Both Cadillac and Buick have shown some rather lovely concept vehicles in the past few years, specifically, we’re talking about the Cadillac Elmiraj, Cadillac Escala, Buick Avenir and the Buick Avista. Unfortunately, none of these cars seem to have a chance at production, but did preview where the brands’ overall designs were heading.
Could that change soon under GM Vice President of Global Design Michael Simcoe? Maybe.
It was hardly a confirmation, but Simcoe told the panel on the latest episode of Autoline that his team would “love to do” a large, two-door coupe for Cadillac and Buick. His answer came as a response to an inquiry over whether China or North America could help such a vehicle come to life, aside from the Camaro and Corvette.
Simcoe followed up his answer with a bit of a reassuring smirk. When pressed for more information, or whether there were any concepts, Simcoe added, “We have lots of lovely concepts.” But, none of the concepts have been discussed for production, Simcoe confirmed.
We do know General Motors does potentially have something in the pipeline. As part of its 20 electric cars by 2023 announcement, GM included a “luxury low-roof” car as part of its plans. We don’t have the definition of a “low-roof car,” but something elegant like a coupe certainly does come to mind. We also know a large majority of the future electric cars will be Cadillacs.
Skip to 22:40 for the brief coupe conversation, but stay for the entire interview, which goes deeper into Simcoe’s personal design ethos and where GM design is heading.
Comments
There are designers who would “love to do” a convertible SUV…
The full size Dodge Charger sedan outsells the full size Dodge Challenger coupe nearly 6 to 1…
Well, that’s not at all true.
2017 Charger sales (US): 88,351
2017 Challenger sales (US): 64,537
(source: media.fcanorthamerica.com)
Yet both are poor numbers in todays market when a CUV sells in numbers 200,000 plus and makes more profit per unit.
There is not an automaker would not want to do some really cool coupes. It is their favorite car but with such low numbers the return on investment stops them dead in their tracks. This leaves many cool coupes to the high end luxury that can get the price to make the money needed.
If people change their minds on vehicles and choose styling over utility again we may get more lower priced coupes.
People have lost their sense of style when it comes to cars and look more for what it can do vs. what it looks like. Years ago if it had no springs and was dragging a tire they would buy a coupe just to be seen in it. Today not so.
We can always hope the global market may be more accepting and provide the volume so we can share in it!
Very true
2018 sales…Challenger 3,405, Charger 27,600…Source? Your link…
You might want to look over those numbers again.
27,600 was all of Dodge. Charger was 5,193.
I always thought a Convertible / Coupe version of the ELR with an ICE would be fantastic.
‘Dare Greatly’ needs to mean more than playing catch-up on the CUV/SUV profit/volume machine.
Do something great. A statement vehicle. It’ll only make everything else seem that much more special.
But it has to be impeccable. Daring Greatly.
The new Lexus LC500 coupe is rated up there with the new Aston Martin DB11, BMW is coming out with the new 8 series coupe, the Mercedes S class coupe is a work of art, Cadillac dares greatly with a 4 cylinder front drive CUV base on a recycled Chevrolet platform. Cadillac needs a halo product so that people have something to aspire to.
We love that Escala, But we like a car the size of the 2004 CTS so smaller. However our ATS is slightly small even though my wife loves it for parking, and in traffic. We however will probably always own both, an SUV and a sedan. Right now however we have a Canyon in place of the SUV awaiting the next RWD XTsomthing from Cadillac. And if that Escala becomes a real car I will have one someday and someone will drive it.
Big coupes look cool, but they are impractical, and for that reason they don’t sell well. The doors are too long to work well in most parking lots, and the people who ride in the back seat of a big car are going to want their own door. I can see why a designer would want to do them though, for their outward beauty. If Cadillac or Buick did a big coupe, it would be as a “halo” car, not as a profitable vehicle in itself.
This is a sad reason to not build a 2 door large coupe. Build it and make a Cadillac, Buick, Chevy version to spread out cost. Leaving exclusive drivetrain, and trim packages for Cadillac.
