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GM Developing Next-Gen Cadillac CT6 On Future VSS-R Platform

A few months ago, the future of the Cadillac CT6 looked bleak, as GM announced plans to idle the Detroit-Hamtramck plant where the model is built for North American markets. That news followed by a confirmation by Cadillac spokespeople that the CT6 will be discontinued in North America as a direct result of the plant’s closure. It was doom and gloom until about two months later, when newly-appointed GM president, Mark Reuss, and Cadillac president, Steve Carlisle, stated that the CT6 will actually live on, and that GM is actively working to move CT6 production to a different plant. Good news? Absolutely. But the goodness doesn’t end there – since we have new details on the next-generation Cadillac CT6, thanks to exclusive information obtained by GM Authority.

2019 Cadillac CT6 Platinum 3.0TT - Exterior - Real World 001

First-generation, 2019 Cadillac CT6 Platinum 3.0TT V6

Platform

According to our sources, the second-generation Cadillac CT6 is being developed on the VSS-R platform – GM’s future, highly-modular architecture for rear-drive-based vehicles. The new architecture will replace both the current Alpha and Omega platforms as part of GM’s Vehicle Set Strategy, which aims to boost efficiencies and increase scale economies by optimizing development costs and production resources.

The future Cadillac CT6 will be one of the first models to use the VSS-R platform, which will also be capable of utilizing alternative (new energy) drivetrains.

Internally within GM, the second-gen CT6 is assigned project code “7ESL”, which disambiguates into the following:

  • 7: VSS-R platform code
  • E: vehicle for the E segment
  • S: Sedan body style
  • L: Cadillac brand
2019 Cadillac CT6 Platinum 3.0TT - Exterior - Real World 003

First-generation, 2019 Cadillac CT6 Platinum 3.0TT V6

Body Style & Positioning

As inferred by the project code, the next-gen Cadillac CT6 will feature a traditional, “three-box” body style. Although this may run contrary to current market trends, which are exhibiting sustained increases in demand for crossover SUVs at the expense of traditional sedans in some regions of the world, sedans will continue to have a sizable presence – especially in the luxury space as well as in Asian and Eastern countries.

It’s also important to note that by the time the second-gen CT6 is launched, the Cadillac vehicle portfolio will have at least four utilities, while culling the excess of sedans seen in the lineup today to only the CT4 C-segment sedan, CT5 D-segment model, and CT6 E-segment entry.

A flagship passenger car above the CT6 is rumored to be part of the future Cadillac product plan, but it won’t have a traditional “sedan” body style. Instead, it will have a fastback-like profile similar to the design previewed by the Cadillac Escala concept.

2019 Cadillac CT6 V-Sport interior - 2018 New York Auto Show live 007

Interior of the 2019 Cadillac CT6-V (initially announced as CT6 V-Sport) at the 2018 New York Auto Show

Production

At of this writing, General Motors plans to produce the next-gen Cadillac CT6 in both North America and China, as is the case with the current model. While Chinese production of the model will continue at the Jinqiao Cadillac plant (also known as the Cadillac mega factory in China), it’s still unclear what plant will be tasked with building the model for North America as a result of GM’s restructuring announced late last year.

The automaker stated that starting in 2019, future products will be allocated to a smaller number of plants in order to increase the use of production capacity in the North American region. The plant where GM chooses to move production of the current model will serve as a very good indicator as to where production of the second-gen model will take place.

CT6 production at Jinqiao-Shanghai China factory

2016 Cadillac CT6 being produced at the Jinqiao-Shanghai factory in China

Rumors have indicated that the GM Lansing Grand River plant – home to the ATS, CTS, and Chevy Camaro – is the front-runner in absorbing CT6 production from Detroit-Hamtramck. The facility will also produce the upcoming CT4 and CT5 models.

Launch Cadence

The next-gen Cadillac CT6 is currently scheduled to go on sale by the end of the 2022 calendar year. That would give the current, first-generation model six years on the market (2016 , 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021).

At this point, the future Cadillac CT6 is still in early stages of planning and development, and many details about the model are missing. Be sure to stay tuned and subscribe to GM Authority as we bring you the latest Cadillac news and CT6 news.

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Deivis is an engineer with a passion for cars and the global auto business. He is constantly investigating about GM's future products.

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Comments

  1. Dat CT6 platinum third pic.

    ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

    Reply
    1. Only trolls downgrading your vote. I’d love to hear from actual people who LOVE the everything gray interior. There’s no way a person can be sincere and say it looks good. It just looks so drab and depressing. I’ve had seat time in it. I hate it. It needs a few more colors in there to give it some life.

      Reply
    2. It’s black, not gray.
      I agree monochromatic interiors are boring, especially when dark.

      Reply
  2. If the flagship is swoopy, the next CT6 had better be taller for chauffeur/town car use. One of them should have uncompromised rear seat room.

    Reply
  3. Awesome news!

