Cadillac 16 Concept

El Cadillac 16 Concept (también conocido como Cadillac Sixteen)

Description
Built for the 2003 Detroit Auto Show, the Cadillac Sixteen was a concept car that paid homage to the V16 cars of Cadillac's past. It was built as a working prototype by Special Projects Inc in Michigan with a V16 prototype engine from Katech Inc. The chassis was custom built from welded aluminum and designed exclusively for this car.

Inside and out, the Sixteen was a design concept, so functionality was lost in areas like instrumentation. Also, all the necessary systems were installed in the trunk, including a real fuel gauge, fuel fill, and all electronics. Due to the experimental nature of the car, the electronically imposed top speed was 40 mph.

Press Relace
The Cadillac Sixteen is classic automotive seduction with the panache of Cadillac’s ultramodern design.

In form, power and opulence, the 2003 Cadillac Sixteen embodies the timeless qualities of an exceptionally luxurious super-sedan with its sleek, gemstone appearance. The rear-wheel-drive Cadillac Sixteen brings forth the exclusivity and grandeur of the custom-built Fleetwood coach cars of the 1930s for today’s generation of exceedingly well-heeled customers of discerning taste.

The name speaks to the car’s powerful 16-cylinder, 1000-horsepower engine and Cadillac’s heritage as a maker of fine luxury automobiles. Cadillac’s reputation grew exponentially during the ’30s in no small part because of the development of the automotive industry’s first V-16. The Cadillac Sixteen’s grand exterior proportions create an unparalleled presence; its splendid interior is meticulously handcrafted and urbane.

General Motors’ designers drew extensively on the traditions of the coachbuilt era in crafting the Cadillac Sixteen, employing the distinctive talents of leading artisans for the upholstery, instrumentation, interior wood and metal elements, and aluminum body panels.

As an exterior statement, the Cadillac 16 Concept’s proportional composition is bold. The aluminum hood is long, giving the Cadillac Sixteen tremendous dash-to-axle dimension; the wheel arches were designed to accommodate the beautiful 24-inch polished aluminum wheels. The four-door hardtop incorporates an all-glass roof and is without B-pillars. Crisp-edged lines of the midnight silver aluminum body panels accentuate the Cadillac Sixteen’s striking appearance.

Even the engine compartment, with its sculpted design, has drama. With dual panels hinged about a center spine that runs the length of the expansive hood, it makes an event out of opening the engine bay. The hood panels are power-operated.

Warm luxury
The interior theme is evocative of the posh accommodations of 1930s-era Cadillacs, but with contemporary style. For instance, the dashboard features a center-mounted Bvlgari clock.

The hand-stitched, Tuscany leather upholstered seats nestle the occupants. The right rear seat features power adjustable slope to recline like a chaise lounge. Warm, hand-woven silk carpets the floor in a light cream color that matches the leather upholstery. The dash, door panels, and front and rear consoles are trimmed with walnut burl veneer inlays.

Meanwhile, the custom-designed crystal on the cluster dials offers subtle cues of the Cadillac Sixteen’s precise engineering, elegance and craftsmanship.

One thousand horses
While GM designers drew inspiration from the ultra-luxury sedan’s ancestry, the Cadillac Sixteen is thoroughly modern in its powerplant and technological content.