Cadillac News: Cadillac's Elmiraj Concept "Is Very Doable”

[William Maley]

William Maley

Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com

August 20, 2013

The Cadillac Elmiraj concept made quite the splash last week at Pebble Beach with a number of people talking about it. It could be that the Elmiraj could make the transfer from show car to production car.

Automotive News had the chance to speak with Cadillac's senior vice president of global operations, Bob Ferguson. Ferguson said that the Elmiraj “is very doable."

"Sometimes you go through these exercises to make a design statement. This car is marketable. It's practical enough to be put through the production process," said Ferguson. "Our dealers really want a vehicle like this."

If given the green light, the Elmiraj would likely appear sometime after Cadillac's new RWD flagship is introduced.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.

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[ZL-1]

Price it some 15% higher than the LTS (assumibng the LTS won't ever offer a coupe) and call it Eldorado.

[Carguy]

I would like to see the truly premium Cadillac models regain actual names while letting the lower to mid range models ATS and CTS keep their letter names at least for a while. Then over time before they are replaced using a concept showing the next gen styling direction they could name those concepts as replacements for the lower end models!

[G. David Felt]

YES YES YES, Produce this car!

Name it Eldorado???? Not sure, I think the older crowd would love it and the car enthusiast would love it but that is a limited crowd. I propose a new Series of 21st century Names to apply to the new generation of Cadillac. Time to let the old cars live in their glory of history.

Over all, I have been thinking on this for a while and yes I do love many of the old names, but in the 21st century with all the entitled young people, these names are heavily tied to the past. If GM is to grow Cadillac and gain new fans and conquest buyers, I believe it is time to look to the future with 21st century names and not rehash/relive old names of history some that might or might not have the greatest past.

Eldorado is an amazing car, but the last few versions were not living up to it's name and I believe it is time to move on to a new 21st century name.

Thoughts on new names?

[ZL-1]

I'd love the SeriesXX names to return... But I'd leave Eldorado and Escalade for very exclusive, over-the-top flagship models

Edited August 20, 2013 by ZL-1

[hyperv6]

I too would rather let the Eldo name rest for a while longer.

This car does not represent the Cadillac of the past but of the future it deserved it own place in Cadillac history. This car is not chrome laden, it is not a floating ride, it will not have a couch like bench seat and it is not even FWD like the Eldorado was for so many year. The Eldorado has had it's place and this car needs to have its own .

While some gear heads may wax poetically on the Eldorado I think this car deserves its own place and identity. While Cadillac needs to respect the good of its past it also needs to live in the present and for the future. While some reliving is good too much living in the past serves as a wall to the future. To convince you have moved on you have to show people you really have moved on. By all means names are fine but I would like to see new classics created.

Besides how many people today bought a new Eldorado new is still even driving less the 90's model?

[G. David Felt]

So here are some names to try on:

Cadillac

Jazeel

Oliphant

Qiang

Renild

Xanadu

[Blake Noble]

So here are some names to try on:

Cadillac

Jazeel

Oliphant

Qiang

Renild

Xanadu

Jezebel, Elephant, Chinese Take-out, Renix ignition, Xarelto?

Miraj, Evoq, Imaj, Ciel, Converj ... all of these names work and sound great.

[balthazar]

I'm puzzled by those who feel the heritage names are "20th Century", but somehow "Cadillac", the oldest name in the pot, is '21st century'. Why not rename the Division, too, if one really wants to make a break with the past.

Personally, 'Miraj' means no more to me than 'CTS'.

[bknight]

oh man the design, are they releasing the concept for some movie production first? or it was just designed for showroom purposes? Its design it's so futuristic alike, could imagine one in a variety of movies, they should indeed produce it, innovation at it's finest!

[Drew Dowdell]

beetle has been around for longer than Eldorado... VW should kill it.

[smk4565]

I like the Eldorado name, Cadillac (and Acura, Lincoln and Infiniti) thought they needed Alpha-numeric names because that is what luxury buyers wanted and that would allow them to take sales away from BMW and Mercedes. 10 years later, Mercedes and BMW are selling better than ever, and Cadillac, Acura, and Infiniti aren't doing any better than they were 10 years ago and Lincoln is on life support.

If I list the names, FX, RDX, SRX, JX, MDX, MKX, MKS, XTS, how many average joe car shoppers could list the brand that sold that car. Those names are meaningless. Is Cadillac going to call their Flagship the LTS, while Lexus sells the LS? Let's bring back Fleetwood, Eldorado, etc names that have some weight and you know it is a Cadillac.

I think a $100,000 Cadillac coupe is a sales flop waiting to happen, the Eldorado should be based off the CTS and priced at $55,000 where it has a chance. BMW, Audi, and Jaguar don't even try to go against the S-class coupe/CL-class, they know it can't be done.

[Drew Dowdell]

Cadillac is doing a ton better than they were 10 years ago.

[Lamar]

And to differentiate from the other three you listed, Infiniti has ALWAYS been alphanumeric.

Also, strictly speaking, Cadillac, Acura, and Lincoln are only alphabetical. Not quite alphanumeric.

Edited August 21, 2013 by Lamar

[ZL-1]

It's a hard choice as some models have created their own brand equity (CTS and Escalade) so the equity scale does not lean neither towards 3-letter names nor towards full names...

In a perfect World to me, it could be Cadillac Series50 (ATS); Cadillac Series60 (CTS); Cadillac Series70 (LTS) - the 50-to-60-to-70 progression is perfectly logical - with the crossovers as part of each of the Series. Escalade and Eldorado (yes, I'd love that name to return though I understand Cadillac needs to keep looking ahead) would be on top of that as ultra-exclusive models... But that would be in a perfect World

[G. David Felt]

Maybe we go deep and bring back the Fleetwood for this caddy.

