Eliminating One-Hit Wonders
By John Manoogian
Director of Design, Cadillac Exterior
We all know plenty of examples of “one-hit wonders” in literature, music, cinema, and, yes, even in car design. When the time came to redesign the original Cadillac CTS, the design team wanted to steer clear of this syndrome.
As Cadillac’s design vocabulary suggests, its brand essence is extravagant, exclusive and one that offers a dramatic presence. Let’s face it, the CTS is bold and makes a very strong statement about Cadillac’s “Art & Science” design philosophy. The design team understood that the successor to the original CTS needed to be recognizable as a Cadillac, but look like a CTS with a great upscale presence.
All these things were going through my mind as I was given the assignment to lead the exterior design team of designers and sculptors to design the 2008 CTS. And believe me, there was a lot of competition. It’s said that competition improves the breed. Well, I am convinced it certainly raised the bar for the CTS design.
We received design proposals from England and California, as well as the Advanced Design and Production Design in Michigan. In all, there were 11 scale models, and these were edited down to five full-size clay models that were then taken to a consumer clinic. From the results of the customer event, a single theme started to emerge.
Part of the design brief was to add just a bit more ‘art’ to the Art & Science design philosophy. This didn’t mean doing a soft, round, roly-poly design, but a design that had the look of being carefully sculpted by talented hands. We wanted a design that had all the structure and creases in the right places, with a small dose of lovingly created surfaces to counterbalance a computer-generated look. Additionally, a two-inch wider track proved to be a huge design enabler that allowed the team to sculpt beautiful flares that cradle the large wheels and tires.
Added enhancements of chrome details and accents were another element to really take the CTS to the next level. One of the really cool features that we spent a great deal of time on was the design of the head and taillamps. Vertical taillamp designs are a Cadillac identifier. We incorporated vertical lightpipes into the taillamps and uplevel headlamps. At night, these features identify the CTS as a Cadillac with their soft glowing vertical light. As a design team, we learned that designs can be identifiable at night as well as during the day!
Cadillacs need to have a strong, distinctive face, and the design team believed very strongly in a bold, in-your-face look to the front end of the newly redesigned CTS, and we are confident we captured the essence.
Every square millimeter of the new CTS was carefully thought out. In my opinion, there isn’t one bad view or angle of the CTS. Adding a die-cast metal air extractor to the front fender is a touch that takes the new car to the next level. For the longest time, the sheet metal stamping team argued that it would be nearly impossible to stamp such a complex shape into the front fender. By working very long and hard, both the design and engineering groups solved the unique issues associated with forming the fender and air extractor.
As much work as we poured into bringing the CTS to reality, the real winners of this whole process are the buyers. I believe the CTS will please our customers with the attention to detail and the artistic beauty that the final design offers. Ultimately, it’s the buying public that will decide if we at GM Design were able to break the “one-hit wonder” curse. I believe we not only did so, but we exceeded most everyone’s expectations. We look forward to the launch and success of this spectacular product.
By the way… There’s also a fabulous interior design story about the CTS . . . stay tuned!
To learn more about the 2008 CTS, check out the Cadillac Drivers’ Log.
- Posted in Design
pmmccoy
John,
Thanks for the post. I took delivery of my 2008 CTS almost 2 weeks ago and have been amazed that everytime I see the car, I see something new and can I say, elegant?! I couldn’t have said it better, that ervy detail was clearly well-conceived in itself but with every other detail. I can’t wait to get home tonight to wash it again - it’s the best way to really appreciate it. Congratulations!
Chris (Toronto)
I have seen one of these on the road, and it looks better than any picture I have seen (and yes, the pictures look great too). Better than the autoshow too.
Congrats - a winner for sure !
Chris (Toronto)
T. Davidson
John,
Can you offer any comments about the CTS coupe? Will any of the performance/styling issues identified to date with the sedan be addresssed in this car right out of the gate? Will the coupe offer a sport edition with an improved 6 speed, better bolstered seats, AWD AND the 3.6L DI engine? Any sneak peaks?
Tyler
I like the new ratio of “art” to “science” in the 08 model’s styling. I think you got it just right. It still looks distinctively Cadillac, but at the same time very new and innovative. Good job.
