Opulent Velocity Is Cadillac’s New Mission
It’s been 20 years since Cadillac’s V-Series made its debut at Sebring International Raceway in March 2004, with the CTS-V race car in the SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge GT race. Cadillac is celebrating this pivotal moment for the entire year, in an effort to highlight the brand’s shift from stuffy luxury to world-beating performance.
Times have certainly changed, and the high watermark for luxury performance sedans has risen significantly in the last 20 years. The naturally aspirated CTS-V of the aughts was eclipsed by supercharged variants, culminating in the 668-hp monster that is the current CT5-V Blackwing. While horsepower isn’t the only metric on the planet, the straight-line performance of the Tesla Model S Plaid and the driving dynamics of the Lucid Air Sapphire mean that internal combustion engines could soon play second fiddle in the world of automotive bragging rights.
But close the door on a Tesla Model S Plaid, and the rattle you hear suggests there’s room for an established automaker to improve upon the concept. So what should GM’s flagship do to get a piece of that action?
Enter Cadillac’s brave new world of Opulent Velocity. The hints of speed presented in the video come from a vehicle with a ride height lower than a CUV, matched with furious electric motor sounds as the Cadillac rushes toward and past the camera.
The signature V-series emblem morphs into the “V” in Opulent Velocity, suggesting that future V-series Cadillacs shall have performance paired with opulence. That’s a stark contrast to the harder edged mission of V-Series past; but a return to the days of Broughams and DeVilles is unlikely. Perhaps Opulent Velocity’s front light signature suggests this is the second coming of the 2002 Cien concept supercar?
Light signatures can be misleading, but the Cien’s failure to launch was a tragedy for all enthusiasts. No matter what this future Caddy looks like, Cadillac executive director Bryan Nesbitt suggests that “Opulent Velocity is designed to foreshadow a zero emissions expression of performance and modern luxury leadership.”
Nesbitt ensured this teaser has a little more legs by suggesting, “We will share more later this year, so stay tuned.” So we will, and we shall keep you in the loop.
***
Check out the Hagerty Media homepage so you don’t miss a single story, or better yet, bookmark it. To get our best stories delivered right to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletters.
Cadillac has been a soup with too many cooks.
The down sizing int he 80’s was a disaster. The 90’s improved the styling but still stuck with FWD.
We then finally got a proper AWD and FWD but things still were half bakes in some areas of the car. The leader of Cadillac kept changing as did the vision.
They then brought in Johan De Nysschen. He started to really have the right plan for a ICE Cadillac. They came with a new DOHC TT V8 and a CT6. But it was killed just as soon as it went into production.
GM at that time decided to make Cadillac the focus of the EV program. The idea was the cost point of the EV models would better cover the cost of the higher priced EV models. This would lead to cheaper Chevy EV models in the end. Then Covid hit.
Cadillac now has not really been very public about their plans. We do know they are still planning High End EV models. They also plan a F1 program with Andretti if they can get approved by the series.
This week Ganassi Racing has announced they will be leaving the Cadillac LMP program at the end of this year. This was a surprise but I wonder if Cadillac may add Andretti to the LMP program.
As for cars like the Sixteen and Cien. They were just show cars and not in Cadillacs best interest. They really need to show they can do the cars most people buy right before they ask them to spent 3 times the money for a unproven model.
Cadillac failed on two sports cars already and the next could be strike three. They really need to keep away from the Corvette as it is a better cheaper models. That is what killed the XLR. It was a more expensive Corvette with less power.
I really question the CELESTIQ. I really think it is going to end up like Maybach did for Daimler a major over step.
But Cadillac is a sand box GM can play in and not risk much. Volumes are low and profits are high so they can take risks.
I expect sports and performance to be a main focus of the division and the SUV models will carry the volume.
Will it work and what will be Cadillacs full plans. Hard to tell. The emission laws will still be in play and if they are still forces to all EV or will they be able to do a mix?
Cadillac need to set it self apart from just being a fancy Chevy. Lincoln has the same issue only worse as they are just fancy Fords and there are two groups yet fighting over keeping or killing Lincoln.
I expect this new car may be an EV sedan or coupe that we have been expecting with a sporting edge.
With the election coming and a real push back on the EV models and inflation it is hard to say where all this will end up.
And before anyone brings it up. Old car names would not have fixed the issues here. Even moving forward they are not going to move the needle. Many would complain that the name did not fit the model it is on.