    Reply
  4. Is that a truck interior picture? It must be. Look at all that plastic. Must be.
    GM must have fired all their interior designers and outsourced it to Panama or something.

    Reply
    1. I see plastic in the vents and I assume there is crystal clear plastic in front of the instrument cluster. Are just just rubbing your computer screen and thinking that’s the interior material? Or do your eyes magically see through the leather, carbon fiber, and aluminum?

      Reply
      1. If I’m buying a car that costs close to 100k (which the premium does and that is what’s pictured), there should be no hard plastics within my eye or reach. At minimum, it should be all soft touch. Look at the top competitors at that price point. The interiors are all better and not gray! It’s hideous. You need to have your eyes checked, buddy.

        Reply
        1. “there should be no hard plastics within my eye or reach. At minimum, it should be all soft touch.”

          That’s exactly the above CT6, you troll. Only Porsche puts leather on the vents and MB has metal. The rest are plastic.

          Reply
  5. Please tell me VSS-R is going to be ‘modular’ enough to produce crossovers.

    Reply
    1. Ideally

      Reply
      1. That is a key area about which we currently have very little intel.

        My personal expectation is that VSS-R will not be capable of supporting high-roof modes (crossovers), as GM is perfectly (even extremely) happy stuffing Cadillac crossovers on FWD-based GM platforms and calling it a day. I do hope I’m wrong, but I’m 99% certain I’m right.

        Reply
        1. Ure wrong.

          XT6 is the last FWD based Cadillac.

          XT7/XT8 – will be both based on the brand new RWD platform.

          Reply
          1. That’s funny, because I have program codes suggesting that XT5 and below will ride on VSS-F (front).

            Lots of new crossovers will ride on VSS-R? More like just the one (7/8).

            Reply
            1. Second gen XT6 will also be RWD.

              The only reason the XT4-XT6 have an FWD platform is that they had no choice, because the VSS-R was not ready by that time. And not because they are “happy” to use the FWD platforms.
              They simply had no choice. Once the platform is ready, they will put most of the crossovers on that.

              Reply
              1. Everything we have heard about future Cadillac crossovers XT6 and below runs completely contrary to what you’re describing, which makes me reach the conclusion that you’re either speculating or presenting wishful thinking as fact.

                Here are some facts: the next-gen XT5 carries project code 8DUL:
                8 = GM platform code for VSS-S architecture, itself a derivative of the VSS-F platform
                D = D-segment
                U = utility body style
                L = Cadillac brand (C is used for Chevrolet, which is why L is for Cadillac)

                As such, VSS-F is a derivative of VSS-S… which means FWD-based. But there is one possible exception to this: it’s theoretically possible that VSS-S will be capable of supporting a completely electric vehicle on GM’s upcoming, all-new electric vehicle architecture that previewed by the Cadillac CUV concept announced (but not actually displayed) in January:

                http://gmauthority.com/blog/2019/02/new-gm-ev-platform-previewed-by-future-cadillac-electric-cuv/

                If this is the case, then there is a chance that said vehicle will be rear-drive.

                And yes, GM is very much content and/or “happy” to use FWD platforms for Cadillac crossovers. Allow me to shed some light on the thinking inside GM.

                When the XT5 was being conceived/planned back in 2013, a conscious choice was made NOT to progress/adapt Alpha to a high-roof vehicle (crossover) and instead derive the XT5 from the next-gen GM corporate crossover platform (which we know today as C1/Chi) in order to make more profit per unit thanks to scale economies with other GM crossovers (Traverse, Enclave, Acadia, Blazer, plus the upcoming Buick midsize CUV on the C1 short). It would have taken the same amount of time to adopt and utilize Alpha for the XT5. Mind you, this is before Cadillac started rushing/reacting to bring other crossover models (XT4, XT6) to market due to the competitive disadvantage of having only one CUV in a market hot for CUVs. The point is that they were not in a rush when planning the XT5, and therefore could have used Alpha if they deemed fit. They decided against it not because of time constraint or cost issues, but because it was easier to develop it on C1.

                The decision was made because the strategy called for going after the Lexus RX demographics with the XT5, and all other things that an XT5-like vehicle represents from a dollars and cents standpoint. The same holds true for the XT4: Alpha could have been used, and development time would have been roughly identical (about a four months up or down, actually). But they decided to target the Lexus NX and Acura RDX demos instead of X3 and GLC-Class demos.

                The XT6 is simply a result of the decision to base the XT5 on C1. Only a handful of people brought up the possibility of utilizing Alpha during development of the XT5 and XT4… and they were quickly shushed during the planning phase.

                So yes… GM is perfectly happy to use front-drive architectures for Cadillac CUVs. And though it’s possible that future Cadillac CUVs will be rear-drive based thanks to the EV platform, the most current *tangible* information says that this won’t take place… much to my personal disappointment.

                Reply
                1. They probably still feel burned by the RWD SRX.

