Over a heated, and still ongoing, email thread, there were casualties. The honor and dignity of grown men, soiled forever. All for a very noble cause, however. With last week’s reveal of the Cadillac Escala Concept at Pebble Beach, we needed to figure out how it placed among other great examples of the Art and Science design language. Concept cars like the Cien, and the Elmiraj. The Sixteen and the Ciel. Each one of us had a different take on which Cadillac concept was the best design to come from the studio, to which one was a complete head scratcher.
With that said, the bar has been set extremely high here. Each Art & Science Cadillac concept is undeniably memorable, and even the oldest ones on this list continue to be brought up in conversation. From where we stand, if Cadillac in some way put into production every concept car from the past 15 years, the brand would be untouchable. Alas.
For the sake of Art & Science, our tarnished relationships as co-workers is but a small price to pay for (attempting) to put this debate to bed. And without further ado, amid much controversy, here goes:
4. (tie) Cadillac Cien, Cadillac Sixteen
- “Hey, guys, let’s put the back end of the STS on a cheese wedge.” Everyone else: ‘OKAY!” – Aaron (personally ranked it No. 5)
- “The Cadillac Cien is a great early design study, and who wouldn’t want to see a mid-engine supercar from Cadillac? Hopefully soon we actually get exactly that (20 years later?), but something like that has never really been a full representation of ‘what a Cadillac is’ compared to the flagship concepts, so it’s hard to rank it higher.” – Manoli (personally ranked it No. 4)
- “Cool A&S 1.0 design study” – Alex (personally ranked it No. 4)
- “Classic representation of luxurious optimism from Cadillac. Still breathtaking to this day.” – Sean (personally ranked it No. 2)
- “It’s like a Bertone wedge without the 1980’s flair.” – Sam (personally ranked it No. 4)
- “If the Cadillac Cien is a wedge of cheese, then I’m a fat ass mouse.” – Francisco (personally ranked it No. 2).
- “Radical, out-of-this-world design with little production potential, even as styling cues. But hasn’t aged that well.” – Alex (personally ranked it No. 5)
- “Stunning, but too far-fetched for my tastes.” – Sean (personally ranked it No. 4)
- “Cadillac Sixteen was like a real-life Hot Wheels concept when I was younger” – Francisco (personally ranked it No. 3)
- “I feel that the Sixteen represents everything a Cadillac deserves to be – luxurious, imposing, and a 1,000 hp V16 to back it up. GM had their chance to make an American Bugatti Galibier, and passed.” – Manoli (personally ranked it No. 2)
- “Call me crazy, but I’ve never much cared for the Cadillac Sixteen. It looks comically, absurdly long, and the design reeks of arrogance and old money – more so than the other contenders, that is. I just picture my grandpa climbing out of the drivers seat to hit on a gaggle of twenty-somethings. Ick.” – Aaron (personally ranked it No. 4).
2. (tie): Cadillac Escala, Cadillac Ciel
On the Cadillac Ciel:
- “The Ciel hardtop (rendering) works, the convertible is gross.” – Francisco (personally ranked it No. 5)
- “I think the Cadillac Ciel is incredibly pretty, especially in person, but when it comes to other recent design studies, it just doesn’t turn my head like the others do these days. This is only because team at the Cadillac design studio continued to outdo themselves. Yet at the same time, not quite as legendary as the mid-engined Cien or the outlandish Sixteen.” – Manoli (personally ranked it No. 5)
- “Incredible design with little production potential.” – Alex (personally ranked it No. 2)
- “One of the loveliest land-going yachts ever materialized, with good presence and posture, although its jaw is too square for my taste. But then, why yacht on the road when you could be yachting at sea?” – Aaron (personally ranked it No. 3)
- “I only rank it third because of the more dated Cadillac fascia up front.” – Sean (personally ranked it No. 3).
