Leaderboard

Dealer called; truck is in Rhode Island. Next update Thursday.

GM frequently used design cues from concepts on later production cars, regardless of Divisional badging between the 2. So one can see cues that remind one of other RPO cars, but the concept here came out of the Pontiac Studio:

Some interesting details on that concept..definitely has the '61 B- and C- body A pillar shape, and a similar to the '61 C-body roofline. The scoops in the fender and door, if reversed, are similar to what appeared on the '63-'65 Riviera. The rear quarter reminds me of a '61 Olds, with the skegs and bumper shape. The roofline is similar to the prouduction C-body. '61 Olds 98 for comparison..

LOL Im an only child...I LOVE to hear stories like that. I have ALWAYS been OK without having any siblings. Only two times in my life I think that it sucked that I didnt have any brothers and sisters. 1. When my parents passed away. 2. NOW! I love my wife and my wife loves me. I LOVE my kids. BUT...sometimes, you just need a brother or sister to vent certain things about life that a wife or kids need not listen to... I do vent to my wife about those things, we are very close...but a wife is not a sibling... My wife, and certainly not my kids, need NOT listen to my extremely filthy mouth or deranged ideas floating in my head that sometimes NEED to get out. A sibling will ALWAYS understand where you are coming from... A wife, (not mine anyway...at least not now and after 18 years of marriage, but you never know) might question her marriage to you...

What if they're "demanding" a 3-row Cullinan? Is Rolls just ignore those "demands"?

Wealthy folk don't reproduce?

I thought that Cutlass was the 3.8L V6, but can't remember; maybe you can save me the look-up time because you already know. That was 1985, the car was a '76 or '77. In looking at pics just now, I didn't recall it was that larger generation; it seemed smaller to me then. My buddy here has his '77 Malibu now, we did mention it once before here. Me no likey.

Latest Update from Cadillac on LYRIQ's Development Acceleration by Virtual Testing. 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ at the Milford Proving grounds, Milford Michigan running ahead of schedule due to cutting edge virtual engineering tools. The new enhanced engineering tools have allowed them to now do far superior airflow optimizing over the design without having to build a prototype and test in a wind tunnel. This allowed Cadillac Engineers to optimize the vented roof spoiler, reducing drag while optimizing range. Cadillac-LYRIQ-Virtual-Aerodynamics-Testing-Animation.mp4 Better yet was that the new engineering tools have allowed the interiors to be designed for optimized cabin comfort taking into account everything from road and windshield noise to music and human conversations to have the best experience one could have. This starts with the actual airflow into and out of the cabin. Cadillac-LYRIQ-Virtual-Cabin-Comfort-Testing-Animation.mp4 What does this mean for gm and the customer? Best to quote the press release: “This new approach certainly achieved our initial goal of drastically reducing our engineering spend on expensive prototypes, but, more importantly, has enabled us to run faster than ever before, and deliver better quality on our first production vehicle builds.” “Now that we’ve moved to the next phase of development, the initial quality of our pre-production test vehicles is some of the best that I’ve ever seen,” said Jamie Brewer, LYRIQ chief engineer. “During early test drives, I’ve been impressed with the ride, handling and overall performance of the vehicle at this stage of development.” Several elements of the LYRIQ program were enhanced as a direct result of extensive virtual development and validation, including: Cabin comfort for all passengers in cold and hot environments Advanced aerodynamics to help maximize range1 and on-road performance Aeroacoustics and active road noise cancellation for a more enjoyable ride Driver assistance and active safety features2 for peace of mind Protection of the Ultium battery in a wide variety of collision scenarios Cadillac LYRIQ’s Development Accelerated by Virtual Testing and Validation (gm.com)

Precisely my point. See surreal's earlier posts; prior generation Escalade had optional 3rd rows; same size SUV.

In the olden days, there were 3 row cars--they were the full size station wagons, often w/ rear facing 3rd rows. The 3 row CUV/SUV is simply the modern equivalent (along w/ 3 row minivans). A 3-row pickup would be too long to be practical (or have a really short bed). Centurion built some 3 row (6 door) Ford F350s back in the 90s, seen a couple of them.

Still gotta wonder- why no 3-row cars or 3-row pickups? ?

