New concept:
Are we back to the 50s, where GM came out with a dream car every week? First we had the Cadillac Sollei, then – a few weeks later – Opulent Velocity comes straight to the Monterey party from the same studio.
“Not for sale” is what it says – that’s what they are obliged to write on such photo presentations, just as they always have to state consumption and emissions on production cars.
At first it was Sollei that was so close to a production car that it could well be considered a concept.
But Opulent Velocity is something else entirely.
A pure dream. Wow, 2+2 coupé with dramatic choreography for the two doors and a truly radical cabin.
The profile is quite nice, no aggressive hexagonal air intakes or exhausts here. But something slips into the slightly grotesque, with its hints of vampire teeth on the rims, plus a fairly solid gap at the front – where the corners of the mouth look most menacing.
Here I come
It’s probably just to say that Herkommerjeg – the car is also called Velocity.
The 3D lighting at the front and back also helps to make the whole thing more theatrical – at least when it’s standing still.
Slightly faded paint at the back of the side windows is also an original feature – it can look like the “Gilded Pearl” paint has been through a real sandstorm.
But it is opulence and not velocity that is the most important ingredient here.
Opulent as in opulent.
Clean interior
When you walk towards the car, the doors open, and you see a very clean interior in something dark and blue. Intricate stitching in the seats helps give hints of opulence.
The back seat is a sort of couch, like you’d find in a hip, dark bar, with silvery flakes 3D printed from some linen fibers.
When you are finally on your way, there will be better room. The steering wheel that looks like it has been rapped from a Star Wars fighter disappears, along with the pedals and you can continue autonomously with an L4 level.
A full-width AR screen in the windscreen will provide entertainment and information.
Racing-inspired
Sunrise at Cadillac
Cadillac mutters something that they are working to see how they can transfer the electric age to their V series. And also says that here they have used more from the V Series R – the hybrid racer we saw, among other things, at Le Mans this year – than they have taken from, for example, today’s Blackwing.
But something that hasn’t been explained to me, I have to find out myself.
A small mystery at the end that requires a solution.
Since almost nobody knows and even fewer are interested (weird, don’t you want to know who painted the Mona Lisa?), the young design team consisted of Magalie Debellis, Tom Grech, Joe Boniface, Andrew McMillan, Austin Miller and Joe Lombardi
Boniface
In particular, you must notice the name Joe Boniface. Formerly part of the advanced strategy team at GMC who did some amazing work for the upgraded Sierra HD Denali double cab.
Which is just a little interesting. But if Joe is Bob’s son, it gets really interesting.
After more than 10 years at Chrysler, Bob Boniface joined GM in 2010. Now I think he is responsible for Buick, but he was also head of Cadillac design for a long period.
This new dream car is as far removed from last decade’s Cadillacs as I can imagine. If it really is father-son, I have to say that the old man has been very good at keeping his fingers off the plate.
Fortunately, we have avoided anything that smacks of romantic references to a rich design heritage here.
And we have found a father/son design team that commands respect.
