Cadillac Sixteen
Cadillac Sixteen Concept Cadillac

Since Cadillac first introduced its CTS sports sedan, America's premier luxury brand has redefined its lineup to compete against its German counterparts head-on in an effort to beat them at their own game.

Although the original Cadillac CTS was a great product, the sports sedan was conceived at the expense of Cadillac's past large luxo-barges. After all, without iconic vehicles like the Fleetwood, de Ville, and Eldorado, is a Cadillac still a Cadillac?

Via Car and Driver, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has recorded a patent application from Cadillac for an interesting "LTS" moniker that's expected to be used on an upcoming vehicle.

According to Car and Driver, General Motors tends to be efficient with its filings, intending to complete only the necessary paperwork for the essential names of its future vehicles. On the other hand, automaker BMW tends to trademark liberally, applying for great amoounts of monikers whether used or not.

As the L in LTS suggests "luxury" or "long-wheel-base," speculators are looking forward to an all-new rear-wheel-drive full-size luxury sedan using General Motor's existing Omega platform. If produced, Car and Driver expects the LTS to sit right above the newly released 2013 XTS sedan as the new flagship for the brand.

If Cadillac wants to deliver a big statement, challenging the likes of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7-Series luxury sedan is definitely the way to go.

Cadillac's latest patent filing