Little by little we’re hearing more about the forthcoming 2016 Cadillac CT6 halo car, positioned to rival the likes of BMW’s 7 Series->ke323 and Mercedes’ S-Class.->ke359 Mark Reuss, GM’s product development chief, told Automotive News in a recent interview the CT6 would have “the world’s most advanced body structure.”

Though the engineering behind the car might be revolutionary, its design will not. GM’s global design boss Ed Welburn says the CT6 will be a standout, but not a drastic change. “It’ll be different and it will certainly stand out in the portfolio,” Welburn told AN “But you won’t see a real shift in direction.”

Welburn continued in saying the CT6 won’t be as heavily influenced by the Elmiraj concept that debuted at the 2013 Concours d’Elegance.->ke2839 “I think Elmiraj was more of an influence on some other things we’re working on for Cadillac.”

Instead, the CT6 will be a evolutionary step in the same “Art and Science” direction the Cadillac->ke18 brand has been pursing since 2002. We can expect angular lines and the piercing vertical exterior lights. When questioned about the continuation of the design, Welburn said, “It will continue to evolve.” Welburn continued by saying "There’s a lot more that I want from my Cadillac design team.”

Regardless of its appearance, the CT6 is expected to debut in the spring of 2015 and be ready for sale by the end of the year or early 2016. We can also expect a sizable price tag to match the flagship’s luxurious amenities. Expect a sticker of roughly $80,000.

Click past the jump to read more about the Cadillac CT6.

Why it matters

It’s certainly interesting to know the Elmiraj concept’s design cues won’t be showing up in the CT6 sedan. Meanwhile, we now know GM is pouring a lot of time and money into the CT6’s body structure that will carry a more evolutionary design of the current Art and Science theme.

Cadillac CT6

The CT6 is slotted to be a direct and more viable competitor to the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class. It will be the brand’s flagship vehicle for several years before Cadillac starts playing in an even more luxurious field as we’ve reported it would.

The car will likely come powered by a detuned version of the twin-turbocharged, 3.6-liter V-6 or the 6.2-liter V-8 from the Corvette.

Pricing is expected to be competitive with the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes S-Class’ $80,000 to $120,000 range.