J Reid
Mr Manoogian:
I think GM has a winner with the new CTS. Hopefully a CTS coupe will come along next. Also, there are rumors about a new GTO coupe for Pontiac. GM needs desperately to get this design right. GTO (if offered) will be the Pontiac flagship and bad styling will have severe cosequences for this division. Somehow you guys will have to draw on the old GTO design themes while keeping the design modern - a difficult task. You also have to be wary of making the styling “cartoonish”, which I think GM is bordering on with the Camaro. If GM is going to have a concept GTO at the Detroit show in January, please forward this to the design team. A “gotta have” GTO would be nice to see.
Josh
John,
Absolutely gorgeous car! Keep up the great work. I’ve always had my eye on the 1st generation CTS but this just blows it away! I think this is the best Caddy of my generation (I’m 32). I hope to see the Caddy CTS Wagon soon.
Sheth Jones
saw my first one yesterday in Silver. Very sweet indeed. If I could afford one I would have one.
Gary Dikkers
Mr Manoogian,
What is it exactly about the original CTS that needed upgrading? Have you now suddenly realized there was some defect in the original design?
My experience is that truly great designs are timeless and don’t need constant tweaking.
Look at the North American P-51 Mustang or the Royal Air Force’s Hawker Hunter. The P-51 was designed over 60 years ago, and the Hunter was designed in the 1950s, but no one could ever improve on them — they are timeless, classic, and just look right.
If the original CTS was so good, why did you need to tweak or redo it? In my opinion you are talking about fashion, which is a different topic altogether than good design.
There are numerous examples of cars that looked right in there first version and could never be improved — two I can think of are the MGB and the Shelby Cobra.
A few weeks ago I saw a British racing green 1966 AC Cobra sitting in the parking lot at a local mall. Of course there was a crowd of people around it. A perfect design that no amount of tweaking could improve.
Your admission that the original CTS needed to be redone to maintain it’s “upscale” presence, tells me it will never be a classic design in the manner of the P-51 Mustang, Hawker Hunter, or Shelby Cobra.
Regards,
Gary Dikkers
Scott G
Excellent job on the exterior. Washed mine for the first time last week and was amazed at some of the details I’d missed by just viewing the car. Most noticable is the way the front and rear glass is inset into the A and C-pillars to funnel water over the car instead of around it. Also, I didn’t realize how large the Cadillac crest on the front grill was until I washed it. I like it. The flared fenders really give the car an aggressive stance. Finally, I like the way the tires fill out the fender wells. Previous GM designs have excessive tire/fender gaps. Great job, I love mine.
gwwyjjliu
John,
Congratulations! The new CTS looks fantastic. It begs one question: how are you possibly going to top this one for the 3rd generation CTS?
Adam
After seeing the new 08 CTS I’m really wishing I wouldn’t have gotten an 06 last year and waited for this new on. Oh well only 2 more years to go on the lease.
Jared
You can rationalize all you want about the design philosophy behind the CTS. But the fact is, the second generation CTS is just as ugly as the first generation.
The grille is hysterically overwrought. And please, please, please, get over the stupid fake fender vents already.
Whatever happened to elegance, flowing lines, and beauty?
Wake up. Most people do not want to be in a chrome-plated ghetto-monster with badges the size dinner plates.
When Cadillac finally makes a car with the elegant lines of the current BMW 3-series, I’ll consider it. As long as you continue pushing this in-your-face, ghetto-mobile look, I’ll be buying elsewhere.
H. Howes
Gary Dikkers,
Your post this time borders on the ridiculous. Do you still have a transistor radio and black and white TV at home? Of course not, times and technologies change and so do design themes, safety features and performance enhancements. Even classics go stale after awhile, and certainly Cadillac cannot keep the same car in production forever. Who would buy it?? And after you bought one, why would you consider trading it in for another? This is a business after all, and sales keep the machine running. While I agree that the front end of the new CTS is vastly overdone and way too in-your-face, from the rear 3-qrtr view, it is stunning. Those side vents, however, will soon be passe like spinners. There must have been a good deal on them in Detroit and Dearborn ’cause they are popping up everywhere - and even the Europeans got in on the same deal including the M3 and M5.