- “It brings forth the brand’s new design language that takes A&S to the next level.” – Alex (personally ranked it No. 1)
- “Gorgeous upon first glance, but unoriginal when looking for that special something to be a Cadillac. A step back from the Elmiraj in my opinion. Cadillac says it’s distinctly American, but this seems more like a “me too” move. Especially from a brand that I think has its greatest competitive advantage in exterior design.” – Sean (personally ranked it No. 5)
- “A curvaceous and muscular sculpture, and a pleasing side profile provided by the sloped rear glass. I don’t entirely care for the front fascia; were the grille smaller and the eyes less squinty, I might have liked it better.” – Aaron (personally ranked it No. 2)
- “The Escala looks like a Cadillac concept watered down by Lincoln cues.” – Francisco (personally ranked it No. 4)
- “I find the Cadillac Escala to be well proportioned and striking. Just not as original as either the Elmiraj or Sixteen concepts. And it looks as if they ran out of time/energy on the interior beyond the OLED screens, so that cabin won’t age well. The 4.2L DOHC V8 powertrain may also be production intent, but predictable. It would have been more cutting-edge as a plug-in or full electric to me.” – Manoli (personally ranked it No. 3).
1. Cadillac Elmiraj
Aside from one third-place vote, everybody unanimously agreed that the Elmiraj is the best looking concept car to come from Cadillac, ever.
- “Elmiraj absolutely embodies Cadillac design. It’s bold, sleek, stunning. It’s unmistakably a Cadillac through and through.” – Sean
- “Elmiraj is a last-gen Cadillac design application at this point, albeit with an awkward front end.” – Alex (personally ranked it No. 3)
- “Cadillac Elmiraj is far and away the prettiest thing on four wheels to ever come out of the design studio. The flagship coupe concept is simply incredible and embodies distintive traits that are uniquely Cadillac, inside and out. The only downside is that it never left the show floor.” – Manoli
- “Pillarless windows, subtle sculpture, yet a size and presence without bordering on the absurd. Cars these days tend to have so many hard angles. The Elmiraj has a few, but only in the essential Cadillac places.” – Aaron
- “There’s a reason why nearly all of us voted for the Elmiraj as number one. It doesn’t just look good from certain angles, it’s a marvel to look at regardless of where you stand. (That’s true in more ways than one) It’s like the Meghan Fox from Transformers 2 – everyone thought she was hot. I guess that makes the Escala the modern day Megan Fox… still hot, just not as hot.” – Francisco
Of course, this list wouldn’t be complete without your input. Let us know in the poll blow which Cadillac concept you think the most eye-catching, and then discuss it in the comment section as you all so often do.
Comments
It’s amazing to me that the Buick Avista hands all these cars their butts.
Nope. The Avista can beat the Escala, but it can’t beat the Elmiraj.
Love the Avista – looks like an evolution of an 80s Regal which had been given the 2+2/Aerocoupe treatment.
All I’ll say is that you could give me any of those Cadillacs and I wouldn’t accept. Even if you paid for gas and ten years of repairs. I’m simply not interested.
Give me the Avista? Sure. I’ll cover the gas and maintenance.
And I don’t like these type of cars at all.
Yeah? How about an Avista that has been “productionized”? Meaning, take out all the cool things that would not make it to production, increase panel gaps, and boost the price to roughly $35,000 starting.
Or you can just buy the ATS Coupe, which actually stands out on the road thanks to a very unique design that works extremely well on that car and gives it a lot of presence. Yup, I’d go with option #2.
Damn shame 2 doors aren’t popular in China.
Damn shame 2 doors are not popular anywhere much anymore.
Just as well as the Avista was nothing but a pure show car and with the needed changes all we would get is complains anyways.
Love coupes. Can’t get in and out of 4 doors.
This is stunning.
As for this car and the styling It makes all but the Elmiraj aged.
While some say it looks like an A7 well if you are going to rob better to rob a bank than a grocery store.
Cadillac’s existing sharp, cutting edge design is already a bank. Why is a banker robbing a Whole Foods?
