Cien – Cadillac’s Super Sportscar
To a Malaysian who knows a bit about car makes, Cadillac will bring to mind those ‘land barges’ and l-o-n-g limousines that Mafia bosses went around in (American presidents also travel in Cadillacs). That image was true at one time, prior to the fuel-conscious 1980s, but Cadillac has since ædownsized’ its products and models like the STS and CTS are claimed to be able to ætake on European rivals’.
Cadillac does have engineering expertise to produce high-performance cars and it’s a matter of making use of it. Evidence comes from the Cien concept car which is doing the autoshow circuit in Europe and the USA. It was premiered in Detroit earlier this year and a jury comprising over 30 designers voted the super sportscar study the best car at the show, at the same time awarding it the prize for ‘Best Design’ in the concept vehicle category.
Cien is taken from a Spanish word for ‘100’, regarded as being a æsuperlative number’ and indeed, this concept car has many superlatives. The mid-engine two-seater has evolutionary styling ideas cues from the chiseled design of earlier Cadillac concept vehicles like the Evoq, Imaj and Vizoon.
“The Cien is the ultimate expression of our new Cadillac design,” explained Simon Cox, head designer at the Cadillac Advanced Design Studio in Birmingham, UK, where the coupe was created.
The styling of the concept vehicle features sharp contours, rather like a finely-cut diamond, trapezoidal air intakes and a dominant waistline to enhance the dynamic wedge shape. The blue tint on the windows and headlamps are reminiscent of a pair of sporty sunglasses, while cast magnesium 19-inch wheels at the front and 21-inch wheels at the rear underline the performance character of the car.
The body and chassis of the Cien are made of a carbon fibre composite, which is lightweight and very stiff. For suspension, lightweight dual A-arms are used at front and rear.
The heart of the Cadillac is the all-new Northstar XV12 concept engine. The specifications for the compactly packaged aluminium powerplant with four-valve technology and four overhead camshafts comprise a 7.5-litre displacement, a maximum output of 560 kW/750 bhp and peak torque of 610 Nm.
The engine’s technical highlights include direct fuel injection, a variable intake system, cylinder deactivation under low-load conditions and variable valve control, which allows 90% of the maximum torque to be delivered at a low 1500 rpm.
The powertrain comprises a 6-speed semi-automatic sequential gearbox specially designed by the motorsports experts at UK’s ProDrive. Operation is by means of controls situated on the steering wheel.
Special equipment includes the infrared NightVision system, the Delphi’s Communiport infotainment centre with a voice-activated audio and navigation system as well as cameras to replace the side and rearview mirrors.
Dimensions of the Cien:
Height: 1170 mm
Length: 4457 mm
Width: 1975 mm
Wheelbase: 2750 mm
