Alcoa and General Motors Combine Design, Engineering Talents to Create Cadillac Sixteen Concept Car, an Ultimate Luxury Sedan.

Business Editors/Automotive Writers

NOTE TO MEDIA: Multimedia assets available

PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 6, 2003

General Motors and Alcoa (NYSE:AA) have combined their design and engineering talents to create the Cadillac Sixteen concept, an ultimate luxury sedan. The Sixteen represents the successful integration of the art of design and styling with the science of aluminum structural design and advanced manufacturing technologies.

"Working with General Motors to help them create this intriguing sedan presented Alcoa with the opportunity to demonstrate more than two decades of structural design and engineering expertise. The Sixteen's aluminum auto structure is unique in its capacity to meet significant vehicle performance, occupant comfort and safety requirements while accommodating the sedan's aesthetic needs," according to Robert S. Hughes, Alcoa's Executive Vice President in charge of the automotive market sector.

The Cadillac Sixteen has also become a demonstrator for leading-edge automotive aluminum engineering. Alcoa has integrated a number of its latest automotive technologies into this vehicle. "Whether the requirement is for energy-absorbing bumpers, or for an upper body design supporting GM's desire for an unparalleled passenger view, or for the assurance that the Sixteen will be easily recyclable, Alcoa's aluminum structure and body panels deliver against all of these needs," Hughes added.

"Because the 16-cylinder engine will be the jewel of this concept vehicle, we asked Alcoa to provide an engine compartment that would also be an appropriate setting," said David Bolognino, GM's project manager for the Sixteen. "Working together, we were able to accomplish this task by taking a different approach to distributing the forces from the wheels and suspension components throughout the body."

"Helping GM achieve their unique goals for making the Sixteen the ultimate in passenger comfort and safety mandated a significant departure from traditional structural design and engineering," according to Eric F.M. Winter, Alcoa Automotives' Vice President of Engineering. "We accomplished this by integrating advanced materials, such as aluminum-foam floor composite panels, with different product forms, including large, complex castings, hydroformed extrusions and formed sheet."