- Cadillac has revealed a high-performance gull-wing crossover, but it’s just a concept car
Lovers of exotic and classic cars mark off this week on their calendar every year. It’s Monterey Car Week, when enthusiasts gather on the California coast to view historic and future cars from luxury and exotic automakers.
In a week of special events, tomorrow comes an especially important one with a gathering called The Quail. This year, General Motors intends to be the talk of it.
Chevrolet, GM’s most mainstream brand, will use it to launch a limited-edition 2026 Corvette in a historically significant color. Cadillac, GM’s luxury marque, will use it to show off a concept car pointing to possible future designs.
Called the Elevated Velocity Concept, it’s a sleek, high-riding performance crossover with gull-wing doors. Sports coupe lines and an SUV’s high stance combine to give it a uniquely aggressive presence.
It’s a project of the company’s V division, the high-performance shop responsible for the 682-horsepower Escalade V and the electric Lyriq V, Cadillac’s quickest car ever. It follows up on last year’s Opulent Velocity Concept.
All-electric, it’s designed to be self-driving or let the driver take over.
Retractable Steering Wheel, Custom…Polo Set?
- The car has a self-driving mode or a mode that lets you drive yourself
- Concept cars sometimes get weird — this one has a built-in polo set
In Elevate Mode, it “becomes autonomous, and the interior transforms into a recovery space for occupants,” the company says. The steering wheel and pedals retract, “while the seatback lighting features infrared light to promote the optimal performance of the concept’s occupants.” A pulsing light helps “aid in breathwork in conjunction with an animation displayed on the cowl to help the occupants get into the headspace for performance.”
In Velocity Mode, the steering wheel and pedals return to let the driver handle the driving. “The interior lighting features cool white tones that evoke a sense of exhilaration. Door interiors are backlit, while white floor lighting dims to aid the driver in focusing on the road ahead.”
Other futuristic tweaks include a setting that uses “dust-phobic vibration” to shake off sand, dirt, and dust, and a night-vision-like system specifically for sandstorms in the dystopian future where Cadillac owners find themselves in ruined arid landscapes seeking luxurious sport seating.
In the trunk? A “bespoke polo set” featuring a helmet, gloves, kneepads, and a mallet in Morello red to match the interior. Sandstorm polo will apparently be a popular sport in the future.
Cadillac’s concept cars rarely come to fruition. However, Brandon Vivian, Cadillac executive chief engineer, told Automotive News one aspect of the Elevated Velocity will likely come to vehicles you can buy – its illuminated wheels.
“It’s a question of probably when, not if,” he said. “The technology exists today. It’s about durability and use case. That’s what we’re exploring with this concept.”
