Holden Engineering Director - "V-12 Cadillac isn't happening"

Lately, there have been some pretty strong rumors about the development of a V-12 (based on the high-feature VVT V-6 family) for use in a Cadillac S-Class/7-Series competitor. Autoweek even went so far as to run a rendering (based on the Sixteen concept) - registered users only - as well as saying that Bob Lutz had confirmed that the development was far along. Now, Tony Hyde, Executive Director of Engineering at Holden (the division of GM that has been tasked with engineering the rear-drive Zeta chassis that was supposed to be the basis of the new high-end Cadillac sedan) has flatly denied the rumors in Australia's 'GoAuto' magazine.

We are definitely not doing it. It might be possible to join two V6s, but we are not doing it. None exist in our part of the world and we are certainly not testing anything like that at Lang Lang. - Tony Hyde

Now, from the exact wording, this only is a denial that they joined two V-6 engines to form a V-12 or that they are doing the testing...this leaves plenty of wiggle room for a V-12 not based on the high-feature V-6 line or for one that is just not being tested by Holden at Lang Lang... However, Bob Lutz, in an e-mail to a member of GMInsideNews, stated about the Autoweek article:

Sadly, that article was about 90 percent pure invention," Lutz said. "We have kicked off no such program.

So, we know that GM and Cadillac would love to have a V-12, high-end sedan above the STS. We just don't know if there is nothing in the works or if the details of the Autoweek story are off (and giving Mr. Hyde and Mr. Lutz room to deny the program). Personally, I think they are trying to make sure the competition doesn't know what they have planned and will, in fact, bring out a V-12 product around the end of the decade. See the Leftlane News article about the denials at: Leftlane News: GM denies V12 Cadillac super sedan rumors