakers take risks. You haven't explained why Cadillac shouldn't take any risks. Quality? Werent you the dude who was in another thread criticizing German luxury cars for poor quality relative to lexus? Now you are saying MB and BMW are paragone of high quality and Cadillac can't dream of competing with them. Seriously? Isnt that the same thing they said when the CTS_V came out? Thought so.

You dont make profits without investments and risk. Saying "pay me back first before developing highly profitable luxury models" makes no sense to a guy like me who apparently knows nothing about how this complex auto biz works. And unless you are a major purchaser of Treasury bonds I dont think you personally will get paid back a dime of the borrowed money used to for TARP.

Cadillac better note the reaction to this car and get busy developing it in earnest. This thing is hot.

"My friend, the excitement of car nuts on car blogs and show goers really has nothing to do with sales of a 100K car in the middle of terrible financial times."

What does that have to do with what you quoted? I'm saying that every car company out there has had flops in the past 20 years...on every scale. And: Cimmarron stopped selling in '88, Allante' in '93 and the Catera in '01. Not really helping an argument. It's a little too easy to bring up failures from 25 years ago...

I get it though: You don't get the love or reaction to this car. You don't particularly like Cadillacs. I never called you a hater. And not everyone honestly believes they will say, "Did you see IL? Let's get production started right away!" People are excited about something American. That's what I see, and I like it.

I'm a Jeep guy, so it's not blind loyalty to GM. I like the CTS, but the only attention it really gets is in 'V' form. A company can not reign supreme with only the performance version being spotlighted.

"That's what I see, and I like it."

Nothing wrong with that, daddio. As you can see, I do not. :)

'It's a little too easy to bring up failures from 25 years ago...'

The XLR, a 100K car was sold until just a few years ago....and they had to put 10K+ rebates just to get rid of them. That is a perfect example that Caddy cant sell a 100K plus halo car. And I never said you were a blind GM guy...I reserve that for 1487! :)

"Werent you the dude who was in another thread criticizing German luxury cars for poor quality relative to lexus? Now you are saying MB and BMW are paragone of high quality and Cadillac can't dream of competing with them."

Evidently you are in such a big hurry this morning chasing every post I make you did not understand what I said. I said they had "awesome reputations" and established brand names. I did not say the rep was deserved I just said what the market perception is. Those brands command that price and get it every day of the week. The last time Caddy tried it, it did not work (the XLR) I also did not say they could not compete...I said that they cant compete in the 100k+ market. And its true. All of this is of course IMO....I could care less if you think its arrogance.

"Cadillac better note the reaction to this car and get busy developing it in earnest. This thing is hot."

ROFL...based on what? The reaction on a car blog? Internet and car show reaction is indeed important in deciding to build something but it is just a bit too early for that statement above. The number of people that say "wow, I would buy that if they build it" is a lot more than actually do when cars come into production. Dont you think the XLR and other flops had great reactions when first seen as show cars?

Few people commenting on these boards would be able to afford this car- the point is the reaction to the styling shows there is interest in a bold flagshp Caddy with great design. The fact that the majority of people reading about or commenting on a car can't afford that car doesn't stop Porsche, Ferrari or Aston from building cars. XLR was based on a cheaper car that offered superior performance and mostly the same features- that's why it struggled. No correlation here.

The XLR was about $75k-$80k unless you're talking about the XLR-V. I dont even know how the XLR sold relative to the SL500 but the SL isnt even a volume seller. Few have ever tried to compete with the SL and it could that there really isnt a market for more than one or two entries in that segment. The ultra lux sedan segment has numerous players and is far larger. There is much more of a business case for a large lux sedan than an $80k two seater.

You're protesting too much- must be a sign that your recognize the hotness of this concept. If the case you're making so evident there would be no need to battle so hard to convince folks this is a failure waiting to happen.

BodyBlue, you don't particularly care for Cadillacs, but the brand has its share of enthusiasts and fans who are salivating for something like this - a good portion of them can afford it too.

The economy is bad, but only for common folks. The rich are still spending... BMW and Mercedes Benz have put up record sales this year and Rolls Royce is completely sold out of Phantoms for this production year. If Cadillac builds this car and it looks, sounds, and rides properly, then I think it will sell.

You cite Cadillac's flops and its lack of brand prestige compared to the European brands... it was probably guys like you in the GM boardroom that tarnished and gutted Cadillac's luxury reputation in the first place. Instead of committing themselves to building daring top-notch luxury cars, Cadillac took a path in the 1970's based on building Cadillacs as cheaply as possible, sharing parts with Chevrolets and chasing the volume down market - because these ideas made more sense than spending the dollars to engineer and build a proper Cadillac and then trusting customers to recognize that... The Cimmaron, the down-sized 80's Deville, and the Corvette-based XLR all reek of your logic. You don't 'get' Cadillac and ideas like yours are what destroyed it from the inside.

This car looks great, they should give it a go, if for nothing else than to right the wrong of having never built the Sixteen.

Like the eldo's of old. Big car for guy with little phallus. Gross, and vulgar beyond pale. Will definitely have a "Shaft Special Edition" with furry dash.

Looks like a 66 Lincoln if you ask me, but thats a good thing.
Awesome car

In general, I really like the concept and I had been waiting for the "real cadillac tradition" come back for a long time. Design is more than lines and curves. I think that the presumably younger designers who did this concept car missed the mark by not understanding the relationship between the customers and this type of car. it is possible that they never owned or drove one of the "older" models. They failed to understand what a Cadillac stood for and what people liked about them. An example of this is certainly the back passengers seats which are separated from each other, instead of offering a large seating area. This is an obvious error. The car does have nor the refinement nor the elegance of the "old Cadillac" in terms of design. The "V" shape is over-exploited in my opinion. In my opinion, there is still a lot of work and research to do for those who designed this car. For me, it is far from elegant but certainly it certainly contains some nice ideas like the suicide doors and the volume and length of the car.

Looks very American. Big, bloated, and wasteful.

Okay yet again an amazing one off piece! What a waste! they won't build it so, to make it just buy a GMC crew cab cut up and use the underpinnings with carbon fiber body work. You'll have to use a hard top that you can not bring with you...but hell it will be worth it. Goverment Motors please sell your design team to someone who would build this and make it light!!!!! All car makers are making heavy junk! What happen to light is right!