If there’s one factor to be aforesaid about the Cadillac Catera it’s this: it absolutely was a great car however not a good Cadillac. It went on sale in the United States as the rebadged Catera for the 1997 model year however did not catch on for various reasons. For starters, Cadillac wasn’t a suitable brand because a majority of its customers at the time we’re older and not so curious about a European-designed and engineered sport sedan. They preferred larger and more comfortable sedans and coupes just like the Sevilla and El Dorado.
But GM required to draw in younger consumers to Cadillac and therefore the Omega offered a fast and low-cost way to try. just like the Omega, it came powered by a naturally aspirated 3.0-liter V6 with 200 HP, paired to a four-speed automatic transmission that directed power to the rear wheels.
There was really nothing American regarding the Catera, other than its Cadillac badging. Its engine was built in the united kingdom, transmission in France, and final assembly took place in Germany.
Cadillac’s US promoting campaign claimed it absolutely was “the Caddy that zigs” and even supermodel Cindy Crawford was employed to help promote the automobile. For its 1st full model year, a complete of 25,411 units were sold-out and about the same number in 1998. However, in 1999, it dropped to around 15,000 examples and by 2001 it absolutely was down to solely 9,764. needless to mention, Cadillac came to the conclusion it required to rethink this whole sport sedan factor.
Luckily, some gearheads were absolutely conscious of what else might be possible. One such cluster was Lingenfelter Performance Engineering (LPE).
This 2001 Cadillac Catera presently up available on Bring A Trailer was sent to Lingenfelter for a few serious upgrades, specifically a 5.7-liter LS6 V8, later on, it being replaced by a 7.0-liter LS7 V8. LPE engineered it with a corvette C5R-based block, ported LS6 heads, an LS6 intake, and even a custom exhaust system. it was then fitted with a six-speed manual transmission. The modifications didn’t stop there. A limited-slip differential, Eibach and Steinmetz suspension parts, 17-wheels and touring car-spec disc brakes, and various other upgrades followed.
The interior features a cool three-spoke Momo wheel, a Bose sound system with a CD changer, and even Cadillac V-Spec badges. The seller has performed all maintenance in person and it was even featured within the October 2002 issue of GM high-tech Performance magazine, a duplicate of that is included in the sale.
As of this writing, the best bid was $5,700 however the auction isn’t over till Today, July 27.
