Cadillac Coupe

This stunning Cadillac coupe is real. It exists in detailed, full-size clay model form in GM's design studio in Detroit and is the topic of fierce debate at senior levels within the company. The key argument: Do we do it?

GM product supremo Bob Lutz sees this car as central to maintaining the momentum of Cadillac's so far successful rehabilitation from Florida retirement-home transport to fast, edgy, all-American BMW alternative. What's more, he's convinced with a coupe like this Cadillac could even play in cut-price Bentley territory, tempting buyers who can't stretch to a Continental GT.

The 551-horsepower W-12-powered Conti GT is one of Lutz's personal benchmark cars. He thinks the $160,000 coupe's combination of supercar performance and traditional luxury is a winning formula that Cadillac could emulate for less money. But word out of Detroit is that not everyone at GM agrees: They're not sure a $120,000 Cadillac is a viable proposition yet, and, with money tight, they're reluctant to commit to the V-10 or V-12 engine Lutz is insisting the car needs.

It's far from certain this coupe--dare we suggest it's the ULC? --will ever be seen in a Cadillac showroom. But the mere fact this concept exists shows the scope of Lutz's ambition for the brand that once called itself the Standard of the World.

Platform
Engineers already are working on ideas for a large rear-drive sedan above the STS (the so-called ULS) that would allow Cadillac to go head-to-head with Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7 Series. Chassis options include stretching the Sigma platform from the CTS and STS one size further or taking the new Zeta platform, under development in Australia by GM's Holden subsidiary, and adding such premium components as aluminum suspension parts and higher-quality bushings and bearings.

The Zeta scenario is said to be gaining favor. Not only is it a versatile platform--it's to be built in two different wheelbases by Holden--but it's also a lot less expensive than the Sigma, which some engineers believe is already near its size limit with the STS. If Cadillac is going to use an upgraded Zeta for the ULS, a slightly shorter wheelbase version for a coupe would be a straightforward engineering task.