Why Cadillac's head-turners don't turn up on the road

The Cadillac Escala Concept -- star attraction at Monterey Car Week in California last month -- suggests the future of Cadillac styling, says Mike Simcoe, General Motors new head of global design. But Staff Reporter Richard Truett wondered why mouth-watering concepts such as the Escala, and the Cadillac Elmiraj shown in Monterey three years, ago don't get produced. He spoke with Simcoe this month at GM's Tech Center in suburban Detroit.

Q: The Escala five-door concept explores a different way to offer utility than an SUV. Is that a direction Cadillac is going in? 

A: It's the epitome of where we are going to take Cadillac design. It's meant to be a flagship vehicle. It describes proportion. It describes simplicity of surface and a wonderful interpretation of interior. All of those design details -- graphics, character of the grille surfaces -- you can place on any vehicle in the Cadillac brand and range. So, realistically, will it influence SUVs, performance sedans and anything else we do across the range? Yes. 

Why keep doing stunning concept cars such as the Elmiraj and not bring them out as production models? 

Every designer would like to see every design he's had a hand in go to production, but that's just not the way it is. We do concept vehicles for many reasons, whether we are previewing a design direction we are going to take as a company, previewing a new vehicle or sometimes just talking to ourselves, redefining for ourselves the direction we want to take a brand in.