GMInsideNews.com is reporting that Cadillac is accelerating development of the alpha architecture

In another rumored move, Global Product Board has taken development of Alpha from GM Holden and has given it to the GM North America and GM Europe operations. This was done to placate Cadillac, who does not want to compromise on Alpha’s development for their planned BLS-replacement. What Cadillac hopes to achieve is to get a flexible enough platform to support 4, 6, or 8 cylinder engines, as was deemed necessary by the Wreath & Crest brand.

This may also hint that a premium version of the Alpha platform will eventually supplant the Sigma platform that current underpins the Cadillac CTS when the vehicle is replaced in the 2012-2014 time frame. Originally, GM had intended to further develop a “premium version” of the Zeta architecture that would unify both Zeta and the much more expensive Sigma platform. These plans, apparently, have been shelved in favor of a wider utilization of the lighter Alpha platform.

I am a huge proponent of lighter cars.  It was expected that the new smaller-than-a-CTS model would be lighter by virtue of being smaller.

The idea that a ‘stretched’ alpha might replace the current Sigma II architecture of the Cadillac CTS is very interesting, and would be a way for the entire line to get on a diet, so to speak.  Very good news.

Of course, a nice V8 engine in a lighter Cadillac Alpha platform would be fun, if less economical.  But certainly a V-Series edition of the upcoming Alpha model would be welcome.