                  Just how many X5, RR, and Cayenne buyers will buy an American version of their cars, even at a lower price? Escalade is too big for most of them.

                  Reply
            2. What happened to VSS-S?

              Reply
              1. I guess nothing happened to VSS-S per se… that said, VSS-S is a derivative of VSS-F, and is therefore FWD-based.

                Reply
        2. I’m afraid you’ll be right. GM never learns.

          Reply
          1. FWD has been working fine for Audi.

            Reply
        3. Alex….The VSS-R is, in effect, the Omega chassis with some slight modifications. The VSS-R chassis will be used in the XT7 and, eventually, the XT8,which will be mostly bespoke.

          The VSS-T chassis will be used in the Chevy Silverado, all variants, and GMC Sierra, and all Duramax variants……

          The CS1 will use the C8 chassis architecture with some modifications….

          Reply
    2. Don’t worry. Lots of the crossovers will be based on that platform.

      Reply
    3. Omega was a waste of money to build. One vehicle and off to the rubbish heap. GM could learn from FCA in so far as they are great at platform modifications and saving capital.

      Reply
      1. “Omega was a waste of money to build. One vehicle and off to the rubbish heap. GM could learn from FCA in so far as they are great at platform modifications and saving capital.”

        You think Cadillac would be better served with Mercedes leftovers from 20 years ago in an effort to save money?

        The Omega platform shows a level of technical complexity and engineering achievement that the LX/LD Chryslers will NEVER have, and therefore NEVER be able to command more than what they’re worth.

        Reply
        1. FCA has sold more Charger/Challenger Hellcats than Cadillac has with CT6s. Who made more money between the two product lines? FCA.

          Reply
          1. ATP per unit is alway more important than total unit sales. No Chrysler can command Cadillac money.

            In fact, presently no Chrysler can command Dodge money. THAT is a major embarrassment for a brand that’s supposed to be a luxury offering from FCA.

            Tell me again what FCA is doing right with Chrysler, and I can tell you where they’re going wrong.

            Reply
            1. Chrysler is using a platform developed well over a decade ago (with updates, I’m sure). Development costs per unit must be very small by now. Cadillac has sunk billions in Alpha and Omega and sold many fewer than expected. I wonder if they’ve turned a profit on them yet. Then there’s the opportunity cost: they could have made more money developing higher selling, more profitable CUVs sooner.

              Reply
              1. Cadillac spent that money on Omega as a example of GM’s technical expertise.

                “Aluminum-intensive mixed-material body with direct-mounted front cradle and rubber-isolated, multi-link independent rear suspension”

                http://gmauthority.com/blog/gm/gm-platforms/omega/

                Good things cost good money. GM could have just used Zeta, or secured the rights to use a 20 year old Mercedes platform if Cadillac was about making something cheaply and then creating an false air of technical sophistication.

                But what would that do to Cadillac’s image if they were using hand-me-downs platforms or reheated leftovers from Mercedes instead of something cutting-edge?

                The development costs for FCA may be low, but that’s because FCA didn’t set the bar high enough for them to jump over it. They only ever wanted the 300/Changer to be line-drives; never something exceptional. You can’t reach for the stars if you only put in enough effort to jump a fence.

                I’ll grant you the CUV argument, sure. I would have liked to see Cadillac there at least 5 years sooner. But today, Cadillac is there now with the XT4, 5, and 6.

                I don’t see any comparable CUV’s from Chrysler at the moment; nothing that wasn’t already being satisfied by Jeep. If anything, there’s yet another shortcoming of Chrysler ruining FCA’s chances of having their American luxury arm being taken seriously.

                As for Alpha, well, the billions ‘sunk’ into that platform were leveraged not only against the ATS, but the CTS and Camaro. I certainly don’t think that was a waste. After all, Alpha was also a brand new platform that wasn’t a leftover from Mercedes.

                Reply
                1. The story of General Motors cars is one of historical failure. Again and again and again and again. I’m talking cash flow negative. That’s the only metric that matters.

                  FCA has actually made money on cars (cash flow positive) with Charger and Challenger, something GM can’t say with ANY non-crossover vehicle. You keep trying to rationalize this with the engineering that went into the CT6, but the CT6 as a program lost money. Full stop.

                  Reply
                  1. It’s not hard to make money that’s already made for you. Besides updating the platform to make regulations there is hardly any money going into actual development. Sounds like people who use bandages to cover a scar, just half-ass. But it’s not going to help in the long run. At least GM is aiming for something greater than reused platforms. FCA is content with what they are doing. Which isn’t bad but you are probably not going places. Besides which company has been bought out in the last few years? It wasn’t GM.

                    Reply
                    1. At the end of the day, they made money with the Charger, Challenger, 300 – something that GM can’t really say with the CT6, ATS, and CTS.

