Cadillac News: Rumorpile: Cadillac Ponders An ATS-based Roadster

[hyperv6]

GM claims that they have met or surpassed BMW in all areas they targeted.

All things that add up to even more excitement even for Chevy and possibly Buick at some point.

But GM claimed to have met or surpassed BMW in the past, Lexus claimed the same, ditto for Audi. Yet none of them are BMW, the 3-series and 5-series whoop on the IS, GS, A4 and A6. I want to wait to see reviews on the ATS, especially from European testers, they will be most critical. Car and Driver loves BMW, if the ATS can win them over, then Cadillac is getting somewhere.

Did you say EXITEMENT!!!! That should be reserved for Pontiac, Buick can't handle it.

BMW can't even beat old BMW in terms of handling and driving feel.

This is true as I have seen more and more of the diehard BMW fans speak out and {the ones who care more about performance dynamics vs image] say how they have felt let down with many of the new models. It is not that they are bad but they are getting away from what they used to be and what they liked about the cars. It is something they could get back to. I think they hit it with the limited M1 but they missed it with the other M cars. I saw more people excited witht he M1 than any M3 in a long time.

Cadillac spent more time on the chassis than any other part of this car. They still have technology but it is not the kind that needs to be fiddled with all the time. I suspect that since the press says the new Malibu has great driving dynamics even in eco trim the ATS should provide great fun.

Magnetic ride is a trump card here as it works but there is little the driver needs to do accept set the level. THe car does the rest seemlessly.

Edited January 30, 2012 by hyperv6

[smk4565]

BMW can't even beat old BMW in terms of handling and driving feel.

I would agree, it is sad to see their cars getting bigger and heavier. Everything gets heavier, but The 5-series was 187-190 inches long for a couple decades, now they are up to 193+. Not much but as their customers grow older, they seem to be softening things a bit to appeal to them. BMWs still sell in big numbers and things purists hate like SUVs sell well to the yuppie crowd.

Even though they may have lost what they were, BMW is still better in driving experience than the FWD generics, or the vanilla pudding that Lexus is peddling. I guess in Infiniti has a couple sporty cars, but the G37 is more herky, jerky and rough in an attempt to feel sporty, rather than the seamless driving dynamic that a BMW can provide. That being said, as BMW softens, the opportunity is there for someone else to go hardcore performance.

[dwightlooi]

Back to the topic of a Roadster...

Won't it be interesting if the make it a collapsible hard top with Scissor Doors? If not anything, there is nothing like that at any price. When you get rid of the rear seats and move the front seats back half a foot, it makes it possible to have a significantly lower roofline and a straddle the floor board sitting position. The shortened green house makes a low-profile, 2-piece, arching roofline much more attainable than with a 2+2 vehicle.Such proportionsa also bear lamborgini style scissor entry ways well.

Also, because you no longer have rear seats, you can have a bulkhead fuel tank where the rear seat backs typically are. This then makes room for a rear mounted transaxle. Or, for a hybrid, room for the Volt's 147

Powerrtrain wise, because this is going to be a niche vehicle anyway because of its configuration, I'll peg the extremes and forgo all the standard choices. The Roadster can be had with two engine choices -- Naturally aspirated Pushrod V8 @ ~470 hp or 2.0 160hp / 265 lb-ft Turbodiesel in a parallel Hybrid arrangement with rear mounted Volt generator-motors and main propulsion motors for a total of about 290 hp.

[Drew Dowdell]

Yikes... the weight on that last one.....

[hyperv6]

I would love to see Cadillac take the Miata like car and take it to the next level. More power, less weight and technology like the magnetic ride. Put it into a simple sports car package with a real trunk and soft top. Make it handle unlike anything else in class.

The Miata has been a solid performer for several reasons. I would love to see Cadillac take this to the next level. Keep all the crazy stuff for later and a more expensive car.

The Alpha could make a car that the Solstic just could not be at the price Lutz set. While holding the base price to $19K was right for Pontiac it was wrong for the kind of car it could have been at the time GM tried to do it. I would like to see them place a car more expensive and advanced than the Miata but priced under the BMW but better performing.

Leave the silly trendy things like flip doors and odd styling alone for this car. Make a real drivers car that someone could drive daily or on a trip and still drive on open track day.

The Cadillac price point could make a car the Solstice never could have been at a Pontiac value.

This also would be a car that could last as it would be light enough to still return good MPG with no need for crazy hybrid system.

The only crazy thing I sould even consider is a 500 HP Eco Turbo.

This car would be different enough to remove it from anything the Vette is doing or will do.

Edited February 12, 2012 by hyperv6