Keep up the good work, John. Here’s hoping you can stay one step ahead of the beancounters to continue to push Cadillac to a level of design, features and performance that will beat the unreliable and overpriced European competition. The ‘08 CTS is definitely on my short list, and I am envious of you owners out there that already have one sitting in your garage.
Gereon Langlitz (Germany)
“When Cadillac finally makes a car with the elegant lines of the current BMW 3-series, I’ll consider it.” - Jared
Sorry, in comparison to the all-new CTS, nearly every German car, including BMW, looks stodgy. And if I am saying “stodgy”… I am actually meaning “stodgy”. In the meanwhile, the BMW 3-series in Germany is typical for young Turkish wannabe-gentlemen… So far to your “Ghetto”-statement.
E.L.
Jared your opinion is dated.
It is,as a matter of fact, the BMWs that were roundly panned for their poor redesign under Chris Bangle–so much so, that they developed a word for it –”Bangling”.
Ask any car enthusiast what that means.
GM’s new design philosophy was so over-the-top on the 7-Series, that it stopped being a contender with the S-Class for the top spot (forcing a redesign).
That is how badly it was taken.
The 3-Series remained popular, but was not widely held to be prettier than its predecessor.
This car, however, is universally praised in the media as pretty–as are all the other Cadillacs in the lineup.
In fact, the second go-round has some people calling it the prettiest car in its class (and above)–until the Jaguar XJ.
To argue otherwise is to hold a distinctly minority opinion.
“Wake up”?
Into what?
Art and Science has been an overwhelming success for GM and it will continue to be.
J.Crew
Dear Jared,
Nice job trying to flame this group. The new 3 series is a nice car, but there is nothing elegant about it. The new CTS takes a great design and moves it forward without trying too hard. They have refined the previous design into a more contemporary and elegant look over the sharp edged original. There are still some creases where they fit to keep the identity of the car in line with the original, but greatly improved and enhanced all other surface shapes and textures. The interior is fantastic and puts the plastic in the BMW to shame. BMW has more sporting aspirations, the CTS has a more balanced approach to performance and luxury.
This car will be a huge hit and will prove that Cadillac and GM did not have a one hit wonder with the original. Congratulations GM!
Jeff Cain
John,
Pay as little attention as possible to the post above from a “Jared”. The look of the latest CTS IS distinctive, it IS proud and it IS loud, but it’s far from “ghetto”.
I say enough with the Germanic design philosophy - we need something in that segment that’s different but of equal (or superior) quality.
If you want a BMW , BUY an BMW. But if you want a car that has the same quality and performance but measurably more panache, the CTS looks like a mighty fine alternative. AWD, too? You guys nailed it. What’s next - a stump-pulling diesel with equally wicked MPG?
And at last - and interior that’s without compromise! Well done to you and the whole CTS Team!
Cheers,
Jeff
Edward Hayes
Congratulations,
You stole a play from Toyota’s playbook and opted for continuous improvement on an already successful model. You opted for evolution rather than revolution in the design, as least the exterior. And as a car nut I a am somewhat hard-pressed to see the design changes in the exterior from the last generation when I usually can tell with just a glance.
So…congratulations, you stayed within the lines, safe within the boundaries of consistent improvement. But then again, that would be the move for a luxury brand that is on top, that is Lexus.
But for me, I wonder if Cadillac has the luxury to play it safe.
Camry, Lexus, Mercedes can play it safe but Cadillac with the CTS, I think I would have tried for a deeper pass further down field. If we are 15 points behind and we are nearing the last quarter, I would be a little more brave. Not desperate, but more brave.
Anyway, traditionally that is what Buick was for, to test the envelope. There, they have nothing to loose, they have finally scored with the Enclave while the competition called the game in the first quarter.
Don’t get me wrong, Cadillac did here what it needed to do and a new luxury sedan is always welcome news. And continuous improvement IS indeed preferable over the one hit wonder, but “continuous” is the operative word. Usually GM and continuous means we will get around to it once every 7 years if the stars line up. Then the one hit wonder was a necessity not an option.
In short.
You have to earn the right to play it safe like the Camry and Lexus ES. And continuous, well you have to prove that over time.
