Cadillac working on rear-wheel-drive range-topping sedan

2011 Cadillac CTS Coupé

Ever since Cadillac debuted the suave rear-wheel-drive Sixteen concept way back in 2003, rumours have been flying around suggesting the marque will put it into production. However, those comments were swiftly subdued by GM. Now the rumours are alive again.

Despite gossip regarding the platform will be a long-wheelbase Zeta architecture, reports out of the U.S suggest Cadillac will utilise a special standalone architecture, dubbed “Omega.”

Internal sources state that six and eight-cylinder petrol engines will be used, alongside all-wheel-drive. While a diesel engines have been ruled out, a hybrid set-up may be possible. Whether the sources were talking about the XTS concept - which will reach production sometime in 2013 – we don't know as apparently the Sixteen will rival the Audi A8, Mercedes S-Class, BMW 7 Series, and Lexus LS. Another set of insiders say the car will compete with the Rolls-Royce Phantom and Bentley Flying Spur, which sounds more suitable.

While it sounds more like the latter, look out for a £130,000 ($217,000) price tag and a launch date of beyond 2015.