Vorlage:Infobox Automobile The Cadillac Sixteen was a prototype of a stylish and high performance automobile first presented by Cadillac in 2003.
The vehicle was equipped with a 32-valve V16 concept engine displacing 13.6 liters (13600 cc) (approximately 830 cubic inches) and was mated to a four-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission. The engine featured fuel-saving Active Fuel Management technology, much improved from its notorious ancestor, debuting in 2004 on some 2005 GM models. On the Sixteen, it would seamlessly shut down twelve cylinders in light driving, eight during strenuous driving, and only awaken the entire engine under full acceleration.[1] With this ingenious system, the engine was capable of 20 mpg (11.8 l/100km) under normal conditions. The engine was said to produce 1,000 horsepower using no form of forced induction.
The car was conceptually related to the Cadillac V-16 of the 1930s. The actual design of the car was a combination of Cadillac's current "Art and Science" design theme and 1967 Cadillac Eldorado cues. Additional original design elements were provided by an in-house design competition led by GM Vice President Robert Lutz. The Sixteen has the Cadillac logo carved out of solid crystal on the steering wheel and a Bulgari clock on the dashboard.
Although the Sixteen fell short (narrowly, by some accounts) of production approval, its legacy is alive in Cadillac's future product planning. The subsequent generation of Cadillac products, particularly the revised CTS, have incorporated elements of the Sixteen's design. A scaled-down version of the car, referred to as the ULS (Ultra Luxury Sedan), with a standard V8 and an optional V12, has been rumored for production since 2005[2], and has neither been confirmed nor denied by General Motors. If built, it would compete with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the BMW 7-Series, the Audi A8, and the Jaguar XJ. Though it is unclear how much it will resemble the Sixteen, a new range-topping Cadillac is earmarked for 2010.[3]
The Sixteen appeared in the racing video game's Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix, PGR3, PGR4, and was featured on Top Gear in series 2, episode 10. it was also featured on an season 1 episode of Ride with Funkmaster Flex
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- ↑ [1] James May: "[...] sixteen cylinders, but if you're just cruising along you only use four cylinders, if you go to overtake someone you get eight cylinders, and it's only when you flatten it, as the Americans would say, that you get all sixteen. Now, that means that this two-and-half tonne twenty-foot-long car will do 20 mpg, which is actually very impressive."
- ↑ Cadillac shores up Ultra Luxury Sedan - Autoblog
- ↑ Future of GM