The luxury coupe segment is a shell of its former self. Once enviable crown jewels in the lineups of many automakers, the luxury coupe market went through massive downsizing in the 1990s and the amount of entries that exist in the space these days are few and far in between.
Cadillac was apparently eying a new attempt in the luxury coupe market, and GM Design revealed a rejected concept coupe that would have rivaled German rivals if it had gotten the green light for official production from GM’s board of directors.
Expressive Coupe focused on muscular style
The concept in question is called the “Expressive Coupe” and while the name is phoned in a bit, the concept previewed what would happen if Cadillac chose to pursue the coupe market once again. The coupe would have given the brand a rival to models like the Audi A5 and the Mercedes E-Class coupe though the BMW M8 would’ve also been a possible target if Cadillac had decided to make a performance version.
The Expressive Coupe concept wasn’t meant to be seen by the public and was instead created as an internal design study to explore Cadillac design aesthetics. It’s not known why the concept never made it outside of GM’s design studios, the coupe does share some DNA with the CT5 sedan with the flowing front end and muscular undertones giving the concept a sporty appearance. Hockey stick-shaped LED headlights give it a sleek look while the chrome trim elements by the air vents adopt a similar profile.
Meanwhile, the interior has a minimalist theme with simplified controls and a clean crisp dashboard. A silver rotary gear shifter adds pop while leather upholstery and splashes of open-pore wood trim and metal wood trim help give it a modern look.
A glimpse of what could’ve been
GM has made it clear that it’s no longer in the coupe market (Corvette excluded) and the recent demise of the Chevrolet Camaro is further evidence of GM distancing itself from the segment in favor of pushing its SUV and truck models since those models reap higher amounts of profits than a niche offering like a coupe.
That said, the company’s efforts in the EV market might eventually see a coupe or two return. Not everyone is a fan of utility vehicles and Cadillac is keen to expand its presence in the EV market any way it can. As such, a coupe model would not only help bring in performance buyers, but also give dealerships a new halo model to help lure in buyers who want to see the two door, but will ultimately end up buying another EV model like the Lyriq or even the smaller Cadillac Optiq which helps boost sales.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.