The surprise reveal of a new Cadillac luxury coupe concept took Pebble Beach by surprise today. The 2013 Elmiraj Concept evolves the styling themes seen on the similarly-sized Ciel convertible concept - but also forms a core styling template for the next-gen XTS as well as the 2015 Escalade.

Cadillac ->ke18 has big dreams, and the concepts that come out of those dreams are some of the most stunning and influential - despite few actually making it past the auto show floors. 2003's Cadillac Sixteen super-limo was even featured in Architectural Digest, while the Imaj and Evoke were the supercar springboard concepts leading to Cadillac's resurgent Art & Science design philosophy.

Big dreams and big cars - the Cadillac Elmiraj Concept recalls a pivot point in Cadillac->ke18's history in the 1970s: the launch of the Eldorado personal luxury coupe. A more bizarre source of inspiration is hard to imagine, but Cadillac->ke18's crystal ball does not show the Elmiraj Pebble Beach concept making it for sale.

Instead of a lightly disguised future model preview (like the CTS show car), the Elmiraj is a mostly a launch platform for new styling ideas, including a new emblem design.

Cadillac->ke18 is smart to bring this two-door to Pebble Beach. It follows the core rules of collector classics: only one made, only two doors, a giant engine and sumptuous detail work inside and out. In 2113, this Caddy has the right stuff to even take Best in Show.

How about in present day? Would the Elmiraj fare well versus the upcoming Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe?

Updated8/29/2013: Jay Leno got a personal look at the Elmiraj concept, You can see the video after the jump.

Click past the jump for the full styling analysis of the 2013 Cadillac Elmiraj Concept, with details on the new twin-turbocharged V-8 that brings 500 horsepower to the party.

2013 Cadillac Elmiraj Concept - Exterior Design Analysis

Overall, the Elmiraj is a stunning piece of design, with giant length and width dimensions paired to an intimate and ultra-posh four-seat cabin layout.

The circular wreath is not present in the Elmiraj's mesh grille - which shows the new Cadillac emblem to be more horizontally oriented with a defined shield shape. Speaking of emblems and badges, the Elmiraj's working code name was the V Coupe. A large V badge appears on the top right side of the trunk lid, showing that the black mesh grille will stay as a sports-variant exclusive. This indicates that the latest body-color and black-chrome grilles from the ATS and others will continue for the near future.

This grille shape looks quite bizarre with the traditional egg-crate cutouts from the Ciel concept, as it has a very flowing lower edge and almost a Joker-like grin. The flowing grille is now a core part of a chrome sweep that extends up the hood, and also brings an even-wider grille width than any other vehicle thanks to the razor-thin vertical LED headlights.

Giant wheels and a clamshell hood opening appear on the Elmiraj concept, which also has clever fender flares that are almost invisible from the side of the car. The Elmiraj's sunken cockpit area allows the rear fenders in particular to be well-defined and extremely luxurious-looking. This is a much cleaner and nimbler look than the slab-like fenders of the current CTS Coupe (from some angles).

Out back, things are also very clean and fresh, with far less creasing and slashes than is currently popular in the Cadillac design office. The flat panels for the trunk lid and bumpers are blended exceptionally well with the flowing rear glass and rising lower belt line. It looks fast and sporty in a way that few 205-inch long coupes do. (We're looking at you, Mercedes-Benz CL and Bentley Continental GT).

Twin blade taillights are separated by a chrome accent, which is newly paired with the Elmiraj's vertical, flush-mounted exhaust outlets in the far edge of the corners. The Cadillac feels potent and aggressive from the back, which is a nice change versus the XTS in particular - which seems pretty nervous about its LED brake lights and awkward roof line.

Jay Leno has an Up-Close Look at the Elmiraj

2013 Cadillac Elmiraj Concept - Exterior Dimensions

Height

55 in / 1397 mm

Width

76 in / 1930 mm

Length

205 in / 5207 mm

Curb Weight

Approx. 4000 lb / 1814 kg


2013 Cadillac Elmiraj Concept - Interior Design Analysis

The interior of the Elmiraj is pure fantasy concept, with four gorgeous saddle-leather chairs and even a wood-panel roof headliner. Luxurious caramel coloring appears throughout the Elmiraj - and this color and materials really pop in the California sunshine. The materials and overlapping panels of the dash are strong future cues, but leave little room for a production-ized version of this design.

