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<\/a><\/p>\nCadillac tried it again with the Catera (based on the Opel Omega) in 1997, and just like their last attempt, it bombed. \u00a0Between the uninspired styling, and a marketing campaign that was apparently aimed at thirteen year old boys (remember Cindy Crawford and the duck?), was there ever any hope? \u00a0Sure, I can understand the desire to reach out to a younger, affluent market segment, but how does Cadillac keep getting it so wrong?<\/p>\n
And then came the Escalade. \u00a0Cadillac put a new face on an old friend (Tahoe\/Suburban) and finally found a winner. \u00a0It had everything the contemporary car buyer wanted: luxury and comfort, style and prestige, all wrapped around a proven platform that any driver could appreciate. \u00a0Soccer moms loved them, CEO\u2019s loved riding in them, and rap stars turned them into gold plated egos on wheels. \u00a0It was enough to put the shine back into Cadillac\u2019s crest.<\/p>\n The CTS came along a few years later, and again Cadillac had another winner. \u00a0Sporty and aggressive, the CTS was the perfect vehicle for car buyers who wanted an American made car with all of the luxury and performance of a European vehicle. \u00a0Finally, America had a viable alternative to Mercedes and BMW.<\/p>\n But most importantly, after decades of being associated with white haired old ladies, Cadillac was young, sporty and fun again, the way it had been in the \u201850s and \u201860s.<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t to say that Cadillac hasn\u2019t produced some fun sporty cars in the last few decades. \u00a0They just haven\u2019t built any that people could afford, or for which the expense could be justified. \u00a0The plush and powerful Allante was a winner in my book, but not many people wanted a $50,000 front drive convertible. \u00a0The XLR is another winner with it’s super-aggressive, angular styling and high-end performance, but at $70,000, it\u2019s far out of reach for most of middle America.<\/p>\n I have to admit that since their introduction, Cadillac has done a remarkable job of keeping the Escalade and CTS updated and fresh.\u00a0 In fact the new CTS coupe is another step in the right direction, but what Cadillac needs now is another home run; something completely different that gets its inspiration from the Allantes and XLRs that we love, but can\u2019t afford. \u00a0And that\u2019s where my plan comes into play.<\/p>\n The same way Chevrolet\u2019s Tahoe became the best selling Escalade, the GM Kappa platform – on which both the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky are based – could easily become Cadillac\u2019s first mid-range convertible.\u00a0 It’s sporty, it’s rear-wheel drive, and the engineering is already done, so the hardest part for Cadillac is to improve the design and truly make it their own.\u00a0 Let the engineers and designers do what they want and tell the marketing people to get the hell out of the building.\u00a0 Added bonus: Since the Kappa platform has been discontinued, it would give GM the opportunity to put hundreds of auto workers back on the assembly line. \u00a0Everybody wins.<\/p>\n To be honest, I think the reason the Solstice and Sky never took off is that Americans have simply lost their love for Pontiac, and nobody really got that whole Saturn concept. \u00a0But slap a Cadillac logo on that sleek, sexy body and GM could sell a million of them.<\/p>\n So here\u2019s my challenge to GM and Cadillac. \u00a0Resurrect the Kappa platform, build an appealing sports car that the middle class can afford, and put some faith in the American car buyer.<\/p>\n And after you sell the first thousand, please send one my way. \u00a0I promise I\u2019ll drive it with pride!<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>