Cadillac Elmiraj concept

Meet the Cadillac Elmiraj concept, a massive 5.2-metre long hand-built luxury two-door coupe that previews the US luxury car maker's all-new flagship model.

Doffing its hat to modern and classic Cadillacs, from the 1967 Eldorado to the 2012 Ciel concept, the Elmiraj was created in a bid to explore the pinnacle of luxury for the brand and precursor to a lavish flagship model.

The sumptuously-appointed cabin and seats are upholstered with camel leather, while the interior decor boasts titanium accents and Brazilian Rosewood trim, the latter showing extreme levels of attention to detail, hand-cut into separate sections for "perfect control of grain flow".

"Elmiraj advances Cadillac's provocative modern design and performance, contrasted with bespoke craftsmanship and luxury," intoned Mark Adams, Cadillac design director.

Other interior features include a transparent speedometer, a retractable 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a high-tech instrument cluster complete with video feed from external cameras.

The four-seat vehicle has a 2+2 configuration and Cadillac reckons passengers "might actually lobby to sit in the back" because of the extreme levels of luxury there. Both rear bucket seats have a 'valet' system that sees the front seats slide out of the way and the rear seats move closer, to make ingress easier.

Riding on 22-inch alloy wheels and making use of ceramic composite brake rotors, the Cadillac Elmiraj is not just about luxury, but also the driving experience says Clay Dean, executive director of advanced design.

"This project originated around the simple persona of 'the drive', or the visceral experience of driving a great luxury coupe. It's an expression of the confidence and poise you feel driving a high-performance car, which we feel is an essential element of top-level luxury," said Dean.

Boasting a huge front grille, and a bold new take on Caddy's vertically stacked headlights and brake lights, the car's imposing size and striking design attract attention.

The oddly-named concept car is powered by a 4.5-litre twin-turbo V8 engine, similar in execution to Bentley's 6.75-litre bi-turbo V8, only not quite as torquey. The Cadillac V8 engine cranks out 373kW and 678Nm, compared to Bentley's 377kW/1020Nm.

Though the Elmiraj is unlikely to go into production in this form, the concept car previews Cadillac's next new model line, which will be an all-new flagship luxo-cruiser.

The car company has confirmed the Elmiraj is "constructed with chassis and structural elements of an ongoing Cadillac vehicle development project", and though there's no timing on the car's launch, it did say it is currently on track for production in the near future.

After a botched introduction to Australia in 2009 due to the global financial crash, Cadillac said in January it is again considering entry into the Australian marketplace.