Cadillac Teases V-Series Electric Concept Opulent Velocity

Opulent Velocity is the name of the electric V-Series concept vehicle the Cadillac brand of Detroit’s General Motors Co. teased today with a closeup photo of the car’s driver’s side front quarter panel.
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Cadillac Opulent Velcocity
Cadillac marked the 20th anniversary of the V-Series by teasing its new V-Series electric concept Opulent Velocity. // Photo courtesy of Cadillac

Opulent Velocity is the name of the electric V-Series concept vehicle the Cadillac brand of Detroit’s General Motors Co. teased today with a closeup photo of the car’s driver’s side front quarter panel.

The vehicle is designed to celebrate the past, present, and future of Cadillac and its V-Series performance brand, the company says.

“Opulent Velocity is designed to foreshadow a zero-emissions expression of performance and modern luxury leadership,” says Bryan Nesbitt, executive director of Cadillac Global Design. “We will share more later this year, so stay tuned.”

The teaser drops 20 years after V-Series was first launched at Florida’s Sebring International Raceway in March 2004, with the race and subsequent first win of the CTS-V.R race car in the SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge GT race.

“V-Series forges a transformative relationship between Cadillac’s championship-winning motorsports program and the road vehicles it influences,” says Brandon Vivian, executive chief engineer at Cadillac. “It is a proven formula delivering authentic performance through technology, resonating with our passionate V-Series enthusiasts over the past two decades.”

Racing, the company says, provides a testbed for Cadillac to transfer knowledge and technology between race cars and production vehicles.

Cadillac returns to the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring this weekend to celebrate the 20th anniversary of V-Series, while aiming to defend last year’s win by the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac team.

In other GM news, the company announced Tuesday its executive vice president of global manufacturing and sustainability, Gerald Johnson, is retiring after 44 years with the automaker. He will be replaced by Google’s Jens Peter (JP) Clausen.

According to GM, Johnson was “pivotal in effecting a major cultural transformation that underscored leadership, process discipline, continuous improvement, and waste elimination.” He also played a key role in bolstering GM’s labor relations.

“Gerald’s leadership, vision, and relentless pursuit of excellence in manufacturing have left an indelible mark on GM,” says Mary Barra, chair and CEO of GM. “His impactful journey from joining the Fisher Body Plant in Euclid, Ohio, to his integral role in GM’s COVID-19 emergency response, is a testament to his unwavering commitment and dedication. We are immensely grateful for his over four decades of service and congratulate him on his well-deserved retirement.”

GM also announced Software and Services Executive Vice President Mike Abbott is stepping down for health reasons. Baris Cetinok, current vice president of product in software and services, has been named the interim head of the department while a search is conducted.