Cadillac Sixteen

For the 1930s car, see Cadillac V-16.
Cadillac Sixteen
Overview
Manufacturer Cadillac (General Motors)
Body and chassis
Class Full-size luxury car
Body style 4-door sedan
Layout Front-engine, rear-wheel drive
Powertrain
Engine 13.6 litre 32-valve V16
Transmission 4 speed automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase 3,556 mm (140.0 in)[1]
Length 5,672 mm (223.3 in)[1]
Width 2,029 mm (79.9 in)[1]
Height 1,392 mm (54.8 in)[1]
Curb weight 2,270 kg (5,004.5 lb)[1]

The Cadillac Sixteen is a concept car first developed and presented by Cadillac in 2003.

The vehicle is equipped with a Cadillac proprietary-developed 32-valve V16 engine displacing 13.6 liters (~830 cu. in), which was exclusive to the Sixteen model only and based on the Cadillac Northstar engine architecture. It is mated to a four-speed, electronically controlled, automatic transmission driving the rear wheels. The engine features fuel-saving Active Fuel Management "Displacement on Demand" technology,[2] much improved from its ancestor, debuting in 2004 on some 2005 GM models. On the Sixteen, it would seamlessly shut down twelve cylinders in light driving, eight during strenuous driving, and only awaken the entire engine under full acceleration.[3] With this type of system, the engine was capable of 16.65 mpg under normal conditions. The engine was said to produce a minimum of 1,000 horsepower (750 kW) and at least an equal amount of torque at 1,000 lb·ft (1,400 N·m).[2] using no form of forced induction. The car itself weighs about 2,270 kilograms (5,000 lb).

The Sixteen's custom interior

The car referenced the Cadillac V-16 of the 1930s. The actual design of the car was a combination of Cadillac's current "Art and Science" design theme and 1967 Cadillac Eldorado cues. Additional original design elements were provided by an in-house design competition led by GM Vice President Bob Lutz. The Sixteen has the Cadillac logo carved out of solid crystal on the steering wheel and a Bulgari clock on the dashboard.

Although the Sixteen fell short (narrowly, by some accounts) of production approval, its legacy is alive in Cadillac's future product planning. The subsequent generation of Cadillac products, particularly the revised CTS, have incorporated elements of the Sixteen's design. A scaled-down version of the car, referred to as the ULS (Ultra Luxury Sedan) or XLS, with a standard V8 and an optional V12 (the latter was to be called the Cadillac Twelve), has been rumored for production since 2005,[4] but was shelved in favor of the Cadillac XTS.

Ever since the Sixteen was first unveiled there have been resurfacing rumors, speculation and high hopes of automotive journalists and aficionados about a possible very limited production of an exclusive Cadillac halo model such as the Sixteen as the "ultimate flagship" of the brand to sit even atop of the upcoming flagship, as previewed by the Ciel concept of late 2011.[2][5][6]

It was on the episode of Ride with Funkmaster Flex at the 2003 New York International Auto Show.

Also in 2003, Top Gear reviewed the Cadillac 16 with its presenter James May in Series 2, Episode 10.

In the 2006 comedy film Click starring Adam Sandler, Sandler's character is seen driving a Cadillac Sixteen when he visits his family in the year 2017.

In the 2011 film Real Steel, starring Hugh Jackman, the child's parents are seen getting in and out of a Cadillac Sixteen at around 18 minutes in, as Jackman's character collects his money and his child.[7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "2003 Cadillac V Sixteen Technical specifications". www.carfolio.com. Archived from the original on 2013-02-28. Retrieved 2013-10-04.
  2. 1 2 3
  3. ↑ James May: "[...] sixteen cylinders, but if you're just cruising along you only use four cylinders, if you go to overtake someone you get eight cylinders, and its only when you flatten it, as the Americans would say, that you get all sixteen. Now, that means that this two-and-half tonne twenty-foot-long car will do 20 mpg, which is actually very impressive."
  4. ↑ walter j keegan jr. (18 January 2005). "Cadillac shores up Ultra Luxury Sedan". Autoblog.
  5. ↑ "Cadillac Sixteen Concept".
  6. ↑ Peter Orosz. "Cadillac keeps breaking my heart". Jalopnik.
  7. ↑ Real Steel - Full Movie (YouTube)

External links

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