Art And Science Takes To The Road In The Chiseled Form Of The New Cadillac CTS
FOR RELEASE: August 16, 2001Art And Science Takes To The Road In The Chiseled Form Of The New Cadillac CTS
Pebble Beach, Calif. - In 1998, the Cadillac division of General Motors Corp. instituted a strategy of Art and Science to define what it means to be a Cadillac in today's luxury automotive market. A series of concept cars, beginning with the Evoq luxury roadster, served as bold visual components of Cadillac's new direction and design form vocabulary.
Now the first of the division's production cars to embody that vision of Art and Science has arrived: the 2003 Cadillac CTS sedan, unveiled here at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. The boldly chiseled CTS, with its sheer forms, sharp edges and crisp intersecting lines, at once honors Cadillac's storied past and points toward its bright future.
"Cadillac at its peak was known for bold, trend-setting design and innovative, ground-breaking technology-it was indeed the standard of the world," said Wayne K. Cherry, GM vice president of Design. "At its best, its styling was overt and dramatic. CTS is certainly dramatic, yet also refined. It builds on this heritage in a bold, new way."
Cadillac's 100-year history is replete with design and engineering triumphs. The CTS is a natural extension, exemplifying Art and Science as both a celebration of a century of accomplishment and a harbinger of design achievements that lay ahead.
GM Design Center paid special attention to detail in designing CTS, reaffirming GM's and Cadillac's renewed commitment to design leadership. Emphasis was placed on both exterior and interior materials, textures, colors, proportion and visual cues. The result is CTS, Cadillac's bold new entry into the entry-luxury segment.
CTS Exterior Design: Sharp, Sheer, Crisp and Clean Cadillac's Art and Science design form vocabulary borrows the sharp forms, angular shapes and crisp edges of the aerospace and computer industry, among other American, high-tech geometric influences.
"The concept of Art and Science is distinctly different from the competition," said Thomas Kearns, lead exterior designer on CTS. "When we began work on CTS, we wanted to create a car that could only be from Cadillac."
The CTS design team had two objectives for the profile view: Use the feature line as the dominant theme with an emphasis on vertical ends, and accentuate the stance of the vehicle. The rear track of CTS is a fixed design point from the underlying Sigma architecture, as is the fender flare. The vehicle sides were tucked in slightly to enhance that flare for a more tailored look. The sail panel also enhances the "fast formal" look, giving CTS a sportier appearance. Simple but dramatic, the hood kicks up into the fender line for a sweeping, dynamic look.
Cadillac's traditional vertical headlights and taillights first appeared in 1965. CTS carries on and refines the tradition.
CTS' integrated headlights convey the high-tech image of optical instruments and high-end camera lenses. Thin and tall, they create more space for the large, louvered egg-crate grille-another Cadillac staple, this one dating back to the 1930s. The shield-shaped grille prominently houses the new Cadillac wreath and crest.
"The front of every future Cadillac will be identifiable with cues based on the past, but interpreted in new ways," Cherry said.
The rear view complements the front, with a full-color wreath and crest integrated into the center line and a wide V-shaped CHMSL. A CTS emblem is placed discreetly at the lower right of the trunklid. CTS' rear view will stand out easily among the sea of horizontal taillamps on the road, and be immediately recognizable as the new look of Cadillac.
CTS Interior Design: Comfort and Convenience in an Inviting Environment American computer influence inspires the form vocabulary and content of CTS' inviting interior, particularly the instrument panel and door treatments. The center stack especially borrows from the look of a personal computer, and even the climate control air vents are reminiscent of computer vents. Strong vertical elements throughout the interior reinforce the vertical design themes established on the exterior.
"The CTS interior reflects craftsmanship and an avant garde elegance," said David Lyon, lead interior designer. "We used exquisite materials and mechanical grains to present a precise execution of contemporary luxury. The character of the CTS interior is purely American, yet it meets global needs."
Warm, rich materials contrast the cool computer, high-tech appearance, balancing the contemporary feel with touches of traditional luxury, presented in a new way. Wood is used sparingly, only in areas with which the customer comes in contact, such as on the shifter knob, top of the steering wheel and door pulls.
The CTS steering wheel is a sporty three-spoke design with the center of the wheel sporting the Cadillac shield shape and wearing the wreath and crest. The wheel also features a diamond cut center spline and a distinctive "mouse button" to control the infotainment system.
The seats are covered in high-quality Nuance leather, and their shapes and sew patterns reflect craftsmanship and quality. Special attention was paid to detailing the seat side panels and track covers to emit an air of contemporary luxury.
The screen for the infotainment system is positioned high on the center stack, well within the line of sight for both driver and passengers. The controls are intuitive, with two large knobs for volume and tuning, six presets, and seek and scan buttons. The steering wheel-mounted mouse allows the driver to adjust the audio system volume and source. Despite all the attention to detail on interior as well as exterior design, occupant safety was by no means an afterthought. Special emphasis was placed on safety from the outset of CTS development.
Interior safety features include the LATCH (Lower Anchors and Top Tether for Children) child safety seat installation system at both rear outboard positions, and top tethers at all rear seat positions. Six next-generation air bags are standard on CTS, including two dual-stage front air bags, two front-seat-mounted side thorax bags and two roof-mounted side curtain bags that run the length of the cabin from A-pillar to C-pillar to protect all of the vehicle's occupants in the event of a side-impact or rollover crash.
"It's through Cadillac's Art and Science design style that we are re-establishing the Cadillac brand and setting it apart in the luxury market," Cherry said. "The Cadillac CTS is significant in that it's the first complete production expression of this vision for the brand.
"It's one of the single most important designs GM Design Center has ever created."