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Cadillac's de Nysschen takes aim at Porsche 911, Cayenne

Johan de Nysschen has big plans for Cadillac. He's moved the brand from Detroit to New York, revamped its model nomenclature, and planning a raft of new models for the near future – including a $250,000 luxury sedan to take on the likes of Rolls-Royce and Bentley. But the veteran executive of luxury automakers has some more performance-oriented machinery in mind, too. Speaking with Car and Driver at the Los Angeles Auto Show last week, de Nysschen suggested Cadillac could be ready to launch a flagship sports car sometime in the next decade. The halo model would take aim at the Porsche 911 and do for Cadillac what Audi did with the R8, Mercedes is doing with the AMG GT and Acura once did (and is aiming to do again) with the NSX. Just what form it would take remains a big unknown, but de Nysschen indicated that the brand would need to be built up further before the sports car would be launched, lest it emerge too detached from Cadillac's image. The last time Cadillac delved into that territory was with the Corvette-based XLR, of which it sold only 15,000 or so examples – far below initial targets. The 911 rival isn't the only performance model de Nysschen has in mind, however. He plans to further expand the V series into a more substantial sub-brand to include a crossover to take on the likes of the Porsche Cayenne Turbo, BMW X5 M and all those many AMG-tuned Mercedes utilities. The idea of an entry-level model to slot in below the ATS was mooted as well. A range of diesel engines are slated to help Cadillac break into overseas markets in similar fashion to how Maserati has expanded its market reach with oil-burning versions of the Ghibli and Quattroporte. And we wouldn't be surprised to see Cadillac get in on a new flagship SUV being launched by Opel in Europe, either.

What are the odds an actual Cadillac EV looks anything like this?

The Cadillac EV concept sure looks neat. It's all-electric, too, which is even neater. Unfortunately, it's a concept car, and when it comes to concept cars with Cadillac badges on them, it's best not to get too excited. For instance, you might recall this exquisite piece of automotive art. It was called the Elmiraj. You might recall the production version became the bold face of a new Cadillac and inspired a renaissance for the brand. Jay-Z drives one. Oh wait, no he doesn't. It was never made, nor was anything like it made. This is the Cadillac Escala. It has certainly inspired design cues on production Cadillacs, most notably the just-revealed XT6. However, besides those cues, it's a pretty anonymous large crossover. Hardly anything as stunning as the Escala. Now, perhaps the CT5 will be a dead-ringer, but we wouldn't get our hopes up. Then there's this, the Ciel. Not to be confused with an Acura CL, it was 100 feet long, a convertible and purple. This was also not made. OK, we can see why. And finally, this is the Cadillac Sixteen. As the name suggests, it had 16 cylinders. That's a lot. The most you can get in a Cadillac today is half that many. Now, to be fair, most manufacturers produce concept cars that have zero chance of production. They are meant to serve as inspiration for future designs, showcase future technologies or just draw attention to the brand. The problem with the Cadillac concepts is that they're not that fanciful. Those aren't pod-like Jetsons cars up there. They aren't this nonsense. They look like modern interpretations of the exact sort of grandiose cars Cadillac used to make. The very cars that made Cadillac the "Cadillac of the World." You know, like this. I'm not talking about literal tail fins and pink paint, but that's a CADILLAC. It's confident. It's its own thing. It doesn't need to beat BMW around the Nurburgring to prove something to someone somewhere. The Elmiraj was also a CADILLAC. The XT6 literally wears a Cadillac badge, but it could be anything. By contrast, Lincoln is doing a much better job of tapping into the spirit of its grand past with the Navigator, Aviator and suicide-doored Continental. Nowhere is that better seen than in the cabins of the XT6 and Aviator. One is swank. The other is not. But back to where we started: that EV concept. You'll note that it doesn't actually have a name.

Cadillac ATS coupe and sedan get Midnight Editions

Horror stories and fairy tales make a mint by having the scariest things happen at midnight, but automakers make a mint by marketing midnight. Chevrolet busted out a Silverado Midnight Edition early this year, followed shortly thereafter by an Impala Midnight Edition. In between those two we got the Cadillac CTS Midnight Edition, and now comes an ATS following in the zero-dark-thirty tradition, according to GM Inside News. The ATS Midnight Edition will add $1,695 to the sedan price and $600 to the coupe. For that cash outlay you get black chrome on the grille, around the windows, and on the rear fascia, 18-inch "After Midnight" wheels, "sueded microfiber" trim on the steering wheel and shifter, plus the Cold Weather Package with a heated steering wheel and heated front seats. Just those few exterior changes make a big difference up front, increasing the appeal and aggression of the sports sedan without being ostentatious. You can't go dark with just any old ATS, though. The package is limited to rear- and all-wheel-drive versions of the Performance trim. And the color palette is reduced to four hues: Crystal White Tricoat, Red Obsession Tintcoat, Phantom Gray Metallic, and Black Raven. The three possible interior combos are Light Platinum with Jet Black accents, Morello Red with Jet Black accents, and Jet Black with Jet Black accents. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2015 Cadillac ATS Midnight Edition News Source: GM Inside News Design/Style Cadillac Coupe Luxury Special and Limited Editions Performance Sedan