It’s not everyday you see a Chinese Cadillac SLS roaming around in the U.S. of A. Rarer still are photographs of such an occasion. However, that’s exactly what you see before you. Neat-O…
But, wait! This is clearly no ordinary Cadillac SLS. As evident to the special exhaust chutes protruding from the rear fascia, along with a section of the rear bumper cut out to make room for what seems to be a pair of covered ports used to link up some diagnostic equipment, we think.
Considering the rear-wheel-drive and long wheelbase nature of the SLS, we have a huge reason to believe that what we’ve got here are photos of the oft-rumored future Cadillac RWD flagship based on the all-new Omega platform. If that’s the case, these photos confirm that development is well under way. But will it resemble the elegant Ciel Concept? Or the legendary Sixteen? Or is this just a simple emissions testing mule? We hope not.
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Comments
No mules exist yet. Still about 5 or 6 years away. This won’t be an existing vehicle turned into the Omega.
Dave, could you help shed some light on this vehicle then?
You know, I think the Sixteen is probably more realistic right now. However, GM did tell Caddy that if they want to build the Ciel that they could go right ahead essentially. Also if anyone has seen Real Steel, Hugh Jackman’s ex-Inlaws are actually driving a Cadillac Sixteen. Maybe that was a hint or maybe it was something for the fanboys. Who knows.
http://i739.photobucket.com/albums/xx36/alux23/New%20Pics/Capture-4.jpg
Can’t be the XTS because that’s nearly fininshed.
Why the hell would they want to use an old STS-cum-SLS for anything that could already be done on the same gen CTS – irrespective of this being a Chinese SLS?
Yeah, not an XTS. At all.
isn’t the STS aka SLS more longer than the CTS?
Very Odd…
I know this is a GM website but how do GMA’s staff (and anyone else) think Cadillac CUE stacks up against the new updated 2013 MyFord Touch?
I actually had the opportunity to have a first-hand experience with Ford’s updated MFT system last week. Unfortunately I can’t say the same about the CUE. However, from what’s been presented on the CUE it seems that the Cadillac system takes driver connectivity to a higher level (motion sensitive controls, etc.)
This is a Chinese Domestic market Cadillac SLS. http://www.cadillac.com.cn/pz2.html
XTS is not Omega – you guys need to stop confusing it. XTS is based on Epsilon.
Dave,
I’ve never confused the XTS w. Omega, nor has Alex. A domestic SLS doesn’t make much sense either, considering that it’s already an old model based on an architecture GM is apparently phasing out (Sigma) with a new platform (Alpha). So with that in mind, it kind of narrows things down as to what it could be.
Huh?! What is it? It’s a car doing some testing here. It’s not a mule. It has nothing to do with Omega.
Why would Alex even bring up XTS?
GM is a global company and the US has some core competencies and so does China, Korea, Germany, etc. It’s not uncommon to find Chinese, Korean, German, etc cars floating around here. Doesn’t mean anything though.
So, you’re right….it narrows it down to nothing. This is nothing.
Dave, the reason for bringing up the XTS was to say that it was not the XTS… as Grawdaddy pointed out.
Other than that, this is a left-hand drive SLS with mule written all over it. If you consider that the SLS is just over 200 inches in length and the vehicle in question has exhaust pipes sticking out by 1-2 inches — and that a bumper to cover up those pipes would add another 2-3 inches, what we have here is a truly full size, full-length RWD sedan.
Why do you think this vehicle “has nothing to do with Omega”?
Are you from GM and trying to convince us that this not a mule and could not possibly be the omega platform?
Well, its not going to work!
Yes…. of course… but what makes you so certain?
You probably have guessed by now that I live in SE Michigan, and naturally I routinely visit the Ren Cen in Detroit, the Tech Center in Warren, and the Proving Grounds in Milford. I’ve seen cars driving around such as the Opel Meriva and Movano. I’ve even seen a Cadillac SLS on the road, but none before sporting such crude exhaust tips, or cut-outs in the bumper. Such things are associated with — at the very least — exhaust tuning.
However, if you look at spy photos of the Corvette C7 mules running around, there are equally crude exhaust pipes protruding from the rear end of the body of an otherwise unassuming C6. To say that “this is nothing” is completely dismissive.
The stretched SLS seems like it may have a similar wheelbase as to the Omega platform, and this could be a preliminary test mule. If I’m not mistaken, some initial work had begun on the Omega platform long before there was an official announcement, and they could he farther along than we realize.
This car has been running around Warren for two years. It’s not a mule. It’s a car from the Chinese domestic market. The exhaust pipe you see is strictly for being able to hook it up inside a building so the engine can run and people don’t die.
Alex, what does left hand drive have to do with anything??
I just watched my neighbor come home last night in a Mercury Mountaineer m-plate with the same exhaust tip! ZOMG! THE MOUNTAINEER IS COMING BACK?!
Seriously though, this is not an omega mule of any type. OMEGA WILL NOT BE FRONT WHEEL DRIVE!
My guess is they’re just testing a new motor, maybe a diesel? It seems way to soon for any Omega mule to exist. I would think even the next Commodore is still years away from this stage, and Omega’s supposed aluminum upgrades and unique suspension would put the Caddy even farther out.