Cadillac Concours conformed with Northstar's power, hardware
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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Along the flanks of Cadillac's top-flight DeVille Concours, immense slabs of sheetmetal make this full-size sedan look enormous and luxuriant, conveying the image of a limousine of a machine fitted with fancy features and packed with the latest in go-power hardware.
Concours has all of the features this overt image implies, but there's also an attribute concealed within the mass of metal and its sophisticated electronic and mechanical systems, a surprise which may only be detected by slipping behind the padded steering wheel.
You see, this thing's a dreamboat to drive.
Who would imagine a vehicle so big and complicated in terms of mechanics could be a pleasure to maneuver too?
Components added to the 1996 edition make Concours even more user-friendly, and the list extends from practicalities like steering, suspension and safety systems to fancifuls such as the new entertainment package and even an early warning device on the windshield which can detect rain drops and deploy wipers automatically when needed.
Before quantifying these new assets, though, let's settle the matter of how to pronounce this car's name.
Marketeers at Cadillac have curiously been enamored by labels which can be a challenge to enunciate properly, and this model, like the Cadillac Catera coming later in 1996 from Europe, invites error.
To pronounce it like a Cadillac official would, simply omit the final letter and emphasize the second syllable. Say: "con-COOR."
The name, by the way, comes from a French phrase for an automotive display known as the concours d'elegance, whereby entries are judged solely for their glamorous appearance.
This elegant Concours would fare well in such a show because its appearance suggests opulence and, yes, wealth.
Bold side panels become hallmarks with their vertical exclamations and gently curving caps at the rear which roll onto the long deck of the trunk. Yet at the front, an expressive hoodline slopes delicately downward to the broad presentation of chrome in a classic grille that showcases the Cadillac wreath-encircled emblem.
A wide bumper wraps around corners, then lines run the length of sides before uniting in back below rear lamps.
Four side doors seem easily defined by upper pillars, with glass in the rear doors highlighted by elegant vertical off-center sections.
Inside the fancy Concours cabin, seating expands for up to six passengers, although the front seat splits into individual areas to isolate the driver if desired.
Power controls for the driver's seat bring 8-way movements with two memory units so two different drivers (a husband and wife, perhaps) may select custom positions, then lock them in place for later automatic recall.
Everything else about this car suggests control by power, of course, such as the automatic climate system, power windows and door locks, and power outside mirrors.
Even windshield wipers work automatically now because new sensors can detect when rain actually reaches the glass, then automatically activate to clear the water from the driver's view.
From Cadillac, you would expect such fancies, however, because the brand has long been associated with features of luxury and convenience.
What you might not expect with Concours stems from the precision of the mechanical systems that translate into features which make this big car easy to drive.
In a word, it all comes down to Northstar.
Originally, Northstar represented an advanced Cadillac V8 engine but today the concept has been enlarged into an entire system of dazzling controls which encompass engine, transmission, steering and suspension elements.
Heart of the matter remains that beefy powerplant.
Constructed entirely from aluminum, the block displaces 4.6 liters and features a twin-cam configuration and four valves per cylinder with 100,000-mile intervals for service.
Output climbs to an impressive 300 horsepower.
Linked to this engine, an electronically controlled Northstar 4T80-E automatic transaxle puts four forward gears in an adaptive shifter which adjusts the engine's output for rapid but quiet movement from one gear to the next.
Northstar's independent suspension package, which continuously varies settings by sensing the type of road surface traveled, brings firmer damping on rough spots but softer damping on smooth pavement.
Magnasteer, another unique Cadillac label which describes a new variable-effort steering system, employs electronic controls for magnetic torsion to raise or lower the amount of effort required to steer. At lower speed, such as when parking Concours, you'll feel less pressure so the steering wheel turns easily, but at higher speed, like on a highway, pressure increases so only a slight movement of the wheel will turn the car quickly and responsively.
Daytime running lamps, mandated by federal law for all cars later in the decade, appear now on Concours.
Headlamps automatically deploy when the engine engages, but at a reduced intensity compared to nighttime operation, thus requiring less energy to operate. The purpose behind these daylight lamps is to make the vehicle more visible to on-coming traffic, so it translates to a safety issue.
A variety of other safety features come with Concours, beginning with massive dual airbags for front riders.
Also, the 4-wheel power disc brakes connect to a computer-governed anti-lock system which prevents wheels from locking when braking hard in emergency situations.
Together, all systems signify pleasurable driving.
My Concours road tests, working north and east from Traverse City, occurred across rolling hills along the lower peninsula of Michigan.
Two-laned routes provided opportunities to pass slower traffic, and the Northstar V8 excelled in moving so much mass quickly down the road. Deep valleys brought curvy sets, which Concours handled with road-gripping ease.
Hard to believe such a big car behaves so well, but Concours with Northstar aboard creates something special.
1996 CADILLAC DeVILLE CONCOURS
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| 1996 CADILLAC DEVILLE CONCOURS VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
Full-size luxury sedan |
| Model Options: |
Full-size luxury sedan |
| Wheelbase: |
113.8 inches |
| Overall Length: |
209.7 inches
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| Engine Size: |
DOHC 4.6-L V8 32v
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| Transmission: |
Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
Front |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
16/25 mpg |
| MSRP Price: |
$ 35,995 to $ 40,495 |
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