Electric Concept Car Comes to Life as Cadillac ELR

DETROIT – The innovative Cadillac Converj Concept, a dramatic luxury coupe with extended-range electric vehicle technology, is moving forward as a production car that will be called the Cadillac ELR.

Development of the ELR is just underway, so details on performance, price and timing will be announced later.

The Cadillac ELR will feature an electric propulsion system made up of a T-shaped lithium ion battery, an electric drive unit, and a four-cylinder engine-generator. It uses electricity as its primary source to drive the car without using gasoline or producing tailpipe emissions. When the battery’s energy is low, the ELR seamlessly switches to extended-range mode to enable driving for hundreds of additional miles.

 “The concept generated instant enthusiasm,” said Don Butler, vice president-Cadillac Marketing.
“Like other milestone Cadillac models of the past, the ELR will offer something not otherwise present – the combination of electric propulsion with striking design and the fun of luxury coupe driving.”

Cadillac selected the name ELR to indicate the car’s electric propulsion technology, in keeping with the brand’s 3-letter international model naming convention.

The Converj Concept sparked the idea of combining the desirability of a grand touring coupe with electrification, said Ed Welburn, GM vice president, Global Design.

“There’s no mistaking it for anything but a Cadillac, an aggressive, forward-leaning profile and proportion showcases a uniquely shaped, modern vision of a personal luxury 2+2,” Welburn said.

Read More: http://media.opel.com/content/media/us/en/gm/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2011/Aug/0817_cadillac

Cadillac Ciel Sedan Rendered: Putting a Top On Caddy’s Stunning Droptop Concept

As far as the public is concerned, the Cadillac Ciel concept has only existed for a few days, but our artist has already begun to imagine what it might look like with a roof and door handles (and conventional rear doors). Might as well: The big convertible doesn’t have much of a chance of making production, but a big sedan resembling it does, and a big sedan needs door handles to let people in.


A flagship such as the Ciel makes perfect sense for Cadillac. In the near future, GM’s luxury arm will introduce the ATS, aimed directly at the BMW 3-series, Mercedes-Benz C-class, and Audi A4; and grow the CTS to more directly compete with the 5-series, E-class, and A6. The segment occupied by the 7-series, S-class, and A8 is an obvious gap. Cadillac insiders have already told us the brand plans to rectify that in 2014. (We’re ignoring the upcoming XTS, as it is a front-driver aimed exclusively at the decrepit and the Chinese.)

We hope Cadillac’s S-class competitor draws on the Ciel for inspiration, but we also hope it keeps the upright, almost Rolls-Royce–esque greenhouse in this rendering. There is still no car that says “stately” as universally as a Phantom, even though the Roller says “ostentatious” quite clearly, too.

When Cadillac’s full-sizer does appear, the convertible concept’s twin-turbo V-6 hybrid powertrain could be on the options sheet, but Cadillac would need something mainstream to challenge the V-8s offered by the competition. Fortunately, GM’s expertise in V-8s is extensive, and the current Cadillac lineup includes, of course, the 556-hp supercharged bent-eight in the CTS-V. As for the Ciel concept’s twin-turbo six, it may live on in nonhybrid form in the V derivative of the ATS, which we’ve learned will use an engine of that description.

Read More: http://blog.caranddriver.com/cadillac-ciel-sedan-rendered-putting-a-top-on-caddys-stunning-droptop-concept/

Green Car Reports - Cadillac's Volt-Based Converj Electric Car Gets Green Light: Exclusive

Sometimes, like Lazarus, dead cars rise again.

We've learned from an inside source at General Motors, a person close to the project, that the electric Cadillac Converj luxury coupe is now back in the GM product plan.

The Converj was recently approved for production by GM product executives. It will likely launch in 2013 as a 2014 model, though it may end up with a Cadillac-style three-letter model name.

The production version will feature, says our source, "a Generation 1.5 Voltec" powertrain.

That would be an updated version of the extended-range electric powertrain from the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, possibly with better acceleration to suit the Cadillac image--but not the fully revised second-generation version that will go into production in 2015.

Smash hit in 2009

The Converj concept car was first unveiled in January 2009 at the Detroit Auto Show. The sleek sports coupe received rave reviews, and during 2009, General Motors [NYSE:GM] approved it for production, with then-product chief Bob Lutz saying in January 2010 it had been cleared by management.

Read More: http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1064793_cadillacs-volt-based-converj-electric-car-gets-green-light-exclusive

REVIEWS: 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Wagon

I've been enamored with the CTS-V for quite some time, but as a long-time wagon guy, the new V Sport Wagon absolutely ticks all the right boxes for me. Power? This car's got it in spades. Handling? It grips, especially in sport mode, unless you turn off Stabilitrak and give the throttle a hard kick with your right foot. Practicality? Well, it seats four adults and offers almost 26 cubic feet of cargo space aft of the second row.

Like every other CTS-V I've driven, this car turns heads when viewed from the front, but necks immediately snap once bystanders get a load of the stretched roofline, angular D-pillars, and huge taillamp assemblies. If style takes a back seat to performance on V-line cars, it's still one magnificent throne. The finished product is brash yet beautiful.

My lone issue is the price. $63,660 isn't wholly unreasonable, considering the new Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Wagon is expected to sticker for nearly $20,000 more. That said, my brain also lumps the new 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 into the same category of brawny performance haulers -- and while it's not quite as engaging or enjoyable as the V, it's also nearly $8000 less, capable of towing 5000 pounds, and packs all-wheel-drive. Depending on where you live, the latter may be a key point...

Read More: http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/editors_notebook/1108_2011_cadillac_cts_v_wagon/index.html