Cadillac shows what its performance car could look like

Cadillac In its transformation into a pure-electric brand, the company is not abandoning its V-Series performance lineup.

It reveals Gorgeous speed concept, a large 2+2 model with butterfly doors, which the company says “represents a vision for future electric performance in the Cadillac V-Series.”

While the V-Series models are known for their high-performance V6 and V8 engines and their ability to compete with BMW M and Mercedes-AMG, Cadillac says this design study offers exciting electric performance and advanced hands-free driving capabilities.

Conceptually, this means Level 4 autonomous driving capability, allowing the vehicle to “deliver a hands-free immersive experience through a rest-promoting multi-sensory mode.”

They use “curated art, entertainment and ambient light to immerse travelers in an exquisitely personalized hands-free experience.”

This isn’t some self-driving pod, though: Cadillac says the Opulent Velocity can switch from autonomous mode to “Velocity” mode with a simple touch of the multifunction controller, with the steering wheel and pedals automatically displayed.

The mode includes road overlay, active information on road conditions, and allows the driver “full control” of active aerodynamics and suspension damping settings.

The “ghost car” feature is displayed on the augmented reality head-up display to help drivers improve lap times on the track.

The front seats face a full-width display screen, which is located on either side of the Y-shaped console and mates directly with the doors, which Cadillac says helps protect the driver’s safety during high-speed maneuvers.

The concept car’s interior features Selene, a metallic dark blue, with brushed metal finishes, two-tone embroidery with prismatic accents, and cool-toned linen fabric coated with silver pearl flakes.

The Opulent Velocity is larger, with dramatic butterfly doors, and while the vertical daytime running lights are unmistakably Cadillac, the body is distinct from anything else the brand produces.

It features a sloping roofline, a sloping rear end, and side windows that seem to blend into the body.

There are “crystal groove details” on the headlights, taillights and grille, and an illuminated badge inside the 3D illuminated grille at the front. The exterior has a gold-plated pearl finish designed to give it a soft, elegant look.
This is completely different from the characteristics of the V series models.

To date, none of the V-Series models have been electrified, instead using high-performance combustion powertrains to compete against BMW M and Mercedes-AMG models.

Cadillac’s first V-Series model was the 2004 CTS-V sedan, which was equipped with an overhead-valve 5.7-liter V8 engine (later 6.0-liter) shared with the Chevrolet Corvette, mated to a six-speed manual transmission.

It was soon joined by the STS-V sedan and XLR-V convertible, which were powered by a supercharged version of Cadillac’s Northstar overhead-cam V8 engine, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

Those models lasted just one generation, but the CTS-V continued for two more generations, both with supercharged V8 power.

Later, the V-Series was joined by milder VSport models that ditched the V8 power in favor of a twin-turbocharged V6. That being said, not every hardcore V-Series model came with an eight-cylinder engine, with the ATS-V, for example, being the first V-Series model to feature a twin-turbocharged V6.

In recent years, Cadillac has revised its V-Series strategy, launching less powerful models than previous V-Series models such as the CT4-V and CT5-V, with the CT4-V even being offered with a four-cylinder engine, a first for the V-Series, but replacing the full-powered ATS-V and CTS-V models with the new CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing models.

It also unveiled the first Escalade-V, the first time the V-series name has been used for an SUV.