[balthazar]

the Eldorado should be based off the CTS and priced at $55,000 where it has a chance. BMW, Audi, and Jaguar don't even try to go against the S-class coupe/CL-class, they know it can't be done.

If this coupe stays a real dynamic, quality upmarket offering (like where the Elmiraj is going), it should be unique, larger than the CTS and priced around $75K. Not that anyone shops with a tape measure, but 200" sounds right about perfect to me. They're not going to sell many, but mass sales volume is mercedees' bag, not Cadillac's, and no one sells a lot at that range.

Offering another 'CTS coupe' but jumping the price $10K over the sedan is not a smart move; it must be -in perception & reality- unique... then you christen it Eldorado.

[smk4565]

Well I wouldn't say just make a 2-door version of the CTS, but use the Alpha platform for a coupe with it's own sheet metal, and the existing powertrains that Cadillac has, and an 8-speed transmission and eventually some diesel or hybrid or plug-in since those are becoming common in luxury cars, even if just for marketing purposes.

[hyperv6]

I am not a fan of the letters so much. As for the numbers like on BMW and Ferrari at least they mean something and have been around long enough to be accepted with them.

I like the new name here. It Is good to represent that this is not just another rehashed name on another sub par car. It represents a rebirth and a much improved future to a car that is finally after years being out of sync with the market to being neat or even a class leader in their segments.

I would have no problem with the old names again at some point but for now I would rather send a strong signal with the new products that these are not the cars of the past.

While many enthusiast like to live in the past on dreams of some of the old classics most buyers today are not so mesmerized by the past.

To me Cadillac is making a statement with the new product. Just as they did years ago when they first used the Eldorado name or even Biarritz. They could have rehashed a old name but in that era chose to use a new designation to represent a new car that became a classic.

It is time to trust this product and give it an identity of it's own and not try to relive a old car that really has nothing to do with this other than the Cadillac name.

By the way Cadillac is doing a hell of a lot better than even 5 years ago. They now have two world class cars and a third on the way. the XTS is not that far out either as it is very competitive with Acura and others the press has compared it to.

For so long Cadillac really only had one good model in the CTS and it still needed just a little more refinement. Today we have it,

[Carguy]

It's a hard choice as some models have created their own brand equity (CTS and Escalade) so the equity scale does not lean neither towards 3-letter names nor towards full names...

In a perfect World to me, it could be Cadillac Series50 (ATS); Cadillac Series60 (CTS); Cadillac Series70 (LTS) - the 50-to-60-to-70 progression is perfectly logical - with the crossovers as part of each of the Series. Escalade and Eldorado (yes, I'd love that name to return though I understand Cadillac needs to keep looking ahead) would be on top of that as ultra-exclusive models... But that would be in a perfect World

I would agree in part but having the ATS become the Series 50 would leave for to much room for Cadillac to do smaller FWD models that they truly should NOT BUILD!!

ATS--Sedan-Series 20.

ATS--Coupe-Series 22.

SRX--Series 35.

CTS--Sedan-Series 40.

CTS--Coupe-Series 42.

XTS--Sedan-Series 50.

LTS--Sedan-Series 60.

LTS--Coupe-Series 62.

.

[hyperv6]

Might read in Bob Lutz new book Icons and Idiots and see how and they came up with the numbers they have now at BMW.

They had numbers before but had issues on how to use a body and engine system and add additional models.

Nearly all new luxury cars are letters and numbers and I am of the observation that doing new original names for the models that are completely different than the past should be used and cars that are more traditional like the XTS could use the Seville name or Fleetwood. This would be another way to set the Cadillac line apart from the rest of the market.

The trouble is the Eldorado and Deville need a hiatus and let Cadillac recover it's image and reputation and then you may use them on the proper car in the future.

The trouble is for the first nearly 55 years Cadillac used nothing but Series numbers. Like the wreaths the names have only been used about half of the life of Cadillac. There is little past to draw from and I think exotic names that are new would do for Cadillac today as Eldorado did for Cadillac in the 50's and 67.

[Guest John]

I posted the below on another forum but it's not too far off from what the last post says:

The Cadillac naming conventions drive everyone mad. To satisfy the people who like the heritage names, the people who don’t think the conventional names are cool enough to compete, and those who just think that the 3 letter names are meaningless, Cadillac should go back to “Series” names. Cadillac Series A, Series C, Series S, etc instead of ATS, CTS, SRX. It can sound elegant and sporty, and they mean what they say and no more (so there are no more “should be CTC instead of CTS Coupe” arguments). The Series names would work well with the “V” series (Series C-V), can use engine designations after (Series C 3.6) and can even use old heritage names to designate sportier engines (Series A Calais) or upgraded trim levels (Series C deVille). Maybe we can even see a “Town Sedan” designation return.

[balthazar]

^ I'm old school WRT names, but even I don't at all care for that suggestion. 'Series C-V3.6' is just as 'bad' as 'CTS' (or not, if you simply accept that as a name. Really no different than -say- 'Barracuda', which doesn't have any more association with that car parked over there, either).

BTW, even if it was a pre-schoolistic as "1-, 2-, 3-, 4-series", there will ALWAYS be vocal idiots shouting about how stupid it is/how confused they are (IE; believing that 'CTS' somehow stands for 'Catera Touring Sedan').

[Nub_Cannon]

I really hope they make this a production car, the design is amazing and it would be nice to see something new from Cadillac.

[G. David Felt]

Hard to say as having a 2 door this big while very cool is not in the norm right now nor does it play well with the current parking trends for small auto's. Be interesting to see where Cadillac goes from here with it.