Introducing the Cadillac Elmiraj Concept Coupe
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Cadillac Elmiraj Concept
The future of Cadillac's Art & Science design language.
August 2013
BY DON SHERMAN
MULTIPLE PHOTOGRAPHERS
Design themes, particularly those as radical as Cadillac’s initial razor-edged Art & Science (A&S) motif, typically enjoy a half-life of just a few years. Rooted in the 1999 Evoq concept and influencing production models from the 2003 CTS sedan onward, A&S has survived for more than a decade, albeit with varying degrees of care and feeding from GM’s luxury brand.
In other words, a fresh interpretation of exactly what defines the Cadillac look and feel is overdue. To shift such ethereal notions to a tangible mockup that designers, fans of the brand, and the world at large can see and touch, Cadillac recently whisked the wraps off its Elmiraj concept car at a country club in Carmel, California, just across the valley from Clint Eastwood's estate. (For his part, Eastwood attended the unveiling, pronounced the car good, and said he's ready to cut a check.) The car is absolutely gorgeous in the flesh, a purposeful piece painted a shade Cadillac calls Indian Blue.
The Elmiraj’s mission is not to accurately forecast any production model but rather to set the stage for future interpretations of Cadillac’s A&S design philosophy. The place that inspired the name—El Mirage—is a Mojave Desert dry lakebed where straight-line speed demons, Hollywood film crews, and weekend adventurers have gamboled for half a century.
Needing something dramatic to secure the top of its model range, Cadillac draped its new A&S suit over a pillarless hardtop coupe of near-epic proportions. The wheelbase measures 121 inches, and the 205-inch overall length tops that of the stately Bentley Continental GT by more than a foot. That doesn’t mean that the Elmiraj or any production Cadillac that follows its lead will be a slouch. Driving enjoyment, sparkling performance, and an entertaining power-to-weight ratio all are integral to this fresh theme, notes the maker. To further emphasize that point, Cadillac tapped the engine it practically invented a century ago for propulsion service. (Yes, the car is a runner.) The Elmiraj’s 4.5-liter V-8 is blessed with twin turbochargers and a nice, round 500-hp rating. Underpinnings borrowed from an unspecified future production program closely resemble the architecture used in today’s ATS and CTS sedans. That means rear-wheel drive and strict attention to lightweight engineering disciplines.
Granting form and function equal play, the Elmiraj’s long hood is vented to exhaust turbo heat. Heroic 22x9-inch aluminum wheels frame carbon-ceramic brake rotors and serious-looking opposed-piston brake calipers; the tires are 265/35 Michelins. Vsport identification badges hint that a more potent V-series Elmiraj could further advance this new A&S performance initiative. Front and rear lighting equipment continues with the vertical orientation Cadillac has preferred for ages.
The Elmiraj’s vast length and linear sculpture are reminiscent of the most stunning Cadillac coupe in recorded history, the 1967 Fleetwood Eldorado penned by Wayne Kady (theme model) and Chuck Jordan (final production execution). That’s no coincidence. According to GM’s executive director of advanced design Clay Dean, “We were influenced by the 1967 Eldorado’s design and the fact that, in its time, it represented a stark contrast and a new direction.” One of the new directions the brand took with the Elmiraj was with the Cadillac crest, which is a wreathless concept that is just the latest of evolutions of a design that’s transformed dozens of times in the past half century. It sits within a grille whose shape mimics that of the badge. In person, the visual texture of the grille filler changes with your viewing angle.
A special “valet” feature makes life in the Elmiraj’s back seat more palatable. When a door is opened, the appropriate front seat scoots forward 10 inches as the rear bucket glides four inches ahead to ease entry. Configured with firm, laterally supportive bolsters, the two rear buckets have adjustable backrests.
Interior trim is a lavish mix of camel-colored leather, hand-carved Brazilian rosewood, and backlit titanium strips. Transparent analog tachometer and speedometer gauges rest in front of a broad, high-resolution screen that displays information from a forward-view camera. The camera feeds the screen actual road views over which navigation instructions—routing arrows, turn instructions, etc.—can be laid. A centrally located 10-inch touch screen conveying further navigation and communication information can be tucked out of sight when it’s not needed, resulting in a clean, door-to-door dash sweep.
The Elmiraj is more logical and practical than the stillborn Ciel four-door convertible Cadillac presented at Pebble Beach two years ago. But it's nowhere near as gotta-have-it as the 750-hp V-12, mid-engine Cien two-seater Cadillac rolled out in 2002. Could it be that the Elmiraj is a mirage and Cadillac’s superhero will materialize in production as a sports car benefitting from the past decade’s hard lessons? We can dream.
The future of Cadillac's Art & Science design language.
August 2013
BY DON SHERMAN
MULTIPLE PHOTOGRAPHERS
Design themes, particularly those as radical as Cadillac’s initial razor-edged Art & Science (A&S) motif, typically enjoy a half-life of just a few years. Rooted in the 1999 Evoq concept and influencing production models from the 2003 CTS sedan onward, A&S has survived for more than a decade, albeit with varying degrees of care and feeding from GM’s luxury brand.
In other words, a fresh interpretation of exactly what defines the Cadillac look and feel is overdue. To shift such ethereal notions to a tangible mockup that designers, fans of the brand, and the world at large can see and touch, Cadillac recently whisked the wraps off its Elmiraj concept car at a country club in Carmel, California, just across the valley from Clint Eastwood's estate. (For his part, Eastwood attended the unveiling, pronounced the car good, and said he's ready to cut a check.) The car is absolutely gorgeous in the flesh, a purposeful piece painted a shade Cadillac calls Indian Blue.
