Artist Oscar Vargas, who likes to imagine upcoming production cars based on classic vehicles, has diverted slightly from his normal practice by rendering an image of a Cadillac sports car based on the Chevrolet Corvette C8 and displaying it on an Instagram post.
Chevrolet Corvette C8 (top) and mid-engine Cadillac sports car (below)
Vargas has stayed close to the general design of the mid-engine Corvette, but has added several Cadillac-style features. The sharp, V-shaped headlights, for example, resemble those of the CT6 sedan, while the lower side intakes have polished edges interrupted by Cadillac’s V-Series badge.
The imaginary Cadillac sports car differs most obviously from the Corvette at the front end, where the shape continues to extend forward below the edge of the hood, culminating in a very prominent front splitter. Chevrolet‘s designers made the hood edge the furthest forward part of the car, and drew back everything that appears below it.
Vargas has rendered his Cadillac sports car in five different exterior colors, but all of them feature the same polished seven-spoke wheels.
Even before the C8 Corvette went on sale in 2020, there was speculation that a Cadillac sports car based on it might enter production, perhaps using the XLR nameplate. In fact, back in 2015, when a mid-engine GM model was known to be in the planning stages, but there was no confirmation that it would be the next Corvette, GM Authority reported on a serious suggestion that it might actually be a Cadillac.
By 2017, we were certain that it would not be, and time has shown that we were correct. No mid-engine Cadillac sports car has been officially announced or even hinted at.
Cadillac Cien concept
GM’s luxury brand has in fact built a mid-engine car. The 2002 Cadillac Cien concept had a 7.5-liter V12 engine, rated at 750 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque, mounted ahead of the rear wheels. The torque figure is sometimes quoted as being 650 pound-feet, but Cadillac itself said 450. However, no such car has ever entered production, and all Cadillacs since then have had their engines mounted resolutely ahead of the driver. The Oscar Vargas rendering is as close as anyone has got to creating a post-Cien mid-engine Cadillac sports car.
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This post was created in collaboration with our sister publication, Cadillac Society.
Comments
while nice I think these renderings are getting a little lazy.
I was about to say this is one of the laziest renderings i’ve ever seen. Caddy has moved away from the vertical headlight design for straight two years. Is this “rendering” guy living under a rock or what? At least change the dam spoiler!!
This is the same mistake Cadillac made on the XLR. You can’t just Customize a Corvette and raise the price and sell it as a Cadillac.
In this case it is worse than the XLR as there is so little rebody.
If Cadillac is to ever do another 2 seat car it needs to deliver more and something different then the Corvette,.
The trouble now is Cadillac needs to focus on how to sell sedans again that make money vs a halo car that will not save the company.
If Cadillac were to do a sporty car a open top sedan or coupe would be more in line with their real needs for image and profits.
I like Cadillac racing but to be honest it is kind of pointless as they are racing a Chevy engine and the only think Cadillac is the decals. I had hopes a Blackwing engine would arrive at some point but that never happened. Maybe they could join the Hybrid division at Le Mans and do something there with the EV side of things?
This would be a new Cadillac Cimarron as the next Cadillac sports car needs to be an electric vehicle.
Why does it “need” to be electric I know this is the way the motor industry is going but I worry for the future of the industry and the future of the environment for mine electric vehicles have no soul they are costlier to produce, even though they have near zero emissions their production is more harmful to the environment than current fueled vehicles outputs I realise there is going to be change and there is nothing we can do to slow it down but why can’t we enjoy the excitement of a raw V8 the punch, the power the sound and deep down thrill before we are all being driven around in autonomous robotised fibreglass boxes
PS Why doesn’t hydrogen power get a mention any more?
All I see is FUD here and very outdated information and ideas about electric cars.
The cost of making batteries to power these vehicles at the moment is both economically and environmentally enormous I know that research is bringing these costs down however at the moment why are electric vehicles thousands of dollars dearer than fossil fueled vehicles I know that fossil fuel cannot compete with the power of eIectric propulsion but why can’t we old timers go out with a bang I bet if a vehicle like this were to be made in electric and fossil fuel twin turbo the later would outsell hands down
Battery Tech is advancing very quickly and batteries are becoming easier to manufacture and lower the costs there of. Electric Cars Will Cost Same as Gas Models as Soon as 2023.
Some manufactures may get there sooner or slightly later but most think it will happen by mid decade.
GM itself (there buildings) will be 60% powered by Renewable energy in 2025 and 100% by 2030. Reducing or removing carbon footprints of their manufacturing facilities.
I like the more aerodynamic look for the front .
Just add the Blackwing twin turbo engine and it would be a winner.
what about the back end? that’s the part that needs to be fixed.
and how about gull wing doors? cadillac super car deserves that.
I realise that this is only a rendering and someone’s idle computer doodling but In my opinion Cadillac has always stood for prestige so why go down the supercar path with another brands design it looks like a kid has gone into the family garage and stuck a few cardboard cut outs on his dads corvette for fun, the only part of this design that is remotely prestigeous is the Cadillac badge but then as the years go by I’m beginning to wonder about that
I still like the Cien Concept.
Agree! Definitely looks more Cadillac. The proportions would appear to be able to fit around the Corvette running gear. The windscreen might even be interchangeable (without the Duntov stenciling, of course). The increased market for the structural frames, sub-frames, drive train and the myriad of parts could help cut costs for both versions of the GM mid-engine lines.
If they put it into production, I would be interested.
If they put it into production, I would think about it.
Those are terrible.
I like that Cien version of the Cadillac. Little too sharp for a Cadillac version IMO but it certainly catches that “Cadillac” look. The other ones are too “Corvetti”
The design looks nice, but not enough give it a distinct departure from the appearance of the C8, the Camaro and Firebird had “Near Clone” experiences with their exterior designs for decades until the 1993 Model Year, an error that doesn’t need to be revisited no time soon. If a customer were to pay between $70,000.00 to $100,000.00 for Mid-Engine Caddy, the design should be more in tune with Cadillac and not Chevy, with the underpinnings being the only exception.
While it looks slick, I cringe at the thought of any new Caddy because they’re just going to name it something utterly stupid like KytchSinq