Hopefully the consumers will notice the subtlety but I think the Escalade makes its case over the last generation just a little bit better.
Edward Hayes
Let me put it this way,
Toyota and Honda often use what I will call an “annual identifier” on its vehicles. It seems to be bi-annually now but every year or other year the Accord would change some part of its car just enough that even a non-expert could usually pick a new Accord over an old one. Usually it meant introducing a new tail light adding white red or yellow to the tail light changing the grill etc.
For their luxury models they have what I will call an easy to identify “new model identifier”. Headlights might be raked back more, fenders may be more pronounced and of course the grill would change.
In short,
I think Cadillac too must have an easy identifier to tell the layman
“Hay look buddy we just shelled out a billion dollars on this baby!”
As an observer, I could only hear a whisper.
John Manoogian
I’d like to thank you all of those who posted comments pertaining to the CTS on the FastLane blog. This is the kind of feedback from our customers and critics that we value so much. I offer a warm thanks to those who responded with favorable thoughts. It’s always great to get positive feedback for our efforts, particularly from those that purchased the new ‘08 CTS!
As anticipated, the Cadillac design can be controversial for some. The first generation CTS did exactly what it was supposed to do — and that was to establish the ‘Art & Science’ design vocabulary and separate Cadillac from the multitude of competitors by making a very strong visual statement . There was absolutely nothing wrong with the first generation CTS. It has been an unqualified success. As mentioned earlier, a successful product is always a tough act to follow. Our thought process centered around adding a bit more art to the ‘Art & Science’ design philosophy. Additionally, in the blog comments, I noticed there were some questions regarding future product plans; unfortunately, I’m not at liberty to discuss anything regarding our future product plans.
Thank you for sharing your candid comments - I’m always interested to know what’s on your mind.
-John
Z064ever
Here goes my 2 cents. Last weekend Donna and I went out to look at the new CTS, and what a beautiful car in exterior and interior design and execution. Unfortunately, we did drive the base 3.6 EFI, and what a dog. We have a 2002 Volvo T5 we were thinking of trading in, but the base 6 is so slow. We did not try the DFI version, because the dealers in the area have them so loaded up ($46k and up) it is ridiculous. Hopefully in the future we will find a DFI with just a little extra equipmen($39-41k) PS: We also have a 2007 Impala LS that I use for work, and a 2002 Z06 we use for fun on weekends.
Jason Zebersky
I think the new one is far more beautifull than the old. Liken to the 69 Camaro compaired to the 67, as apposed to the overraught 57 Chevrolet in comparison to the PERFECT 55.
Like the 67 Camaro the original CTS desighn was perfectly perportioned but bland in detail, the 69 model was the first generation Camaro PERFECTED, this CTS is the perfected CTS the P-51 Mustang, 1969 Camaro; for the modern era.
inline6
This is obviously more than a facelift, but a re-skin.
And if Cadillac chased BMW when it came to styling, they’d LOSE sales, not gain them. If someone wants a BMW-like car, they’ll buy a BMW. Cadillac needs to stand on its own and not be afraid of being the bold American in the group. We’re talking about the company that gave us the tailfin.
The new CTS is bold. The old one wasn’t perfect, nor was it well-concieved and attractive from all angles. It was downright awkward, disharmonious, and fussy from many of them.
This new CTS, though, is beautiful in an I’m-not-ashamed-to-be-domestic way.
Keep up the good work, folks. I hope that the DTS/STS replacement is as much of a jaw-dropper for its segment as the CTS is for the one it’s in today.
And tell your management and counterparts and Buick and Saab to get bold and let their divisions be themselves, too.
You can’t build a better Camry or 3-Series. But you can build a better car than either of them. And so can Buick and Saab.
Ames Tiedeman
The CTS is a superb car. It is blowing away the European names. Amazing turn around fro GM and Cadillac.
Gary Dikkers
Mr Howes,
With all respect, I don’t think so — what I’m getting at is that there is a difference between “fashion” and “great design.”
What you have to understand is that Cadillac is not in the transportation business, they are in the fashion business. Tweaking the appearance of the CTS is not a matter of good design, but a matter of fashion.
