ATS a good-looking Cadillac rendering, isn't it? Not so accurate, though...
A few weeks back, we were among the group invited out to General Motors' design studios to have a look at the near future of the company's product portfolio. Among the many vehicles that we told you about after our visit were a pair of new Cadillacs to fill out the lineup. According to Cadillac sources, it's going to be some time in 2010 before the XTS and the smaller ATS are shown publicly. However, Motor Trend has had noted illustrator Mark Stehrenberger try his hand at rendering the ATS. Unfortunately, the result doesn't look quite like the actual car we were shown. Starting at the front, the rendering actually looks a lot more like the late departed XLR roadster than the ATS. The styling buck we saw had a taller nose in keeping with modern pedestrian safety standards. Additionally, the grille of the ATS is of the same style as seen on the current CTS and SRX as opposed the egg-crate pattern shown on the illustration. One element that is accurate is drawing's headlights, which stretched well back along the top edge of the fender on the production-intent model we saw.
At the back, the ATS has a longer rear overhang and deck with proportions more like the current CTS sedan. The truncated rear end of the illustrations is completely wrong and the sharply creased edges all around are more reminiscent of early "Art and Science" Cadillac models like the XLR and first-gen CTS. The actual car has the same slightly softened look of the current CTS. A tip of the hat to Pierce!
[Source: Motor Trend]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Motor_Yakuza 11:14AM (9/03/2009)
Looks awesome so far, gimme...
Reply
Sal Collaziano 1:44PM (9/03/2009)
Ahh, well yeah - but if you read the article, you'd know that the rendition is far from what is actual reality. The ATS is going to be a little CTS.. I don't know.. I like the look of the CTS as a mid-sized car - but I'm not sure how I'll feel about it being small.. The rendition would have really been great. I was very happy to see that picture yesterday.. Too bad it's wrong...
Sal Collaziano
http://www.cadillacforums.com
JIM MBONGO 11:14AM (9/03/2009)
Us they usually do, Motor Trend try to mislead au again.
Why most of those so-called car experts-analysts are always so wrong?
Shame!
Reply
Juan 11:18AM (9/03/2009)
Can't wait until the ATS is revealed...hopefully we'll all be surprised (in a good way)
Reply
artandcolour 11:23AM (9/03/2009)
Stehrenberger is arguably the best auto illustrator out there. his work is one of the reasons i'm an artist today, having literally drooled over his work in the '70s, my formulative years... he's a gracious man also, having corresponded with him. whether or not this rendering is spot-on or not, thanks for publishing it. i rarely buy Motor Trend anymore and don't look at their website except the forums once in a while. just seeing this piece inspires me in the same way his work did when i was 13...
Reply
garlinski 12:21PM (9/03/2009)
think maybe he put his own ideas into the drawing as to not give away too much about the car? i love his drawings as well!
verytuscan 11:45AM (9/03/2009)
Why they still stick with the Aztek-theme?
Reply
inline6 11:46AM (9/03/2009)
Good Gawd! Did you read the article at all? THE ILLUSTRATION ISN'T ACCURATE TO WHAT WAS SHOWN LAST MONTH.
Dr. Greenthumb 11:56AM (9/03/2009)
Come on dude, the nose on that illustration is early STS. GM has moved on, it will not look like that.
Other Man 11:48AM (9/03/2009)
I hope Cadillac realizes that this may be their single most important new vehicle for the next several years. If they can close in on Infiniti G/BMW 3-Series dynamics with an interior as good as the larger CTS', and the good quality recent Caddys have enjoyed, this car could be a smash hit. Not just for sales, but for the perception of the brand as well.
Reply
inline6 11:51AM (9/03/2009)
See, this is exactly why I don't take Motor Trend seriously.
Their writing is dumbed down to a 5th grade level, they speculate WAAAAY to much on future vehicles, and then they go publish an illustration of the car one way, when the rest of the known journalistic world has already seen the damned thing and knows it looks different!
And yeah, while the illustration itself is really good, it's as though the illustrator hasn't seen a Cadillac concept or production model since 2004.
Reply
amade.ch 1:15PM (9/03/2009)
i don't understand why anybody publishes drawings by mark stehrenberger. they are NEVER accurate. he just mixes elements of existing cars to get something new. mostly the actual cars don't have anything in common with his sketches except the badge.
Reply
CamO 1:51PM (9/03/2009)
I'm holding my breath for this car! It's exactly what I've been waiting for an American car company to build.
Will GM re-start leasing? If they want to steal customers from BMW et all they need to get back into the leasing game.
Reply
Chase 2:01PM (9/03/2009)
They already did start re-leasing. That was in the news about a month ago.
Chase 1:54PM (9/03/2009)
How about this AB?
http://i25.tinypic.com/flh47m.jpg
Reply
Sam Abuelsamid 9:50PM (9/03/2009)
nope, not close
P.V. 4:38PM (9/03/2009)
I figured it didn't look quite right as it did remind me of a sedan XLR, which has the first iteration of the "Art & Science" theme rather than the second (like the current CTS). I'm glad the grille is in fact being updated, as I really like the noses of both the new CTS and SRX.
Reply
Kyouya 4:44PM (9/03/2009)
I can't wait to see the new ATS!!! Please Caddy show us a little bit!!!
Reply
CTapok 5:15PM (9/03/2009)
If the ats is based on the Caddy Astra, it will be an ugly duck: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ujipR-D4AHY/SlVQCjtbElI/AAAAAAAABVE/TT-5vno6TCE/s1600/Cadillac%2BATS.jpg
Reply
CTapok 5:36PM (9/03/2009)
How about this?
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ujipR-D4AHY/SlVQCjtbElI/AAAAAAAABVE/TT-5vno6TCE/s1600/Cadillac%2BATS.jpg
Reply