News: Cadillac Could Be Planning a Corvette Z06 Based Halo Car

[Rob]

Cadillac Could Be Planning a Corvette Z06 Based Halo Car

By Patrick Rall
TorqueNews.com

The Cadillac brand is making moves to continue to better challenge the other luxury automakers doing business in the United States and a new rumor suggests that General Motors could be planning a new halo car for Cadillac – one which could be based on the current Chevrolet Corvette.

It could be argued that the Cadillac lineup is the best that it has ever been. The ATS, CTS, XTS, SRX and Escalade are all among the best options in their respective segments while the ELR is literally the only true extended range electric vehicle sold in America. The upcoming CT6 will give the Cadillac brand a proper rear wheel drive super luxury sedan to rival the best from BMW and Mercedes, but something is missing. Cadillac doesn’t have a proper sports car, but rumors suggest that they could be working on a fix for that problem and that fix could include a car that is at least loosely based on the C7 Chevrolet Corvette – or even the new Z06.

Modern Cadillac Versus The World
Mercedes has the SLS, the new GT and the rest of the AMG lineup. BMW has the M lineup and the new i8. Lexus has (or had) the LFA along with more reasonably priced models like the IS-F and the new RC-F. Infiniti doesn’t have a proper sports car, but they do have the Q60 models. Audi has the R8 and the far more affordable TT. These are all brands that the modern Cadillac brand is competing with and, as displayed above, every one of them has a proper 2-door sports car. Cadillac does not.

While the new VSport models go a long way in satisfying those folks who want bigger performance from their new Cadillac, those models don’t properly compete with many of the cars in that list above. Even the introduction of the future CTS-V and ATS-V will leave a hole in the brand’s lineup and that hole may leave folks who own a daily driven Cadillac looking elsewhere for a luxury sports car. The ATS-V Coupe could help, but that is still no Mercedes AMG GT or Lexus LFA. However, General Motors has a car in their arsenal that will keep up (if not beat) any of the cars on that list with the new Chevrolet Corvette Stingray and the Corvette Z06.

Full Story: Cadillac Could Be Planning a Corvette Z06 Based Halo Car - Torque News

 

[XLRATING]

Interesting read. It begs the question though - why would Cadillac/GM try that again when they still haven't solved the problem that contributed to the end of the XLR: marketing.

Currently they're doing things such as:
- creating confusion in their own brand by having the V and the V Sport
- eliminating a rear wheel drive model in the size of the 2d generation CTS, & redirecting those buyers who can't/won't pay the upgrade price for the new CTS to the ATS, which at a minimum is a lot smaller
- believing that all they need is heated seats to increase sales

Best of all are the visions of dancing welding machines in my head ...

 

[Rob]

I pretty much agree with you. In my opinion, the two main contributing factors to the demise of the XLR was extremely poor marketing, and a price that was too high for the car.

It's possible that if they are going to come out with another Cadillac sports car, hopefully they intend on actively marketing the car rather than just putting a couple advertisements in some magazines and forgetting about it.

I won't hide the fact that I'm also a BMW enthusiast (no, I don't own any BMW sites ). Over the last several years, Cadillac has been grabbing my attention more and more. I've followed their improving build quality, fit and finish and overall quality of materials used. I've watched as Cadillac has tried to position itself as a direct competitor to BMW, however, I've always felt that they've come close, but still have a way to go.

A couple weeks ago, I had to bring my Corvette into the local Chevrolet/Cadillac dealership for a state inspection, and while waiting for the car, I got a chance to walk through the Cadillac showroom and check out 2014 Cadillac CTS's, ATS's, a couple ELRs and a 2015 ATS. I sat in all of them and checked out the build quality and materials used.

While the quality has improved drastically over the years, I was still disappointed in the overall quality compared to BMW. Example: in one of the 2014s, the windows were down. When I got out of the car and shut the door, the inner door panel vibrated. To me: something like that, is completely unacceptable in a brand new car, especially a Cadillac. The quality of materials used, in my opinion, were not up to par with the quality of materials used in BMW's 3-series which is what Cadillac is really trying to go after.

I then sat in the 2015 ATS, and I have to say - was shocked. Build quality was fantastic, fit and finish flawless, and the quality of materials used, outstanding. In my opinion, there was a pretty big difference between the 2015 and the 2014. I'm hoping that this kind of quality will now be found in all of Cadillac's new models.