                      The crackpot below talking about comparing the 300 to the S class has gone over the moon. Maesarati + Alfa vs. Daimler would be a more apt comparison, and I’ll give the nod to Daimler for that one. Maesarati + Alfa North America + EU sales break even after costs, maybe a slightly profit. But the engineering for Giulia will be used across a number of future vehicles.

                      Reply
                  2. And worst of all, you don’t provide any evidence.

                    FCA may make money on the 300/Changer, but it isn’t enough money, is it? It isn’t the kind of ATP that would allow them to command more than their competitors, and it’s not enough to hang with the main-stays of the segment.

                    The S-class and the 300 are both large RWD cars, and while the 300 only has unit sales advantage, that’s the ONLY thing FCA can be proud of. Anyone can move lots of units if you use dollar-store pricing.

                    Remember that the next time you hear or read someone who says ‘I would never pay $50K for a Chrysler’. It means in the eyes of the public that no Chrysler is worth the big money, and therefore has no clout.

                    It never was a problem for the S-class because people have never had a problem dropping over $50K for it. At present, nobody has a problem dropping over $50K for a CT6 either.

                    But the only way for FCA to get as much revenue a 300 is to sell 3 units to rental fleets.

                    Let Jeep and Dodge suffocate Chrysler by commanding more, and you’ll know why Chrysler doesn’t have any clout in luxury circles.

                    Luxury is not a value proposition, and a low price is not enough to convince a luxury buyer to part with their money if what they’re getting isn’t cutting edge.

                    Reply
  6. Question about the Launch Cadence:

    “The next-gen Cadillac CT6 is currently scheduled to go on sale by the end of the 2020 calendar year. That would give the current, first-generation model six years on the market (2016 , 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021).”

    Did you mean to say the next gen car would go on sale at the end of 2021? The current cars 6th model year would be 2021(as you say above).

    Reply
    1. It should have read 2022. Fixed!

      Reply
  7. Maybe a new Impala?

    Reply
  8. Good news.

    This gen CT6 needs to go. Its not a bad car, but fur sure not enough for this segment. Interior is meh, exterior is boring. Im glad they understand this.

    So the next gen CT6 will be in the E-segment.
    CT4- C
    CT5 – D
    CT6 – E
    CT7/8 – F-segment. Sounds cool.
    Also a coupe(at least one) and RWD based crossovers XT7+ are already confirmed.
    Great times ahead.

    Reply
    1. I felt that the refreshed CT6 is a step in the right direction in Cadillac’s current reformation. My father and I checked one out at the Jacksonville Auto Show (granted, It was $88,000) and It was one of the most comfortable cars we’ve ever been in. The materials were better than those in a lot of the rival luxury cars, and all of the tech inside was phenomenal. The car also looked beautiful with the dark grey/blue paint and black grille, and I think the design is better than anything Volvo, Lincoln, Lexus, or even Mercedes has in the segment.

      The next steps for the CT6 should be about getting the performance on par with the competition and getting the interior to feel as expensive and luxurious as the new Mercedes, BMW, and Lexus cars. The new chassis will certainly help, and the heavier Escala design influence should be interesting.

      Reply
      1. “getting the interior to feel as expensive and luxurious”

        In the 80’s, the Germans were spartan and Cadillac glitzy. Now they’ve switched sides.

        From what I’ve heard, there’s nothing wrong with the CT6’s performance, though I’d like to see a V8 in all of them, with & without turbos.
        The next version needs to be about 3 inches taller in the greenhouse so SUV owners won’t have to fold as much.

        Reply
        1. This is because GM runs 20 years behind global rivals. CT6 is an attractive car but lacks the grace of other D segment rivals (Benz, BMW, and my bulbous favorite Jaguar).

          Reply
    2. I think the exterior refresh is quite nice.

      But you’re spot on with the interior. The new A Class Mercedes has changed the luxury interior game. S-Class level interior in their most BASE car. Cadillac needs to step up their game and take advantage of the fact that all mainstream luxury marques are way way way behind Mercedes right now.

      If they can beat Lexus/BMW/Audi to catching up with MB, it would slingshot the brand into a healthier position.

      Reply
    3. I’m confused on this whole “segment” thing.

      The CT4 is going to be a “C”, well then whats an “A”? how small are they going to make these cars? What about an S-class (which is bigger than a CT6)?

      Reply
      1. S Class is a F Segment type car. The current CT6 straddles the line between E & F Segments due to price and size.

        Reply
      2. Cadillac is doing half segments compared to other manufacturers. The XT4 is only a half size smaller than the XT5 and the next XT5 will be a half size larger.

        They’re trying to offer half a segment more car at the same price.

        Personally I like the idea of a half a segment smaller car, which is just a matter of change of perspective.

        Reply
        1. It’s what they did with the first gen CTS. A car between the 3 and 5 series in size, for 3 series money.

          Back then I remember a lot of people saying it was a bad strategy, arguing that 3 series buyers don’t want a bigger car, it’s not as nimble, yada yada yada. I would say, they were right all along in their strategy!