GM and Mr Manoogian understand that well. In order to keep those “upscale” customers coming back, they must convince them that their present CTS is no longer fashionable. Afterall, it wouldn’t do to be seen at the country club in an “old fashioned” looking CTS, would it? It just wouldn’t be good form.
Do you think the tweaking Manoogian’s design team did on the new CTS had anything to do with improving the state of the art of safety or personal transportation? (It didn’t.) Instead, you can liken his role to that of a Ralph Lauren, Donna Karen, or Karl Lagerfeld — in order to sell product the next year they must trick customers into believing that fashion has changed, even when there is no actual need for that change.
And you as a customer — in order to be perceived as fashionable — want your new car to look distinctive so that when you drive into the parking lot of your country club or weekend resort, everyone will notice and say, “My isn’t he successful and stylish, he’s driving one of those new 2008 CTS’s.”
I stand by my statement that great design is timeless and doesn’t need to be constantly changed.
Certainly aeronautical technology has advanced and the P-51 Mustang could never hold its own in air-to-air combat with modern jet fighters, but it’s still a beautiful airplane, and will always be beautiful. The airplanes that followed the P-51 were designed because of an evolution of technology, not because someone felt the appearance of the P-51 was old-fashioned. The look of follow on fighters such as the F-86 Sabre, F-4 Phantom, F-15 Eagle, and now the F-22 Raptor were driven by changes in technology and function, not a result of fashion.
The new CTS is a fashion statement — nothing more, nothing less, and I predict that in 30 years we will look back at today’s CTS and it will look just as strange to us then as a 1977 Cadillac looks to us now. (Other “fashion statements” of the late 1970s were the double-knit leisure suit, and bell-bottom trousers. Remember them?)
On the other hand you could look back at that classic 1966 Shelby AC Cobra in 2037, and it will look just as good as it did in 1966; as it did in 1977; and as it does now.
Great designs are timeless — fashion statements aren’t.
Cordially,
Gary Dikkers
ghent
from the wheelbase figure u can know how great this car is! it is 113.4″, which is the same as the BMW 5 Series!!! But this is a compact sedan, which competes with the BMW 3 Series. A longer wheelbase usually translates to more legroom. Cadillac should definitely sell SLS (long wheel base STS) in the States and make it a standard configuration. Of course it must be a RWD!!!
Scott G
I, personally, like the new front end of the new CTS. I think the new “egg crate” grill gives it the Cadillac look. I really didn’t care for the “window blind” treatment on the old CTS. Ford can have it. When the new CTS comes up behind you, you can tell it’s a Cadillac, if not by the grill, by the Cadillac crest. Nice touch with the front and rear light pipes too.
DarkOne
E.L. what are you talking about ?!
The E65/66 7 series is the best selling 7er ever, and the pre FL model (yeah the ugly bangle one) actually outsold the S klasse for the first time both in Germany and worldwide.
It also forced a revolution in automotive design, forcing MB to reply with the copycat new S klasse (interior, bangle butt).
Jared
E.L.:
I’m well aware of Bangling and despise it. You’ll notice I carefully said the current 3 series, not the current 5 or 7. Look again at the lines of the current 3 series — nice, long flowing, elegant lines. That is an attractive car. Conservative? Yes.
J. Crew:
I’m not flaming this group — this group did not design the CTS. I’m flaming the Cadillac design team. They are responsible for this design mess.
Take a close look at that grille. It is big. Big enough for a truck. Look at all the different planes at the bottom of the grille. That’s overwrought — way too many things going on. And ugly.
And then there is the stupid fake side vent and all the cost that goes into that crease below and behind the vent. The profile of the car wouldn’t be bad if they did away with the vent and the crease.
The back isn’t terrible. But the grille, that’s just hideous.
E.L.
Jared, you need to see the car in person.
The car is the most beautiful in its class.
The media agrees, people who see it agree. It is virtually unanimous.
The car is the most well-designed car out there and stunning in its complexity.
Mr. Manoogian,
Brilliant!!
I love you so much!
Keep doing what you are doing.
P.S. Tell Jim Taylor to behave himself and bring back the SRX on Sigma. All it needed was a redesign. What is wrong with you guys sometimes?
Also, the BRX and car below the CTS need to be on the Torana RWD platform! No FWD please!