3 of the best looking cars GM has designed in a LONG time won’t ever get built.
Buick Avenir
Buick Avista
Cadillac Elmiraj
What a shame.
There will be a big 2-door Cadillac.
I say make it happen, and I’ll be first in line for the Buick version.
Unless someone within GM of China authorizes such a program for a new electric or fuel cell full size Cadillac or Buick coupe be developed, it’s unlikely to happen because no one within GM of North America wants such a product and like Cadillac’s PHEV XT5 that’s sold in China, this full size Cadillac/Buick coupe if built might still not be sold in the United States as it will be available only in China and possibly Europe.
Correct, with China being the largest market for Buick and now Cadillac also, it’s highly unlikely a large 2 door anything will ever make it to production. Remember, many wealthy Chinese do not drive their own vehicle, they ride in the back.
So disgusted with GM. The Avista was applauded by ALL yet never gets built and a Caddy version would be awesome too.
Yes…..please fall behind Ford and Chrysler, like you’ve done with the Camaro, because sometimes it takes miserable failure to realize your faults……
What a world of good it would do Cadillac and Buick to have a personal luxury coupe . Eldorado and Riviera type cars that would bring in more traffic to showrooms .
A business case could be made for either one as TAP’s are as high as they are and could help pay for the development and they have a new platform that the CT6 sits on and is the only car using it .
I think Brian W has it right .
The sad fact is that if GM thinks that it wouldn’t sell in China it probably will never happen for the States . Cadillac offered a car for China only , the ATS-L , how about a car for only the U.S . Being driven around like the Chinese do , they need to educate themselves that the real fun is sitting behind the wheel .
The sad fact is very few would sell here. It has nothing to do with China. There is too small a market here.
Joe many here own a CTS or ATS coupe? Look at their numbers no one bought. G6? Few sold. GP coupe discontinued due to low sales.
Mustang and Camaro selling in lower number than expected.
Get the market to embrace coupes and they mill make em.
“Being driven around like the Chinese do , they need to educate themselves that the real fun is sitting behind the wheel .”
The reason the Chinese prefer to be driven around instead of driving themselves is that the roads are always full of traffic. To them, there is absolutely no fun sitting behind the wheel; that’s why it’s a paid position.
Harley Earl and Bill Mitchell didn’t sit around and hem and haw about what they might like to do. They DID it. Come on Simcoe grow a pair and be adventurous here!
Sorry Ed it is a much different era and development cost are much higher.
Harley and Bill would be operating much differently today.
Regulations, customers, aero, cost etc are all radically different and you make a mistake you get kicked in the pair.
The margin of failure for automakers is very fine today and spending billions on models that do not provide the return can kill a company.
Get customers in greater numbers wanting coupes again and then the risk declines.
I hate it too but sometimes reality sucks. The days of 63 Rivs are over for now. Sad!
I is largely because we have become a nation of politically correct weaklings too afraid of making a mistake and seeing praise for everything they do. We were a much better society in those days. Did Earl and Mitchell clash with leadership? You bet. But remember they had amassed a huge circle of power around them due to their string of successes and anyone including the president or CEO who challenged them could find themselves on the outside looking in. As a GM employee I see this every day and hate it. Many of the quotes about GMs slowness and indecisiveness made by Ross Perot back in the 80’s when he was on the board are sadly still the case today.
Edward Pate, you seriously are saying that Mitchell and Arkus-Duntov could get Ed Cole or Bunkie Knudsen outed? And that was Manly and Strong?
Here’s some facts for you. GM was heavy into anti-trust court battles with Eisenhower’s and then Kennedy’s administrations (note, one from each side…). Dominating the racetracks and newspaper headlines was exactly what would have led directly to GM being busted up like Standard Oil, which was still fresh in the minds of these leaders.
History, full of facts unknown to today’s internet commenters…
Read the Corvette books, learn how Bill Mitchell paid for the development of the Sting Ray and consequent C2 out of his own pocket. Mitchell literally bought the chassis and made it his personal project.