          Reply
      3. C- segment: MB A-class.
        D – segment: MB C-class, BMW 3, Audi A4.
        E – segment: MB E-class, BMW 5, Audi A6.
        F – Segment: Audi A8, MB S-class, BMW 7.

        Reply
  9. Predictable and great news.

    When you see the upcoming Escalade’s interior, you won’t look at the current CT6 interior without tears in your eyes.
    So we really need a second gen.

    Reply
    1. Cadillac really needs a vehicle that has an interior that says this is the best we could do, not we cut corners here and there hope you don’t notice.

      Reply
  10. This new platform sounds great and all, but what will happen with the omega platform? They put a lot of time and money into that thing. For them just to use it on the CT6 for 6 years and nothing else seems kind of like a waste to me.

    Also it replacing the alpha platform has me worried because the alpha platform is world class and was definitely one of the things Cadillac did right in the early 2010’s. I hope this new one is better because if it’s not and replaces the alpha than that would be a terrible mistake.

    I hope this new platform is just as good if not better.

    Reply
    1. More than likely the VSS-R could be light years ahead of its time and will bring many benefits and advantages that the Omega and Alpha platforms don’t have currently. I’m more than confident that VSS-R could be the dream platform for Cadillac in years to come.

      Reply
    2. They’ve been patenting a lot of engineering techniques lately. I’m sure this chassis will still be world class, I’m also sure that they’ll be taking ideas from previous chassis’ to help with development of this vss’r chassis.

      Reply
  11. The current CT6 and future CT6 exist because of………..the business model in China. More than 17,000 were sold there in 2018, vs under 10K here in the US. Even if it continues here, it’s overall content and scope will be dictated by China, not here.

    Reply
    1. I don’t think this is the case whatsoever. China accounts for more volume, but the per-unit earnings are half as much (if that) as those in the U.S.

      I’ll put it this way: GM makes more money selling 10,000 units a year of the CT6 in the U.S. than it does selling 20,000 units a year of the CT6 in China. This is a result of much tighter margins in China as well as the need to split earning with SAIC 50-50.

      I’d posit a different perspective altogether: instead of it being a situation where U.S. OR China dictating whatever, it’s one where consumers in both markets gain a great product due to demand in both markets. It’s also worthy to note that the Chinese make luxury purchase decisions based on what they see in Europe and in the United States… so there is enough there to argue that the CT6 will cater to the demands of U.S. customers just as much as those in China.

      Reply
  12. I’m excited about some of the stuff that GM and Ford are doing with their new vehicles. What I’m truly hoping GM will do with the VSS platforms is create a few new exciting and affordable performance cars on the VSS-R platform for the Chevrolet lineup. For some reason, people feel that sedans are no longer relevant, but it’s because besides Dodge, who really makes an exciting sedan? Lexus and Mercedes Benz do but they’re not really affordable and let’s face it, who wants to spend all that money for a car and then spend even more for maintenance and stuff like that. as far as a decent V8 RWD sedan, nobody really has anything out there. I’ve said the same thing about Ford that I’ll say about Chevy and that is that Chevy could have an amazing vehicle lineup that people would flock to and it would look something like this:

    VSS-R platform

    Camaro: A more modern design that plays less on the 67-69 Camaro’s heritage look taking more of it’s cues from where the Camaro left off in 2002. A revised interior with more interior room and better visibility would be a big plus to the car along with new power trains and different trim levels

    LT/ LT Berlinetta- featuring the new 2.7L Turbo-4 with a revised 330hp and 360lb-ft of torque, a 10-speed automatic, RWD, dual exhaust, sport suspension, 17″ wheels, no spoiler options, ABS Disc brakes and a basic stereo system. Berlinetta features include AWD, with a 2.0L Hybrid powertrain setup, Sport-Touring Magnetic ride, larger brakes, 18″ wheels, Buick laminated glass, quiet interior ride, Buick-level upholstery on seats, dash, console, etc. optional sunroof, heated/cooled steering wheel and seats, unique digital instrument cluster, Bose stereo system, bright grille finish, bright lamp finish, spoiler-less trunk, Berlinetta badges

    RS: Entry level performance Camaro with a 420hp/430tq 3.6L V6 featuring a performance AWD setup, dual exhaust system, 10-speed auto, rear spoiler, sport magnetic ride suspension system, Brembo-4 piston front brakes, sport interior, RS badging, Bose stereo system & navigation. The RS Camaro will have several different options such as power and performance packs including Cold air intakes, exhaust options including dual mode and GMPP by Borla dual mode exhaust options, Suspension options, Brake options, exterior styling options including wheels, hood, spoilers, ground effects, and lights as well as interior options and upgrades. The RS will be the most factory customizable V6 Camaro on the market.

