2014 Cadillac ELR, a Caddy coupe de Volt, emerges

Four years ago in Detroit, Cadillac unveiled the Converj concept, an idea for an angular small coupe powered by the electric-gas hybrid drive of the Chevy Volt. It comes to life today at the Detroit Auto Show as the 2014 Cadillac ELR.

The ELR changes little from the original concept, displaying the same vertical LED head and taillights, with the headlights merely widened a fraction. Its sleek silhouette appears modern and slender, the look that will soon spread across the Cadillac line. It's one of those rare cars that looks slightly better in pictures than it does in person, but it’s still a tasty machine.

Powered by a tweaked version of the Chevy Volt drivetrain, the 1.4-liter engine and 16.5-kWh battery remain. But the ELR boasts a slightly more powerful electric motor, that combines to produce 207 hp and 295 lb. ft of torque. With the initial oomph an electric motor provides, Cadillac claim the ELR will accelerate like a BMW M3 (if only for a split second); GM declined to say how much the ELR might improve on the 8.5-second 0-60 mph time of the Volt.