General Motors could use the Zeta platform that underpins the 2009 Chevy Camaro and 2009 Pontiac G8 for “very large” Cadillac, GM product planner Bob Lutz told a group of journalists earlier this month.
“What you’ve got to understand is that we’ve got this modular product architecture kit where we have two different lengths of center underbodies, two different lengths of front rails and two different lengths of rear overhang. So we can modify those elements any way we want. In the case of the Camaro, it’s long short, short. If, for instance, we wanted to do a very large rear-wheel-drive Cadillac with more than eight cylinders you could do long, long, long,” Lutz said, according to The Car Connection.
“It’s like a Lego set-you weld them together anyway you want.”
Whenever there’s mention of a “very large” future Cadillac, one can’t help but recall the automaker’s popular Sixteen concept (pictured). Although a recent report by Auto News suggested Cadillac would not build a competitor to the Mercedes S-Class, nor a production Sixteen, Lutz’s comments seem to suggest such vehicles could be built economically.
Although encouraging, don’t expect a Zeta-based super Caddy any time soon. GM’s first Zeta car — the Pontiac G8 — will arrive in showrooms later this year, followed by the Camaro in late 2008 or early 2009. A new Chevrolet Impala based on the same platform is also expected in the next few years. Other Zeta-based vehicles are unlikely to be launched until after these cars hit the market.













02/26, 10:05 AM
posted by:
chevy490
sweet!
02/26, 10:22 AM
posted by:
deutschetouring1337
Why not just put the Cien in production?
02/26, 10:23 AM
posted by:
Z06ified
It would be nice to see them build the Sixteen, and it would have no problem competing with the S-class and 7-series. But it probably doesn’t make financial sense to build it from a profitability and volume standpoint versus the substantial development costs.
02/26, 10:25 AM
posted by:
Renton
Just build it already.
02/26, 10:34 AM
posted by:
55amg
if not a sixteen then a super large escalade!!
02/26, 10:50 AM
posted by:
SRT-4Ken
——–>does anybody know what kind of Cadillac that dude was driving vs. the viper at the beginning of the movie Tokyo Drift? I know it was a caddilac, but it’s mighty small for a caddilac of that timeframe…
02/26, 11:04 AM
posted by:
Madcapp
Instead of making the “very large” mistake in a time of high gas prices…how about simply well styled and RWD like the Chrysler 300C. Where the hell has the Coupe DeVille gone? Stupid assholes with their “arts and sciences” nonsense, and retarded 3 letter names with no meaning or memorable quality.
02/26, 11:21 AM
posted by:
roadmaster96
i have a 1/18th scale Cadillac sixteen sitting on my desk and i believe that it is the most beautiful car never made. If Cadillac makes a RWD car the size of the current dts (or my old roadmaster) with sixteen style and the new “ultra V8 ” if will find it’s way into my garage.
02/26, 12:27 PM
posted by:
deutschetouring1337
Whatever happend to the new twinturbo GTX?
02/26, 12:28 PM
posted by:
deutschetouring1337
Opps GNX dammit lol.
02/26, 1:05 PM
posted by:
MC
——–>does anybody know what kind of Cadillac that dude was driving vs. the viper at the beginning of the movie Tokyo Drift? I know it was a caddilac, but it’s mighty small for a caddilac of that timeframe…
Comment by SRT-4Ken
LOL!!! You thought that was a cadillac???????? That was an old model monte carlo. Yeah Yeah Im sure it was cause I know a guy that has one. I forgot what year but look up old model monte carlos. There were never any cadillac’s that small back then.
02/26, 2:24 PM
posted by:
A4
yeah there were small caddys back in the day, allantes, and those 2 door hefty coupe type deals, i dont know what they were called.
02/26, 2:24 PM
posted by:
A4
but they were equal in size to a monte carlo
02/26, 4:06 PM
posted by:
global_lightning
Hey, I’ve got an idea! Do a short, short, short Caddy and with the interior from the Chevy Cobalt, the base engine from the Pontiac G5, and the suspension from the Malibu MAXX. Call it the Cimarron II abd It’ll sell like hotcakes!
02/26, 6:32 PM
posted by:
BMan1113VR
Yup, that how I like to think of Caddys. . .made out of Lego. Nice one, Mr. Lutz.
