I was thinking last night about the last 5 years. There are some nice releases, but often they're tried and tested designs that are slowly evolving (e.g. Porsche 911, full size Range Rover, VW Golf, Mazda Miata/MX-5, etc.) rather than new cars which do something a little more exciting. The Maserati MC20 springs to mind as something new in the last 5 years, but it's one of the few that naturally does. Is there anything new that we find desirable (instead of jarring/weird), or are we effectively longing for the past and buying the equivalent of a greatest hits album when folks order a new Porsche 911 variant? All the best, Andrew.
Nice new handsome baby Cadillac at a good price. Only drawback is that the 300 HP is not ICE derived. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login https://www.motor1.com/reviews/754304/2025-cadillac-optiq-ev-first-drive-review/
How much of Cadillac sales are EV vs ICE? Where is their commitment to the market segment that actually versus this virtue signaling concentration? Are they following the Ford product development model withe ICE? Take a decent vehicle but do virtually nothing so it ultimately dies in obscurity as the company then claims there is no market.
EV versus ICE stats by manufacturer seems to be a closely guarded secret at the present time. But Cadillac (Pale Green) has been performing commendably in the race within GM. Cadillac states their EV goal in 2025 is 35% of all car Cadillac sales. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Hopefully we can adopt used engine swaps into these EV cars that look good but are also destined to fail with a limited lifespan like everything else. The European powerhouses that control the most of the worlds money supply also control housing, cars and cultural influence. The dollar currency is being replaced by BRICS nations and there is much belt tightening, to say the least,of the western powers to reduce energy use and population. A pipe line to Europe via Syria is still an unstable notion. Uncle Tony's Garage highlights the mechanical aspects to this when it comes to cars. When Did Our Civilization Forget How To Build Engines？ Conspiracy Or Coincidence-(144p15) watch?v=pSFMMsaXuzE Disposable Cars And The Evolving Transportation Crisis Nobody Is Talking About watch?v=KKEkUs8MTnQ
Uncle Tony sure loves to ramble. The only engine swap that is feasible for anyone is one of those old VW beetles.... As far as modern cars go, the 3rd generation Dacia Duster seems to hit it right- it won over 25 awards
These Porsche Taycans are depreciating fast... and I doubt Porsche would reduce its $50k price tag for a replacement battery in the next several years. When they become under 10k I would love to see a kit company change the whole drive-train and looms with the mass produced and reliable Toyota Corolla.
As for Cadillac, 65% of their market is ICE. A question would be how many of that 65% have no, or at least limited, interest in EV? So, that 65% sure seems to be getting the short end of the product development attention. Already announced is the killing of the XT4 and saw something today of the CT4 and CT5 coming to an end. XT5 and XT6 are overdue for generation ipdate.
Designer Pete Brock on AI and auto design. Peter Brock: What gets lost with the increasing use of AI in design Image Unavailable, Please Login By Peter Brock Mar 16, 2025 | Peter Brock, Column, Blog, Artificial Intelligence | Posted in Columns | From the Jan. 2024 issue | Never miss an article Image Unavailable, Please Login Photograph Courtesy BMW The ever-encroaching and seeming simplicity of adding artificial intelligence to almost every aspect of our daily lives is often reflected in the mental lethargy of this current era. It seems there is no corner of our current existence that isn’t now negatively affected by AI. Whether it’s passing off a borrowed and electronically reworked text or illustration for a homework assignment in grammar school or submitting a pivotal document in government, business or medicine that could literally change the lives of unsuspecting millions, AI is now looking highly suspect. There’s no reversing technology, so we’re going to have to live with it, but that doesn’t mean we have to embrace it. The question remains, how can we control it? How will it affect automotive design, which is inherently about human creativity? Prior to production of any new product or enactment of any new edict, what entity finally determines what is acceptable and what is rejected? In the end, long past any concept’s point of acceptance, only time will determine the true value of such questionable decisions. As an automotive designer, I’ve been intrigued by a series of thought-provoking comments recently circulating online amongst a group of us who informally stay in