Businessweek: GM Must Fashion Another Cadillac Renaissance

[TORRED1]

My cousin had 2 caddy's with the northstar, and allways said he would be caddy forever, then seeing him at a family picknik I found out that he is thru with cadillac. Both blew the motors at just over 100k, and it sounds like the problem discussed here, something about the way the block was built and the bolts letting loose, but the real clincher was the response from the dealer, "well you did get over 100K out of the car, what do you expect". He will be looking at Buicks now. Hopefully GM will be taking better care if him in the future, Cadillac lost a guy they should have kept.

I personally am a beliver in the old tried and true principal, V8 or V6 even I4 with cast iron blocks, dont need VVT's or DOHC's , its just more to break and go bad. My 82 1.8 Iron Duke motor had 197k and did not use any oil, 86 2.8 mfi 245k same way, 90 3.1 went 180k+ and also did not use any oil, it did crack the head due to a sparkplug going bad, blew the top right off, and I was running up and down the mountains on the way home from vacation in a loaded up Silhouette, with wife and 4 kids. Drove it that way for 186 miles on 5 cylinders till we got home. All I had to do was replace the top head because it was cracked. and it continued to run for years after that. dont need it fancy just simple and solid.

[stormwatcher]

With Cadillac's sales volumes having dropped so much, it will be that much more difficult to pull off another 'renaissance'. And a real renaissance will take many years, likely 20, and won't be a quick fix.

Does Cadillac have the endurance and tenacity to stick it out that long??

[1G6]

Originally Posted by stormwatcher

With Cadillac's sales volumes having dropped so much, it will be that much more difficult to pull off another 'renaissance'. And a real renaissance will take many years, likely 20, and won't be a quick fix.

Does Cadillac have the endurance and tenacity to stick it out that long??

You're forgetting that they're dropping 2/3rds of the dealers. Volume will be fine for those that remain.

[goblue]

Originally Posted by tgagneguam

There is no legit reaon why Cadillac cannot sell a small car, or rake in huge profits again, or sell an ultra-luxury car line, or anything else. Their not being able to do so thus far simply reflects how poorly GM's management has done to manage the company in general.



GM management's shortsightedness just makes me cringe. So, a division is producing a rather impressive $2.5 billion from relatively few vehicle sales so the solution is... to starve it of new product. I'm hoping that someone, somewhere in the Company has been taking notes.

Well stated. We can make many excuses for the other brands - some plausible, some grasping. Can't blame the UAW labor costs when you are building high profit machines.

This illustrates how Cadillac had "it" and GM management took it away.

[megeebee]

Originally Posted by WishIhadatruck

No kidding. When I read that it made me cringe as well. Cadillac was just getting momentum when they just seemed to stall a few years ago.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: The failure of the 2005 STS is to blame. A 35-40K units a year franchise brought to near-nothing. Not because it's RWD, as some maintain, but because of the crash re-do of the design.

(Thanks Mr. Lutz.)

[ARCANGEL]

Originally Posted by ryannel2003

I'm still waiting for Cadillac to build a competitive, midsize luxury sedan. The current STS isn't helping the situation, and moving that car to FWD would be painful. The current STS is less competitive now than the Seville was 11 years ago, and that car was plagued by FWD and not so great build quality.

GM needs to re-invigorate Cadillac with class leading vehicles, not vehicles that are "just average". New SRX is nice, but I don't know how it will sell in the marketplace. CTS is a start, but it cannot hold up the brand forever. Escalade needs a good MCE, and DTS/STS need to die and be replaced by something competitive (aka not FWD). XLR is dead, though a 2nd generation could fix all the shortcomings of the 1st (not likely, unfortunately).

I will also add that the ART and SCIENCE has run its course they need something more organic, fluid each car that comes out after a year or so looks dated and cheap case in point previous gen CTS lame

[Quest]

One more time:

Cadillac Renaissance:

ATS Sedan & Coupe (Alpha Platform (longitudinal RWD/AWD)); CTS Sedan, Coupe & Sport Wagon (Sigma II Platform (longitudinal RWD/AWD)); STS Sedan (Zeta Premium Platform* (Longitudinal RWD/AWD))

SRX (Alpha Platform (longitudinal RWD/AWD)); Escalade (Zeta Premium Platform* (Longitudinal RWD/AWD))

* Zeta Premium Platform would be the rumored off and on again Sigma II and Zeta Converged Platform.

An Alpha based SRX SUV/CUV would be a better competitor to the GLK, X3 and Q5. The Zeta Premium Escalade would match the M-Class and BMW X5 etc. I would let the Yukon Denali take on the GL-Class and Land cruiser etc.

GM has the engine range from Premium I4 Turbos, HF SIDI V6’s, Diesels & new SIDI Gen V V8’s. Furthermore, the whole line-up is capable of Hybrid using BAS, two-mode, flywheel or plug-in. The best part, the Technology, Powertrains and Platforms are all available now or shortly; the same applies to the Exterior Designs. It can be done as resources permit over the next couple of years.

Instead, what do we get – an Epsilon II based XTS – a car that even Cadillac is not thrilled with given its treatment at the media product review on August 11. A Car guaranteed to thrill an accountant; it would be excusable if not for the fact that GM has been down this road before and look where that got them. If they can’t do it properly then don’t do it all; focus on the bread and butter (mainstream and truck segments) until they have the cash. If not then close Cadillac.

