OK, this one can cut both ways. If you're a GM jump-down-turnaround-pick-a-bale-of-cotton kinda guy, Cadillac's determination to consult the rest of the world before building their luxury car flagship is a smooth move. You will be glad to hear Automotive News [sub] announce that "In yet another attempt to turn Cadillac into a successful global brand, General Motors this year will take a group of designers to China, Russia and other countries to learn what it might take to get BMW and Mercedes-Benz buyers behind the wheel of a Cadillac." If you're a look-what-they-done-to-my-brand, Ma kinda guy, you're notice the words "In yet another attempt." Even the Generally enthusiastic scribe Rick Kranz has to admit that "trying to sell U.S.-oriented vehicles globally has been a dismal failure for Cadillac." Ah, but if you're a booster, you'll clock the "U.S.-oriented" part of that sentence, and say, "See? Caddy needs a world potentate-friendly luxury car like BMW and Mercedes!" But if you're an adherent to the "GM is the Gang Who Couldn't Shoot Straight" school of thought, you'll remember that the European-spec BLS is a, well, what's beyond dismal in terms of automotive failure? Anyway, the new sedan will replace the ancient STS and DTS by "around 2011 or 2012." If GM's still in biz, we can discuss it then.
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That photograph is obscene. Isn’t there a charge for ‘felony customization’?
NickR:
I’m pretty sure the bone-jarring ride from those rubber band tires is penalty enough.
If GM’s still in biz, we can discuss it then.
In all honesty, how big is that “if”? Is it really that bad?
Also, I know you can’t blame GM for the Escalade in the picture, but good lord, that thing makes me want to puke. The only thing worse is a Hummer with those wheels and tires.
I guess the GM stands for “Ghetto Motors”…
NickR
“Isn’t there a charge for ‘felony customization’?”
There needs to be…what a mess.
DT
If the rest of the world had been consulted about the Escalade, the world would have said don’t build it… it looks hideous; even without the thorough pimping the one in the picture was subjected to!
Isn’t there something else we could be discussing? This horse isn’t merely dead, it’s gone the way of eohippus…
Cadillac can’t build appealing Cadillacs by asking the rest of the world, including Mercedes and BMW buyers what would get them out of their cars and into GM iron. I’m sure there are some owners of other luxury brands who can be won for Cadillac, but not by trying to make Cadillacs German. They’ll be won by making Cadillacs truly American, which includes quality execution. Cadillacs must be visually dramatic, competent and superb for long-distance travel (truly long-distance, like New York to Los Angeles) to be luxurious in a specifically American way. The only German aspect to reference is excellent dynamic competence. Cadillac already understands power.
This brand needs to amp up what’s been working: mustering the confidence to drive the Art & Science design theme into the market, and the will to execute at world class levels evidenced in the 2nd-gen CTS, to produce American cars that can be judged on their merits presenting a true alternative to the German or Japanese notions of premium automobiles.
BMW and Mercedes didn’t begin as “world cars.” They became world cars by recruiting buyers to their way of thinking about what constitutes a proper luxury car. A lot of people bought in during a time when Cadillac and Lincoln lost their focus. Now, Cadillac has to build cars from its own conviction and recruit buyers for its own distinctive proposition. Asking people won’t help much. People answer these questions in a rational frame of mind, but presented with the result, they buy emotionally. You can’t ask people how to wow them. You just have to do it.
Phil
Cannot wait for this to appeal to nobody.
And with all that expensive and excessive research, the next GM world car will be a rebadged Opel or Holden.
Just build a production version of the Cadillac Sixteen and be done with it!
Do you think BMW spends significant time consulting with Asian or North American customers before building their next generation flagship? Of course not.
Duh.
umm when does anyone drive from New York to LA?
umm when does anyone drive from New York to LA?
Oh yes, obviously that’s the wrong example. What was I thinking? Of course not New York. Now, the Boston Los Angeles routes have seen my treads eight times. I am sure I’ll do it again.
More to the point, if a luxury car has truly transcontinental traits, it will be stellar on the much more frequent 500 – 1500 mile treks that aren’t uncommon in large countries like the U.S.
Phil
Although no one views Lexus as a Japanese Mercedes or BMW, Toyota certainly put some cred into their ability to build luxury automobiles. They poured a ton of money into it with the intention that they were going to build one of the highest quality cars built. They may not be for everyone, but even M-B and BMW execs will agree that they changed the game for the betterment of the consumer. Toyota’s entry was viewed as a joke in the beginning, but they are now firmly ensconced in their own variety of luxury car.
With the will to do so, the General could do the same thing; American flavor may not satisfy hardcore German-o-philes, but a truly high quality car would gain a following, just as the stunning performance of the Corvette has now given GM credit in the high performance car leagues. And GM certainly needs the halo of building a car which is truly competitive with the best in the world. I think the Corvette and CTS prove that they have the engineering talent, but we haven’t yet seen the corporate will from the General to dig in and rebuild Cadillac to “The standard of the world”. Unfortunately, their past performance suggests that they think they can get there through successful “branding” and “marketing” – it’s still about the product, stupid…
“umm when does anyone drive from New York to LA?”
I’ve done it multiple times. I drive from Silicon Valley, CA to Seattle once or twice a year. California to Colorado about once every other year. Just got back from driving 8 hours to Vegas. There are in fact many people who drive very long distances in their vehicles.
You can’t ask people how to wow them. You just have to do it.
I couldn’t have said it better. Ask most people what they want, and produce it, and they aren’t going to go near it with a 10 ft. pole anyway.
America’s image where they want to sell it is that of the brash, swaggering brute who does as he likes and scoffs that anyone not like it. Cadillac cannot change this, any more than America is going to run around sucking up to people who wish to saw off our heads with large knives.
Best they can do is give it more horsepower than it had before, make it look the part and not forget that MPG is going to be a greater factor than ever.
And if nobody wants it, **** ’em. We built it for us, who cares what they think? Just get out of our way, thank you. We’re American.
(follow the logic yet?)
I’ve done it multiple times. I drive from Silicon Valley, CA to Seattle once or twice a year. California to Colorado about once every other year. Just got back from driving 8 hours to Vegas. There are in fact many people who drive very long distances in their vehicles.
My in-laws travel from their hometown just north of Dallas to Las Vegas every year. The go via Colorado (Durango and/or Pagosa Springs) and then return via El Paso. They do this in a Silverado 2500HD 4X4 crew cab. I don’t know how they stand the ride…