Cadillac Cien - An F-22 Stealth Street Fighter
With all the concepts that Cadillac has been transforming into road going production cars lately it just seems morally wrong that the Cien supercar, arguably the most exciting of the lot, is stillborn.
It's still wowing crowds, making its first Canadian appearance at the Montreal International Auto Show recently, and is a fitting icon for Cadillac's 100 year anniversary celebrations - especially considering its name is Spanish for 100. The mid-engine Cadillac is a low flying stealth fighter, with body creases as razor sharp as its purported handling. While radical compared to most of its contemporaries, the Cien embodies the very essence of Cadillac's fusion of design and technology as seen recently in its new CTS sports sedan, upcoming XLR roadster and SRX sport utility.
It also showcases the brand's future 7.5-L V12 engine, rated at 750-hp and 450 lb-ft of torque in this guise, destined for the company's next generation of large cars. A V12 in a Cadillac? Look way back and you'll find that there were more GM marques than just Cadillac to incorporate V12 power. Its flagship brand was the last of its divisions to offer a V12 way back in the 1930s, but nothing quite like the new Northstar XV12.
Expect significantly more than 500-hp from the double overhead cam, four-valve per cylinder, aluminum block and aluminum cylinder head engine. Cadillac's pioneering foresight (remember the 4-6-8 disaster of the early 80s) finally pays off in its new Displacement on Demand technology, allowing the engine to run on six cylinders when under lower loads to maximize fuel savings. It also uses a direct injection gasoline combustion system for improved engine power, better fuel economy and lower emissions. Also to reduce space and weight a new combined starter generator is incorporated.