Below is a pic of my knees and the back of the second row. There is an inch to spare if I sit completely upright and there is about an inch of head room left before I start scraping the headliner. Now imagine that scenario in any sloping roof CUV that is smaller than mine (a new Highlander is 4" shorter than mine with the 3 row option and a 2015 Tahoe is only 3" longer than mine with that high sitting axle underneath).

Ummmmm.....no.

That, my friend, is what's known as a 'hot mess'. - - - - - '16 Malibu 1.5T. Have to say, this car is a huge improvement over the '09 that preceded it. It does 90 on the highway like it's doing 40. The power is also very good as is the handling/ride/steering.

What. IS. That? (YUCK!)

Gruesome!

I think they are holding out on what a V series Ultium would be. I like the design. Hope they offer a body colour paint option for their attempt at the light up grille. Not a fan of the light up grilles I would get that part body colour. The rear end is not the best. Reminds of a Toyota hybrid or hydrogen car, not sure which one. Mercedes EQS is a different car for different buyer. I actually like the exterior of all these electric cars, finally they have stopped making boring compliance auto's

Doesn’t matter how much 3rd row seats get used, consumers demand them. Consumers don’t need 400 mile EV range which with 1 charge per day equates to 146,000 miles per year but they want it and pay for it anyway.

^ hmmm. ‘61 full-size styling study? I’m guessing Olds going by the rear quarter

Excellent!

Mercedes buyers have money. The E-class is Mercedes #1 selling car in 2021. They are not a brand that relies on the entry level product and E and GLE are often among their top sellers. GLE has a 3rd row too, up 41%, GLB has a 3rd row up 46%. And the GLE has a bigger share of its segment than the GLC does of its segment.

My family was pretty unusual, I grew up sort of like an only child because my sister is 13 years older and my brother 21 years older and were mostly out of the house after I was 5.

Was a beautiful 78 degree day today so I sat outside with the camera (and 200mm telephoto attached) and caught some of the wildlife out and about.

Why can't families haul families in 5-seat vehicles?

Are you going to set up a poll? I'm ready to vote. Then how come the XT6 doesn't outsell the XT5?

I doubt if the typical Cullinan or Urus buyer has school age offspring. Wealthy folk that have kids and want a 3 row would gravitate towards a GLS, X7, Escalade, LX, etc..

I can remember the mid 70s Collonades from childhood in the 70s, but by the time I started driving in the mid 80s most of them had rusted away or were worn out beaters. Didn't see many in nice shape in Ohio or S. Florida then.

It's just not my era of appeal. I lived thru them, but they were never as good as the prior decade's same-segment stuff. - - - - - So the MI>NJ Cutlass must've been a '77, I'm fairly certain it was the V6. ... So I just looked the Cutlass guy up on FB- have not talked to him since we were in school together. He did work for Ford in Global Planning, now works for Hyundai's tech center. We were both going to automotive design, I have no idea if he went further than year 1; as I changed targets/schools after year 1.

Those are luxury SUVs, not intended as family haulers like 3 row SUVs tend to be. Different niche.

Rolls Cullinan only seats 5 (or 4). MB g-wagon only seats 5. Lambo Urus only seats 5. Why? When are those going to be cancelled?

Lil' bit less- googlemaps from the port to my town is like 215 miles. Now just have to see how soon they load it and how direct their route is. We have a camping tent; with how empty the dealer lot is, I don't see why I couldn't camp out there for a few days and watch for the truck.

I think I've mentioned before; my buddy has a '77 Malibu 2-dr. It was a 250 CI I6, now it's a 454 V8. He was just asking me to help him find big block front springs for it this morning. Neat to see such a well-preserved one as the blue job linked above, but there's a lot of details on these cars that just screams 'cheap' to my eye.

It should be noted that the Slade has always had 3rd row but the Tahoe did not during its 1st gen run. That is what I referring to. Either way, it does mean that was the reason for those being purchased.

I like the dimensions of the Sport, virtually the same as my WK2 Grand Cherokee...the front end shape reminds me of the Jeep also, with the sloped back headlights and grille. I think the Velar is RRs answer to the lower, sportier coupe style SUV...not as low or fastback-ish as the X6 or Merc GLE, but similar in the lower height.

