Cadillac's 2003 two-seat roadster will be built in Bowling Green, KY, on a new convertible architecture. The Cadillac roadster interior features instrumentation by Italian jeweler Bulgari.

In mid-August General Motors announced that it plans to produce Cadillac's 2003 two-seat roadster on a dedicated assembly line at the its Bowling Green, KY, assembly plant. The rear-wheel-drive roadster was inspired by last year's Evoq concept car. The new Cadillac flagship will be developed on a new architecture specifically designed for convertible applications that features advanced steel hydroforming, an aluminum cockpit structure, and cored composite floors, making it exceptionally stiff, crashworthy, and lightweight. The production version of the Evoq will be sold in North America, Europe, Japan, and the Middle East.

The vehicle line executive (VLE) for the new Cadillac is David Hill, the lead engineer on the latest Corvette. Chief engineer for the program is David Leone, while Tom Peters is responsible for interior and exterior design.

While influenced by the Evoq concept, the production version is said to have many "technology and styling enhancements." Chief among these is a one-button fully automatic folding hardtop developed by Car Top Systems GmbH. The interior will also feature instrumentation by Italian jeweler Bulgari. The roadster will feature the first rear-drive application of the 4.6-L Northstar V8, mated to an electronic five-speed automatic transmission with manual mode in a transaxle configuration. Other elements of the Northstar System, such as MagneRide active suspension damping and StabiliTrak yaw control, will be standard as well as Michelin's run-flat PAX tire system and Cadillac's Night Vision. The car's price is expected to be competitive with other upscale, low-volume roadsters in the luxury segment such as the Mercedes SL 500, Jaguar XK8, and Lexus SC 430.

Kevin Jost

AEI October 2000