I had an interesting conversation on the BLS with someone very high up in GM's decision making chain of command.

I mentioned that a BLS sized RWD product would be preferable in Cadillac's portfolio, (actually I was pressing for a BLS sized RWD platform more for Chevy than for Caddy....but that's a whole different story). They agreed that in a perfect world such a product would be preferable. However they needed BLS for Europe quickly. They also needed a platform that offered right hand drive and a diesel. These last two features can be brought to market at virtually no cost, by basing this new Caddy off of a Saab 9-3.

Reverting to FWD is a risky proposition......but it is a quick and inexpensive solution. Hopefully it'll be a good move. Aesthetically at least, the car looks much better than I expected.....but the Jag X-Type analogy still looms large.

 

I've also heard that the next CTS will be alittle smaller.

 

A little smaller, huh? I would assume a little shorter as part of that? If the CTS were about 3 inches shorter (with a mating 3 inch shorter firewall) it would be a pretty good fit for a "C" car, wouldn't it? What year does the next CTS debut? 2008? Hmm...

 

I really REALLY REALLY hope Cadillac makes a "CTC". (Coupe version of the CTS)

 

I would think that could virtually lock a sporty Chevy coupe. Caddy needs a coupe, and I think it will get it in the next gen Sigma.

 

I agree... it would all seem to fit together nicely.

 

The question is, would that be aimed at the 3 series or the 5 series? Either way a really nice coupe would be an incredible asset to Cadillac's lineup. An XLR V is a 440hp blown v8, and the CTS gets the 400hp pushrod v8. Honestly I'd rather have the supercharged engine, but living as a 2 door CTS, that would probably keep it with the CTS's engine options.

I always thought the CTS and STS were too close in size. If the CTS got larger, then the STS would need to get larger. But if the CTS gets smaller (which I too heard) then that would be very sweet.

A smaller CTS coupe with a shorter firewall would certainly be an interesting vehicle. Though I dont think Cadillac should/would do it (too sporty for a touring coupe) it would show the flexibility....

wait. Didnt Cadillac already prototype a shorter firewall on the sigma chassis?

 

Yes! AND it was looked at VERY highly for the next Camaro. I believe that Z284ever can confirm this cars existance.

 

I love the way we hijacked this thread. It couldn't have happened to a better person...

 

Ya, it's hard, no matter how hard one may try, to sustain a lot of Cadillac bashing right now.

 

Well, alittle smaller....but not as small as a 3 series.

Here's where we get into political issues. There are some at GM who feel Americans will never pay premium money for a car smaller than a CTS. That's one reason that the BLS will not come here.

This whole argument is completely full of holes though, since the US is BMW's largest 3 series market and I believe MB's largest C-class market.

Although I'd prefer a RWD, I'd definitely take a look at the BLS if it were available here.....especially with the turbo 2.8L V6.

 

But would a LS2 fit in a BLS? That might be a tighter fit than in the 4th gen.

 

Well BLS is based on Epsilon, so it doesn't fit our ponycar purposes......but if a Sigma or "Beta" RWD were made in the BLS's size........... then YES!, and probably fit better than in a 4th gen.

 

If they could bring to market a $35k CTC, that would hit right home at the G35 Coupe market. As some here know, I am a die-hard American car fan, but I'd be willing to give up a body part for a G35 Coupe. I think its simply the most attractive car on the market anywhere under $50k...period. It would be a huge asset to Cadillac's image to have a car like that available. Even if it didn't sell in huge numbers, it would go a long way for the image. I'm in no position to buy a car like that for several years to come, but someday if one was available...

 

The biggest problem with CTS in Europe is price and lack of a big enough dealer network.

In North America, Mercedes BMW and Audi sell very highly contented vehicles in the "C" class - which makes the CTS a suitable competitor. In Europe, the cars are basically stripped down versions of what we have here. Yes, you can get 3-series cars with manual seat tracks all the way around and "roll down your own, bub" windows and anemic 4 cylinder engines (as in the 1.8 liters of 140hp raging fury I got in a rental Z3 once in Germany - the car wouldn't get out of it's own way on the Autobahn).

CTS has no real stripped down version - they're all pretty highly contented cars, which prices them out of the "C" class market and puts them into the 5-series territory.

The last I heard, the "baby Caddy" would be offered with AWD.

Vehicle-wise, Cadillac is now ideally positioned to assault Europe. What they need now is an extensive enough dealer network to get the job done. I was thinking of this very thing last night, and pondered the use of Opel's network as ideal. Basically you'd split the dealerships into Opel and Cadillac halves and inform the dealers of differences in service, presentation and customer treatment, such as:

1) If a Cadillac comes in for warranty work, it gets fixed - LIKE NOW, with no "they all do that" junk, and the warranty is extended for the system worked on. If the warranty is 5 years/50,000 miles and someone brings in their Caddy for a problem at 4 years and 30,000 miles, the system is covered for the next 5 years and 50,000 miles (so the system in question would be covered until 9 years/80,000 miles).

2) One does not give a Cadillac owner a low-end Opel/Fiat/Volkswagen for a rental car. He/she gets a Cadillac - preferably one a step up from his current car (BLS owner gets a CTS, CTS owner gets an STS, STS owner gets an XLR... XLR gets whatever he/she wants). V-series owners get V-series cars as rental. Expensive? TOUGH. Want to be "The Standard of the World" or NO?

3) Service goes OUT OF IT'S WAY to make a Cadillac owner happy. Wash the car, fill it with gas, detail it, you name it... You want to make the experience of owning a Cadillac somewhat akin to being worshipped.

4) Warranty - longer, better, faster.

Pricey? You bet. Want to be taken seriously? I think that the above is worth it.

Have all kinds of commercials on the air that say, in a nutshell:

"Cadillac, we stand behind our name. We stand behind our cars."