The Elmiraj’s mission is not to accurately forecast any production model but rather to set the stage for future interpretations of Cadillac’s A&S design philosophy. The place that inspired the name—El Mirage—is a Mojave Desert dry lakebed where straight-line speed demons, Hollywood film crews, and weekend adventurers have gamboled for half a century.
Needing something dramatic to secure the top of its model range, Cadillac draped its new A&S suit over a pillarless hardtop coupe of near-epic proportions. The wheelbase measures 121 inches, and the 205-inch overall length tops that of the stately Bentley Continental GT by more than a foot. That doesn’t mean that the Elmiraj or any production Cadillac that follows its lead will be a slouch. Driving enjoyment, sparkling performance, and an entertaining power-to-weight ratio all are integral to this fresh theme, notes the maker. To further emphasize that point, Cadillac tapped the engine it practically invented a century ago for propulsion service. (Yes, the car is a runner.) The Elmiraj’s 4.5-liter V-8 is blessed with twin turbochargers and a nice, round 500-hp rating. Underpinnings borrowed from an unspecified future production program closely resemble the architecture used in today’s ATS and CTS sedans. That means rear-wheel drive and strict attention to lightweight engineering disciplines.
Granting form and function equal play, the Elmiraj’s long hood is vented to exhaust turbo heat. Heroic 22x9-inch aluminum wheels frame carbon-ceramic brake rotors and serious-looking opposed-piston brake calipers; the tires are 265/35 Michelins. Vsport identification badges hint that a more potent V-series Elmiraj could further advance this new A&S performance initiative. Front and rear lighting equipment continues with the vertical orientation Cadillac has preferred for ages.
The Elmiraj’s vast length and linear sculpture are reminiscent of the most stunning Cadillac coupe in recorded history, the 1967 Fleetwood Eldorado penned by Wayne Kady (theme model) and Chuck Jordan (final production execution). That’s no coincidence. According to GM’s executive director of advanced design Clay Dean, “We were influenced by the 1967 Eldorado’s design and the fact that, in its time, it represented a stark contrast and a new direction.” One of the new directions the brand took with the Elmiraj was with the Cadillac crest, which is a wreathless concept that is just the latest of evolutions of a design that’s transformed dozens of times in the past half century. It sits within a grille whose shape mimics that of the badge. In person, the visual texture of the grille filler changes with your viewing angle.
A special “valet” feature makes life in the Elmiraj’s back seat more palatable. When a door is opened, the appropriate front seat scoots forward 10 inches as the rear bucket glides four inches ahead to ease entry. Configured with firm, laterally supportive bolsters, the two rear buckets have adjustable backrests.
Interior trim is a lavish mix of camel-colored leather, hand-carved Brazilian rosewood, and backlit titanium strips. Transparent analog tachometer and speedometer gauges rest in front of a broad, high-resolution screen that displays information from a forward-view camera. The camera feeds the screen actual road views over which navigation instructions—routing arrows, turn instructions, etc.—can be laid. A centrally located 10-inch touch screen conveying further navigation and communication information can be tucked out of sight when it’s not needed, resulting in a clean, door-to-door dash sweep.
The Elmiraj is more logical and practical than the stillborn Ciel four-door convertible Cadillac presented at Pebble Beach two years ago. But it's nowhere near as gotta-have-it as the 750-hp V-12, mid-engine Cien two-seater Cadillac rolled out in 2002. Could it be that the Elmiraj is a mirage and Cadillac’s superhero will materialize in production as a sports car benefitting from the past decade’s hard lessons? We can dream.
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Props:
R and L.D.S.
these center consoles sure are making things tough to get road head these days
Props:
DuceTheTruth and J-FUNKTION
soon needs to get here then...because road head doesnt happen often as it once did...they need to bring back the bench seat ...BAM I said it
Props:
WT SAVAGE and DuceTheTruth
I'm still pissed they never released the Cien and 16. Both of those were 2 of the dopest cars I've ever seen. This car looks amazing tho
Props:
DuceTheTruth
Real shit, knowin GM they'll release it in 5-7 years when its to late.
And as far as the Cien goes, this is whats comming real soon....
The ELR...
I may be wrong but it went Cien, Converj and ELR....we get the latter.
2014 Cadillac ELR: 25 Cars Worth Waiting For 2014–2017 – Future Cars – Car and Driver
Who knows, my guess is that in this day and age of downsizing and boosting engines, a V-10 or a V-12 might have been too heavy.
Shoot, nowadays some car makers top engine is a turbo 4cyl versus a v-6...
Even Ford is doin it in their full-size trucks(all across the line really)...."Ecoboost"......twinturbo v-6's
The 16 was supposed to be a V-16 with 8 cylinder full time running with 16 cylinder power on demand to save on fuel economy but it boasted over 1000 hp. Adam Sandler drove one in that movie Click actually.
The Cien looked way doper than any of this stuff though. Looked like a Stealth fighter. 750 hp. All the way legit.
A V8 twin turbo would be beastly man. Look at a Porsche 911 Twin Turbo, it's only a V6. Those things fly
The Cien looked way doper than any of this stuff though. Looked like a Stealth fighter. 750 hp. All the way legit.
A V8 twin turbo would be beastly man. Look at a Porsche 911 Twin Turbo, it's only a V6. Those things fly
Props:
DuceTheTruth