touch to share whatever interesting automotive concept, event or trend that seems even mildly important. Any such questionable element might negatively affect what we, as designers, collectively value as one of the most important aesthetic movements of this century. Consequently, we feel it’s important to comment, whether positively or negatively, in order to maintain as high a level of respect for our art as possible. It’s not easy, as the millions of appallingly bad AI-infected examples now clogging our roads and highways continue to demonstrate. Injecting visual automotive AI proposals into what has been, up to now, a collection of highly selective and personally felt concepts, is disturbing because these submissions, which might initially seem like highly credible, professionally created renderings, are often nothing more than a load of slick, rehashed combinations of previously recognized answers. What gets lost with the increasing use of AI are two of the most important factors in great design: innovation and passion. These two points and the taste of those with proven experience in charge of making these final critical selections are what we’re ultimately forced to live with. As designers, each of us has a personal style that defines our work. Some can be beautifully rendered by hand; others are just quick sketches. Each, when approved by management, has to have some special quality or idea that can be judged important enough to let it proceed to the next step and maybe even on to production. An idea or design’s final acceptance is often quietly compromised in some manner for personal or financial considerations at some distant level, with little opportunity for discussion or response from its initial creator. It’s an unfortunate variable we’re forced to live with. So when there is some definitive agreement and a concept finally emerges for production and receives mass public acceptance, it’s celebrated as a success by the decision makers even though their final choice may have been far less aesthetically satisfying than its originator intended. Not all of us were fortunate enough to have a final arbiter of style like GM’s Bill Mitchell or equally talented leaders like Voisin, Bugatti, Ferrari or Bob Lutz. These collective and highly intrapersonal commentaries might seem rather self-indulgent to those outside our small group of creative thinkers. Aesthetic success in this field can hardly be seriously compared with any other form of contribution to society that favorably affects all humanity. However, any pleasing visual win, no matter how insignificant, is still treasured by all who know or care enough to comment. The fact that automotive design might even be considered an art by some is laughable, but to those seriously involved, it’s the focus of our existence. At the opposite end of the scale, for the person contemplating a new set of wheels, the honesty of their decision probably has more to do with projected image, cost, reliability, interior comfort and maybe the price of fuel. As for the future value of AI, I don’t expect it to become another arrow in any passionate designer’s quiver of innovative ideas. Automotive design by its very nature is a unique and entertaining kinetic art form that affects millions whether they realize it or not. Automobiles of every type and shape are being continually judged, appraised and commented upon every moment of the day by people in every stratum of society where such examples are continually exposed in that common gallery of art upon which we drive every day.
This is an older article that was sent to me recently, but still interesting nonetheless. https://www.motortrend.com/vehicle-genres/general-motors-bill-mitchell-studio-x/
That goes back before my time, but I believe they were done either in Studio X or the "warehouse" accross the street from the main Design Center. Chevrolet also had facilities with Design and they were in constant contact with the "personnel" in Midland, TX. All very under the table kind of projects as it were.
Did you ever make a presentation about "The Beast" at the Corvette NCRS meeting in Hampton, Va. about 2013?
Nope. The Secret Service kinda frowned on us discussing the "Parade Vehicles", but on occasion i answered questions that I was permitted, but not at a Corvette mtg.
I use AI every day in my conceptualizing. To me no different than scrolling through art station or pinterest looking for the spark of an idea.
Saw this recently and wasn't sure about it's authenticity Guess it is real. Image Unavailable, Please Login "More images of the Peralta S, a one-of-a-kind creation by Fabrizio Giugiaro, son of iconic car designer Giorgetto Giugiaro. The Peralta S takes cues from the Maserati Boomerang concept car that was styled by Giugiaro Snr. in the 1970s.."