Bad analogy, but once again my point is that the fact that we’re being reminded of cars from automakers by the Escala design language is a step backward, especially in this market segment. Aping a German car’s looks won’t help Cadillac win over German car buyers; they’ll just go for the original.
I just hope that Cadillac’s design team listens to the feedback and holds on to more Cadillac DNA than what’s reflected in the concept.
It is an evolution of their own design with some of the best of some of the others, They did not steal the whole car.
Who was one of the best thieves? Harley Earl. He stole often and used the design cues in many of his cars.
The Cadillac fin was taken from his love of the P-38 lightning.
The Mako Shark paint was copied from his shark he had mounted on the wall of his office. They painted the fish to match the car while he was not looking to make him happy.
The 55 Chevy grill was stolen from a Ferrari in the 50’s he saw at the Paris auto show. The funny part is people like you complained back then about the 55 grill and they rushed a 56 change. Now looking back the 55 is the more classic design.
Hey Cadillac did not copy Audi line for line nearly as much as Lexus has Benz for years. Now Lexus has taken route with a more radical look that has done little for them.
Cadillac is not looking to win Germans. They are looking to win buyers in general.
To be honest the car holds many Cadillac cues and the nose accept for the lights is very similar to the Elmiraj only in a more production mode.
If they had left the crest off I would not have mistaken this for anything but a Cadillac.
As it stands I have been watching the web sites and for the most part the design has done pretty well.
With any new design generally half hate it and half like it. We see this with every new Vette and Camaro too. In the end 90% end up liking it.
I will reserve my final judgement till I see it in person. But I can say I was ok with it at first but no in love. As it is now the car is growing on me. I am still not excited about the quarter panel transmission from the door. It appears plain but I am not sure what it needs.
As for my analogy It is a pretty good one as I stole it from Bob Lutz. Never let a good observation go to waste.
I exepect changes here and the first thing to go would be the hatch. But I can see the nose going production with small changes as well as the fenders and tail
Designs are subjective and what one hates others can love. There is enough old Cadillac there to not mistake it for something else while it evolves the design to attract others not attracted to the designs we have now. The hard lines are aging fast and they are just trying to move the design forward.
To be honest if you look at the above photos you will see the Elmriaj updated nose on a hard top Ciel sedan. It is like they merged much of the two cars together.
Something else to consider here. This car was planned when the other two cars were planned. Cadillac had said from the start there would be three cars. Now how much JDN had to do with this I have not seen or heard. I have not seen the time line for this car so it is hard to say who had more to do with this. I would easily say Wellborn has much of the fingerprints on the final outcome here as anyone.
All concepts is so good in their fields
The Cien is pure performance technology, mid engine; power; chassis; platform; electronics……..
The Sixteen is pure heritage luxury super sedan that reminds great Cadillacs of the past
The Ciel is the pure Luxury Convertible on the Rolls Bentley or Aston Martin Segment
The Elmiraj is the Ciel with Hard Top
And now Escala, possibly the most needed car that Cadillac wants, is perfect in terms of real design, real expects and one car to move to production, a step forward on this Art & Science, very important this point.
Escala may be not the most beautiful Concept; but the most decisive for that Cadillac needs today? i say YES
Does the ELR count as a concept car?
Since, y’know, nobody bought a tarted up Volt for $75k+.
Just asking, n’est çe pas?
I wonder if Cadillac will get rid of the high beltlines and slab-sides/wedge shape body.
God, I hope not.
Only you think so Rye.
I agree the elmiraj is #1. I would put the sixteen in last… my nickname for it is the “Cruella DeVille.”
The most practical out of all these is the Escala. The best looking in my opinion is the Elmiraj. Why they did not just put together a 4 door Elmiraj is beyond me. But, the Escala will get the job done as it looks. The Ciel was a nice looking car but not in a Cadillac realm, same as the Sixteen which was completely out of this world.
