{"id":75800,"date":"2024-08-16T12:04:12","date_gmt":"2024-08-16T16:04:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=75800"},"modified":"2024-08-16T12:04:12","modified_gmt":"2024-08-16T16:04:12","slug":"1144159_cadillac-opulent-velocity-concept-redefines-v-series-for-the-ev-age","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=75800","title":{"rendered":"Cadillac Opulent Velocity Concept redefines V-Series for the EV age"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul>\n<li><strong>Cadillac&#8217;s latest ultra-luxury EV concept bows this week in Monterey<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>No specifics published on its EV powertrain<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>It joins the Celestiq and Sollei in Cadillac&#8217;s portfolio of super-expensive EVs<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Will a Blackwing join this mooted V-Series?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The Cadillac Opulent Velocity concept, unveiled Friday at The Quail during <a href=\"https:\/\/www.motorauthority.com\/searchresults?q=monterey+car+week\">Monterey Car Week<\/a>, shows where GM\u2019s global luxury brand could take its V-Series performance line as it transitions to battery-electric vehicles.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>First\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.motorauthority.com\/news\/1142563_cadillac-opulent-velocity-performance-ev-concept-teased\">teased back in March<\/a>, the <strong>Opulent Velocity<\/strong> is a <strong>2+2 coupe<\/strong> whose most striking feature is likely the powered butterfly doors. Cadillac has leaned into a heavily sculptured form with a side graphic that drops sharply; execs said that makes the rear wheels more prominent to convey a \u201cpower message\u201d without having to be \u201cbrutal.\u201d Those wheels have lighted spokes, a novel touch inspired by Formula 1 that will also draw attention to the car.<\/p>\n<p><span id=\"static-marker-video-player-primis\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Inside, it\u2019s a traditional 2+2 performance coupe, with an interior that \u201ccocoons, encapsulates, and hugs\u201d the driver and passengers. Not only does it sport a future generation of infotainment and projection displays, but the car includes biosensors to adjust its interior environment to soothe or entertain occupants. While the exterior appears as if it could be built today, lights and mirrors aside, the interior is clearly more conceptual.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image_wrapper first_wrapper\" readability=\"7\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" name=\"tccimg_100939436_m\" title=\"Cadillac Opulent Velocity Concept\" src=\"data:image\/png;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAD\/ACwAAAAAAQABAAACADs=\" alt=\"Cadillac Opulent Velocity Concept\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" class=\"first_image lazy\" data-width=\"1024\" data-height=\"683\" data-url=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/cadillac_100939436_l.webp\" data-src-h=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/hug\/cadillac_100939436_h.webp\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/cadillac_100939436_l.webp\" data-src-l=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/cadillac_100939436_l.webp\" data-src-m=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/med\/cadillac_100939436_m.webp\" data-src-s=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/sml\/cadillac_100939436_s.webp\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Cadillac Opulent Velocity Concept<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2><strong>Cadillac reaches for the ultra-luxury atmosphere<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The concept coupe is related both to the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.motorauthority.com\/news\/1136960_2024-cadillac-celestiq-price-design-process\">2025 Cadillac Celestiq<\/a>\u00a0limited-production sedan (yes, the $340,000 one) and the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.motorauthority.com\/news\/1143866_cadillac-sollei-convertible-concept-revealed\">Sollei EV concept<\/a>\u00a0unveiled in July. These vehicles are likely targeted as much at China, the brand\u2019s largest market for most of a decade, as they are at North America.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>GM\u2019s <strong>Ultium battery architecture<\/strong> underpins all of its new EVs, from the Celestiq down to a coming update of the humble Chevrolet Bolt EV. But the Celestiq platform could spawn numerous high-end, very luxurious models. The intent is to \u201celevate the brand\u201d and \u201cforeshadow\u201d future vehicles, said executive global design director Bryan Nesbitt during a media briefing before the launch.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>So while Celestiq is the first ultra-luxury Cadillac in many decades, it\u2019s likely not the last\u2014just as the <strong>Sollei EV concept<\/strong> demonstrated.