I just read in automotive news that GM recently discussed the idea of bringing the DTS back to rear drive. At NADA show (which was a week or two ago) they told dealers that they may revert to rear drive in 2007. Prior to this announcement they had been saying that they wanted to keep the Deville front drive, while the rest of the line goes to rear drive. The logic behind this was that the Deville constitutes the majority of Cadillac's present sales. Keeping the Deville front drive would help prevent alienation of their older customer base, which has grown accustomed to front drive. The Seville, CTS, and SRX would be responsible for building the "New" cadillac image, and competing with cars from BMW, Lexus, and Audi. For some reason their minds may have changed. Perhaps it was the lack of a suitable front drive chassis? I don't know if there would be anything for the Deville to share a platform with. There's no more aurora or riviera. Maybe the Park avenue, and maybe the bonneville. The STS will be on the Sigma platform, which is rear drive. In any case, the high luxury market presently demands V8 engines, and rear wheel drive. I think pandering to their geriatric audience would be a bad move. Most forward thinking customers right now are willing to make the shift from front to rear drive, in exchange for the handling and performance benefits. Beyond that, they really can't put more than 300 hp to the road with a front drive setup, and in order to remain competetive, the Deville will need more power in the next decade.

Scott

I love to see a STS Rear drive, or any thing rear drive for that matter

Are there any conversions that are reasonable to convert a northstar to RWD?

Well there was the mosler twin star. It had a second northstar in the back, powering the rear wheels. That's 600 hp, all wheel drive. Although it was a bit heavy. I believe a fully dressed northstar is close to 500 lbs. Anyway, 0-60 was supposed to be about four seconds with 1/4 mile in the 12's. No trunk of course, but whatever :) I don't know if they make those anymore though. I think Mosler is mostly focused on the MT900 now.

Scott

Yeah ive heard about the twinstar.

Car and Driver on Twinstar (http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Caranddriver/features/2000/July/200007_specialtyfile_mosler_twinstareldorado.xml)

thought ya might enjoy that

I have read lots of information on that, and have concluded that it really isnt as good as they say. But, it still would be cool to say that you have a car with TWO engines. Dont see that too often

push me pull me cars I was never fond of, too much to get exactly right

Right, and beside the fact that there is a 300hp in the back and a 275 in the front. That could really mess up the front engine.

Rear Wheel Drive Forever

rock on!

Cadillac needs to keep atleast one car FWD. There's a market for it... They can't just abandon the market. What about people up North who want FWD Caddy's? I guess they go elsewhere?

Keep the Eldo FWD heritage and all the others go back to RWD

Not a bad idea.. Bring back the Eldorado and keep the name and FWD...

No, no no....the answer my friends is AWD :) As the SRX demonstrates, the sigma platform is capable of being AWD. This means that the upcomming STS could in fact be awd capable. That should more than satisfy the northerners :) If they make the Deville on that platform (which they discussed for a while) then it could be available with AWD too. Audi is exclusively awd, mercedes is starting to offer it on everything, and BMW has it on the three series, and maybe more cars in the future. I see it's popularity growning in the future, and I think Cadillac should start offering all wheel drive options on their sedans. Doesn't it make sense?

Scott

Perfect sense. Make it RWD and then you can engage AWD, like in Audi Quattros.

Audi isnt exlusively AWD, just in quattro models, which is offered on everything, so you were kind of right.

Originally posted by elwesso
Make it RWD and then you can engage AWD, like in Audi Quattros.

Audi isnt exlusively AWD, just in quattro models, which is offered on everything, so you were kind of right.

The Audi's are FWD if they don't have AWD. One of the main differences between AWD and 4WD, is that there is no need to engage it.

I dunno AWD would have to be in the right kinda caddy. they all to big for AWD right now and ant that "sporty" like the Audi Quatros

All I know is, it looks stupid seeing a nice, big, brand new Cadillac stuck in the snow. Same goes for a BMW 750.. Rear wheel drive and stuck in the snow.. That's ridiculous.. People don't go spending $50k - $70k on a car to get stuck...

IM not driving a $70 K car in the snow! :D

Me either...

I know that on my aunts old audi, she could engage and disengage the AWD via a button on the dash. It was RWD (i think, this was a long time ago), and then AWD when you pressed the button.

I think I read that the upcoming Subaru WRX Sti will let you adjust the bias between front and rear. It's been that way in Japan for a few years. So the Audi may have had a switch like that.

maybe.....

that is a cool feature

The Audis used to have the option of engaging or disengagine the all wheel drive. That was back in the eighties. Now most of them (TT excluded) use a torsen differential in the center, and electronically controlled lockers in the front and rear. The system is engaged all the time, and is virtually un-detectable. The Torsen automatically shunts power to the front or rear (whichever can make most use of it) and the lockers lock if one wheel starts slipping. I was slightly off when I said it was on all their cars. It's an option on the TT. And the A4 can be had without it as well. But I think the A6 and A8 always have it. As for cadillacs being too big for awd (who mentioned that?) the A8L is a big car. It's got all wheel drive, and it's a serious advantage in the snow, and during spirited driving. There's a myth that only little econoboxes (like the WRX) deserve AWD. But big cars like cadillacs need it even more, because we need to put a lot of power to the ground in order to get these cars moving. I would love to see a system like Audi's quattro available on Cadillacs.

Scott

GM doesnt really have a AWD system that could be applicable to cadillac. It would be cool, but i dont forsee it happening.

It's not really that complicated. Just three differentials and some electronics. Or throw in a torsen and lose half the electronics. There are a lot of options, and it's really not that complex. But beside that point, let me remind you of the upcomming SRX. It's based on the sigma platform, and it's all wheel drive. That's the same platform as the CTS, the nexts STS, and it's been proposed for the next deville. Which means they actually do have an all wheel drive system that could be applicable to cadillac. Isn't life good? :)


Scott

When Cadillac says they don't want to alienate their older buyers, what they mean is not that older buyers are accustomed to FWD, but that older buyers don't like change, period; that older buyers aren't demanding a new model; and that Cadillac can continue to sell the same old DeVille in respectable numbers to those oldsters even if it's not competitive on paper -- as long as dealers are willing to send them out to get that awful fake convertible roof glued on. "Core customers" just want to know if it's Loaded. It might as well be a Stutz Blackhawk IV-Porte.

http://members.fortunecity.com/stutzblackhawk/eiv80ld.htm

Last month I saw a white CTS in full geriatric trim -- whitewall tires, brass badges and exhaust, beige interior, and beige fabric top with ribs and snaps.

The doctor says he can remove the eye bandages next week.

.Jinx