The Cadillac Cien was a two-door, mid-engined concept car unveiled at the 2002 Detroit auto show to celebrate Cadillac’s hundredth anniversary. Its name is Spanish for one hundred, and under the glass sat a 7.5-litre V12 with 750 hp.
Cadillac Cien at a glance
| Maker | Cadillac, General Motors |
|---|---|
| Shown | 2002 Detroit auto show |
| Type | two-door, mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive concept |
| Designer | Simon Cox |
| Engine | 7.5 L 60-degree V12 |
| Power | 750 hp (559 kW) |
| Torque | 650 lb-ft (881 Nm) |
| Engine features | direct injection, displacement on demand |
| Chassis | aerogel composite monocoque |
| Aerodynamics | active aero |
| Inspired by | F-22 Raptor |
| Built with | Prodrive, England |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Cien.
History of the Cadillac Cien
Cadillac showed the Cien in Detroit in 2002, a hundred years after the company was founded, and the name – Spanish for one hundred – made the point. The car was designed by Simon Cox at General Motors’ Advanced Design Studio in England and built as a fully working road-going vehicle with the help of the British engineering and motorsport company Prodrive.
A V12 in the middle
The engine was a longitudinally mounted 60-degree V12 of 7.5 litres, giving 750 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque. It used direct injection and displacement on demand, which let it run on eight or fewer cylinders under light load. The monocoque chassis and body were made of aerogel composite, and the car had active aerodynamics; its shape was inspired by the F-22 Raptor fighter.
Why it never reached a showroom
Cadillac initially planned to put the Cien into production, but development funds were lacking and the expected selling price of about $200,000 made the size of the customer base doubtful. Production was cancelled at a board meeting, and the car remained a one-off. It went on to appear in the 2005 film The Island and briefly in Transformers: Age of Extinction, and it is a playable car in games including Gran Turismo, Midnight Club 3 and Asphalt Legends.
Design and features
- Mid-mounted V12: 7.5 litres, 750 hp, with displacement on demand for lighter running.
- Aerogel composite body: an exotic material chosen for stiffness and weight.
- Active aerodynamics: moving surfaces that adjusted the car’s airflow.
- Fighter-jet styling: a shape drawn from the F-22 Raptor, with a low glass canopy.
Cadillac Cien versions
- Cien concept (2002): the single running show car.
- Planned production car: studied with an expected price of about $200,000, cancelled before launch.
The Cien was the most extreme of Cadillac’s show cars; its more practical contemporaries are covered in the Sixteen and Ciel articles. More Cadillacs are in the Cadillac collection.
Video: 2002 Cadillac Cien Concept
Video by 222Jacko on YouTube.
Sources
- Cadillac Cien, English Wikipedia: engine, chassis, design, production plans, media
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