Charlie
Howe, Dikker’s original post was not ridiculous; I certainly grasped his point right away and I believe he’s right and a later post on annual signature caused me to appreciate just how right he is.
If form isn’t following function, then it’s a fashion statement (although things CAN be ugly and, so, design matters). Manoogian’s post and reply really cue in on “fashion” words, too.
A friend has a BMW. I don’t know what year it is, dates from sometime in the ’90’s; BMW’s from a decade range all tend to look very much alike.
If you happened to meet him and see his car in the last few years, it didn’t matter whether he bought that new in ‘01 or ‘97 or ‘93 or even if he bought it used; HE WAS DRIVING A BMW and it looked good. The exact year was irrelevant… we admired his BMW as a piece of upscale machinery (it’s a 5-series, by the way). After some additional years, we still regard that car that way. In the company parking lot pecking order, a ten year old BMW is a much more powerful statement about driving and automobile ownership than a much newer Cadillac and perhaps even better than a new Cadillac. Mercedes is the same way and Lexus is getting there (may be there now).
A problem for the Cadillac brand is that, if you’re not driving a new one, you’re not signalling that “you’ve arrived.”
The Cadillac brand will really be worth something when owning a 10 year old Cadillac says you bought a very high quality automobile a decade ago and trading isn’t necessary because nothing new is much better.
Redesigning the sheetmetal every few years just to differentiate the car by year is a liability to the brand.
brent
Jared –
Get your facts straight. Twice, now, you have made the mistake of calling the side vents “fake,” when, in fact, they are not only functional, but integral aspects of the car’s new design.
Furthermore, you’re entitled to your opinions, but please note that they’re just that: opinions. Others of good taste have opinions that differ greatly from yours. And they’re entitled to have theirs without having to endure hateful insults — just like you’re entitled, with the same courtesy, to yours.
I want to commend the Cadillac design team (not to mention the engineering team) on a job very, very well done. I want one of these in the CTS-V variety. I have made a pact with myself to buy a CTS-V that’s based on the new design in a few years — as a 40th birthday present to myself.
-Brent
Jonathan Brown
The new AWD 2008 CTS with 300 hp and sport suspension is so well thought out I could not hold back and ordered one.
Congratulations to GM for the bold design.
Great stance. Great performance. Great ads on tv too.
T. Spellman
The fact that so many here are comparing the entry level CTS with BMW 5 series cars is proof positive that Cadillac is on the right track. Edward Hayes puts it well that the current design is “evolution rather than revolution”. I suspect that a side by side comparison of the safety features, performance and handling would show the “evolved” CTS to be the better car by a long shot. So the fashion police argument just doesn’t hold up.
Personally I don’t buy cars for the fashion statement. I base my purchase on the performance, features, fit and finish and of course styling - in that order. The CTS sure looks like a winner to me.
Great job Cadillac, and job well done. Hope to see more of the same in future years.
Pete Nicholson
As a previous generation CTS owner, count me among those applauding the extreior and interior designs of the new car.
I do, however, have some concerns about Cadillac’s plans going forward. First, while this car is clearly a match in size and equipment for the BMW 5-Series and the M-B E-Class, it is priced similarly to their smaller siblings, a grave mistake if you are attempting to elevate Cadillac on the world stage. Also, a proper competitor in this class would offer the DI V-6 as the base engine, followed by an optional V-8, even if it only adds 16 hp (which is indeed ridiculous, but there you have it). There is no need for a down-market version of a car this good with a less than world class engine.
Another area of concern is your proposed abandonment of the SRX, based on a proprietary Cadillac architecture, and addition of the BRX, based on shared components. Don’t you get it that Cadillac will never be considered a true luxury marque until it severs all ties with other GM divisions? That means Cadillac-only architectures and powertrains; no Chevy V-8s and no Saab/Buick shared crossover. Saab and Buick are the GM luxury divisions that should be basing their vehicles on optimized versions of corporate architectures.
How about this…a new Sigma II architecture to underpin the BLS sedan, BRX crossover, CTS coupe, sedan and wagon, and SRX crossover, plus a second, large platform to support a proper 7-Series and S-Class competitor, a new Escalade, and a coupe and sedan to compete with the Bently Continental? How about a Cadillac specific inline-6 with direct injection, DI ultra V-8, and a DI V-12? Price them right on top of the competition, and offer V-Series derivatives of every one.