The key now is to build cars that look and perform to a degree you could just call it CAR and people would buy it. The content, look and performance is key and no name can save a bad car. If anything a bad car will destroy a good name.
Tesla has been unchallenged. They really have no real competitors on the scale they are on. Yes a model her or there but that is it. Lets face it the S model is old and out dated but ther is no real competitor.
Cadillac an do it if they get it right. But we will have to wait to judge that.
Cadillac sales figures are a bit hard to decipher if you contrast 2019 to 2023 you might draw different conclusions. The impact of the Chinese market can’t be ignored either.
Seems to me they should just simplify and excel (stop lobbing “cheaper entry level youth models” out there) and stick with:
Escalade
XT-5 / Lyriq
CT-5 (which I would also give any other reasonable real word name to)
2019 sales would tell you to kill the sedan, but 2023 paints the opposite picture. Make them great for their price point/class and Cadillac-level aspirational but not outside of the usual Cadillac income bracket. Youth will buy Cadillacs more if you don’t dumb them down.
Market vehicles as fashion accessories and status symbols and you’ll garner more youth. Leave the appliance sales pitches for the low-market crossovers.
*Cadillac is above my pay grade by the way –so what I am saying isn’t for my benefit.
My new 2005 CTS-V was fun when it ran. It was a service nightmare! Last Caddy for me…
Every luxury brand has low hanging fruit like the XT4. these are volume models and they make money.
As for the youth they are the future so the sooner you try to win them the better.
The Youth market is really after the used Cadillac Market. The V series cars are now wanted by Tuners. I have a large number of co workers and customers putting out 700 HP plus with not much work.
The Stick shift cars are at a premium and coupes and wagons with a stick can go for a lot. I just saw a wagon go for six figures.
Even the Turbo six and 4 cars are being tunes and easily run fast.
It is the RWD and good prices in the used marker driving this as well the LS engines.
Always interesting things in your posts. I’m actually casually shopping older CTS right now as they (potentially) are a nice fit to my wants/needs/preferences and I live in an area where a Caddy is way easier to service than some other comps. I also happen to like the “art & science” design language.
The youth market you (hyperv6) cite is after the cool Cadillacs. Thankfully the Chinese market thinks the sedans are cool too.
I think “youth” gets oversimplified in auto media and that is why it often fails as a marketing push. If youth is people under 30 most of them will be at entry or 2nd promotion type jobs, many will be saddled with student debt and/or young family poor –you’re silly to chase volume here unless you are selling low end of the price range things. Chasing that diminishes the Cadillac brand (and is unneeded, those are Chevy sales).
Cadillac should market to elite youth –athletes, musicians, actors and be selectively present in the correct media (be the hero car, or the car the cool boss drives in shows/movies popular with “youth” —i.e., don’t let Tony Stark drive an Audi…) without un-marketing to its older client base.
I think you mistake what I mean about the youth deal. Maybe call it the hot rod market or tuner market. These younger guys are buying and building some very impressive cars. I see on the web ATS V6 cars running 10’s in street trim. You see similar in Audi and BMW but to a less degree as the parts are not as cheap or easy to buy.
These kids are not all collage grads or in debt. The ones that work often can make good money and afford decent things.
The Luxury depreciation hit makes these cars a bargain and the LS makes it attractive to replace the car we had in our day that were RWD performance.
Even some older buyers are doing this as one of my friends had a coupe CTS pushing 800 HP.
Cadillac appears to be trying to attract this segment as they are now well involved with racing. While the kids are not buyers today they may be in the future. Though the EV factor may be an issue.
Cadillac has been much like my Cleveland Browns. Lack of management and ownership issues have plagued them for year. Now pending EPA issues may be a problem.
I really don’t have an answer but I really think no one does here. So many brands are struggling.
To be honest 2030-2040 is going to be a tough time for all.
The more I think about this is to ask what would Jimmy Buffet say.
This is simply complicated!
“Cien’s failure to launch was a tragedy for all enthusiasts”. Amen! Just watch the movie “The Island” and see how it could have been the bolt of lightning to start a new Cadillac era.
It would have just been just another over priced Corvette C8.
Cadillac really should have picked up the C7 platform when Chevy dropped it and made a good touring convertible. The LXR failed because the Corvette was cheaper and faster on the same platform. Once it was gone this could have let Cadillac taylor the car more to their needs.