The concept is a driver - which is nice for proving the car's dynamic beauty as well as the interior layout like the driving position and visibility. Seated low and far to the rear of that runway-long hood, the driver of the Elmiraj in the press video is grinning almost as wide as the new Cadillac grille design as he pilots the Elmiraj through some twisty mountain roads.

Many fewer production Cadillac ideas are present inside the Elmiraj, which is a shame because their interior's are really the biggest weak point in the handsome and sporty new designs of the ATS and CTS.

The interior of the Elmiraj concept also innovates with a pillar-less door design and frameless windows, allowing the posh open-air experience that Mercedes-Benz coupe drivers have adored for the last 40 years. This feature is not likely any time soon on a production car from GM, because it takes a super-stiff body structure to pass crash tests without a B-pillar.

2013 Cadillac Elmiraj Concept - Drivetrain, Suspension and Brakes

The Elmiraj gets a bit more realistic under the hood versus in the cabin. Powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.5-liter V-8 engine, the Elmiraj puts out 500 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque. Low-rev peaks and an automatic transmission ensure effortless sports car pace in this luxury coupe.

This engine is actually well on the way to production, where it will join the new 440 horsepower twin-turbo V-6 that is the top non-V-series 2014 CTS. Based on the 4000-pound quoted curb weight of the Elmiraj, and its unknown but likely 8-speed automatic: performance projections are 4.8 seconds to 60 mph and a top speed of 168 mph.

2013 Cadillac Elmiraj Concept - Mechanical Details:

Engine

4.5-liter Twin-Turbo V-8

Power

500 hp / 373 kW

Torque

500 lb-ft / 678 Nm


Competition - 2013 Cadillac Elmiraj Concept

The Elmiraj would compete with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class coupe, with is the new name for the company's CL-Class coupes. Other competition would be from the Maserati GranTurismo and BMW 6 Series.

Mercedes-Benz S Class Coupe

The forthcoming S-Class Coupe hopes to shake off the staid image and extremely poor sales of their large coupe. The $100,000 luxury coupe segment is always a hard sell versus the sports coupe segment, but the new S-Class Coupe aims to bring style and technology that belittles even the latest Bentley Continental GT.

Two levels of AMG performance models are in the cards: an AWD S63 AMG Coupe and a rear-drive S65 AMG Coupe - both packing sprint times quick enough to spill your latte into the back seat.

Note: these pics are the new S-Class sedan, as the Coupe has not yet been revealed.

Conclusion - 2013 Cadillac Elmiraj Concept

As good as Art & Science has been to Cadillac, the fresh styling ideas from the Elmiraj are a good indication of Cadillac's future potential as it will enter more market segments in the mid-term future, including the compact crossover realm and a soft-roader, seven-seat SRX of some kind.

The latest rumors from Cadillac suggest that the future ‘Fleetwood’ S-Class-fighter may be on ice. Sadly, this is probably a smart decision. After all, Cadillac already has a giant flagship in its successful Escalade series - which can push $90,000 when loaded to the brim with options. The prospects for Cadillac actually selling more than a few dozen $100,000 sedans is simply quite unrealistic.

Perhaps it makes more sense as a flagship four-seater coupe and ragtop? Cadillac seems to think so.

Look for the Elmiraj's nose to make it to the next-gen Escalade intact, with that grille shape and dark mesh finish a possible option on a future high-performance Escalade V-series. The 2015 Escalade is tipped to be the first of the next-gen GM SUV's to launch, with a debut at the Detroit auto show in early 2014 expected.

As for this personal luxury coupe, the Cadillac design team is impressively coherent in its recreation of the Eldorado. The simple surfaces almost feel like they could be sketched on a napkin by an amateur - which is a hallmark of truly exceptional automotive design. As the Elmiraj cruises into the show car sunset, its luxury themes will populate the next decade of Cadillac models as the brand gets serious about making truly premium vehicles at the Mercedes-Benz level of quality - and prices.