[2002 Caddy]

Originally Posted by 1G6

You're forgetting that they're dropping 2/3rds of the dealers. Volume will be fine for those that remain.

Logic like that, makes my head want to explode... Hey, lets just cut ALL of the dealers... that way the volume with be divided by zero and technically will be infinite...

Kinda like the guy who says that the fact that no one is buying the cars means they are more "exclusive"

Wow you guys can sure spin.

[ARCANGEL]

Originally Posted by Quest

One more time:

Cadillac Renaissance:

ATS Sedan & Coupe (Alpha Platform (longitudinal RWD/AWD)); CTS Sedan, Coupe & Sport Wagon (Sigma II Platform (longitudinal RWD/AWD)); STS Sedan (Zeta Premium Platform* (Longitudinal RWD/AWD))

SRX (Alpha Platform (longitudinal RWD/AWD)); Escalade (Zeta Premium Platform* (Longitudinal RWD/AWD))

* Zeta Premium Platform would be the rumored off and on again Sigma II and Zeta Converged Platform.

An Alpha based SRX SUV/CUV would be a better competitor to the GLK, X3 and Q5. The Zeta Premium Escalade would match the M-Class and BMW X5 etc. I would let the Yukon Denali take on the GL-Class and Land cruiser etc.

GM has the engine range from Premium I4 Turbos, HF SIDI V6’s, Diesels & new SIDI Gen V V8’s. Furthermore, the whole line-up is capable of Hybrid using BAS, two-mode, flywheel or plug-in. The best part, the Technology, Powertrains and Platforms are all available now or shortly; the same applies to the Exterior Designs. It can be done as resources permit over the next couple of years.

Instead, what do we get – an Epsilon II based XTS – a car that even Cadillac is not thrilled with given its treatment at the media product review on August 11. A Car guaranteed to thrill an accountant; it would be excusable if not for the fact that GM has been down this road before and look where that got them. If they can’t do it properly then don’t do it all; focus on the bread and butter (mainstream and truck segments) until they have the cash. If not then close Cadillac.

hmmmm i could have sworn escalade was gonna be on a modified lambda? and ATS now is RWD?

[Quest]

Originally Posted by ARCANGEL

hmmmm i could have sworn escalade was gonna be on a modified lambda? and ATS now is RWD?

The ATS was always intended to be Longitudinal RWD based; I think you're thinking of the XTS. AS for a Lambda based slade, well, that's the rumor, while a great Platform - three is enough. A FWD/AWD XTS already blurs the Buick/Cadillac Brand-line; another Lambda is a mistake, especially one that will be crossed shopped with the Enclave - its main competitor.

[ARCANGEL]

Originally Posted by Quest

The ATS was always intended to be Longitudinal RWD based; I think you're thinking of the XTS. AS for a Lambda based slade, well, that's the rumor, while a great Platform - three is enough. A FWD/AWD XTS already blurs the Buick/Cadillac Brand-line; another Lambda is a mistake, especially one that will be crossed shopped with the Enclave - its main competitor.

I agree with all you just said. I hope it comes to fruition, they need the RWD/AWD! Do you know if or when the design direction is gonna change

[Quest]

Originally Posted by ARCANGEL

I agree with all you just said. I hope it comes to fruition, they need the RWD/AWD! Do you know if or when the design direction is gonna change

I hope they do change; the ATS being green lighted signals that the product camp maybe getting the upper hand. After listening to Tom Stephens Autoline Interview today, especially the Q&A, and other tid-bits that have been leaking out over the past couple of weeks I think there is glimmer of hope.

[ryannel2003]

Look what GM has done with Buick in the past 2 years with the Enclave and now the LaCrosse... if they had that much enthusiasm about Cadillac maybe we would be getting a true RWD sedan instead of a warmed over, FWD Buick. I want Cadillac to be as close as it can to the way it was in the 50's... not even so much about sales or being #1 but when I say "I own a Cadillac" I want people to be enthusiastic about that... not "you drive a grandpa car" or something of the sort. If I told the same people I was driving a BMW or Mercedes they wouldn't dare say that. Brand recognition is key, and GM killed it in the late 70's and 80's. The 90's was much better, but still not where Cadillac needed to be. What about now? Cadillac's future is more uncertain now as it was in 1999 when all this A&S crap started.

[ARCANGEL]

Originally Posted by Quest

I hope they do change; the ATS being green lighted signals that the product camp maybe getting the upper hand. After listening to Tom Stephens Autoline Interview today, especially the Q&A, and other tid-bits that have been leaking out over the past couple of weeks I think there is glimmer of hope.

we will have to wait and see

[ral1960]

Originally Posted by kryptonics

I've heard very few complaints about the Northstar over the years. Mine just hit 10 years and the only problem is the standard slow oil leak/burn. I'm going to research this more...

You need to make periodic wide-open-throttle runs to loosen up your piston rings.

The real obscenity is that it took them 10 years of Northstar production to redesign the head bolts.

Unreliability really cost Cadillac and all American manufacturers. What else does Toyota/Lexus offer but a reputation for reliability?