My editor decided to post this on April Fool's Day. It wasn't funny then, and it's not funny now....... https://driventowrite.com/2025/04/01/never-a-dull-moment-part-twelve/#more-124564 Cadillac Cimarron; What not to do to a brand Never A Dull Moment — Part Twelve Cadillac downsizes and downgrades. Source: oldcarbrochures " data-medium-file="https://driventowrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/n_1982-Cadillac-Cimarron-03oldcarbrochuires-230x300.jpg" data-large-file="https://driventowrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/n_1982-Cadillac-Cimarron-03oldcarbrochuires.jpg" class="size-full wp-image-125175" src="https://driventowrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/n_1982-Cadillac-Cimarron-03oldcarbrochuires.jpg" alt="" width="556" height="724" srcset="https://driventowrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/n_1982-Cadillac-Cimarron-03oldcarbrochuires.jpg 556w, https://driventowrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/n_1982-Cadillac-Cimarron-03oldcarbrochuires-230x300.jpg 230w, https://driventowrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/n_1982-Cadillac-Cimarron-03oldcarbrochuires-115x150.jpg 115w, https://driventowrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/n_1982-Cadillac-Cimarron-03oldcarbrochuires-269x350.jpg 269w" sizes="(max-width: 556px) 85vw, 556px" style="-x-ignore: 1"> Source: oldcarbrochures Automotive design in North America in the late 1970’s early ‘80’s was being driven by countless external and internal forces. Previously mentioned gasoline shortages, downsizing, a changing customer profile and competition from the Germans and Japanese were just several of the headwinds being faced. Bill Mitchell had retired from General Motors Design, and Irv Rybicki had taken on the role as the top designer. As discussed, Chuck Jordan believed he would replace Mr. Mitchell, but the corporation had other ideas. To his credit, Mr. Jordan publicly declared his support for Rybicki, but in reality, that would prove to be a more difficult task to achieve. The two of them rarely saw eye to eye. Rybicki was the consummate professional and leaned towards conservatism whereas Jordan’s philosophy was to create the newest designs possible and often times these philosophies were at odds with each other. Politics being what they are, confusion sometimes was inevitable. It would prove to be a challenge at times to stay out of trouble. Being the newly minted Assistant Chief Designer in the Cadillac Exterior Studio, my mission was clearly spelled out for me from the very beginning. I was to be the grain of sand in the oyster that was the Cadillac Studio. This was a role I had dreamed of, helping chart the course for the future of Cadillac. I was ready. Image Unavailable, Please Login Source: GM Design Early sketches for Cimarron, including the original sketch of the Cimarron Coupé, which never made production. Throughout the 1960’s Cadillac had enjoyed success after success. The Eldorado had proven without a doubt, Cadillac was about design and luxury. Into the ‘70’s however, the division decided to chase volume at the expense of exclusivity and ultimately quality. The double whammy of the two fuel crises, deteriorating quality and cost reductions had begun to take their toll on Cadillac’s reputation as the Standard of the World. The Germans, both Mercedes and BMW, were just beginning to establish themselves as serious competition in the Luxury market. In the next decade, every Yuppie would have a BMW 3 series as part of their look. The canary in the coal mine went unnoticed. Suddenly, Cadillac came to the conclusion that some things had to change in order to keep their hold on Luxury customers. The V8-6-4 and diesel ensued as stopgap measures. Meeting the stiffer fuel economy standards would prove to be a difficult task, coupled with the 5 MPH requirements. Quality suffered and cost cutting took premium materials out of the products. The customer base was drifting away while the dealers were in panic mode. Source: GM Design " data-medium-file="https://driventowrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/jm2_cmj-patio-6_83-300x236.jpg" data-large-file="https://driventowrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/jm2_cmj-patio-6_83.jpg" class="size-full wp-image-125184" src="https://driventowrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/jm2_cmj-patio-6_83.