Poor Cadillac: BMW Took All The Good Car Names - Forbes

The Cadillac Elmiraj concept hints at a future top-end model.

When Cadillac announced Wednesday that its new flagship sedan will be called the CT6, it also signaled a shift in how future Cadillacs will be named.

Not now, but eventually, cars like the Cadillac ATS, CTS and XTS will instead be called CT1, CT2, etc. – with the number indicating the relative size and position of the cars in the hierarchy of Cadillac models. As additional cars are added to the lineup, they, too, will get the CT# nomenclature. (The naming strategy for SUVs is still being worked out.)

A new naming system makes sense, in a way: Cadillac, under new President Johan de Nysschen, wants to bring some order to its growing lineup as it splits off from General Motors as a separate business unit and moves its headquarters to New York.

But CT6 is a terrible name. For one thing, it's hard to say. And it's remarkably similar to the existing CTS, which is sticking around for a little while. (Try saying them fast – can you tell the difference?)

And while GM promises the new top-end Caddy will lead the luxury field in technology and handling, it's hard not to think less of a car called the CT6 when it's going up against cars like the BMW 7-series or the Audi A8. Why not the Cadillac CT9, for instance? Maybe Cadillac has a slew of new ultra-luxury models in the pipeline and wants to save space at the top for a CT7, CT8 or even a CT10. But I doubt it.

The problem is, of course, that BMW years ago nailed the simplest nomenclature with its 3-series, 5-series and 7-series. Then it started adding new models, and now its showrooms are crowded with 1-, 2-, 4- and 6-series cars, along with Z-, M- and i-models. The alphanumeric trend is rampant in the auto industry, especially in the premium space. Before running Cadillac, de Nysschen changed the car names at Infiniti so they all began with a Q (cars) or QX (SUVs). Even Kia, hardly a luxury brand, got in on the act with its top-of-the-line K900.

A lot of automotive historians would prefer that Cadillac bring back names from its storied history like Fleetwood and Eldorado. Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell says it's not up for a public vote.

"They want us to have a passionate, emotional name and we do," he said. "It's called Cadillac."

Source : http://www.forbes.com/sites/joannmuller/2014/09/25/poor-cadillac-bmw-took-all-the-good-car-names/