The Cadillac thread

[RocZX]

Cadillac moves HQ to NYC

General Motors Co.'s Cadillac brand will open a headquarters in New York early next year, as it moves the global hub for its luxury brand away from Detroit.

The shift comes as Cadillac focuses on global growth and tries to establish a fresh identity in the luxury market. Currently, most of Cadillac's functions are part of the rest of GM, and its headquarters is at the Renaissance Center. Many Cadillac operations will stay at the GM Warren Tech Center.

"We want to put a little bit of distance between Cadillac and the rest of the General Motors entity so that we can begin to put together a team that is able to give 100 percent mindshare to meeting the challenges of the premium market," Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen told The Detroit News.

The Detroit News


May rename models CT#

UGH. Cadillac's new flagship sedan — its beacon of stature and statement to the rest of the world — will be called 'CT6.' What's worse is that it appears the rest of the lineup will follow this half-assed alphanumeric system.



The announcement comes from Automotive News in this tweet.
https://twitter.com/Automotive_News/status/514872015510335489



Also worrying is that Cadillac has trademarked CT4 and CT5, as well.

Cadillac's new head honcho, Johan de Nysschen, is famous for that kind of renaming. He made his name at Audi (A_) then moved to Infiniti (Q_) and now it appears he's trying to pull the same trick on Cadillac (CT_).



The 'CT', if you're wondering, stands for 'Cadillac Touring.'

Jalopnik

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Another blow for Detroit. Sad really. It's a smart move for Cadillac though. NYC is arguably the greatest city in the world and no auto makers hail from there. Great marketing opportunity. Maybe they see what, rather remarkably, Tesla has done from San Francisco? Perhaps it's unrelated. Cadillac stopped subscribing to an American ethos with the first CTS. I suppose they hadn't really any ethos prior to that since probably the 1970s, but now they are too....BMW-chasing. It's working for them, but how can they sleep at night?

 

[Robin]

I think Cadillac need go more upmarket with the brand and appeal to international buyers who lap up Range Rovers and Jaguar's. Moving to NY will give a location they can use to market the brand and it's one which everyone in the world knows about whereas Detroit hardly has the glitz, glamour and notoriety of the big Apple. No disrespect, I love Detroit, but you have to sell the picture postcard America if you want sales.

As for the naming, I think they should have stuck with names rather than letters and numbers.

 

[Tornado]

Cadillac wants to establish a "fresh" identity. Directly copies Inifiniti's already amusing attempt to copy Audi.

 

[YSSMAN]

Another blow for Detroit. Sad really.

Not really. They're taking 30-50 people and moving them to SoHo, while the rest of GM stays headquartered right in the middle of downtown Detroit. Which, might I add, is the only one of the big three actually in Detroit proper, and not one of the suburbs. Still, if you've ever been to the Ren Cen (and I suggest everyone go at least once), the oddity of that structure is so beyond reason that I can't help but think that it'd be good for Cadillac. More or less, it looks like a Pyongyang skyscraper inside, a labyrinth of madness to even get across the building. But even then, it is an insane echo-chamber of Old GM. It feels like 2003, and no, not in a good way.

...And even then, all of Cadillac's R&D will still be done in Warren, and the majority of their models will still be built in Lansing. Not a big deal.


As for that naming structure...

Dammit, Cadillac. This thing already doesn't make a lick of sense at Infiniti, and it sure as hell won't make any at Cadillac. Sure, you kinda stuck yourself in a weird spot with making the mid-size ATS start with an "A", but man, it isn't a case to throw the baby out with the bath water. So, what are we doing, then? CT1-CT9? Do we realize how much that sounds like the robots that get destroyed by Robocop? Because you know what throws everything out the window? When you're buying a CT4, and that damn thing has a V8, and then your brain hurts, because you know that this thing worked at Audi, but doesn't make sense anywhere else... ffhfjasklasskljasd.

I mean, what the hell are we going to call the ATS, now? The CT2? Ugh. The CTS? A CT3? Or is that a CT5, so it doesn't look too dumb?

 

[SlipZtrEm]

So is it de Nysschen's plan to slowly move from automaker to automaker, ruining their established naming conventions for some ill-thought-out replacement?

There's nothing wrong with the current system (Escalade being the odd one out aside).

 

[RocZX]

...And even then, all of Cadillac's R&D will still be done in Warren, and the majority of their models will still be built in Lansing. Not a big deal.

