12 of the Coolest Cadillacs of the Past 120 Years
Sifting through 120 years of history of a brand like Cadillac is a delightful exercise in automotive archeology. Cadillac cars have spanned every era and in many ways have come to symbolize what American luxury and performance mean in the context of the automobile. Like every other American brand, Cadillac has experienced numerous ups and downs, has had its reputation burnished and tarnished. But through it all, Cadillac has persevered, and as the electrified vehicle era dawns, the marque once dubbed "the standard of the world" appears poised for yet another renaissance, thanks to EVs like the new Lyriq SUV and coming Celestiq ultra-luxury sedan.
So in celebration of Cadillac's 120 years as a going concern (the Cadillac Automobile Company was formed on August 22, 1902 and named after the founder of the City of Detroit), we decided to pick 12 of what we think are the coolest and otherwise most significant cars Cadillac has produced. This is in no way an exhaustive list, and as a result we left numerous vehicles off that no doubt deserve to be on it. But that's what makes a brand like Cadillac special—there are so many to choose from. In order from oldest to newest, we hope you enjoy our 12-car trip through Cadillac's rich and storied history.
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WHAT IT IS: After initially doubling down on hydrogen and hybrids, Toyota appears to be pivoting slowly toward battery electric vehicles. One of the models that'll anchor this directional change is the new 2024 Toyota Compact Cruiser. A follow-up of sorts to the beloved FJ Cruiser (which left our market in 2014 but still soldiers on in the Middle East), the Compact Cruiser is a pint-sized electric off-roader built in the same vein as early '90s classics such as the Suzuki Samurai. This small electric off-roader sports four doors, plenty of ground clearance, tucked-away bumpers, all-terrain tires, and beefy-looking skidplates, all of which ought to make it a hoot off-road.WHY IT MATTERS: Toyota is finally coming on strong in the EV space, promising 10 new "lines" of EVs by 2025, and the Compact Cruiser will be part of that salvo. While models like the 2023 Toyota bZ4X cover Toyota's more conservative audience, the Compact Cruiser, previewed here with images of the Toyota Compact Cruiser Concept from earlier this year, aims to satisfy legions of Toyota's hardcore off-road enthusiasts by offering more traditional Land Cruiser styling cues in an efficient, modern package.PLATFORM AND POWERTRAIN: We don't know a ton about what's underneath the Compact Cruiser's sheetmetal, but we think it's a safe assumption we'll find Toyota's new e-TNGA platform, also found underpinning the bZ4x and Subaru Solterra. We expect the Compact Cruiser to offer dual-motor all-wheel drive and somewhere in the realm of 250 hp or so. If that's the case, don't expect it to be a range or charging champ—the more aerodynamic all-wheel-drive bZ4X nets 222 miles of range in its least efficient form and is among the slowest-charging EVs on the market.ESTIMATED PRICE: $45,000EXPECTED ON-SALE DATE: Fall 2023
We'll keep this brief, given how extensively we've covered the new 2023 Honda Civic Type R's gestation over the past two years or so. From watching it lap Suzuka to watching it lap the Nürburgring to, well, just watching the same camouflaged prototypes again and again and again, we have a good idea about the basic contours of the 11th-generation-Civic-based Type R. At long last, we now know when we'll see the rest of the hot hatchback's details—and, you know, its uncovered body: July 20.Honda has announced that reveal date, and helpfully provided our only peek at the 2023 Civic Type R without any camouflage on it. That darkened photo (we tried lightening it more, to no avail) is above. While full information surely will drop on the 20th—just over one week away—we'll give you some of what to expect from this updated monster: It'll likely continue to be front-wheel drive, and powered by a version of the same turbo 2.0-liter I-4 as the outgoing model. Look for more than 300 hp, a six-speed manual transmission, Brembo brakes, huge tires, a wild wing, and even snappier dynamics than the already sharp-handling last-gen version. Now, with that, let's hope there are no more teasers from here on out.
Ever since Michelin revealed the Tweel airless tire in 2004, it has been on the radar for anyone looking to reduce the need for monitoring tire pressures for optimum fuel efficiency and tire safety—at least for applications like ride-on lawnmowers and ATVs. Looks like Hankook is the next to get in on the act with its i-Flex concept that debuted on the Hyundai Plug-n-Drive module concept at CES 2022.What Makes The i-Flex Different?Compared to Michelin X Tweel, the Hankook i-Flex is far more organic in its design—and that's by design. The tire's structure was inspired by "the cellular structure of living organisms." According to Hankook, this allows for "better shock absorption while allowing hexagonal and tetragonal cell structures of different rigidity join together for more stable load support."Made For An Autonomous TableFor now, the tire design is just a concept limited to a 10-inch outer diameter, which was perfect for the Hyundai Plug-n-Drive (PnD) module that also debuted at CES. You can almost think of it as a rolling, self-driven table. "The PnD modular platform is an all-in-one mobility solution that combines intelligent steering, braking, in-wheel electric drive and suspension hardware. The single wheel unit uses a steering actuator for infinite wheel rotation." In other words, it can turn around itself like that Lazy Susan on your table—except it's the whole table and it can drive around. With LiDAR and camera sensors, a PnD-enabled object can move autonomously, and the PnD modules can be attached to virtually anything that needs additional mobility.When's It Coming?The i-Flex has been in the works from Hankook since 2010, but a production version still isn't in sight. There are no explicit plans for building something larger than these small concept tires, but we have to imagine that Hankook is considering scaling up the concept for cars. We just don't know how far in the future that'll be.
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