I personally find the front end of the Elmiraj awkward, specifically the vertical light treatment. It makes what is otherwise a very large and wide vehicle appear narrow, while also giving it an aspect of droopiness that its rivals (namely, the S-Class Coupe and Maserati GranTurismo) do not share. That takes away from its sex appeal and mystique. Other than that, the rest of the car is gorgeous.
That said, the Elmiraj still along the lines of the current generation Art and Science design language… while the Escala takes the philosophy to a next generation/next level.
Regarding the Ciel: Cadillac should have a mid-engined hyper car in its future to represent the pinnacle of what the brand represents on the performance end of things, while serving as the halo model… Much like the Audi R8 is to the rest of the Audi lineup. So maybe it’s not THAT far out of the realm of possibilities over the next 10 years.
JDN said it is possible for two sports cars in the future and one based on the new Corvette would be intriging. But he made it clear not for at least 9 years.
Before you attract attention with a Halo you need to have your house in order.
He did not do the R8 till they had much of the other Audi product in place.
But yest you are correct there is a place for cars like this. The second would be nice to see a front engine small GT like roadster with a trunk large enough to take a weekend trip.
But if the next iteration of A&S has been watered-down to look a lot like its competitors (i.e. melted bars of soap) and less like a Cadillac, how is that a good thing?
They should be refining the design language, not muting it to the effect of abandoning it.
Big question is why design and build concept cars that Cadillac has any plans of bringing to production especially as most of these cars are the size of the land yachts of yesteryear.
I’m so sick of the slab-sided profile and fat asses that Cadillac had for the past 10+ years….its so frustrating that Cadillac doesn’t know that it’s designs are getting stale and played out.
Your mom’s slab-sided fat ass is stale and played out.
My personal ranking is:
1. The Elmiraj. This concept best evokes the design and image of what a large Cadillac is and should be! One of the best full-sized coupe designs ever! The perfect union of stately and head-turning! And it has a V8! Like a proper large Cadillac should!
2. It’s a bit of a toss-up between the Ciel and the Escala. The Ciel is a Cadillac I’ve always dreamed of seeing in a Cadillac showroom someday! The perfect mix of classic Cadillac design cues from the 50’s and 60’s mated to a sleek, long modern Cadillac body! Bonus points go to its hybrid powertrain and for the fact that it was a 4 door convertible!! Yet the Escala is a great interpretation of the 21st century Cadillac design! Yes, it “borrows” design cues from other brands in a sense, but we see the evolution of the Art & Science design language, which is quite refreshing, and it’s more of a vehicle that’s closer to production reality than any of the previous concepts before it!
3. The Cadillac Sixteen quite literally stole the 2003 North American Auto Show when it debuted! Everything about it, from it’s long, low body to its 1000 hp V16 engine, was the stuff of legends! I can remember when the rumored Ultra V12 engine was said to be previewed by this car, to power the “never-made-it-to-production” Cadillac ULS (Ultra Luxury Sedan)! This thing was said to even have reclining rear seats with leg rests and a diamond encrusted Bvlgari clock in the center console! And yet, you still can’t get any of this on today’s Cadillac! But alas! The design truly hasn’t aged all that well, although it’s still a head turner in so many ways!
4. Finally, the Cadillac Cien! A mid-engined Cadillac supercar? Sign me up! This thing has tech that could probably still be used today! Namely that 7.5L V12! I truly wish it was produced back in 2002, its design language would’ve fit so well with the earlier interpretation of the Art & Science design theme! Serving as the ultimate Cadillac flagship vehicle!
IMO, the only design which hasn’t aged well is the front fascia of the Ciel.
I’d gladly drive any of those cars in the blink of an eye.
The Escala reminds me of the Cadillac fastbacks of the 30s & 40s, which is fine; however, they muted the front and rear to the point that it looks too much like its contemporaries and not enough like a Cadillac.