When I first heard that Cadillac HQ was come to NY, I thought I would start seeing camouflaged Cadillac prototypes driving around NYC/ surrounding areas and then I read that only the "suits" were come to NY.

So is it de Nysschen's plan to slowly move from automaker to automaker, ruining their established naming conventions for some ill-thought-out replacement?

There's nothing wrong with the current system (Escalade being the odd one out aside).

Do you know that when he take over Infiniti that they moved their HQ to Hong Kong ?

de Nysschen was with Infiniti since 2012 and the big thing he did there was renaming thing.




As for the renaming thing with Cadillac I would rather see them go with Eldorado or Deville. If they want something with # they should go with the old Series 70, 75 ,60 , 62 it sounds alot better then CT5.

 

[YSSMAN]

As for the renaming thing with Cadillac I would rather see them go with Eldorado or Deville. If they want something with # they should go with the old Series 70, 75 ,60 , 62 it sounds alot better then CT5.

I'd be down for the old school naming scheme as well. The only problem with going back to DeVille, Seville, El Dorado and the like is that... Well, they sound like silly names. Maybe they should just, you know, come up with new ones.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

I like the idea of the "Series" nomenclature as well. Eldorado, Deville, etc just remind me of really bad Cadillacs of the 1980s and 90s.

 

[OriginalCheezIt]

Can someone please move into Detroit? Detroit needs a helluva lot more help than NYC.

 

[Beeblebrox237]

A good name helps sell a car. Alphanumerics don't. Of course, I'd be a lot less likely to buy something called Deville or Eldorado, because of the Cadillacs of the past.

American cars so often have great names. Why can't Cadillac just have normal names rather than boring and emotionless letters?

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

A good name helps sell a car. Alphanumerics don't. Of course, I'd be a lot less likely to buy something called Deville or Eldorado, because of the Cadillacs of the past.

American cars so often have great names. Why can't Cadillac just have normal names rather than boring and emotionless letters?

I think BMW, MB, Audi, Ferrari, and Lexus sales figures disagree with you.

Alphanumerics might be emotionless and boring, but they do suggest a cold and calculating precision and scientific quality, which I think most people value over emotion.

 

[Beeblebrox237]

I think BMW, MB, Audi, Ferrari, and Lexus sales figures disagree with you.

Alphanumerics might be emotionless and boring, but they do suggest a cold and calculating precision and scientific quality, which I think most people value over emotion.

I suppose so. All of those companies do have a history of alphanumerics, though, so something as simple as 325i or C63 still means something vaguely emotional. CT6 doesn't have that.

 

[Tornado]

I think BMW, MB, Audi, Ferrari, and Lexus sales figures disagree with you.

I'm certain Honda wishes every day that they had a time machine so they didn't have to spend millions to redesign their flagship model and then have it only sell a bit more than 25,000 over five years.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

I'm certain Honda wishes every day that they had a time machine so they didn't have to spend millions to redesign their flagship model and then have it only sell a bit more than 25,000 over five years.

I'm not sure what you are talking about.

I suppose so. All of those companies do have a history of alphanumerics, though, so something as simple as 325i or C63 still means something vaguely emotional. CT6 doesn't have that.

Cadillac had about 50 years worth of numeric naming conventions. Not sure anybody remembers it though....

 

[psntomaz]

CT???

Facepalm

Just bring back the old school names.. Be American... You have:
Sixty
Eldorado
De Ville
Calais
Fleetwood
Seville

 

[Omnis]

And all of those plus Brougham on the end.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

CT???

Facepalm

Just bring back the old school names.. Be American... You have:
Sixty
Eldorado
De Ville
Calais
Fleetwood
Seville

Eldorado:

De Ville:

Calais:

Fleetwood:

Seville:

GM has eviscerated any sort of prestige from those nameplates, with comprehensively, irreconcilably bad cars for as long back as most people can remember. I think they are correct in seeking a new nomenclature, but I agree CT# isn't really that profound...

 

[YSSMAN]

I liked where they were going with xLS/xTC and xLC/xTC back in the day. The problem was that the A-Z nomenclature didn't exactly lineup depending on the sizes and performances of the car, and I'm under the impression that that is what management is most worried about right now. Jumping from ATS < CTS < XTS < LTS doesn't exactly make a lot of sense, but then again, that implies that the average person knows enough to actually care. Yes, the naming convention that they want to go to worked well for Audi, but that's because it mostly mirrors that of BMW. Even if they think it works at Infiniti, problem is, it throws away 10+ years of marketing so that some OCD guy can make sure his triggers aren't being pulled.

