Cadillac CTS-V gets 4WD, but no RHD version?

[asrapid]

An all new four-wheel drive, Corvette Z06-engined, BMW M5-baiting Cadillac CTS-V will become the flagship of the re-launched US brand’s line-up next year - but Autocar has learned that US bosses have yet to approve the car for right-hand drive production.
The snorting 500bhp CTS, previewed by the CTS Sport concept shown at this week's SEMA show in Las Vegas, is still under development in the US. Over there bosses remain unconvinced of the financial case for exporting the super saloon to the UK, despite Cadillac bosses here fighting for the car to be imported as hard as they can.
US bosses are worried that the limited number of cars likely to be sold in right-hand drive markets doesn’t justify the millions of dollars needed to engineer the car properly for them.
If the new CTS-V is four-wheel drive, unlike any CTS gone before, the nature of its all-wheel drive system may make it all-the-more expensive to convert for right-hand-drive. All-wheel drive versions of Mercedes' C-class and BMW's 3-series, with a front-mounted engine and rear-mounted transaxle gearbox, require an extra driveshaft running forward from the transmission to the front wheels. In left-hand-drive models, this is routed through part of the front passenger footwell, and makes converting to right-hand drive prohibitively expensive. The same could be true for the new CTS-V.
However, a decision to bypass the UK market with its halo CTS could still be interpreted as proof that Cadillac still doesn’t take Britain seriously, and given this week’s re-launch of the struggling GM luxury brand, that's exactly what the firm doesn't need.

More at the link
http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsAr...llCars/228987/

[Odin]

If cadillac wants to be taken seriously on the world stage it needs to be in an important market like britain.

[GMusa]

Only 500hp???!!

[zete]

AWD! Smart. Otherwise it won't get all that HP to the road.

[spidge]

Originally Posted by asrapid

An all new four-wheel drive, Corvette Z06-engined, BMW M5-baiting Cadillac CTS-V will become the flagship of the re-launched US brand’s line-up next year - but Autocar has learned that US bosses have yet to approve the car for right-hand drive production.
The snorting 500bhp CTS, previewed by the CTS Sport concept shown at this week's SEMA show in Las Vegas, is still under development in the US. Over there bosses remain unconvinced of the financial case for exporting the super saloon to the UK, despite Cadillac bosses here fighting for the car to be imported as hard as they can.
US bosses are worried that the limited number of cars likely to be sold in right-hand drive markets doesn’t justify the millions of dollars needed to engineer the car properly for them.
If the new CTS-V is four-wheel drive, unlike any CTS gone before, the nature of its all-wheel drive system may make it all-the-more expensive to convert for right-hand-drive. All-wheel drive versions of Mercedes' C-class and BMW's 3-series, with a front-mounted engine and rear-mounted transaxle gearbox, require an extra driveshaft running forward from the transmission to the front wheels. In left-hand-drive models, this is routed through part of the front passenger footwell, and makes converting to right-hand drive prohibitively expensive. The same could be true for the new CTS-V.
However, a decision to bypass the UK market with its halo CTS could still be interpreted as proof that Cadillac still doesn’t take Britain seriously, and given this week’s re-launch of the struggling GM luxury brand, that's exactly what the firm doesn't need.

More at the link
http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsAr...llCars/228987/

In Britain, they get the VXR8 and we don't, so this seems fair.

[Gm786]

Originally Posted by GMusa

Only 500hp???!!

That's more then enough power. AWD is the right way for GM to go with the CTS-V. Afterall, the CTS needs to get that all that power to the pavement and AWD will do just that.

[paul8488]

Tough call. Such low volume... but as everyone says if they want to be taken seriously how can they not offer their hottest cars in a noteable amrket like the UK? Not sure if it would fly, but it would be nice if Caddy was in Australia, if only to help increase the demand for RHD versions.

[JoeT]

I thought Cadillac's meant to be GM's one truly global brand, but I must be mistaken.

[jbartley]

this is a cts-v, not a chevy aveo. why waste money on RHD? for such a low volume vehicle?

i don't think the cadillac brand is "struggling" either. this article is crap.

[blkwrxsti]

Originally Posted by spidge

In Britain, they get the VXR8 and we don't, so this seems fair.

The article doesn't surprise me. Autoweek or car & driver recently did one on the RS6. The mood was, "what a great car that we don't get ..." not, "what's wrong with Audi...".
The fact is that there are driving schools and dealers /marketplaces geared toward LHD in the UK already, so this article really just sounds like more "berate cars when they're not British".
There are plenty of diesels I'd like to drive, but you don't see me whining about VW/MB/Opel...

[blkwrxsti]

Besides which, they could always get their CTSV fix by taking a $20plane trip to the continent. I'm assuming that plenty of these cars will be imported into France, Germany , Italy, Spain.

My point isn't to make light of their plight, but to point out that Cadillac made the smart choice - since I'm ok with LHD, I'd rather see them spend millions on things like AWD and NAV or a performance gauge package ...

My other point is that if we're really talking about like 200 cars, then Cadillac will already get the halo benefits of offering this car, since any English who would consider a Cadillac will already have knowledge about and access to this car.

[CharlotteFirebird]

Sorry, GM can't and should not try to compete with every vehicle in every market.

[750li]

Originally Posted by CharlotteFirebird

Sorry, GM can't and should not try to compete with every vehicle in every market.

why not ...? if gm can build a business case for this car i think they should devolp a Rhd verison of this car and sell it in the UK , japan , hong kong, india ....etc..

I think thats what thinking global is .. building cars for the whole world .. wether it was the US,europe,africa,asia,the middle east and australia...

[ByTheLake]

If the business case isn't there, then RHD shouldn't be done.

How many CTS-Vs would need to be sold to recapture the millions in investment?

The car business is fun and filled with emotion, but it's still a business, and businesses need to make a profit.

[baloo]

Originally Posted by jbartley

i don't think the cadillac brand is "struggling" either. this article is crap.

Considering they have sold 400 cars in the last 2 years, "struggling" is a rather polite description.