Long before SUVs and crossover began flooding the market, Cadillac planned to build an ATS convertible. Flash-forward to the present day and such a car never came to fruition.
But, that hasn’t stopped one a Florida-based coachbuilder from making its own, and it’s a Cadillac ATS-V. Jalopnik reported on Wednesday that Convertible Builders LLC has spent decades turning factory hard-top cars into convertibles. Specifically, they focus on cars that should have come with a convertible option. The ATS-V made the list.
As one can imagine, an incredible amount of work goes into making the ATS-V look like a factory vehicle. The shop reinforces the underside of the car before chopping the roof off to provide the strength needed. In the process, the ATS-V receives “a significant twisting benefit,” the company’s owner said.
The shop installs other upgrades to eliminate cowl shake, ensure serviceability, and interior reinforcements. A major focus is on the B pillar so the car can handle numerous door closings and the event of a side-impact crash. Then, extra reinforcement is added to the A pillar and an area just in front of the soft top called the header.
“There’s three layers [of steel] on that header,” he said. “We weld in reinforcement steel across that header,” which provides even more stiffness where the roof fastens.
After all of the upgrades, the owner said each car gains only around 100 pounds over the factory car. And in the case of the ATS-V, it looks really, really good. Convertible Builders also ensures the soft-top folds into a neat storage area and does not compromise room in the rear seat of the car. We don’t know if we’ll ever see another factory Cadillac convertible, but this ATS-V gives us a glimpse of what could have been.
Comments
The current cadillac line-up is so pathetic.
And will be for years and years to come.
This year one “new” model, an already dated cuv with a cheap drivetrain and plastic interior.
But, as the cadillac tag line goes, wait till next year, then we will crush the competition, next year, just wait and see.
Always next year.
Well, not in this universe.
I’ve been driving an ELR for 3 years. When it came time for me to get a new car, none of the current Cadillacs impressed me. So for my 25th bday I ordered a Lincoln Navigator. It will arrive in September.
One would have thought it should have been easy for Cadillac to build a ATS Convertible given that there’s a Camaro Convertible and the two cars are supposed to share the same underpinnings; but the thought of creating a ATS Convertible was lost in the Cadillac hierarchy and maybe it’s another reason to fire Johan De Nysschen as he either didn’t think a ATS Convertible was necessary or didn’t fight for the development of one or bringing the ATS L with a stretched wheelbase from China to the United States.
I have been stating for years that Cadillac desperately needs a roadster (shared with Chevrolet for cost) and a 3 Series convertible.
The upcoming CT5 should be offered as a convertible
Here is the issue. The ATS just never caught on. It had many other needs like better cue and interior along with other details.
A convertible would be nice but with all these needs the money invested would never have been made back. It would have been low volume even if it sold well but th3 added cost to a car already not selling well just was not wise.
Going to the CT5 will hopefully address all the other needs to make the sedan a hit and leave it viable for a coupe and convertible in this line.
To be honest I would like to see a new gen Alpha platform made into a decent roadster that has two seats, good sized trunk and be priced at a level people would take a chance on it at a Z4 price.
You earn the trust of the people at this level and make them happy they may be more willing to move to a more expensive model next.
Make it different from the Corvette and do not share it with Chevy. Only share it with one GM division per market like Holden down under and Buick in China.
I would like to see something along the lines of an F-type or a larger Z4. Something sexy, sophisticated, and adult-like. Not brutish or brash. Something easily identifiable from the rest of the Cadillac lineup. The kind of car people just have to touch. With an exhaust note that can hypnotize all within earshot. And a killer interior one can enjoy with the engine off.
Something that actually… dares greatly.
Exactly. Cadillac needs a Roadster badly. German three are on their third and fourth Generations of their Roadsters.
Yes my thinking on the Alpha based car it would be just a little larger but still affordable.
It would be nothing like the C8.
It would not be about 1.17 g on the skid pad but it would be about great secondary road handling but still good ride. It would have good power but not be about lap times or quarter miles.