The money Simcoe gets paid, I’m sure he could build a prototype and run it at a few events, get some marketing folks on-side, put a black DPi badge on it, show it next to the Caddy DPi’s every chance you get, I think some real commitment from the insiders might get some real commitment from outsiders, just like Mitchell back in the day.
This is so true. In the old days, the folks at Pontiac essentially tricked GM into building the GTO. Later, in the 80’s, the folks at Pontiac again got approval to build a two-seat “commuter car” and wound up with the mid-engine Fiero whose aspirations went way beyond what GM’s brass had envisioned.
Mitchell is a legend because he pushed for what he believed in and his reign represented GM’s most successful period of history. His designs set industry standards and are the icons GM is still lauded for.
Let’s hope Simcoe is more like Mitchell than Rybicki, Jordan, Cherry, and Wellbern ever were. I think all of them were ‘yes’ men and GM’s fortunes have suffered for it.
“Dare Greatly” Quit saying Dare Greatly. Do it. ” Dare Greatly “
Dare Greatly is an absolutely awful slogan for Cadillac and needs to go. Don’t misunderstand, I love those two simple words and all that they imply but Cadillac in no way, shape, or form, lives up to them. If they can’t live up to the credo, it needs to go just like Standard of the World had to go once it became obvious other carmakers, not Cadillac, were setting the standards.
Given the continued production of the Escalade and all the new FWD Chevrolet-based crossovers that are coming, I’d suggest an adaptation of an old Chevrolet slogan for their Caprice:
Cadillac…the uppermost Chevrolet
The ‘problem’ with a line like Dare Greatly is, you can’t just say it – you have to be prepared to live it.
Otherwise, they’re just words.
I think that about a lot of GM words, “Dare greatly”, Your satisfaction is important to us”, ” We are sorry to here that” all just words. Look at that new Chevy ad where there sitting on the freeway discussing reliability award for 2 years. Are you serious. We live in a day where you have to convince people there vehicle wont have trouble in 2 years, and that’s reliable.
I hear that Cadillac and Buick will get Omega-based coupes but Chevy won’t due to cost, demographics and the Camaro/Vette’s existence.
If Cadillac and Buick were to build the coupes right in terms of style , quality and a TTV-8 from Cadillac , and de-tune it a bit for Buick so Cadillac has the edge in power they would sell .
There are plenty of other manufacturers that are building coupes along side the sedans . But in GM’s case they would be the pull to get people in the showrooms looking at possibly buying the sedan instead as we see poor sales of Cadillacs top luxury car falter in sales and not all of the blame is SUV sales .
I know people that own Continentals and CT6’s and XTS’s and never use that back seat for riders , if they had a chance to buy a coupe they probably would . Plus with the different materials like aluminum and even carbon fiber can be used for the inner skin of the doors to make them lighter .
We see these gorgeous luxury clad concepts in coupe form and they get great press and interest from the public when shown at auto shows which tells me there is a niche market out there for these type of cars . And the designers always tell us that the concepts of today are very close to what we will see in the future . Most concepts are not the far out creations of years past but design studies .
GM has a huge parts bin and a new flexible platform already which is much of the cost of new products .
Will someone at Cadillac lend me an LT5 CTS-V sedan until Corporate GM makes up its mind.
Its getting harder to climb in and out of my ZL1!
I am one of the “dyed in the wool” and “sincere holdout” from the era of 2 door luxury coupes and sport coupes. I have owned an original 2 door Chevy Nomad Wagon from my surfer days. Also a 65 Mustang, 61 Corvette, VW 62 Beetle, 63 Chevy Corvair, 82 Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais Supreme, 71 Fiat Sport Spider, and now a 1997 Cadillac Eldorado ETC. I have never ever owned a 4 door vehicle and have no plans to change that fact. I dissagree with Zach however, and would welcome a new luxury coupe from Buick and especially like the Buick Avista but with a great Twin Turbo DOHC V6 with 345-HP! So when Hundai announced the Genesis GT70 Lurury Sport Coupe…… I will have to say goodbye GM. Sorry… but there are still quite a few of us that really like to drive a 2 door coupe!!