Cadillac Opulent Velocity Concept: Zero-Emission V Performance, It Has It
It might not have a miniature giraffe on board, but it celebrates 20 years of V performance.
Cadillac's V performance sub-brand has been around for 20 years, and to celebrate, it's rolling out a new concept car later this year dubbed "Opulent Velocity." Silly name aside ( remember those DirecTV ads with the Russian guy displaying over-the-top symbols of wealth that kicks off with the phrase: "Opulence, I has it"?), the mysterious concept car is described as "zero emissions," though it isn't specified whether it's all-electric, hydrogen-powered, or what.
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Yes, Cadillac is ushering its V performance brand into the future, and you can probably expect that whatever the Opulent Velocity turns out to be, it'll likely be an EV. The automaker describes the car as "designed to celebrate the past, present and future of Cadillac and its performance brand, V-Series."
From what we can make out in the blurry glimpses we get of the Opulent Velocity in the video clip below, it'll have Cadillac's signature vertical-strip headlights and taillights, some surprisingly rounded forms on its body, and make both electric and seemingly V-8-ish noises when pushed hard. Again, that zero-emissions bit leaves us scratching our heads at that V-8 ripple we hear in the video—perhaps it's a new-style EV noise like Dodge's Fratzonic exhaust. Or maybe Cadillac has developed an onboard emissions-capture system and this thing has a stonkin' V-8.
Will the Opulent Velocity have an engine? Will it come with a tiny giraffe onboard? We'll need to wait until later this year to find out. That's when Cadillac says it'll reveal more about the Opulent Velocity concept.
A lifelong car enthusiast, I stumbled into this line of work essentially by accident after discovering a job posting for an intern position at Car and Driver while at college. My start may have been a compelling alternative to working in a University of Michigan dining hall, but a decade and a half later, here I am reviewing cars; judging our Car, Truck, and Performance Vehicle of the Year contests; and shaping MotorTrend’s daily coverage of the automotive industry.
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