    Z/28: Entry level V8 performance Camaro trim level with an all new GM DOHC 5.0L V8 engine producing 475hp/480lb-ft of torque. Factory tuned equal length Tri-Y exhaust manifolds should be present on this car. Three Transmission choices include a 10-speed automatic with an optional 7-speed manual will be available for this car as well as standard front and rear 6-piston Brembo brakes, a performance magnetic ride suspension with adjustable settings, optional suspension packages, optional exhaust packages, optional wheel packages ranging from 18″-20″, optional aero packages including hoods, ground effects, spoilers, lights, graphics, etc, optional bowtie emblems including the return of the red outline bowtie, Z/28 badging, optional intakes including a dual ram air intake and a ram air hood intake, Z/28 interior package to include a high performance stereo (preferably Pioneer or Alpine) with the latest in GM infotainment and navigation technology, Unique Recaro heated/cooled seating with Z/28 pattern, Z/28 steering wheel with thicker rim, heated/cooled leather & suede, Z/28 shifter handle heated and cooled (automatic only) and available with a high performance AWD system as an option. The Z/28 will be the most factory customizable V8 optioned Camaro on the market.

    SS: Mid-level Performance V8 Camaro with a GM 5.7L V8. 10-speed auto w/optional 7-speed manual, the SS Camaro would feature it’s own unique styling setting it apart from the Z/28 both inside and out. While still remaining comfortable, the SS Camaro would be more focused on track-capable performance while still having decent street manners. RWD only

    ZL1-ultimate Camaro performance model with a twin turbo 5.5L V8, DCT transmission focused completely on track dominance, this Camaro will be AWD only focused on super fast lap times and quarter mile times.

    Malibu: While the Malibu has for a long time been the quintessential American mid-size sedan, the new Malibu will take everything good about this long-running car and make it better.

    Malibu LS: A fuel sipping AWD Malibu featuring the 2.0L turbo I-4 engine and a 10-speed automatic transmission, comfort and efficient, the Malibu LS would have a spacious, simplistic cabin 4-speaker stereo, ABS disc brakes 17″ wheels, bright front grille, chrome housing headlamps, etc.

    Malibu Premier, Stepping in above the LS, the Premier would feature the 2.7L Turbo-4 generating 310hp and 350lb-ft of torque with the 10-speed auto and AWD. Smooth power and performance with optional 21″ Wheels, Larger brakes, Magnetic ride, unique drive modes, rear trunk spoiler, ambient interior lighting, LED exterior lighting including LED puddle lamps and mirror lamps that display the words Malibu Premier on the ground when you approach the car and open the door, illuminated Malibu premier satin stainless door sill plates, heated and cooled massing seats, quiet interior ride, a large sunroof, laminated privacy glass, Bose stereo system with the latest in GM infotainment and navigation technology, heated and cooled steering wheel, heated and cooled cup holders, digital instrumentation, heads up display, pedestrian detection, soft close doors and trunk, full size spare tires for all tire sizes, chrome trim on the outside and a subtle aerodynamic ground effects package.

    Malibu Hybrid-Malibu LS w/ hybrid powertrain and AWD

    Malibu RS: With an emphasis on affordable, flashy fun, the AWD 3.6L 420hp/430tq Malibu SS would be for the person who loves the sound of a twin turbo V6 along with all the tech they can get. A 10-speed auto with available 7-speed DCT, Brembo brakes, several wheel options to choose from as well as lights, ground effects, spoilers, hoods, interior trims & colors, Magnetic ride, Brembo brakes, exhaust options & intake options, the Malibu RS would be a fun, balanced car for anywhere.

    Malibu SS: A 5.0L DOHC V8 with the same drivetrain as the Camaro Z/28 and like the Z/28 Camaro, the Malibu SS will be the volume-selling street fun V8 powered performance sedan with optional intakes, exhaust, wheels, suspensions, spoiler options, graphics, etc. The interior will have thick comfortable sport seats with optional Recaro seating, heated and cooled performance steering wheel, performance stereo system, 10-speed auto w/ optional 7-speed manual, tinted glass, dark housing headlamps and tail lamps with HID/LED technology, unique grilles and ground effects. Optional AWD

    Malibu Laguna S3: A 5.7L DOHC V8 powered sedan sitting between the Malibu SS and Chevelle SS trim levels with the 10-speed auto/7-speed manual, AWD only, more luxury appointed than either of the other two V8 sedans with a focus on Performance touring in a sporty yet subtle package. More of a Gentleman’s muscle car, the S3 will feature a dual exhaust system with a mature yet authoritative exhaust note. Grand touring seats, a Bose stereo system, navigation, neutral interior colors and a Buick level of comfort will be present in this car.

