A RWD Cadillac flagship? Sounds great, but here’s a few suggestions.

Cadillac Sixteen concept car. Note the number of details Cadillac could use for a flagship here.

I’ve been a fan of Cadillac since I was a little kid. When I was just eight years old, we pulled up in the driveway of my grandparents’ house in Boca Raton, and my grandpa said, “Albert, I have something to show you.” He opened the garage door, and there sat a brand-new 1998 Cadillac Deville D’Elegance, in Gold Firemist, with the Northstar V8. I thought it was beautiful (and this was still before I knew how much better the German cars really were), and I still remember it. Though it certainly wasn’t the best car in the world in hindsight, it started my love affair with the wraith and crest.

I would love to see a back end exactly like this, perhaps a bit smaller, but I'll certainly be happy if the exhausts and taillights are lined up like this.

Nick, in one of his articles last month, talked about how the next Caddy flag-bearer, the upcoming XTS, was not a good representation of what Cadillac should be. I do indeed agree with him, but Cadillac is apparently working hard on a RWD flagship, and there are also rumors flying around that the old Sixteen concept car could be used for styling references. All of this makes me excited, and I wonder what they’ve got planned–with the XTS’s debut approaching next year, this car won’t hit the market till likely around 2015.

Combine the center stack from the current CTS (with the concealed nav screen) and the instrument panel/steering wheel from this car, along with some top-notch materials, and Cadillac style will return anew.

The new platform, to be called Omega, is a stretched version of the one that already underpins the Camaro (and the now-defunct Pontiac G8). This is an excellent start, and GM already has some good resources at their disposal to make this car competitive. First off, the 6.2L V8, long a mainstay in GM’s performance cars, already fits this chassis, and with around 430hp as standard, makes for an excellent volume model. The LS7 would make for a great optional engine, as a nice (low-volume) throwback to the days of the 500-cubic inch Cadillac V8s of the 1970s. Meanwhile, a great idea for a base engine could be the High Feature V6, which already has 304hp in the CTS, and offers a great alternative to the entry-level BMW 735i. Throw in some of the interior details from the current CTS (with a few improvements to the plastics, of course) and Cadillac may have a tasty American apple pie cooking in the oven.

The LS3 engine would make a fine powerplant for the volume version of Cadillac's RWD flagship. Photo courtesy of smugmug.com

Cadillac severely needs a car to compete in the uppermost part of the luxury market. With the tools at GM’s disposal, along with the possible styling inspriation from the old Sixteen concept car, Cadillac has the ability to build an answer to the German luxury sedans, with American swagger and style to boot.

-Al