Bob Lutz, GM’s vice chairman, said that the Cadillac Sixteen and Buick Velite concept cars that were rumored for production will not make it into showrooms after all. Lutz cites GM’s increased concern over corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards as the reason priority was shifted away from the high-power concept cars.
The Sixteen, named such because of its 16 cylinder engine, did showcase GM’s Displacement on Demand cylinder deactivation technology, but it’s unlikely that the car would have sipped fuel at anything other than a rapid rate. The Velite was a low-slung four-passenger convertible powered by a twin-turbocharged version of GM’s 3.6 liter V6 engine. The Velite was based on GM’s Kappa architecture, which underpins the forthcoming Pontiac G8. Both cars had been rumored for eventual production.
Lutz did say that GM is still considering a Cadillac supersedan.
