Autoblog

Looking like a talk show host running through his mailbag, Bob Lutz answers one question that readers have repeatedly asked: "what's up with all the concept cars that never go into production?" His answer touches on the Buick Velite and Centieme, Chevy Bel-Air, Volt, Cadillac Sixteen, public image, alternative energy, and he boasts that GM is possibly the best carmaker in the world at putting concept cars into production. It's 3:09 of no-nonsense Lutz. Click the "Read" link to watch.

[Source: FastLane]

We like to listen to GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz, because he has more experience than just about anybody else in the industry, and because he likes to spill the beans on new product for the General. Blogger Bob confirmed a V12 flagship for the Cadillac brand, and now GM Global Engineering boss Jim Queen is confirming at least the need for a more upscale Caddy.

Queen hit the nail on the head when he told Just-Auto that Cadillac needs a high-end product that's "not yet in the portfolio." Many believe Cadillac will have trouble convincing customers that it is a premium luxury brand until it has an answer for the Mercedes S-Class and Lexus LS, and from Queen's statements, it sounds like he'd like to rectify that situation.

The Cadillac Sixteen was such a revolutionary concept that we feel GM would be crazy not to derive some form of production car from it.. With an available RWD chassis (Zeta) mated to two 3.6L V6 engines on a common crankshaft, GM already has some of the most expensive parts in place. All the General needs to do next is build some very Sixteen-like skin to cover it. Besides, what are we worrying about anyway? Bob said it shall be, and so it shall be done.

[Source: Just-Auto]

Lutz unveiles the Cadillac Sixteen concept at NAIAS 2003 in Detroit

It's official. It's been confirmed: Cadillac is preparing a new V12 flagship. That's straight from the mouth of our favorite man in the business, Bob Lutz. On a recent trip across the pond, GM's venerated product guru confirmed in an interview to the British car magazine AutoWeek that they are indeed working on a twelve-cylinder engine, slated to power a new range-topping, import-beating "Cadillac of Cadillacs," a super-luxury-sedan to rival the likes of the Mercedes S-Class and Lexus LS in the grandest of American style.

The new powerplant is being fabricated from two of GM's 3.6-liter 60-degree V6 engines mounted on a common crankshaft. Far from relying solely on cylinder count, sources speculate the engine will also benefit from such features as direct injection and cylinder deactivation, resulting in a 7.2-liter V12 with somewhere in the neighborhood of 600 horsepower and 540 lb-ft of torque.

And just where is GM testing such a behemoth of an engine? In Australia, of course! As has become de rigeur for American automakers of late, GM is relying on its Australian subsidiary to run the development work on the new flagship engine. Holden is reported to have already begun testing mules, based on a Commodore with a stretched-out engine bay, at its Lang Lang test center near Melbourne. Although the Zeta-based Commodore, (a.k.a. the upcoming Pontiac G8) is being used strictly as a test bed for the time being, it could end up providing the underpinnings for the Cadillac megasedan when the time comes.

Lutz has been pushing for a top-tier Cadillac for years now, and the impetus for its development has apparently come from the feedback received by the Cadillac Sixteen showcar debuted back in 2003. Although the showcase V16 engine was ruled out, apparently the V12 has gotten the green light for development. Shoot for the stars and land on the moon, eh Bob?

Related posts:

• Not so sweet Sixteen: GM says definitely no $100k+ sedan
• Cadillac shores up Ultra Luxury Sedan
• Lutz: Camaro could spawn big Caddy
• $100k+ Caddy a go, again?
  

[Source: Automotive News - subscription required]

Podcast #60 finds us reminiscing about the Geneva Motor Show. We spend a while talking about what our team saw at the show - standout vehicles, best and worst, most surprising (good and bad) to see in person versus pictures. John presses Damon for information about how some hotly anticipated cars such as the Mazda2, Audi S5, and the M3 looked at our first opportunity to be up close and personal with them. A good long time is spent covering Geneva before we turn our attention to Ford's sale of Aston Martin. Debate ensues over the move and whether it was a smart one for Ford. Speaking of smart moves and Ford, the bonuses that Alan Mulally breathlessly memo'd Ford employess drew some of our ire, as well as some of our ennui. We'll see how it shakes out, but perhaps the workers would have rather seen their paltry share go back into unbeatable product. We wrap up by alighting on all the doings over at Cadillac. The BLS wagon has just dropped, and there are rumors of a CTS Coupe and Wagon to really give BMW a run for its money. Of course, the sordid affair of the on again, off again $100K plus Caddy (and we don't me an XLR-V) elbows its way into the conversation before we trot off into the sunset. Enjoy!

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During an interview with David Sedgwick of Automotive News, Bob Lutz, GM's vice chairman, revealed that plans to offer a Cadillac in the $150,000 to $180,000 realm are still on the table. Although production of the 2003 Sixteen concept has come up in previous conversations, within GM, it has always been more of a styling exercise, built to influence future Caddy designs. That said, the General has researched the idea and came away impressed with the business case.

Another option would be the production of a vehicle similar to the 2002 Cien concept (pictured) that Lutz maintains would cost less to produce, but would sell in smaller numbers.

If such a vehicle would come to fruition, expect power to come from a V12, a V10 or even a hybrid powertrain. The latter may be more appealing, as Lutz admits that federal fuel economy standards are going to have a great deal of influence on future models and GM's focus is beginning to turn towards more efficient vehicles.

[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req.]

Yeah. We're bummed too. Not surprised, just disappointed. Way back in 2003 when GM rolled this 16-cylinder beauty onto a NAIAS stage, it was easy to believe in a revived Cadillac. The grand Sixteen would be the pinnacle of all American-built cars and would lead the way for U.S. automakers' return to the forefront of vehicle design and engineering.

Automotive News reports that GM looked at the market, and decided the world just wasn't ready for the Cadillac of Cadillacs. So for now, the Escalade will just have to be the, uh, Cadillac of Cadillacs.

[Source: Automotive News (sub req'd)]