02/26, 6:45 PM
posted by:
wiseassoffice
Wow the comments get dumber and dumber. Its like being in a Cadillac dealership picking out your new Cadillac when a bunch of skateboarding kids come in to ridicule a $60,000 car they will never be able to sit in much less drive. Cadillac is a far from the company that created the Cimarron or Catera.
02/26, 7:10 PM
posted by:
Blakkarr
Sounds interesting. Maybe…
I’d almost hope that since Buick dealers are shunning the Statesman, Cadillac would pick it up as their DTS replacement. After all, I thought the Zeta platform was GM’s affordable RWD platform as opposed to the Sigma.
As for entry-level Caddys…
I’ll pass on the Europe only BLS. FWD without any AWD options? Keep it. I’d sooner jump at a 3-series. Besides I think GM could do better by taking the drive train, it alterations of course, from a Kappa Car, and building a new frame around that.
02/26, 7:20 PM
posted by:
BAMF
I’d like to see the Caddy design team draw sketches for theoretical competitors to every one of Mercedes’, BMW’s, and Audi’s cars. I think that would produce some very interesting results. If they made the sketches, released them to the public for their reactions, and then produced some concept vehicles, they could build up a lot of publicity for themselves. By that time, they would have built up such a name for themselves that they could seriously consider competing with Germany’s Big 3 (Merc/BMW/Audi).
02/27, 1:05 AM
posted by:
meekin111
the G8 isnt the first GM zeta based car the Holden Commodore and Statesman/Caprice are
02/27, 1:42 AM
posted by:
BAMF
I think they meant GM’s first Zeta based car for the US
02/27, 2:30 AM
posted by:
meekin111
GM should kill lucerne and DTS and replace with Holden Statesman based RWD Saloons
02/27, 2:33 AM
posted by:
anyclearer
meekin111, i disagree. the lucerne is a beautiful car. but yes the dts i deff wouldnt mind getting the ax.
02/27, 10:29 AM
posted by:
Z06ified
“yeah there were small caddys back in the day, allantes
Comment by A4, posted on February26 at 2:24 pm ”
Back in the day is when the Allante came out (late 1980’s)? Damn, you’re making me feel old!
I think of “back in the day” as the 1960’s and older. Back in the ’60’s, the smallest Cadillac was the 2-door Eldorado, but it was still a land yacht by today’s standards.
02/27, 12:50 PM
posted by:
nowei
I don’t think this is going to happen.
Yeah, they’ve got the basic architecture to do this car, but where’s this “with more than eight cylinders” coming from?
I seem to remember that the one of the (main) reasons behind axing the Sixteen and Cien, and spinoff technology from them, was that GM didn’t want to invest the money in producing large niche engines that couldn’t/wouldn’t benefit any marque other than Cadillac.
While I lament the decision, I don’t think it’s going to be reversed. Unless they wanted to start putting V16s and DOHC V12s into trucks and SUVs, I really don’t see them investing a lot to build two cars that won’t sell in numbers.
Of course, I suppose they could go the route of “bolting” existing engines together. LS14, anyone?
02/27, 1:02 PM
posted by:
CTS DRIVER
sweet, a sixteen would be bad ass, a cien would be even better. and for all you above haters why cant you give cadillac credit for being way more reliable than a mb and slightly more reliable than a bimmer? thats right you never will even afford to drive one, at least pretent to have some money and go test drive one.
02/27, 3:29 PM
posted by:
1966_GTO_
This rumor has been floating around since the Sixteen concept dropped. I’m sick of hearing about it, just build it. Cadillac needs a BMW 7/MB S/Audi A8 competitor.
02/28, 9:22 AM
posted by:
Get Real
I’m sure stupid Lutz will also demand the car have the new crome trim the rear trunk of all GM cars built today recieve. What on idiot to make a Cadillac look like an Impala from the rear. Are all GM products going to be GM designed from a central office, run by Lutz, and built with his old Chrysler quality (I mean lack of) control ?
03/04, 7:19 AM
posted by:
europerspective
The Sixteen looked so striking mostly because it had wheels pushed right into the corners. Lutz is talking about the same wheelbase as a G8 with long front and rear overhangs. Cue the same droopy looks that we have seen on so many big American cars and awful handling and ride.
Don’t think we’ll see the S-Class or the 7-Series losing too much sleep over this plan.