That is a Cadillac future that I can embrace.
Gary Dikkers
Brent,
Do yourself a favor and don’t wait too long. If you delay your purchase a “few years,” Manoogian and his team of stylists will have tweaked the look so much that the current model will no longer be “upscale” and you will look old-fashioned and out-of-style driving one.
Best,
Gary Dikkers
Charlie
I noticed another liability to the brand this morning…
I happened to park next to a very new Cadillac. Nice red color. However, what really stands out on the car is a big OnStar sticker with an opaque white background on the rear passenget side window. I’m quite sure it was far too big to cover with the palm of my hand.
Cadillacs should not be used as billboards for GM’s other products and services. Since OnStar comes with so many GM products, its hardly a “Cadillac” level feature and certainly one that shouldn’t mar the car’s looks.
Dale Hopper
I believe this is a timeless design. It is unique and as many post say “every time I look at it I find somethig new”. In ten years you will still know this is a Cadillac, you will still feel this is a special car. You will still admire the lines from every angle. This CTS is a winner. It is also not going to appeal to everyone as many like rounded designs of the BMW/Audi/Mercedes/Lexus/Infiniti. But you will know what this car is from behind or in your rear view mirror or even from the side unlike the other brands.
Kudos to Cadillac for being unique in design and upping the ante in their quality to be on the same field as the competitors.
It is easy for me to see the CTS in a coupe or a droptop (please make and not just in the V series)
Now if Cadillac can do this redesign with the STS they might have a 7 series fighter. Unlike the CTS the STS lines do not flow and it is awkward. They need to to redesign or eliminate this non-relevant STS model.
E.L.
You know, Mr. Mannogian…
If Cadillac had had several other moels as competitive (or more) than this car:
1. A proper 3-Series competitor on a RWD platform (Torana anyone?)
2. The CTS being pushed upmarket to target the 5-Series (and E-Class) squarely.
3. The SRX redesigned and re-engineered to be even more of a hit with the media–but this time a stylistic hit with customers–and on the new Sigma platform.
Don’t take the easy way out. No Lambda for Cadillac please!
4. A lighter more luxurious Escalade with a little less truckish look an a better ride (to really beat the Range Rover).
5. A Proper S-Class competitor with all the presence of an old Cadillac and better amenities and performance than an S-Class (with an interior to trump the Audi A8 V-12).
6. Hybrids across the luxury board (with improved mileage and performance due o an aggressive weight-cutting program).
7. The Bose Suspension which should have been introduced years ago, so much so, that its cost would now be reasonable and it would be an option on the 5-Series compatible CTS an headed towards the 3-Series competitor (so lean, mean and reworked wit would have been).
We are struggling to implement Magneride years after GM invented it!
8. A RWD-based SUV to fight the X3 (Torana?) that was better than the RDX/X3 and offered the Bose suspension, better mileage and style than an RX and more usefulness and performance than anyone out there.
I am embarrassed that not only is this taking too long, but that it is trying to beat the X3 on the Theta platform!
What is wrong with Cadillac? Why won’t it get the basics right?
Imagine a NO-compromise lineup as good as or better than the 2008 CTS!
R. Middlefield
E.L. - Do you work at GM?. If so, what can you do internally to make sure that your great ideas above get the attention that they deserve? Years ago, the GM execs were talking up several “gotta have” features. But they were really more “me too” than anything really innovative. The Bose suspension system would put Cadillac on a different playing field from the competition. What are they waiting for, Mercedes or Lexus to use it first?
F. Downing
In case you never saw this technology from Bose, here it is:
http://www.bose.com/controller?event=VIEW_STATIC_PAGE_EVENT&url=/learning/project_sound/bose_suspension.jsp
E.L., great ideas!
Jared
“integral aspects of the car’s new design.”
Gimme a break. They are ugly, unnecessary bling, on a car that already has way too much bling. Class with a capital K.
I’m not a big fan of the Buick portholes, but at least they have history behind them.
