AR Rewind #8 - Cadillac CTS-V Wagon

Rewind: This is the eighth in a series of posts where I dive into detail of the work completed for Edmunds InsideLine engagements.

Creative Brief: Scott Oldham contacted me asking for a quick set of images for the all but confirmed Cadillac CTS-V wagon. Since the CTS-V sedan photos had just dropped he wanted to get a jump on other media sites doing any sort of renders. This would need to have a super quick turnaround. I completed the request in just a few hours over two nights.

Execution Highlights - Front

• Donor pieces for hood, front fascia, headlights, grille, badges, and rims came from a Cadillac CTS-V sedan
• Custom brushed rear bumper cover
• Changed color to a deep blue similar to an available color on the just then released CTS-V sedan

Execution Highlights - Profile

• Donor pieces for hood, front fascia, headlights, grille, badges, and rims came from a Cadillac CTS-V sedan
• Changed color to a deep blue similar to an available color on the just then released CTS-V sedan

Final Thoughts: This was a quick home-run project. InsideLine ran the article as soon as I completed it, and I believe, were first to post renderings of a CTS-V Wagon.

Original Blog Link: Cadillac Considers a Supercharged CTS Sport Wagon

AR Rewind #4 - Cadillac CTS Convertible

Rewind: This is the fourth in a series of posts where I dive into detail of the work completed for Edmunds InsideLine engagements.

Creative Brief: The Cadillac CTS-V coupe turned out great so the next logical step was a convertible. Even though GM 86'd the idea of a convertible with the new coupe, Scott wanted to run an article about how they should reconsider the move - especially after wasting so much time on the poor selling and mechnically maligned Pontiac G6 hard-top convertible. The brief was simple, bang out a profile shot of what a convertible might look like and get it out to press in just over 48 hours. We agreed to use the beautiful Buick Velite concept car as a starting point.

Execution Highlights - Front

• Donor convertible pieces came from the Buick Velite
• Swapped background color
• Custom brushed trunk/deck lid

Final Thoughts: This was a quick one and came together in just about a day. As with InsideLine's stance on the situation, I fully agreed that Cadillac made a mistake not considering a covertible. I think it would have sold very well and was necessary to compete with the German brands. They should have presented a full suite of models (coupe, convertible, sedan, wagon).

Original Blog Link: Supercharge Me: Cadillac CTS-V Coupe

AR Rewind #3 - Cadillac CTS-V Coupe

Rewind: This is the third in a series of posts where I dive into detail of the work completed for Edmunds InsideLine engagements.

Creative Brief: Directly after the Black Series Mercedes Benz SL65, Editor-in-Chief Scott Oldham wanted to explore the just released CTS coupe concept in CTS-V trim. The V trim had not been seen yet as the production coupe had only been caught with heavy camouflage during testing. We decided to try and predict the coupe's look from the the coupe concept mixed with CTS-V Sedan pieces.

Execution Highlights - Front

• Donor CTS-V sedan parts used: hood, grille, lower air intakes, side of rear diffuser, rear turn markers in rear fender, side rockers, modified b-pillar, door handles, fender vent, rims (rotation blurred) and badging
• Silver color changed to the rich red metallic from the sedan

Execution Highlights - Rear

• Donor CTS-V sedan parts used: rear diffuser, side of front fascia, rear turn markers in rear fender, side rockers, modified b-pillar, door handles, fender vent, rims (rotation blurred) and badging
• Custom brushed center exhaust based on spy shots of production coupe
• Silver color changed to the rich red metallic from the sedan

Final Thoughts: This project went together quickly and we had something ready for press in less than a week. The car as rendered turned out to be very close to production and Cadillac even retained the center exhaust, albiet a bit beefier than we had imagined.

Original Blog Link: Supercharge Me: Cadillac CTS-V Coupe

Thoughts from the 2010 Chicago Autoshow

Personal File: I hit the Chicago Auto Show last weekend with no grand expectations. I knew the show was going to be more restrained than years previous due to the economy and that many brands are no longer in business. In lieu of this, I was surprised to see many automakers continuing to hand out lavish brochures.