My 2008 BMW 335xi was getting up there in miles and I wanted to upgrade to something new. I didn't end up buying a Cadillac...simply because I wanted more power and something a bit smaller. I ended up going to my BMW dealer across the street and traded my 2008 in on a 2015 BMW M235i with xDrive.

It's interesting to see how BMW has...separated the models in terms of quality of materials used and luxury. As you move up the line from the 2-series, to the 3-series/4-series, 5-series and then the 6 and 7 series, the quality of materials used and the luxury increases dramatically (as does the price). In my opinion, this is what Cadillac is now trying to do with their plan to move to New York to separate themselves from the rest of GM, and how they're slowly repositioning the lineup: ATS, CTS, XTS, and soon to be CT6. I'm willing to bet, they're going to position the ATS to take on the 3-series/4-series; the CTS to take on the 5-series, and the XTS/CT6 to take on the 6 and 7 series.

Time will tell, but I'm excited to see what this new guy in charge of Cadillac is going to do. I think it's an exciting time for Cadillac, and I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of the ATS-V.

Over the last several years, I've always been just one step away from buying a Cadillac, but compared to BMW, I just haven't been able to bring myself to do it. They've always looked and/or felt bigger than I care to drive (hence the reason why I went with the M235i - 2 door coupe - 6 inches shorter than my 2008 335xi).

If, what I encountered in the 2015 ATS a couple weeks ago, and the ATS-V has the power and fun factor I'm always looking for, Cadillac just might succeed in prying me away from BMW.

 

[cubby558]

I have to agree with you both and a lot of what you say, but I think Cadillac is still a few years off in getting where they need to be. Instead of trying to come up with another halo car, they should be concentrating on building up the current models they have. Like Rob stated the ATS is Cadillacs answer to the 3 series BMW-(where's the convertible to be competitive!), the CTS against the 5 series-(the VSport lacks the power to compete) the XTS and newly announced CT6 against the 7,8 series-(need a powerful rear wheel drive and or all wheel drive with a V8 to compete!)

I'd love to see a new XLR style Cadillac in the future, but I think Cadillac needs to 'master' their current lineup, to get them back to the very early days, when they used the slogan--'Standard of the World'

 

[XLRATING]

You both make really good points - I agree Cadillac needs to place a greater focus on quality, which seems to have gone down over the last decade just in my personal experience. I had an '04 CTS that had great fit & finish & no rattles. Then got an '08 STS that was loaded with rattles, had a piece of rubber gasket hanging out on one side of the front pillar by the windshield, & the dash was a little misaligned inside. Now I have a '13 coupe that has a LOT of stuff not lined up inside & out, a quarter+ sized paint blemish on top of the trunk, & some upholstery problems. Believe it or not since the CTS is my daily driver (and so will get chipped up, etc.) I'm actually not that picky, but the fit & finish defects are just that blatant. And really inexcusable as well.

I think Cadillac was more on the right track when they first brought out the Art & Science CTS-STS-SRX-XLR line up all at once & seemed to be working on improving those as a group They are clearly having growing pains right now while they keep popping out new models to overcome the stagnation from bankruptcy. It also seems like they're getting burned on feeling that they are justified in raising prices to match BMW, Mercedes, etc.

 

[CNC]

Come on Cadillac, Get it right.

It is my hope (?) that they will maybe come out with a well put together tire shredding behemoth to re-establish top performance. Sometimes to car aficionados like us, where the notoriety is enough to sell their other models in even greater numbers. I.e., look what Dodge (Chrysler Fiat) just did with The Demon. 800+ H.P. and 0 to 60 in 2.7 seconds!!!! Notoriety? Yes, in spades!

When they first came out my wife and I looked at maybe getting a new SRX Awd SUV. Drove one. Ugh! Had the Saab 2.7L V-6 turbo charged engine, Bad news. It seemed tinny and cheap to us. Except for the price. Seats were horribly uncomfortable. Lots of road noise and just seemed rattling and loud vs our then Kia Sorrento 4X4. When we got out of it, and back into The Kia, we felt as though we had left a cheap car and gotten into an expensive one. Not good! This was in 2010. They didn't get it right until 2015!!! Then and in 2016 rated right up there with The Mercedes and Acura MDX. But too late! Damage done. So now in 2017 called The XT5, and slightly remodeled, and a smidgen bigger. Yet now, a really good SUV. Consumer Reports rates it way up there. Bottom line, they don't do themselves any favors when introducing a new model and then taking 5 to 6 years to 'get it right'. Remember The Cadillac Cimarron? -- Yet, love the styling and may still buy one now that they have it fixed.