I believe the 2nd row folds down and then up also, or at least it slides forward, @balthazar Modern crew cab trucks could almost fit a 3rd row in the same space the 2nd row is, they're massive back there.

I "sort of" like it, but then I've got a weak spot for pop-up headlamps. You may be onto something. At first, I thought Pontiac, because it's more "out there" and the rear wheel skirts would be seen on so many of their standard sized cars going forward, even if sporty. But, with the way the front grille is treated, plus some "rocket-like" styling cues along the sides, it could be an Olds. I like it more than not ... for its day.

But the Escalade ALSO comes as a 2-row; does that mean it's not full-size???

Toyota C-HR!! As described on Toyota's site as 'Your Eccentric Match'.

The rear may say Cadillac, but coupe SUVs are still an awful idea, practically and otherwise. Having said that, I can't wait to see the Lyriq in person. I like about 90% of the vehicle (not the rear quarters, but still). Also, is there a Buick version on the horizon.

Okay, so now that a whole page has been wasted on talking about Mercedes (because apparently they pay their fans by the word) and how they are the best there ever was, maybe we can get back to the Lyriq.

[ gonna whisper this. slid under my '04 today, and found that 4 of the 6 cab mounts' lower bushing and the giant retaining washer are gone- rotted away. So it seems there's really only 2 bolts holding the cab on. #wheresmytruck? ]

The EQS would have been better off looking like a compliance auto than what it is (on the outside) right now.

I would bet $1000 to a donut that Mercedes, and everyone else, have been doing the EXACT same thing. Huh? The EQS has a competitor from Tesla already. And why would Cadillac want to compete in a "dying sedan market" (your exact words in the past)? That is literally contradictory to everything you have said in the past when Cadillac comes out with new gen sedan while not having enough CUVs. Pick a stance and stick with it. I will say this though. Be careful what you wish for. If Cadillac releases an EQS competitor, it is almost guaranteed to look a thousand times better than that undercover VW CC.

SOME consumers demand them, yes. OTHERS don't see the need. Cadillac XT5 handily outsells the 3-row XT6, also. Maybe more Cadillac buyers are between 1-4 in their family. No Range Rovers have 7-seats standard, and the largest model doesn't offer it at all, I believe. It's not that high of a demand... unless you have specific figures you want to post. Bottom line, as stated earlier; Lyric has the chassis length to accommodate 3 rows if Cadillac decides it wants to offer it.

Overall is shorter, yes, but wheelbase addresses your worry about 3rd row seating- it's plenty long enough to carry a 3rd row between the axles. However, note that the standard wheelbase (2-row until 2021) Escalade always outsells the 3-row Escalade ESV. That's probably the best real world demographic snapshot. mercedes has one- the GLS. Are they going after the Escalade ESV then (134" WB)?

• Lyric has a 2-in longer wheelbase than the Escalade. • 3rd rows are vastly overweighted. Families are smaller than in the past, and when sedans ruled the roads as familial transportation, there weren't any 3rd rows there. • IMO, there's 'concept', I guess we can slip in 'pre-production', and 'production'. 'Pre-production' would be in the neighborhood of 85%-90% (or higher) as 'production' is, and that would include OEM 'numbers' claims. Whereas a concept may be as low as 10% of a production vehicle. Again; IMO.

Pontiac badged.

It has the longest range of any EV, the best interior of any EV, biggest screen of any car. They got a lot right. Personally I am not a fan of the rounded off exterior styling, it doesn't have classic Mercedes proportions which I prefer.

SpaceX launches 4 astronauts to space station, nails rocket landing. "It's the third crewed launch for Elon Musk's company in less than 12 months. Crew-2's launch was one for the history books. It marked several firsts, including the first time that people have flown on a used Crew Dragon and with a used Falcon 9 first stage, and the first time that two different international astronauts have ridden in the capsule. The Crew Dragon vehicle that launched this morning, known as Endeavour, also lifted off in May of 2020, carrying NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the ISS on the Demo-2 test flight, SpaceX's first-ever crewed mission. In a nice bit of additional symmetry, Behnken is McArthur's husband." SpaceX launches 4 astronauts to space station, nails rocket landing | Space

^ That very pic is buried somewhere else in this thread.