CAR WARS! Pebble Beach Edition: Elmiraj vs. Escala — WHICH Moves YOU More?

Yesterday night was a big one for Cadillac. General Motors' luxury division unveiled an all-new concept for the marque. But it wasn't just any other concept.

That's because the all-new Escala is ushering in an all-new, much needed design language. We've been saying Art & Science is dead for quite some time now.

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But, you see, there's a significant problem. In fact, there's two.

First, the Escala though nice, is a ripped off design. Just look at its roofline. It screams "I heart A7!" And then there's the rather Jaguar-like front grille and Audi-inspired headlights. It's all very derivative.

That's not going to help Cadillac's brand equity. It needs to be Cadillac, not consistently chasing the Europeans.

Second, Cadillac had its amazing design. It was called the Elmiraj and showed up at Pebble Beach three years ago. And, when you saw it, you knew EXACTLY what it was. It was a brilliant, brilliant design that won everyone's attention. And people wanted it! So, GM didn't build it.

So, after speaking with Agent 001 we just knew we had to ask: WHICH Cadillac design moves YOU more? The Elmiraj or the Escala?


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2013 Concours DElegance Pebble

valhallakey - 8/19/2016 11:48:50 PM

+1 Boost

El Miraj by a country mile!!!

cidflekken - 8/20/2016 1:54:24 AM

+1 Boost

El Miraj

CANADIANCOMMENTS - 8/20/2016 8:21:25 AM

+1 Boost

Glad to see the Spies and I think alike. I posted similar thoughts yesterday. The El Miraj should have been built.

MDarringer - 8/20/2016 9:09:15 AM

+1 Boost

The Elmiraj and the Escala are both stylistic home runs.

The only car wars are the ones Cadillac is missing by NOT building these extraordinary vehicles.

Someone needs to photoshop the Escala's lights onto the Elmiraj's nose and to put the Escala's tail lights on the Elmiraj's butt. Sensational.

Cadillac can do great design, but it will not produce them.

Cadillac can do great, iconic-sounding name, but will continue with alphabet diarrhea.

Dexter1 - 8/20/2016 9:11:36 AM

+2 Boost

El Miraj is now the conservative concept because it took current Cadillac design a step further. Many of the El Miraj assets made it into production. Escala (although it sounds like a NYC Italian restaurant) takes Cadillac in a newer direction. I'll go with Escala.

MDarringer - 8/20/2016 11:08:18 AM

0 Boost

Ironically, an Audi could only hope to look that amazing.

xjug1987a - 8/20/2016 9:00:18 PM

+1 Boost

The insanely complex answer that is so simple is BOTH. For me its just me and the wife so I don't need a 4 door and the El Miraj is what I really want. If they made a CTS Coupe, like this (think 76 Cutlass or Grand Prix), it would be in my driveway. I LOVE the El Miraj and I think the tail end is better than the Escala even though that car is sensational. I admire the understatement of the Escala but like the bling of the El Miraj (see the Cadillac emblems as just one indicator). The answer is these cars are exactly what will reestablish Cadillac as the Std of the World. At the end of the day all premium cars will have similar content so the insane styling of these 2 will punch above the din...

MDarringer - 8/21/2016 10:41:45 AM

-1 Boost

They need to build them and build them now. Cadillacs should definitely have bling, which is why the Continental will do well.

TomM - 8/21/2016 6:59:42 PM

+1 Boost

Yes indeed - the big seller in the Cadillac Lineup is the Escalade - and it has BLING - all caps. THe Continental - in person - is a little disappointing compared to the original concept - but it clearly will sell well.

Cadillac needs to make CADILLACS to survive. Enough of these pseudo German fighters - with horrible packaging - but great power and handling. WE want NAMED cars (Imagine a Rolls Royce without a name) - big cars - ostentatious cars - cars that actually turn heads. Yes - we already know that they can produce the innards - now they need to produce the outside too. What we really need is a REAL AMERICAN in charge of the American standard for the world.

Closets and hangers are for DeNysschen and company. Let them move on to their next place - Genesis.

CANADIANCOMMENTS - 8/21/2016 12:06:22 PM

+2 Boost

All points well taken. MD and the X-Man are bang on. You need to build cars to be a winner. Designs and concepts are great, but they don't drive profit. Step up GM. Concepts are for show, closets are for hangers and winners use the door....

carloslassiter - 8/22/2016 8:50:27 AM

+1 Boost

The guys cheerleading for this to be built also begged Plymouth to build the Prowler, and that didn't work out so well.

Truthy - 8/22/2016 11:32:05 AM

+2 Boost

I prefer the Escala save for one change, the hood and the fender line on the Elmiraj and the Ciel were raised (like the 1971 El Dorado) and unique. The Escala has the same solution as everybody else.
Still, it is a car that Cadillac nees to build in the next 18 months and put that V8 into this and the CT6 now.

As for the Continetal,I cannot get past it being based on the Fusion platform.
There is only so much you can do with a FWD mid-sized paltform.

Truthy - 8/22/2016 11:48:20 AM

+2 Boost

Why the hate for DeNysschen? he is the one responsible for the positive changes at Cadillac. They are pointed in the right direction. They need to stick with it and change their identity which they have done frequently in the past.
As for it taking "a real American" to create real American cars, it was Germans who created the Chrysler 300 and Dodger Charger. It was their reverence for what made American cars unique that enabled them to be made.

And sorry TomM, but in the global marketplace and brand building, alpha-numeric makes sense. The Escalade in really only a hit in the US and is an exception.