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"image_wrapper\" readability=\"7\"><img decoding=\"async\" name=\"tccimg_100939440_m\" title=\"Cadillac Opulent Velocity Concept\" src=\"data:image\/png;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAD\/ACwAAAAAAQABAAACADs=\" alt=\"Cadillac Opulent Velocity Concept\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" data-width=\"1024\" data-height=\"768\" data-url=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/cadillac_100939440_l.webp\" data-src-h=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/hug\/cadillac_100939440_h.webp\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/cadillac_100939440_l.webp\" data-src-l=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/cadillac_100939440_l.webp\" data-src-m=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/med\/cadillac_100939440_m.webp\" data-src-s=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/sml\/cadillac_100939440_s.webp\" class=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Cadillac Opulent Velocity Concept<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2><strong>Luxury performance: more than 0-60 mph<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Cadillac execs talked at length about the concept\u2019s dual personality, the \u201ctwo dynamic extremes\u201d reflected in its name. They reflect the \u201cartful integration of technology, luxury, and exhilaration\u201d in both driving modes they envision.<\/p>\n<p>Opulent is the one for normal, day-to-day travel, in which the car pampers both driver and passengers. That means an \u201c<strong>immersive experience<\/strong>\u201d in hands-free driving, with augmented reality on a future generation of head-up displays and both sound and light creating an ambience of relaxation. The goal is to ease driving effort in traffic, help drivers find specific locations, and other useful information that won&#8217;t distract drivers.<\/p>\n<p>Cadillac wasn\u2019t specific about its \u201cautonomous drive\u201d technology\u2014specifically, whether it\u2019s an evolved version of the <strong>well-reviewed Super Cruise<\/strong> system or something new and far more advanced.<\/p>\n<p>Then there\u2019s the <strong>Velocity mode<\/strong>, for sheer performance and even track use, of the kind offered by the Tesla Model S Plaid, the Lucid Air Sapphire, the future Polestar 5, and other pricey EV performance sedans. Brandon Vivian, Cadillac\u2019s executive chief engineer, said the brand even \u201caspires\u201d to compete with the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Rimac. (<strong>Cadillac hypercar, anyone?<\/strong>)<\/p>\n<div class=\"image_wrapper\" readability=\"7\"><img decoding=\"async\" name=\"tccimg_100939444_m\" title=\"Cadillac Opulent Velocity Concept\" src=\"data:image\/png;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAD\/ACwAAAAAAQABAAACADs=\" alt=\"Cadillac Opulent Velocity Concept\" width=\"640\" height=\"436\" data-width=\"1024\" data-height=\"698\" data-url=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/cadillac_100939444_l.webp\" data-src-h=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/hug\/cadillac_100939444_h.webp\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/cadillac_100939444_l.webp\" data-src-l=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/cadillac_100939444_l.webp\" data-src-m=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/med\/cadillac_100939444_m.webp\" data-src-s=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/sml\/cadillac_100939444_s.webp\" class=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Cadillac Opulent Velocity Concept<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2><strong>The V-Series lives on in EVs<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The V-Series and Blackwing performance variants have given the former luxury-only brand a distinct boost, its execs said. Its buyers are younger, they buy multiple V-Series models, and fully 80% of them are conquests from other brands\u2014not something that could be said two decades ago in the days of the old Sedan de Ville.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Cadillac\u2019s new racing efforts\u2014its\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.motorauthority.com\/news\/1143506_watch-no-perfect-formula-le-mans-documentary\">return to Le Mans<\/a>, for example\u2014play into the high-performance image of the brand. Strong performance that has equaled and occasionally led a segment, racier appearances backed up by proper handling, and snarling exhausts have defined the V-Series for the gasoline age.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The problem is that, even if Cadillac has\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.motorauthority.com\/news\/1143053_cadillac-says-it-will-likely-still-sell-gas-cars-beyond-2030\">backed off its all-EVs-by-2030 pledge<\/a>, its largest market will increasingly demand EVs in all segments. For most of the past 10 years, China has been the brand\u2019s highest-volume market. In July,\u00a0more than half the new vehicles sold there had plugs, and that trend will not reverse.