visakhthefried's video: Cadillac Ciel

Cadillac Ciel Championing the glory of leisurely driving, Cadillac's stunning new open-air handcrafted concept car speaks to luxurious motoring while focusing on simplicity. There's no question that this car says that Cadillac can (after many years) once again define American luxury; it looks clearly toward the future though respectful of the brand's heritage. The Cadillac Ciel is a hybrid electric concept car created by Cadillac and unveiled at the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. The Cadillac Ciel has a twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter direct injection V6 producing 425 horsepower and a hybrid system using lithium-ion battery technology.The Ciel is a four-seat convertible with a wheelbase of 125 inches. The concept car was developed at GM Design's North Hollywood Design Center. The Ciel concept is a 4 seat convertible with suicide doors and the luxurious interior features a smooth wooden dashboard with a simple gauge look. The word "Ciel" is French for sky which is what the designers had in mind when they made the vehicle. The Ciel is much larger than any concept vehicle they have made in the last 10 years. Inspired by the California coast (the car was designed by GM's LA-based Advanced Design studio) the Ciel—"sky" in French— is designed to comfortably seat four adults, featuring elegant lines and an elongated proportion that is surprisingly just a foot longer than the American manufacturer's angular CTS Coupe. The Ciel sports a 3.6 liter V6 engine too, but it's complimented by a hybrid system that uses lithium-ion batteries. Driving California's Highway 1 in an open car while the sun sets is the type of journey the Ciel team envisioned during its design. The Ciel's doors are hinged at the rear to reveal a sweeping view of the dramatic interior, accented with nickel-plated trim, exquisite Italian Olive wood and soft leather. Cadillac's heritage of advanced technology is evident everywhere you look, beginning with the Ciel's bold LED headlamps and tail lights. The Back Story Starting with the introduction of the radically styled CTS in 2003, Cadillac has sought to remake itself from the image of selling softly sprung American luxury cars into a world-class player with edgy styling and vehicle dynamics designed to challenge the best Germany has to offer. It has succeeded in some areas, with its V-Series sedans, but not in others, like the 2-seat XLR. And while the upcoming XTS with its transverse engine and all-wheel drive may appeal to some of its more traditional buyers, Cadillac clearly needs a new range topper to go toe-to-toe with the likes of the BMW 7 Series, Mercedes-Benz S-Class and Audi A8. But there is also a camp within the company that would like to offer such a car on Cadillac's own terms, that is, offering a car with the size and handling attributes of those German benchmarks, but something that is more uniquely American in its approach to design. And rather than use an auto show to drive that point home, Cadillac took the wraps off the Ciel concept last August at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, primarily to draw attention to its statement-making classic design cues. This car can be viewed as the next installment in a search for a new American grand classic that began with the Cadillac Sixteen concept car. What Makes it Unique First off, the Ciel (which is French for sky) is a 4-door convertible with coach-style doors, something not seen on an American car since the 1960s in the Lincoln Continental. In fact, there is much about the Ciel that recalls that classic, not just from the number of doors and how they open, but also the strong nose-to-tail character lines that top the fenders and the relatively slab-sided nature of the body. The vertical lighting front and rear, and the large egg-crate grille are pure Cadillac design themes. The 4-seater's cockpit is divided by a center console and the wood trim comes from a 300-year-old olive tree that was felled by a storm outside of Naples, Italy. Rather than borrow an existing platform, the Ciel actually rides on a purpose-built chassis with a staggeringly long 125-in. wheelbase. The front-mounted engine is a direct-injection twin-turbo 3.6-liter V-6 mated to an electric hybrid system, which produces a combined 425 hp and 430 lb.-ft. of torque. And in typical concept car fashion, it rides on massive 22-in. wheels. Cadillac designers summon the brand's rich heritage as they begin to define the shape of a future flagship. The four-door convertible is a foot longer than a Cadillac CTS, and seats four adults in comfort. Power comes from a twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V6 and an electric motor, with a combined output of 425 horsepower.