After collecting brochures from every manufacturer (as I do every year) and reviewing them when I got home, I noticed that both Cadillac and AUDI had some issues. I know that photography and artwork had to be created and approved far ahead of show time, but these two manufacturer brochures really stuck out to me.

Cadillac leads my review with two oddities. The first is clear case of "cut and paste" from one CTS to another - a wagon to a sedan. The second Cadillac oddity is the DTS. In what appears to be a wheel swap, the wheels shown have the appearance of hubcaps due to the incorrect angle/perspective. Click an image below to see more.

Cadillac CTS

Cadillac DTS

AUDI is next with two oddities of their own. Both of the issues are with non-moving vehicles. I believe the goal was to make each image more dynamic by adding wheels that were in motion, but both images failed. The original wheels on the A5 convertible and A8 are still clearly visible in some areas. Click an image below to see more.

AUDI A5 'vert

AUDI A8

What do you think - did I just stumble upon a dirty little secret with manufacturer brochures or was it just a bad year for AUDI and Cadillac?

All source photos copyright original owners

Don't Wait Up for the Cadillac CTS Convertible

From Edmunds InsideLine: Given the upheaval at GM, we've doubted at times that we'd ever see a Cadillac CTS coupe, much less a wagon. Now both of those variations exist, and there's only one more CTS to wonder about: a convertible. The lines kind of work, don't they?

Click here to view this article.

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UPDATE: The link to this article no longer exists as Edmunds' Inside Line was discontinued in 2013. You can still view the original article via the Wayback Machine.

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Cadillac Considers a Supercharged CTS Sport Wagon

From Edmunds InsideLine: DETROIT — In a continuing effort to make a mark and grab a few sales in Europe, Cadillac says that a hot rod version of the upcoming CTS Sport Wagon is, "still in the realm of possibility."

Interest in pumping up sales in the European market was the impetus for the entire Sport Wagon program. The company announced that the CTS Sport Wagon would go on sale in the U.S. in the middle of 2009 and that it would be available with the 3.6-liter V6 engine and either rear- or all-wheel-drive systems from the CTS sedan.

Click here to view this article.

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UPDATE: The link to this article no longer exists as Edmunds' Inside Line was discontinued in 2013. You can still view the original article via the Wayback Machine.

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Failure To Launch: Cadillac CTS Coupe Convertible

From Edmunds InsideLine: DETROIT — Don't look for the Cadillac CTS coupe convertible to hit showrooms any time soon. Despite the fact that the CTS Coupe Concept was a runaway hit at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, our sources say GM has already done away with plans to produce the sexy new coupe in convertible form.

If Cadillac is serious about the CTS coupe competing with the popular European and Japanese coupes, a drop-top Caddy seems to be a no-brainer. The BMW 3 Series and Audi A4 already offer convertibles, the Lexus IS has a convertible in the works, and top Nissan exec Carlos Ghosn confirmed this week that the G37 convertible is headed for production as well. While the CTS coupe's overall success isn't dependent on the availability of a convertible model, BMW enjoys a 10 percent boost from its 3 Series coupe convertible, and the A4 cabrio accounts for nearly 20 percent of the A4 mix.

Click here to view this article.

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UPDATE: The link to this article no longer exists as Edmunds' Inside Line was discontinued in 2013. You can still view the original article via the Wayback Machine.

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Supercharge Me: Cadillac CTS-V Coupe

From Edmunds InsideLine: DETROIT — The Cadillac CTS Coupe concept at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show was so well received, enthusiast tongues wagged immediately about the possibility of a 2010 CTS Coupe production car. The next logical step? Supercharging the striking new coupe to the same specifications as the 2009 CTS V-Series sedan.

Cadillac has already said the coupe will easily accommodate the current CTS engines as well as the 2.9-liter diesel V6 intended for use in Europe, so dropping in the supercharged 6.2-liter V8 from the CTS-V sedan shouldn't be much of a stretch.

Click here to view this article.

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UPDATE: The link to this article no longer exists as Edmunds' Inside Line was discontinued in 2013. You can still view the original article via the Wayback Machine.

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