Motor Trend: Zeta Lives; RWD Chevy Sport Sedan, and the $140,000 Cadillac

hiimandy1

Active Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2008
Messages
424
Location
Philadelphia
Car(s)
ATS
General Motors' next-generation Zeta rear-drive platform will be heavily updated from its current form, with lots of high-strength steel to bring down weight. The price point of the cars that will use the platform makes this possible. They will include a new Chevrolet sport sedan on the shorter of two Zeta wheelbases. Think of it conceptually as a kind of four-door Camaro, even as the '14 Camaro moves to the new, smaller Alpha platform

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/features/...ort_sedan_is_back_on/index.html#ixzz10HcYIg2b

Well this seems...optomistic. Not sure about the business prospects Cadillac halo car the way they're talking about it, but I sure as hell want them to try.
 
It will need one of these. :p

cadillac_sixteen_detroit_03_pc_02.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: TC
Forget Zeta, I'm more interested about the Alpha platform! The world needs more small RWD cars with V16 engines! :thumbsup:

I agree.
 
The V16 might still be smaller than then 4v modular motors! :lol: Kidding, but I do like the halo car coming into exsistence. Low volume + $140,000 price tag, well, I think the buyers can live with the fuel comsumption of a V16. Two LS7s together would be quite awesome :)

I wonder which moniker will be brought back for the RWD Chevy sedan?
 
My money is that the "$140,000 Cadillac" is just a CTS with a long wheelbase. Remember, an $80,000 Cadillac Escalade is just a Chevy Tahoe with fake wood trim.
 
GM is retarded, selling a vehicle for over $100,000 is not good business sense. They need to build and sell affordable reliable cars to the average American. Anyone who wants to buy an executive luxury saloon will never buy a Cadillac as long as Germany still makes them.
 
Well besides the fact Asians have a strange penchant for big American luxury cars, Americans have proven they do like to buy America, eg. Ford in the past year. Selling a vehicle that is distinctly different from it's German counterparts makes perfect business sense. The CTS-V wouldn't be the success it is if they used a turbo, small-capacity, high revving V8, with AWD and sensible German design. No Americans still want big, brash, American cars with fat, naturally aspirated V8's, we don't care that the interior is plastic-y, we don't want run flats, 30-zone AC, and a trick DSG transmission. Just like the British like a little masochism in their sports cars we don't mind a car that's rough around the edges. We want Clint Eastwood not Pierce Brosnan.
 
GM is retarded, selling a vehicle for over $100,000 is not good business sense. They need to build and sell affordable reliable cars to the average American. Anyone who wants to buy an executive luxury saloon will never buy a Cadillac as long as Germany still makes them.

Only one way to find out. Besides, if they fail, at least they tried. If you never even try, than you'll always fail.

Besides, a lot of people have more money than brains. How much did the first C6 ZR1 Corvette auction for? $1 million? People pay a lot of money for something so exclusive. It only really needs to appeal to footballers and rappers either way, not geriatric old CEO's and hardcore car enthusiasts.
 
Well besides the fact Asians have a strange penchant for big American luxury cars, Americans have proven they do like to buy America, eg. Ford in the past year. Selling a vehicle that is distinctly different from it's German counterparts makes perfect business sense. The CTS-V wouldn't be the success it is if they used a turbo, small-capacity, high revving V8, with AWD and sensible German design. No Americans still want big, brash, American cars with fat, naturally aspirated V8's, we don't care that the interior is plastic-y, we don't want run flats, 30-zone AC, and a trick DSG transmission. Just like the British like a little masochism in their sports cars we don't mind a car that's rough around the edges. We want Clint Eastwood not Pierce Brosnan.

I guess this would be the wrong time to point out that:
(1) the CTS-V isn't actually naturally-aspirated;
(2) the C63 AMG's V8 has just as much displacement as the CTS-V's; and
(3) the cheapest car on the US market with a "trick DSG transmission" is not a VW, but a Ford.
 
You're right, I was thinking of the first gen, but you get the gist.
 
GM is retarded, selling a vehicle for over $100,000 is not good business sense. They need to build and sell affordable reliable cars to the average American. Anyone who wants to buy an executive luxury saloon will never buy a Cadillac as long as Germany still makes them.

I agree, Cadillac just doesnt offer the classy feel of a Mercedes, or any sensible engine option (not even a modern Diesel or any Diesel at all), I know such things arent relevant on the U.S. market, at all. But everywhere else it does. Cadillac's where always a Rapper's Car, a Murdere's Car, or just a Car for old people, replacing their walkhelpers.

Cadillac is for showing off, but it's not anywhere near to the Premium segment right now. Mind you, they still have cracking counteroption to the BMW M5 with their CTS-V. :)

And the Zeta-platform will never make it to an world market platform, the only place it actually excist, is where it's being built, in Australia. :p
 
They could sell it in the North American market. Cadillac's presence overseas is pretty limited.
 
GM is retarded, selling a vehicle for over $100,000 is not good business sense. They need to build and sell affordable reliable cars to the average American. Anyone who wants to buy an executive luxury saloon will never buy a Cadillac as long as Germany still makes them.

It's a halo car, it brings people to the showroom. Ford didn't sell a millions of GTs, but if your showroom had one, people were drawn in just to see it.

Besides, Cadillac is a luxury brand, it needs the image. The big expensive car draws people in, maybe they leave with a CTS or something between.
 
It really does have to have the V16 though.
 
I think that large percent of how a luxury car is received depends on its brand... Although Cadillac makes the escalade, they now want to sell a car for 60000 more then an escalade and at that price people want presence and although it could be a very good luxury vehicle, people want a brand with pedigree and after 20+ years of making rebranded chevrolet vehicles, the Cadillac Name simply does not have that pedigree. Plus when most automakers set out to build a 140000 luxury car, they don't pull a chassis out of a parts bin from cars which cost 30000
 
I agree, Cadillac just doesnt offer the classy feel of a Mercedes, or any sensible engine option (not even a modern Diesel or any Diesel at all), I know such things arent relevant on the U.S. market, at all. But everywhere else it does. Cadillac's where always a Rapper's Car, a Murdere's Car, or just a Car for old people, replacing their walkhelpers.

Cadillac is for showing off, but it's not anywhere near to the Premium segment right now. Mind you, they still have cracking counteroption to the BMW M5 with their CTS-V. :)

And the Zeta-platform will never make it to an world market platform, the only place it actually excist, is where it's being built, in Australia. :p

You know the sad thing is GM already had a solution and something that would actually be worth the $140,000 USD. See below...

It's a halo car, it brings people to the showroom. Ford didn't sell a millions of GTs, but if your showroom had one, people were drawn in just to see it.

Besides, Cadillac is a luxury brand, it needs the image. The big expensive car draws people in, maybe they leave with a CTS or something between.

This is a halo car that is worth that kind of money and is actually a fantastic bit of kit.

cadillac-sixteen-1.jpg


God only knows why the hell they didn't make this. This and the Cien are the two that GM let get away that possibly ruined their reputation me thinks.
 
Next year: New Holden Commodore, RWD Chevy sport sedan not happening in NA, but will be available in the Middle-East and Goodbye Cadillac, make room for Buick.
 
Top