DETROIT -- Vgmcg bildr vst kkrs.

Oops.

Sorry.

Hard to reach the keyboard while prone on the floor after being told that Chevrolet priced its 2003 SSR roadster truck at $41,995.

"Didn't anyone at the pricing meeting even blush at $41,995?" we asked General Motors President and Chief Executive Rick Wagoner.

"Why, you think we low-balled it?" he replied before a grin formed ear lobe to ear lobe.

Numbers seen: After the SSR was priced, Cadillac unveiled the Sixteen concept sedan here, a luxury rocket powered by a 1,000-horsepower V-16 engine. If built, Sixteen would carry a $250,000 to $350,000 window sticker on a limited run of 500 copies.

While difficult to imagine $41,995 for a Chevy not called Corvette, it's also hard to fathom anyone handing over $250,000 to $350,000 for a Cadillac.

"There's always a number, whether 1,000 or 2,000, or 5,000, who you can count on to buy any vehicle," Wagoner said.

The day after GM unveiled the Sixteen with its 1,000-h.p. V-16 that claims to propel it from zero to 60 mph in just 4 seconds, Chrysler Group pulled the wraps on its concept Dodge Tomahawk, a 500-h.p. V-10-powered motorcycle that claims zero- to 50-mph acceleration in 2 seconds. Chrysler hinted 100 might be built and sold -- at $250,000 per copy.

The one-upmanship by Chrysler made it necessary to corner Bob Lutz, chairman of GM's North American Automotive operations and head of advance product development, to ask where his 1,000-h.p. V-16 Cadillac motorcycle might be hiding?

"Don't have one," Lutz replied, after which he slowly raised his hand high in the air and then struck his fist down on the table top in mock dismay:

"Rats, outmaneuvered by Chrysler again," he said.

Despite 1,000 h.p., Lutz insists Sixteen is an economy car, thanks to displacement-on-demand, which shuts off the supply of fuel to cylinders when not needed to conserve gas.

But does the world need a 1,000-h.p., $250,000 to $350,000 economy car?

"Does the world need great French wines or custom-tailored suits or luxury yachts?" Lutz counters.

"When I worked at Chrysler (as vice chairman before joining GM) everyone thought we were going out of business and then we brought out the concept Dodge Viper in 1989 with 400 h.p. and public perception shifted," Lutz noted.

"Sixteen serves as a guiding light, a modern interpretation of everything that once made Cadillac the luxury standard of the world, a vision of the return to pre-eminence when people aspired to buy a Cadillac because it represented the pinnacle of luxury. We want Cadillac to have that image again," Lutz said.

"The number of cylinders always has been and always will be a status symbol. Sixteen will have more power than you need -- ever -- but it signals to the world that we have the technology to do anything," Lutz said.

GM unveiled five concepts, the Sixteen, Chevy SS and Cheyenne, Pontiac G6 and Buick Centieme.

Anne Asensio, a GM executive design director who is French (she was lured from Renault), provided the Centieme (Son tea om) commentary.

"She's the only one who knows how to pronounce the name," noted Gary Cowger, president of GM's North American operations after the preview.

"Come to think of it, since she's the only one who knows how to pronounce it, why don't we just change the name?" Cowger said.

Best question asked at the show.
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Who is going to pay $42,000 for this?? It's not that great looking, and not remotely practical. :ghey:

 

My guess is the same people who rushed out to buy the new Thunderbird when it first went on sale through Nieman Marcus.

 

:jawdrop:

:wtf: is GM thinking? Did Lutz not get it that the Prowler was not that successful. I would've given it some chance of survival and a little respect if it was under $30k, but $42k is out of reach for the normal working man. $42k is just insta-death right off the start.

 

It's limited production right? It's for the guy who's been buying a loaded up Silverado once every five years for the last 20 years and now can afford to get a toy.

 

Seriously, anyone who buys this over a Corvette deserves to be dop kicked in face.

 

Please don't dop kick me in the face.

 

42 grand is WAY too much for this thing. Unbelievable. I was beginning to like Lutz and GM, but this is just stupid. I'll bet it costs under 25 grand to build this thing and ship it, too :slap:

 

With a power retractable hardtop? I dunno...

 

I figured it would be in the 30k range, but not in the 40s. That thing will cost more than my MDX did. Cars seem to be getting more and more expensive. My wife wants a Jetta and the prices are amazing, a GLX VR6 is like 24k. I don't think the VW name is worth as much as VW wants people to pay for it.

Also, that article was stolen from auto.com

 

That's unconfirmed.