Ciel Elmiraj Cadillacs are wonderful ………. but only Cadillacs we can dream about them, no realistic designs respect to actual market.
But nevertheless; Scale is a Cadillac that may enter production now as a regular Cadillac; that looks good, it sells well, and has a very modern design without being extreme or radical.
That’s what I like about Escala, Cadillac has had a real and practical look with this car.
To do that Cadillac must be practical in short time and with cars that look good in production; not what we want to have, for now.
This has to go step by step, and the Escala is a good and real step forward
at least the concept cars don’t have the slab-sides and fat asses like the current production Cadillacs.
Even the name Escala shows a lack of originality , you can almost hear some of the developers and engineers leaving that meeting scratching their heads . I think if you change just the grill and emblem on the Ciel and maybe squint alittle you can see the front clips design on the CT6 and XT5 . The almost flat front end from side to side .
I’ve seen clearer pics of the Escala on Autoline Daily and it lookes somewhat better but not by much .
The Sixteen would have looked better had the design from the A-pillar forward looked less rounded and was more in line with the A&S from the last couple of years .
Elmiraj smokes them all and should’ve been built regardless of risk. That car would’ve exalted Cadillac among luxury carmakers. Actual production numbers would’ve been irrelevant as with Ford’s GT.
Run this daring greatly thing by us again…
GT numbers are Irrelevant as few people will ever even see one away from a race.
As a race car it did the job it was created to do that is to win Le Mans on the 50th anniversary with some major help by BoP rules of WEC.
It will help the Mustang with some marketing but that is is.
Cadillac need to focus on getting their main product inline and then once all the parts are in place you call attention to it with a Mid Engine or some other halo car.
But why call attention to an ATS and CTS that are about to be replaced and a CT6 and XT5 that really were not part of the future plan and will be replaced in a few years too.
I first scoffed when I saw this. But as I watched a few videos online I began to see that this is the direction it needs to go. The design is elegent, simple and striking. The front end is mean and clean – the back clean and intriguing.
It is a bit of a different direction than what has come out prior but to bring Cadillac forward to match other brands (and surpass) it must march forward with a less boxy but more striking look.
Bravo Cadillac. Very very excited to see what this brings in the next production vehicle with this language.
I agree and I think the car is going to be much more striking in person. That is why I want to reserve total approval till I see it. Many of these new cars just do not convey their true styling to a photo. Besides many are computer generations anyway. The art of great automotive photography is lost today.
Must admit, the Escala’s growing on me fast, but time is of the essence. Build the damned thing now and preserve the wheel and tire size relationship to wheelhouse and the killer metal door hinge blades. The fastback hatchback is sleek and classic and the car is way more elegant and proportional than anything else from anywhere else at the moment anyway. So many little details lovingly applied like the chrome crest shaped grille bullets. You really do have to feast your eyes on it to appreciate them. Substitute some beautifully designed traditional gauges and controls for the soon to be antiquated LG OLED ticking technology time bomb and you have a rare future classic. Even the interior cloth is interesting as long as they can make it easy to clean and durable enough to make the 2056 survivor class judging. Keep the Escala name and back up the dare greatly theme with some groundbreaking cars already!
I sure hope they are not bringing the 1930s and 40s fastback design I hate the 1930s and 1940s.
As a former and hope to be future Cadillac buyer, I can for one tell you that out of all these concept cars the two that interest me the least are the Cien and Ciel. This is becuase I have never been interested in sports cars or convertibles. I want Cadillac to have a huge hulking fully loaded and appointed sedan. Like Scott said Cadillac has alot of up hill battles to wage before getting into halo sports car territory. They need to get this lineup filled with cars and I hate to say CUVs that people will buy. Lets be honest, Cadillac has had mixed results with thier last 2 attempts at sports cars. The Allante fell flat on its face with terrible pricing and awful performance and reliability. The XLR while alot better then the Allante, still suffered in other areas such as cheap interior and again higher pricing.