BeelzeBob
03-03-03, 08:24 AM
By Jim Mateja of the Chicago Tribune:
The early returns are in, and four General Motors concepts on the auto-show circuit stand out as production hopefuls, according to Mark Hogan, group vice president.
"We thought reaction to the Cadillac Sixteen would be strong, but we didn't expect it to be so overwhelming. Now we have to figure out a way to build it," Hogan said in an interview at the Chicago Auto Show.
The Sixteen is noteworthy for a variety of reasons, one being the dramatic styling - the best work of chief designer Wayne Cherry - but that's far from the only reason, he made clear.
The Sixteen is a full-size luxury sedan powered by a 1,000hp v16 engine that boasts 0-60mph acceleration in about 4 seconds. But the most important feature is the reason Sixteen was built: to showcase displacement on demand, which automatically shuts off cylinders not needed when cruising down the interstate so the 1,000hp sedan becomes a 4 cylinder, 20mph economy car.
"It's possible to do a production version of the v16, but maybe we wouldn't do it with 1,000hp," Hogan noted. Insiders say a slightly smaller version powered by a v12 would be appropriate, with a handful of v16 offerings in the $250,000 to $300,000 range an intriguing possibility...
The early returns are in, and four General Motors concepts on the auto-show circuit stand out as production hopefuls, according to Mark Hogan, group vice president.
"We thought reaction to the Cadillac Sixteen would be strong, but we didn't expect it to be so overwhelming. Now we have to figure out a way to build it," Hogan said in an interview at the Chicago Auto Show.
The Sixteen is noteworthy for a variety of reasons, one being the dramatic styling - the best work of chief designer Wayne Cherry - but that's far from the only reason, he made clear.
The Sixteen is a full-size luxury sedan powered by a 1,000hp v16 engine that boasts 0-60mph acceleration in about 4 seconds. But the most important feature is the reason Sixteen was built: to showcase displacement on demand, which automatically shuts off cylinders not needed when cruising down the interstate so the 1,000hp sedan becomes a 4 cylinder, 20mph economy car.
"It's possible to do a production version of the v16, but maybe we wouldn't do it with 1,000hp," Hogan noted. Insiders say a slightly smaller version powered by a v12 would be appropriate, with a handful of v16 offerings in the $250,000 to $300,000 range an intriguing possibility...