    Malibu Chevelle SS- The reincarnation of the most powerful mid-size muscle car, the Chevelle SS will be an absolute beast with a Hellcat-killing 800hp 5.5L twin turbo V8 engine and 7-speed DCT. This car will have the same powertrain as the ZL1 Camaro but with a more street-friendly setup to the suspension

    VSS-S platform

    Trailblazer- The return of the Durango fighting Trailblazer. This would Challenge not only the Durango but the Ford Explorer as well in an epic showdown of luxury, efficiency & power

    Trailblazer LTZ & High Country: 2.7L turbo powered 10-speed auto, well appointed base model LTZ SUV. High Country to get 22″ wheels, magnetic ride, bigger brakes, leather, Bose stereo, 12″ infotainment screen, privacy glass, hybrid powertrain system

    Trailblazer Z71 4×4: 2.7L Turbo-4 w/ Trail boss type setup.

    Trailblazer RS: Sporty 3.6L 420hp twin turbo V6 SUV with sport tuned suspension, big brakes, dual mode exhaust, sporty interior, performance stereo, sport styling, wide 20″ wheels, etc.

    Trailblazer SS: 475hp 5.0L V8 w/ 10-speed automatic, AWD, Magnetic ride, Brembo brakes, exhaust options, 6 different wheel options from from 20×10″ to 22×12″ aggressive exterior design, Recaro seating, Performance stereo system, dark housings on exterior lamps, lowered performance suspension, best handling American performance SUV on the market, Thick and aggressive steering wheel design heated and cooled, console mounted shifter (no rotory dial shifter!!!) aggressive styled 2″ Cowl hood with heat extractor, duckbill lift gate spoiler, sunroof, quad exhaust tips,

    VSS-T Platform

    Colorado: Loosing the Colorado look for more of the Silverado look while growing slightly in size, the Colorado should have the 2.7L Turbo-4 as it’s base engine along with a larger diesel V6 option with the new Allison 10-speed behind the Diesel and the regular 10-speed behind the 2.7L turbo. a 420hp 3.6L twin turbo V6 should also be available for this as well. The Colorado should also have trim levels including the Base, LTZ, Trail Boss, ZR2, ZR5, and Xtreme with the Xtreme being a lowered 3.6L twin turbo sport package version.

    Blazer: SUV version of the above Colorado with all of the same equipment.

    Silverado 1500: Great truck in need of a few updates and upgrades. The first thing is to take the 2.7L Turbo-4 out of the Silverado lineup. Great engine, wrong vehicle. Replace the 2.7 with a 4.2L inline sequential twin turbo and now your talking. That with a 10-speed automatic behind it pushing out about 350hp with 420lb-ft of torque would be a great efficient work truck. Pair that up with an inline-6 Duramax 4.0L turbo with a 10-speed Allison/GM transmission behind it and you’ve got yourself two great drive trains. It honestly doesn’t make sense to have a truck that’s not a 4×4 or even AWD so everything in this lineup should get one of those two options. putting all this together in different trim levels such as the WT, LT, LTZ-Z71 & Trail boss should definitely get the job done when it comes to having a truck with good power and efficiency. It’s also time for the return of the high performance pickup trucks. The Return of the Silverado SS and the Silverado RST need to grace the streets both with V8 engines, The RST would be the Z/28 of the pickup truck world with a 475hp/480tq 5.0L DOHC V8 with a 10-speed auto, AWD, lowered, Magnetic ride, huge Brembo brakes, short bed, 4-doors, hard aerodynamic bed cover, cowl hood with heat extractor, improved aerodynamics, 22×10″ wheels, red outlined bowtie emblems, RST script emblems, quad-tipped side exit exhaust that exit before the rear wheels with different muffler options including dual mode and GMPP By Borla dual mode, full length molded running boards that encorporate the openings for the side exhaust and go with the upgraded aerodynamics, dark housing lamps (HID/LED) a hot rod interior with silver faced gauges and black trim rings with red LED, LED ambient lighting, performance stereo, Recaro heated and cooled seats, a sporty console shifter, performance oriented steering wheel (heated/cooled) illuminated door sills with the RST insignia, etc. The Silverado SS needs a 550hp 5.7L V8 under the hood in a 2-door only short bed, lowered DSSV suspension, big brembo brakes 24×12″ performance wheels, unique exhaust manifolds, upgraded aerodynamics, a side exhaust system exiting in front of the rear wheels, blacked out exterior trim, red SS badging, solid red bowtie emblem (illuminated option) , specific SS interior with digital instrument panel, Performance stereo system, Performance steering wheel, console shifter, etc. Rounding out this list will be two luxury pickups, the Cheyenne Super-10 Classic and the High Country. While both would be luxury, the two trucks would have different missions. The Cheyenne Super-10 Classic would be a two-tone classic styled truck, chrome or silver grilles, chrome bumpers 20″ “Rally Wheels” All terrain tires, magnetic ride, spray in bed liner, 3-piece hard in channel bed cover, chrome bed rails, 4×4 or optional all-wheel drive, standard dual exhaust with optional upgrades to a GMPP By Borla dual exhaust system or a GMPP “Chambered” exhaust, available only with the 5.0L DOHC V8. Optional engines would include the 4.2L Twin turbo inline-6, a Duramax 4.0L Inline-6 or the 5.0L DOHC V8 engine with either the 10-speed auto or the Allison 10-speed auto behind the Duramax diesel. Inside, the Cheyenne specific interior would have black faced gauges with Green retro fonts and orange needles, a very well appointed interior trim a 12″ infotainment screen with a Bose stereo system, three interior theme options (Outdoor, Sport & Classic) and a console shifter. The High Country will offer the 5.0L V8 only, 24×10″ wheels, Brembo brakes, Magnetic ride with selectable ride modes, body colored bumpers, HID/LED lighting with chrome trim headlamp housings and bright tail lamps, hard single piece motorized bed cover as an option, luxury appointed interior with heated and cooled leather seats, ambient lighting, digital instrument cluster, rotary shift dial, privacy glass, motorized spare winch, Hybrid powertrain system that also provides power to four individual hydraulic jacks to lift each corner of the vehicle individually in the even of a flat tire with a locking mechanism for each extendable/foldable leg, along with power generator for bed outlets, etc.

