50 YEARS LATER, CADILLAC RETURNS TO LE MANS RACE IN 2000

After a 50-year hiatus, Cadillac will return to the fabled turns of Le Mans to compete in the 24-hours race in June of 2000. Cadillac will campaign the Cadillac Northstar Le Mans Prototype (LMP) as an integral part of its plan to bring Cadillac to the world stage.

"The Northstar System provides the basis for establishing our engineering and technology pedigree as we extend the Cadillac brand around the globe," said John F. Smith, GM vice president and Cadillac general manager. "We understand the important role of motor sports in international markets such as Europe. Returning to Le Mans demonstrates the depth of capability supporting Cadillac's products as we expand our competition with the world's leading prestige luxury marks.

"At the same time, endurance racing also gives us a platform for displaying and exploiting the technological advantages of our Northstar System," Smith continued. "While we're not prepared to divulge all our plans at this time, suffice to say that we will approach our production partners for technological input into the program."

The Cadillac Northstar LMP is under development with world-renowned race vehicle builders, Riley and Scott (R&S), of Indianapolis, Ind. R&S has campaigned cars in numerous sports car categories, including LMP (also known as WSC in North America), GT-1, GT-2, SCCA Trans Am, IMSA GTO, and GTP.

The LMP chassis will be powered by a 4.0-liter version of Cadillac's Northstar V8 with dual turbo chargers. Testing for the various system components has been underway for several months. Once the chassis is completed later this summer, testing will determine where the vehicle will make its race debut.

Herb Fishel, executive director of GM Motorsports, said the 32-valve Northstar V8 provides a powerful, durable and technologically sophisticated base for Cadillac's return to the racetrack. "While going head-to-head with the top competition in the world will enhance Cadillac's profile as a global manufacturer, the grueling demands of 24-hour endurance racing also will provide valuable engineering information that will help improve the street performance of future Cadillacs," Fishel said.

In 1950, Briggs Cunningham campaigned two Cadillacs in the Le Mans classic, one with a specially-built aerodynamic body, the other a near-stock Coupe de Ville. The race-car style car, driven by Cunningham and Phil Walters, finished 11th overall despite losing ground because of a skid into a sand pit. Sam and Miles Collier drove the Coupe de Ville, with its stock engine, transmission and chassis, to an impressive 10th place finish.

Both of the Cunningham entries were powered by a landmark Cadillac engine, the 331-cubic-inch (5.4-liter), short-stroke, high-compression overhead valve V8 first introduced in 1949. An English race car, the Allard J2, also used the Cadillac engine and finished third in the 1950 Le Mans race.

"With the Northstar Le Mans Prototype, we are stretching Cadillac's vision for 'art and science' to the limit, exactly 50 years after our very credible first entry at the world's most famous endurance race," Smith said.

The announcement of the return to Le Mans follows a string of Cadillac strategic moves to elevate awareness of the brand and convey its vision of "art and science" for its products and business operations.

The successful global launch in 1998 of the all new Seville elevated Cadillac's presence in the global five-meter sedan market with one of the most sophisticated all-weather sedans in its class. Led by the success of Seville, Cadillac enjoyed its best sales year ever outside North America in 1998.

Cadillac announced in August 1998 that the 2000 DeVille will offer the first automotive application of Night Vision, a thermal-imaging technology that helps drivers avoid accidents by enhancing their ability to detect objects well beyond the range of their headlamps. Night Vision builds on Cadillac's leadership in bringing to market innovations with real customer benefits, especially in the area of active safety.

The Evoq luxury roadster concept, revealed at the 1999 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, signals Cadillac's intention to recapture the imagination and excitement of consumers around the globe. A crisply styled, rear-wheel-drive two-seater with retractable hardtop, Evoq embodies future styling cues and showcases a host of advanced technologies either available now or currently under development.

Staying focused on the present as well as the future, Cadillac introduced the Catera Sport and ultra-high performance Catera Steinmetz Concept at the Chicago Auto Show in February 1999, bringing a higher level of fun and performance to Cadillac's entry-level luxury sedan. "These moves reflect our commitment to globalize Cadillac," Smith said. "With a minimum of one new product every year for as far as the eye can see, Cadillac will prove that it is serious about establishing itself as a viable, desirable and relevant global luxury vehicle manufacturer."

• The Cadillac STS Cunningham special edition Pace Car

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