Maybe a Corvette-Based Cadillac Concept will Debut This Week

Let me begin by pointing out that this piece is purely speculation based on my desire to see a Cadillac sports car. The video teasing the Thursday debut of a new Cadillac Design Concept vehicle in Monterey really only shows the dash board of the vehicle, and this dash board could be in all sorts of vehicles. However, as someone who loves the modern Cadillac design language and who would love to see a new Cadillac sports car based on the underpinnings of the C7 Corvette, I do see one aspect of the interior which could support the new sports car theory.

Could This Be a Sports Car Cockpit?
If you watch the Cadillac teaser video below, we get a few tightly cropped images from the cabin of this mystery car and the highlight of the clip is the massive, high tech dashboard. It appears as though the entire infotainment system and the driver information center is incorporated into a set of overlapping screens, with a spread of buttons next to the steering wheel likely working with the controls on the steering wheel to adjust every aspect of the vehicle.

This style of infotainment system could certainly be included in any new Cadillac vehicle, but in the screen shot from the video at the top of this image, look at two specific details.

First, look at the position of the silver gas pedal, below the right side of the infotainment screen setup, and think about where the gas pedal is in relation to the steering wheel. This image is clearly skewed a bit, but it looks as though this impressive screen setup could be wrapped around the driver tighter that it might first appears. That would make it hard for the passenger to access anything on this screen, but you know who doesn’t care about that? Sports car owners.

Second, look at the area where the dashboard of this mysterious Cadillac meets the driver’s door. The top line of the dashboard isn’t very high and it meets the top line of the driver’s door. This suggests to me that the dashboard itself is set fairly low, similar to the layout of a low-riding sports car. Also, at this junction, look at the thin, aggressive side view mirror. That could definitely work on a sports car.

Finally, while this has nothing to do with the video, there have been rumors that the current Corvette test cars captured on film around Detroit could actually be Cadillac test cars with Corvette bodies – which would support the rumors that a Caddy sports car is on the way.

What Else Could It Be?
While I see some styling cues that could make this a Corvette-based Cadillac sports car, that isn’t the only reason which leads me to believe that a Caddy sports car is coming. Cadillac has rolled out the next generation sedan with the CT6 and they are killing the ELR, so it seems unlikely that this would be a new sedan or a new small car/hybrid. With that round steering wheel, I suppose that this could be an Escalade-based concept plenty of room to check out the fancy, new infotainment system, but it seems unlikely that a large SUV would have such a low-slung dashboard.

Ultimately, if GM is looking to show off premium interior technology, an SUV would provide the most room for people to look, but a new Corvette-based sports car would most certainly draw more attention at Monterey Car Week. It might just be wishful thinking, but I could see the camera panning out from this interior and revealing a low-slung Cadillac sports car based on the Corvette architecture.