    Tahoe: Tahoe should receive and regular and an L-model with more of the new Silverado styling and some of the Silverado trim levels and power trains. The 4.0L Duramax, the 4.2L inline twin turbo and the 5.0L DOHC V8 should all power the new Tahoe. Trim levels should include an LT, LTZ, Z71-4×4, GT, & High Country. The GT would receive the 5.0L V8 and most of the equipment from the Silverado RST but with a dual exhaust that exits out the back incorporated in the rear fascia and a bit more toned down as more of a sport package but still lowered with magnetic ride, 22×12″ wheels brembo brakes, blacked out trim, dark housing lamps, a sport interior, performance stereo, and things like that as this would be more of an urban performance/cosmetic package rather than an all-out performance vehicle.

    Silverado 2500HD & larger: Although the styling takes a little getting used to, the Silverado HD is a fine truck with not alot of room for improvement. I am excited about the new 6.6L V8 and I hope the new Duramax V8 will be getting a power upgrade to compete with the Cummins 1000lb-ft of torque setup. the 2500HD does need a capable off road 4×4 Scottsdale to compete with the upcoming Ford F250 High Boy and the Ram 2500 Power Wagon. Once that happens the 2500HD & Larger lineup will be complete.

    Suburban: Suburban needs to move to the 2500HD platform with the new powertrain options with a top of the line high country package featuring 24″ wheels and ultimate luxury.

    Of course, somewhere in all of this GM will have it’s hybrid and electric lineup and hopefully that will all go to Buick, to give the brand some sort of purpose. All in all this would be a great setup for Chevrolet and send the brand forward with a better future.

    Reply
    1. Jesus, how long do you spend writing these?

      Reply
    2. No offense but what you wanted to be done on the VSS-R platform with Chevy is not going to happen, with the exception of Camaro and perhaps another model, which I highly doubt anytime soon. By offering what you suggest will give reason for the haters to hate on Cadillac more as “warmed-over Chevy” type comments and etc.

      I’m betting that the next Camaro will still use Alpha platform. Nothing wrong with Alpha II. The VSS-R more than likely will be mostly Cadillac exclusive for now or mostly to itself permanently.

      Although a bit long in the tooth in your posts, I’ll say at least 90% you dream of is not reality with Chevy and will not come to light.

      Reply
      1. Hey a guy can dream right? Let’s face it unfortunately people like me are a dying breed. People who want rear wheel drive v8 American cars that are nothing like Japanese or European cArs are the ones that most car companies have turned their backs on and could care less about. Pretty soon this world will be full of cars that are more like Honda civics, Toyota priuses and Tesla’s, performance will be a distant memory and cars that can connect to social media, order star bucks, and come equipped with autonomous driving and skinny water dispensers will be the only things on the road. Everything will be regulated by the Chinese government and be super techy. Although to me it’s tragic, it’s what we are headed for.

        Reply
    3. Your ideas are great and all, but what about the other brands and/or their models, such as Buick and the Regal & Century, and the rise of Holden from its downfall with a new Commodore/Caprice and Torana on VSS-R, and replacing the Spark/Sonic and Cruze with a revived Monza and Nova, bringing the Impala and Caprice back, and so on?

      Reply
      1. Holden is dead. GM is bringing Chevrolet to Australia as the Corvette, Camaro, pickups and EVs.

        Reply
  13. So RWD crossovers aren’t coming from GM until the Mid-2020’s at the earliest. Yeesh.

    Reply
  14. I hope this means the rear wheel steering on the AWD CT6 will spread to other cars, including larger FWD ones. What’s the point of developing advanced engineering if you don’t use it on as many cars as possible? It isn’t just money wasted, it’s engineering talent and time.

    When I was young, Cadillacs had smaller turning circles than shorter wheelbase Buicks.

    Reply
    1. Along with PANARAY. Why do a one off? Offer it on all new vehicles. Easy 1500 – 2000 option for those who want it.

      Reply

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