It looks like GM crushed this Lyriq prototype and have left it to rot in a Wisconsin junkyard
November 29, 2023 at 16:48
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You can find all sorts of cool and interesting cars at a junkyard or salvage yard. One thing you don’t expect to find is a former Cadillac test mule and several other GM test vehicles but that’s exactly what one Redditor recently stumbled across.
These images were recently shared on the Cadillac subreddit and were snapped at a junkyard in Wisconsin. The poster, who goes by the handle Bontiacfireturd (sic), mentioned that someone at the junkyard informed him that the model that piqued our attention is a Cadillac. It is wrapped in camouflage and appears to be significantly damaged, making it somewhat challenging to identify. However, one user claiming to work at Cadillac promptly identified it as a Lyriq, and it looks to be right on the money.
Perhaps the most obvious giveaway of the vehicle’s identity is the subtle outline of the headlights and the vertical daytime running lights that are visible, despite being covered in camouflage. Unfortunately, the car has seen better days.
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Photos Reddit u/bontiacfireturd
Details about this specific Lyriq aren’t known and it is unclear what Cadillac specifically used it for, other than testing. What we can see is that the roof and pillars have been completely crushed. While it’s possible that the car was used for crash testing, not even the most extreme of tests would explain this level of damage. It seems far more likely that it has been intentionally crushed before being sent to the junkyard.
Read: Some Cadillac Lyriq EVs Could Be Silently Sneaking Up On Pedestrians
Seeing an expensive test mule at a junkyard like this does seem a little wasteful. While it has served its purpose at the carmaker, it could have easily been disassembled and some of its parts perhaps reused or recycled. Instead, it has just been left to rot. However, this is good news for any junkyard hunters out there who want to nab a few parts off of an official Cadillac prototype.
After we wrote this story, the Redditor uploaded additional photos of cars that the scrapyard owner claimed were various GM test vehicles, including other Cadillacs and Chevys.