<\/p>\n<p>With homegrown Chinese brands now offering fully competitive cars, sales of mass-market U.S. brands in the country are plummeting. So Cadillac will move significantly upmarket there, as <strong>GM CEO Mary Barra<\/strong> has said multiple times of late. The Celestiq is the opening shot in that salvo, and there will be more.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"image_wrapper\" readability=\"7\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" name=\"tccimg_100939446_m\" title=\"Cadillac Opulent Velocity Concept\" src=\"data:image\/png;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAD\/ACwAAAAAAQABAAACADs=\" alt=\"Cadillac Opulent Velocity Concept\" width=\"640\" height=\"467\" data-width=\"1024\" data-height=\"747\" data-url=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/cadillac_100939446_l.webp\" data-src-h=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/hug\/cadillac_100939446_h.webp\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/cadillac_100939446_l.webp\" data-src-l=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/cadillac_100939446_l.webp\" data-src-m=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/med\/cadillac_100939446_m.webp\" data-src-s=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/sml\/cadillac_100939446_s.webp\" class=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Cadillac Opulent Velocity Concept<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2><strong>A Blackwing in the wings, too?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Meanwhile, the brand will clearly hang onto the V-Series to burnish Cadillac\u2019s new performance credentials. But <strong>what <em>is<\/em> performance in EVs<\/strong>?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDeltas in 0-60 times are not a differentiator\u201d anymore in luxury EVs, said Vivian. Instead, the brand feels it must surpass rivals in \u201cthe whole vehicle experience,\u201d including \u201cwhen it\u2019s driving itself as well,\u201d to make its highest-end EVs stand apart from the crowd.<\/p>\n<p>Responding to a reporter\u2019s question, Vivian said Cadillac was studying \u201chow best to deliver the performance aspects\u201d of V-Series in a \u201cversion of Ultium yet to come in the future.\u201d He hinted at the possibility of a <strong>dedicated Blackwing entry<\/strong> in its EV lineup as well.<\/p>\n<p>Ah, but are its younger, more performance-minded V-Series buyers\u00a0ready\u00a0to go EV? Vivian seemed unfazed. He responded, \u201cAuthenticity is really critical to the V-Series customers, and the performance (offered) will be tremendous, outstanding.\u201d Those customers \u201clook forward to full electric vehicles,\u201d he said, and what they can offer with both the power of future onboard computing and the energy to deliver that performance.<\/p>\n<p>Otherwise, we know virtually nothing about the powertrain or mechanicals of the <strong>Opulent Velocity concept<\/strong>. Press materials did not contain the words \u201cbattery\u201d or \u201cpower\u201d or \u201ckilowatts\u201d or \u201chorsepower.\u201d Instead, they focused on the car as a pointer to a new generation of Cadillac: a \u201cpure expression of the future\u201d showing how \u201cCadillac\u2019s revered sense of opulence\u201d can evolve while \u201cenvisioning a zero-emission expression of performance and modern luxury.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>More is yet to come, clearly. Watch for future Cadillac EV concepts that move the brand well upmarket from the Lyriq midsize SUV, which in July was, Vivian said, the second best-selling luxury EV in the U.S. Because GM no longer releases monthly sales, we\u2019ll have to wait until October to learn just how well Cadillac\u2019s sole EV currently on sale is doing, V-Series or not.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cadillac&#8217;s latest ultra-luxury EV concept bows this week in Monterey No specifics published on its EV powertrain It joins the Celestiq and Sollei in Cadillac&#8217;s portfolio of super-expensive EVs Will a Blackwing join this mooted V-Series? The Cadillac Opulent Velocity concept, unveiled Friday at The Quail during Monterey Car Week, shows where GM\u2019s global luxury [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8313,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-75800","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-design-concepts"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75800","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=75800"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75800\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8313"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=75800"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=75800"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=75800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}