Honestly, I dig how they've been doing their concept cars over the past 15 or so years...

Elmiraj
Ciel
Converj
Cien
Evoq
Provoq

Although they're a little weird, at the very least, they attach a feeling to a name. I dig how Elmiraj looks and rolls off the tongue, I dig how its a melted way of honoring the El Mirage racing grounds out in So Cal. It actually means something... Far more than CT6 would ever convey. I'd fully support stealing the concept names of the Elmiraj, Converj and Provoq and slapping them on the LTS, ELR and SRX respectively. I'd fully support Cadillac taking that kind of naming convention and applying it to popular places, French words, and emotions (gasp!). Something like Emerj, Diverj, Baroq, Monocoq - they all work. I could totally see the Emerj being something to replace ATS, while Diverj could be an entry-level luxury car. Baroq would have to be something big and luxurious, perhaps a good way to name the XTS. A Monocoq? Well, why not throw out a new sports car, am I right?

 

[JMoney]

There's pulling an Infiniti on us. And I don't know anyone that likes digit names, just give us a real name!

 

[McLaren]

I don't understand this desire to establish a fresh identity. They finally have cemented themselves as a more up-to-date, more performance driven company thanks to the CTS & ATS, and now they want to throw that all away? And replace it with a nameplate that's already heavily identified with Lexus?

 

[Keef]

I don't understand this desire to establish a fresh identity. They finally have cemented themselves as a more up-to-date, more performance driven company thanks to the CTS & ATS, and now they want to throw that all away? And replace it with a nameplate that's already heavily identified with Lexus?

I think these brands are stupid. Infiniti's system is the most miserable naming scheme in decades, possibly of all time. The Cadillac CT thing doesn't make sense either. I mean, they're already Infinitis or they're already Cadillacs so why do they ALSO have to be Qs or CTs? That's like the Ferrari LaFerrari. IT IS ALREADY A FERRARI. It's stupid.

 

[RocZX]

Cadillac SUVs/crossovers to be renamed XT

Cadillac Chief Marketing Officer Uwe Ellinghaus told Forbes that future Cadillac SUVs will have an "XT" name followed by a number to denote their size in the hierarchy of vehicles. It's not terribly original, and it sort of conflicts with the XTS sedan, but that's due to be replaced by some kind of CT-numbered car.

Ellinghaus and De Nysschen have said that even Cadillac's customers are confused about their current naming system, and they hope this one will help them figure it out.

Ellinghaus said that the "XT" and "CT" designations — which he had begun developing soon after becoming Cadillac CMO a year ago — would provide the framework for effective new nomenclature as Cadillac continues to fill out and overhaul its lineup.

"It's a logical thing to give some mental space like this in your naming scheme," Ellinghaus said. "So many other brands have done that sort of thing, across industries. It's not rocket science. It doesn't fit our immediate business needs, but this simple logic will help us build this brand and enhance recognition over the long term."

'Kay. As of now this name change will only affect one vehicle in Cadillac's lineup, the SRX, but it's likely they will add more SUVs and crossovers in the coming years.

One car that won't be affected by this naming system is the Escalade, because that name has way too much equity and is almost like a brand unto itself at this point.

Jalopnik

 

[Tornado]

Yes. Cadillac customers being confused about the naming system after they redid their entire lineup in the past ten years is sure to be helped by renaming their entire lineup. Again.




And make absolutely sure when making a new naming scheme under the pretext of solving customer confusion that you don't consistently apply it, just like BMW.

 

[Omnis]

Dropping Escalade for XT? Big mistake.

 

[buickgnx88]

Dropping Escalade for XT? Big mistake.

The last paragraph says that the Escalade name will stay.

 

[Omnis]

Way to go, quote cut-off.

 

[RocZX]

CT6 shown during Cadillac ad.

 

[YSSMAN]

A blown up CTS? Who'da guessed?

I'd be interested to hear in the powertrains, though. Blown V6? V8? Hybrid setup? What will Cadillac use to differentiate themselves?

 

[Tornado]

What will Cadillac use to differentiate themselves?

A wholly innovative naming scheme, of course.