But fender vents have recently become a fad (an ugly one at that) and Cadillac just felt they had to jump on board (albeit belatedly).
Fender vents are ugly on the current Range Rover and ugly on the Jaguar XK. At least those fender vents are relatively simple and not IN YOUR FACE!
And then there’s the new CTS fender vents — bright chrome and in your face. And don’t forget that silly, expensive, crease behind and below the fender vent. I’ll grant you that the crease is a remarkable engineering and manufacturing achievement. But it is ugly and stupid.
Loose the fender vent and the crease and the side view of the car is reasonably attractive.
I’m not anti GM. The new Malibu is a very attractive, elegant car. Lose the “arts and science” design, dig out the french curves from under the drawing board, and give us some elegant, attractive cars, instead of chrome cheese grates.
brent
Jared…you don’t like the new CTS.
Big.
Deal.
Others do, and who are you to say their sense of taste is inferior to yours?
Have your taste. Keep it to yourself. Leave the new car alone. You’re in the minority here.
Michael
Well, I have to tell you, I thought the last generation of CTS was butt-ugly, and I’m hard-pressed to see that much difference in the new one (except for that oversized grill which looks like it belongs on a Mack truck). What has amazed me about both generations is how horribly uncomfortable they are (if you’re not tall). I thought the original and the new were halfway to designing a car I’d consider owning–until I looked at back. That is neither art nor science–that’s just a horrible mistake. But aesthetics are subjective (though I was an art critic for many years), and one man’s revolution is another’s what-were-they-thinking-when-they-did-this. As for fashion vs. design, I must agree with Mr. Dickers and with Jarod. There’s a lot of fad in this car, but there isn’t a lot of classic.
Bob
Dickers-
A car becomes a timeless classic because it stands the test of time. So obviously no modern car can be called ‘great design’ in your opinion unless they never release another version.
We won’t know what cars from this current generation are ‘classics’ for years down the road.
Thanks for your pompous opinion.
Ames Tiedeman
My CTS will be silver with the 6 speed. I want the 304 hp. All wheel drive too.
Can you say HOT?
Thanks,
Ames
Gary Dikkers
Bob said:“Thanks for your pompous opinion.”
Isn’t that the great thing about America? We are all entitled to have our own opinions.
Bob said:“We won’t know what cars from this current generation are ‘classics’ for years down the road.”
You’re right, we won’t. So let’s get together in 30 years.
Where would you like to meet?
Best regards,
Gary Dikkers
Pedro
Living in europe, I have a comment regarding not only the CTS but all the other NA-built Cadillacs.
I think you guys dropped the ball by using those dark (STS/SRX) or cheap-tuner-white (Escalade/’08CTS) taillamps: ‘vertical’ is a defining Cadillac styling element, but so is having them in red. You could have red covers with amber LEDs, VW did it with the Phaeton. Besides looking better (which I understand is subjective), it would also align the rear end appearence with the BLS sedan and wagon, which have red taillight covers. It would not compromise a fundamental styling cue that makes a Cadillac recognizable globally.
Jim McLean
I have been thinking of trading in my Audi A6 and the CTS is at the top of the list; however, I live in Canada. I can buy a loaded CTS in the US for about $45K, but even with the Canadian dollar trading higher than the US dollar it will cost be over $62K in Canada. When will you be bringing Canadian prices in line? a 33% premium is ridiculous.
txz
I think Gary, your being a little self righteous here…
Cadillac is saying that they finally have built a good car. How do you expect them to prove to you that it is a good car now? Do you want them to buy you one and put it on your driveway? Please, that isn’t happening…
And the fender vents look very good on the car and are fitting for the image portrayed by it. They definetly improve the style of the car. I don’t know what your thinking though by calling it a ghettomobile, I’ve seen a lot of these new CTS’s in person and they look absolutely luxurious.
The previous CTS was a very edgy and great looking car that revolutionized Cadillac design philosophy… But it had its quirks in the design, some places that you notice the beancounters or engineers skimped out on…
The new CTS however looks like no expense was spared when designing the car. It looks gorgeous! Kudos to Cadillac.
P.S. I do think the new 08 CTS is a timeless design, so why don’t you go out and buy one… Or are you just all talk and no show?