When it comes to high-performance vehicles, Cadillac’s parent company, General Motors, has a long list of iconic nameplates to turn to. And now that Caddy has its own go-fast models, such as the CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing sedans, the potential for sharing among GM’s various brands is undeniable. For example – what would happen if Caddy built a sports car using Chevy Corvette bones?
The Corvette-based Cadillac XLR
Incidentally, that’s what Cadillac did roughly two decades ago with the XLR. Introduced at the 2003 North American International Show (aka Detroit Auto Show) as a two-door roadster and flagship model of the luxury marque, the Cadillac XLR is based on the same Y-platform as the sixth-generation Corvette, and was even produced alongside the Vette. at the Bowling Green plant in Kentucky.
Luxurious, sporty and stylish, the Cadillac XLR did not live long, with a production run of only six years from 2003 to 2009, falling victim to the global financial crisis and GM’s subsequent bankruptcy.
That said, the Corvette-based Cadillac idea still exists, and a digital artist has taken the idea back to the ’70s with this Vette-based DeVille Roadster concept.
“Petrol is still cheap, and Cadillacs are still Cadillacs,” wrote rendering artist Abimelec Arrelano. “This [rendering] obviously based on C3 [Corvette]in fact it shares the doors, the windshield, and the interior.
Even so, there’s still a little bit unique about this Corvette-based Cadillac roadster. The front end is extended in a similar manner to the Eldorado, while the fenders feature classic Corvette fins and pleats. The back is also reshaped.
“In 1970 Cadillac had a 500, 8.2L / 500 cubic inch V8 producing 400 horsepower and, ready, 550 pound-feet of torque at 3,000 rpm,” wrote the artist. “I think that’s enough to move this Corvette sister.”
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