Cadillac Opulent Velocity Concept Redefines the V-Series for the EV Era

The Cadillac Opulent Velocity Concept, unveiled Friday at The Quail during Monterey Car Week, is the direction GM's global luxury brand is taking its V-Series Performance line as it transitions to battery-electric vehicles

First teased in March, the Opulent Velocity is a 2+2 coupe, with perhaps its best feature being its electric butterfly doors. Cadillac is leaning toward a stately, sculptural form with sharply lowered side graphics. Executives said they are making the rear wheels more prominent to convey a “power message” without needing to be “brutal.” The wheels, with their shiny spokes and innovative Formula 1-inspired touches, will also draw attention to the car.

The interior is a traditional 2+2 performance coupe that “envelops, envelops, envelops” the driver and passengers. Not only does it feature future-generation infotainment and projection displays, but also biosensors that adjust the cabin environment to soothe and entertain the occupants. While the exterior looks as if it could be manufactured today, lights and mirrors notwithstanding, the interior is decidedly conceptual.

The concept coupe is related to both the 2025 Cadillac Celestic limited production sedan (yes, the $340,000 one) and the Solay EV concept unveiled in July. These vehicles are likely to target China, the brand's largest market for most of this decade, as well as North America.

GM's Ultium battery architecture underpins all new EVs, from the Celestiq to the upcoming update of the humble Chevrolet Bolt EV. However, the Celestiq platform has the potential to spawn a number of high-end and very luxurious models. At a media briefing before the launch, Executive Global Design Director Brian Nesbitt said it is intended to “elevate the brand” and “foreshadow” future vehicles.

In other words, the Celestic is the first ultra-luxury Cadillac in decades, but as the Solay EV concept demonstrated, it won't be the last.

Cadillac executives elaborated on the concept's dual personality, the “two dynamic poles” reflected in its name. Cadillac executives elaborated on the concept's dual persona, the “two dynamic extremes” reflected in its name: “an artistic synthesis of technology, luxury, and exhilaration.”

Opulent is for normal, everyday travel, where the car pampers both driver and passengers. In other words, it is an “immersive experience” in hands-free driving, and in the future, augmented reality will appear on the heads-up display, with both sound and light creating an atmosphere of relaxation. The goal is to provide useful information that does not distract the driver, such as reducing driving effort in traffic jams and helping drivers find specific locations.

Cadillac stated that its “autonomous driving” technology is a Level 4 system, which allows the driver to look away from the road when driving in a designated area, but requires the driver to take control when prompted. During autonomous driving, it would be easy to find these prompts because the yoke-style steering wheel and pedals would retract and appear when needed.

Then there's Velocity Mode, which can also offer the kind of stunning performance and circuit driving that the Tesla Model S Plaid, Lucid Air Sapphire, future Polestar 5, and other expensive EV performance sedans will offer. Brandon Vivian, Cadillac's executive chief engineer, said the brand is “eager” to compete with the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Rimac. (Cadillac hypercars, anyone?)

The V-Series and Blackwing performance variants have given a clear boost to the once luxury-only brand, company executives said. Cadillac's buyers are young, buying multiple V-Series models, and 80% of them are transferring from other brands.

Cadillac's new racing activities, such as its return to Le Mans, have helped the brand's high-performance image. Strong performance that rivals and sometimes leads the segment, a racy appearance backed by proper handling, and a snarling exhaust have defined the V-Series in the gasoline era.

The problem is that even if Cadillac backs off its commitment to introduce all EVs by 2030, its largest market will increasingly demand EVs in all segments. For the past decade, China has been Cadillac's highest selling market; in July, more than half of all new cars sold in the country came with plugs, and that trend will continue.

Sales of popular U.S. brands in the country have plummeted as Chinese domestic brands have become fully competitive car offerings. So Cadillac will be going significantly upscale in the country, as GM CEO Mary Barra has stated many times recently. The Celestic was and will continue to be the opening salvo.

Meanwhile, the brand will clearly cling to the V-Series to bolster Cadillac's newfound performance credibility. But what is performance in EVs?

In luxury EVs, “0-60 time difference is no longer a differentiator,” says Vivian. Instead, the brand feels that to make its top-of-the-line EVs stand out from the crowd, they need to outperform their rivals in “the entire car experience,” “including when it's driving itself.”

In response to a reporter's question, Vivian said that Cadillac is studying “how best to deliver the performance aspect” of the V-Series “with a version of the Ultium yet to come in the future.” He suggested that the EV lineup could also include a dedicated Blackwing vehicle.

Ah, but are the younger, more performance-oriented V-Series buyers ready to switch to EVs? Vivian seemed unfazed. He replied, “Authenticity is really important to V-Series customers, and the performance [offered] will be tremendous and outstanding.” Such customers, he said, are “looking forward to a fully electric vehicle,” and they expect what an electric vehicle can offer, both in terms of future on-board computing power and the energy to deliver that performance.

Otherwise, virtually nothing is known about the Opulent Velocity Concept's powertrain or mechanicals. There was no mention of “battery,” “power,” “kilowatts,” or “horsepower” in the press materials. Instead, the car was heralded as pointing to a new generation of Cadillacs. It was “a pure expression of the future” that showed how “Cadillac's beloved sense of luxury” could evolve, while at the same time “envisioning a zero-emission expression of performance and modern luxury.

Clearly, there is more to come. The upcoming Cadillac EV concept will be a major brand upgrade from the Lyric, a midsize SUV, and will be the second best-selling luxury EV in the U.S. in July, Vivian said.