Cadillac just redefined what V-Series performance could look like in an electric future. The Elevated Velocity concept, unveiled at The Quail this past weekend, abandons the traditional track-focused formula that’s defined the V-Series for over two decades. Instead, it imagines a world where luxury performance vehicles need to excel both on tarmac and off it. This lifted, gull-winged crossover shows Cadillac testing whether customers are ready for performance cars that can handle desert adventures as confidently as drives through the canyon.
V-Series DNA Gets an Off-Road Injection
For over two decades, Cadillac’s V-Series has been the brand’s answer to BMW M and Mercedes-AMG, evolving from the original 2004 CTS-V with its Corvette-sourced LS6 heart to today’s 640hp supercars. But the Elevated Velocity concept asks, what if that track-bred performance could venture beyond pavement?
The Elevated Velocity concept rides on what Cadillac calls a “dual-mode drive system” that adapts instantly to terrain and intent. e-Velocity Mode channels the current V-Mode found in production cars for intense on-road driving, while Terra Mode raises the air suspension for better off-road performance. Then there’s the truly bizarre Sand Vision feature, essentially night vision for sandstorms, and Elements Defy, which uses “dust-phobic vibration” to shake debris off the exterior.
Wellness Meets Wildness
Inside the dramatic gull-wing doors, you’re greeted by an interior that’s blends together design-forward styling, a meditation facility, and a race car cockpit. The deep Morello red Nappa leather and Cerise fabric create a cocoon that shifts personalities based on your driving mode.
Elevate Mode transforms the cabin into an autonomous recovery space where the steering wheel retracts, infrared lighting aids performance recovery, and synchronized breathing animations help occupants get into the “headspace for performance.” And while it sounds absurd on paper, there’s something compelling about a vehicle that actively helps you decompose after a long day of adventuring.
Velocity Mode flips the script entirely, bathing everything in cool white light while the deployable steering wheel emerges with speed, temperature, and battery health displays. The augmented reality HUD and focused cockpit lighting change the environment completely.
Looking the Part
The Elevated Velocity’s exterior walks a tightrope between capability and elegance. That Vapor Blue paint job with glacial ice undertones plays beautifully against the fiery interior, while the sculptural proportions maintain Cadillac’s signature stretched hood design language established with the CELESTIQ and LYRIQ. The 2+2 configuration maximizes cabin efficiency while 24-inch wheels — featuring a blend of flax fiber and black crystal tint acrylic — are absolutely stunning.
Spec Sheet
Model: Elevated Velocity Concept
Vehicle Type: All-electric high-performance crossover concept
Seating: 2+2 configuration
Wheels: 24-inch with flax fiber and crystal tint acrylic
Exterior Color: Vapor Blue with blue-tinted glass
Interior: Morello Red Nappa leather, Cerise fabric, Garnet boucle
Doors: Gull-wing configuration
Special Features: Retractable steering wheel, infrared therapy lighting, extreme climatization
Pricing & Availability
The Elevated Velocity concept was displayed at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering in Carmel, California on August 15. As a pure concept vehicle, it won’t reach production, though Cadillac hints that design elements may influence future V-Series models.
Recap
Cadillac Elevated Velocity Concept
Cadillac’s Elevated Velocity concept reimagines the V-Series formula as a lifted, dual-mode electric crossover that combines track-bred performance with off-road capability, also equipped with gull-wing doors.