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="591" srcset="https://driventowrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/jm2_cmj-patio-6_83.jpg 750w, https://driventowrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/jm2_cmj-patio-6_83-300x236.jpg 300w, https://driventowrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/jm2_cmj-patio-6_83-150x118.jpg 150w, https://driventowrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/jm2_cmj-patio-6_83-444x350.jpg 444w" sizes="(max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 984px) 61vw, (max-width: 1362px) 45vw, 600px" style="-x-ignore: 1"> Proposal for next Gen Cimarron. Full size clay on the design viewing patio. Me with my back to the camera listening to Chuck Jordan (right of picture). Source: GM Design A small Cadillac was going to be necessary if survival was the goal. The 1976 Seville was the first step in trying to successfully convince the buying public that smaller could indeed be luxurious and premium. The car would become a design icon and influence the design direction of GM. But the question was how small? Which platform would be appropriate as a Cadillac? There were many possibilities. German Opels were considered, the recently introduced GM ‘X’ Bodies; Chevy Citation, Pontiac Phoenix, Olds Omega and Buick Skylark were all possible candidates. But these weren’t considered state of the art in the early ‘80’s, whereas the upcoming GM ‘J’ Bodies were both smaller and newer in execution than the X Bodies. FWD and the latest engineering the corporation had to offer — what could possibly go wrong? Image Unavailable, Please Login Source: oldcarbrochures Cue up the Chevrolet Cavalier. Unfortunately I was not privy to the decision-making discussions taking place where the donor car was being studied. However, the decision was made to utilize the Cavalier as the basis for a Cadillac entry. When the studio first learned of this decision I wasn’t certain I had heard correctly. A Chevrolet? An inexpensive Chevrolet? No Way. And yet, there it was. My initial reaction was, OK, we can make something out of that. The Cavalier was a handsome if inexpensive entry, but we might be able to get enough unique sheet metal and trim to transform it into a Cadillac. The studio was involved with the upcoming C Body Fleetwood and DeVilles as well as beginning work on the further downsized Eldorados and Sevilles for 1986. I was given the assignment to follow the small Cadillac project in addition to the C/E/K body cars. What I didn’t realize at the time was how little the changes that were going to be allowed. Once the timing had been established and the costs calculated, the criteria was established as to the extent of the changes planned. The list was as follows: a new grille, new taillamps, wheels and a bodyside moulding. The marketing team wanted to include a luggage rack. European, you know. And that was that for the exterior. No more, no less. The interior would be allowed minor revisions as well. Image Unavailable, Please Login Source: GM Design Full size airbrush proposals for next Gen Cimarron. My first thoughts were did we think the customers wouldn’t notice that we had taken a Chevrolet and ‘dressed it up?’ Would the motoring press not reveal what we had done? Was this the best the corporation and the Standard of the World could do? Apparently, the answer was affirmative and with that I was instructed to get to work and go wild with the meager elements we had been given. There are cars today that have bigger disc brakes than the Cadillac 13” wheels would be. The grille would have to fit into the existing Cavalier opening. I knew we were good, but we weren’t magicians. But with that we did the best we could with what we had to work with. The car launched wearing the Cimarron nameplate. To my surprise, many customers didn’t seem to mind the Chevrolet roots. Unfortunately, the initial powertrain was woefully underpowered and was hardly Cadillac material. Source: Source: Momentcar " data-medium-file="https://driventowrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/momentcar-1-300x214.jpg" data-large-file="https://driventowrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/momentcar-1.jpg" class="size-full wp-image-125177" src="https://driventowrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/momentcar-1.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="500" srcset="https://driventowrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/momentcar-1.jpg 700w, https://driventowrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/momentcar-1-300x214.jpg 300w, https://driventowrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/momentcar-1-150x107.jpg 150w, https://driventowrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/momentcar-1-490x350.jpg 490w" sizes="(max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 984px) 61vw, (max-width: 1362px) 45vw, 600px" style="-x-ignore: 1"> Source: Momentcar A facelift had been planned with sketches and full size renderings completed, but the damage had been done. The car would soldier on until 1988 with a much needed addition of a V6, but it was too late. Added to the V8-6-4 and Diesel debacle, the Cimarron became the poster child for what not to do in the Luxury car segment. Somehow a chrome luggage rack didn’t win over the Baby Boomers eyeing the German luxury marques. Who knew? All images (unless specified) courtesy of GM Design.
I guess your Editor turned down this alternative title for Part 12. . . Image Unavailable, Please Login
thoughts on roundels/numbers on a street car? im ok with stripes though. Image Unavailable, Please Login
