Anyone remembers the Apple Car and how the idea was eventually scrapped, probably right after reading my humble little Op-Ed about it? As far as concept carsgo, Elevated Velocity catches your attention right off the bat. There’s this ongoing theory that people don’t care about the performance of the car as much as they do about the aesthetics of it (it’s me, I’m the one pushing that theory). Owning a car, in this economy? Especially in a COE country? Wild.
Appreciating the design, though? FOC.
Form
Cadillac unveiled a line up of self-driving concepts last year that lean into the notion of spaces and give the word futuristic a bang for its buck. Amongst the line up, the autonomous coupe Opulent Velocity.
No points for putting two and two together (geddit, 2+2? No?) that Elevated Velocity is its successor in the SUV arena. So while carrying an aerodynamic hood consistent to the LYRIQ, combining it with the commanding look of the gull-wing doors makes for a truly spectacular silhouette.
The contrast of interior and exterior gets even more dramatic too. The Vapor Blue sheen is inspired by glacial ice, directly juxtaposing the fiery red carriage. There’s something so blatant about the choice that it harkens to the vintage Cadillacs and their unmistakable style.
Function
‘Elevated’ and ‘Velocity’ mean serious business here; titling two distinct modes of the automobile.
Picture this: Elevate Mode retracts the pedals and steering wheel, turns ambient lighting to red and seatback lighting to infrared. A light travels from front to rear in breathing tempo in conjunction with an animation on the cowl as doors backlit in sync. Interior cabin filtration keeps the air pristine while Extreme Climatisation compensates for dry air, sudden temperature shifts and altitude changes.
Velocity Mode evokes cool white tones and dims floor lighting as deployable steering wheel displays speed, AR HUD navigation and more haptics on the cowl. Possibly the closest we get to the Batmobile with the cockpit as the focus. The 24-inch wheels already prime for off-road locales, but Sand Vision builds on Cadillac’s existing Night Vision tech to enable the driver better visibility in a sandstorm. Dust-phobic vibration also cleans the vehicle of external debris.
Flair
The all-electric, high-performance crossover clearly does not shy away from its heritage in luxury. Sure, everyone and their grandmother is onboard the EV train, but a concept as strong as this positively signals how brands can continue to reinvent themselves for the future without losing the awe of their illustrious past.
For more information visit Cadillac.
This article was first seen on ESQUIRE SG.
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