Tag Archives: Cadillac

CONCEPT CARS

Meet the Cadillac Elevated Velocity: Luxury, Lunacy, and a Dash of Mars Rover

Cadillac has clearly decided that “normal” is a word best left to accountants, not car designers. Their latest concept, the Elevated Velocity, is what happens when you take last year’s Opulent Velocity, feed it a double shot of espresso, and tell it it’s allowed to run wild in the desert.

It’s a high-riding electric SUV, yes—but that’s like calling the Space Shuttle a “commuter vehicle.” This is Cadillac imagining a world where autonomous driving and good old-fashioned steering-wheel-wrangling can live under the same panoramic glass roof.

From the outside, it’s pure sci-fi V-Series: hulking stance, gullwing doors that open like they’re greeting alien royalty, illuminated 24-inch wheels (which Cadillac insists are “probably” going into production), and taillight fins that look like they belong on a ’59 Eldorado—if that Eldorado had been designed by Blade Runner’s art department.

Underneath? Electric. That’s all Cadillac’s saying. No range figures. No torque numbers. No rock-crawling specs. And frankly, it doesn’t matter—because this isn’t the sort of concept that talks about approach and departure angles. It’s here to make a statement, not to get muddy.

Inside, the Elevated Velocity is a mood board on wheels. Every surface is some shade of red—leather, boucle, you name it—and there isn’t a single conventional screen in sight. Instead, there’s a display in the steering wheel itself, because apparently that’s the future. Other features range from the vaguely plausible (cabin air purification, adaptive air suspension) to the outright bonkers (infrared light for “rejuvenation” and a dust-phobic vibration system that literally shakes dirt off the car). Oh, and there’s a hand-crafted polo set, because why not.

Driving modes are where things get properly wild:

  • Elevate Mode: Car drives itself, pedals and wheel vanish like a Vegas magic act.
  • Velocity Mode: You’re in charge—Cadillac trusts you not to bin it.
  • E-Velocity Mode: A more intense version for spirited on-road driving.
  • Terra Mode: For when you want to go off-road like a lunatic with a taste for champagne.

Cadillac will be showing it off on August 15 at The Quail during Monterey Car Week, which is the perfect venue for something that looks like it could double as a Bond villain’s escape pod. Will any of this actually make it into production? Hard to say. But Cadillac insists the future is electric—and if this is what they mean, that future is going to look utterly mad.

Source: Cadillac

News

2026 CT5-V Blackwing: The Fastest Way to Spend $158k on Paint and Leather

Cadillac has just announced something rather dangerous for your bank account: Curated by Cadillac, an exclusive new program that lets you spec your 2026 CT5-V Blackwing like it’s a hand-made Italian suit. And yes, they mean exclusive — limited numbers, all hand-built, and all offering more colors than a Skittles factory explosion.

Here’s the pitch: you get the same ferocious CT5-V Blackwing underneath — a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 that roars out 668 horsepower and 659 lb-ft of torque, with your choice of a 6-speed manual (proper) or a 10-speed automatic (for the people who use “Gran Turismo” as a verb). This means it’ll still scare you in a straight line, shred your tires into molecular dust, and make your neighbors reconsider their property values.

But the real news here is that Cadillac wants to turn your Blackwing into a rolling piece of bespoke art. There’s an expanded color palette of more than 160 shades, including high-gloss, frost, and finishes so refined they’re hand-painted by actual humans. Yes, real people. Not robots. This is essentially the automotive equivalent of a Michelin-starred chef personally seasoning your fries.

Inside, the level of customization borders on lunacy: millions of possible combinations of colors, materials, and finishes. You could spend days pairing navy leather with copper stitching, carbon trim, and Alcantara headliners — and still have room to argue about it with your concierge, who, by the way, has a background in things like fashion, fine arts, and luxury home design.

Cadillac calls this an “elevated client experience.” Translation: you’re going to have someone who’s dressed better than you helping design a car you can barely believe you own. It’s a bit of CELESTIQ magic — Cadillac’s six-figure hand-built halo sedan — trickled down into the Blackwing.

All of this opulence is assembled at Cadillac’s Artisan Center in Warren, Michigan, where the cars are hand-built by people with an eye for microscopic imperfections and probably more patience than a Buddhist monk.

The cost of all this bespoke glory? A cool $158,000 to start (before you add the kind of paint job that probably makes insurance companies cry). Production starts mid-2026, and they’ll only be sold in the U.S. and Canada.

So, what you’ve got here is a 668-horsepower missile that’s been dressed in Savile Row tailoring and sent to charm the world. It’s loud, it’s luxurious, and it’s likely to be the most personal Cadillac you’ll ever see — unless you’re Jay Leno.

Source: Cadillac

News

GM Faces Legal Heat Over Faulty L87 V8 Engines

General Motors is facing growing scrutiny as a series of lawsuits and owner complaints converge around its L87 6.2-liter V8 engine—an optional powerhouse found in many of the automaker’s top-selling full-size trucks and SUVs. Alleged defects in the engine’s internal components are fueling frustration among owners, and the backlash is intensifying despite a broad recall earlier this year.

The latest class action lawsuit, filed in a Pennsylvania federal court, accuses GM of failing to adequately address a critical flaw in the L87 engine. Specifically, the suit alleges that a defect in the connecting rod or crankshaft can result in premature bearing failure—an issue that can lead to catastrophic engine damage, including full engine seizure or a rod breaching the engine block.

Affected vehicles span a wide array of GM’s premium and volume-selling models from the 2021 to 2024 model years, including the Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, as well as the GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL.

A Recall That Raises More Questions Than It Answers

In January 2025, GM issued a recall affecting over 597,000 vehicles equipped with the L87 engine. The remedy varied by vehicle: while some were slated for full engine replacement, others were only given an oil change—switching to 0W-40 oil, a new oil filter, and an updated oil cap.

However, this fix has not quelled public or legal concern. Plaintiffs in the latest lawsuit, along with those in at least two other ongoing legal challenges, argue that the recall doesn’t go far enough. They claim the campaign offers an “inadequate and incomplete” remedy, failing to permanently resolve what they see as a serious safety and reliability issue.

Real-World Fallout

Among the plaintiffs is Farrah Forrest, who alleges her 2022 Cadillac Escalade experienced a major engine failure in late 2024. Although her vehicle’s engine was replaced under warranty, she reports that the repair process took three weeks—during which she was not provided with a loaner vehicle.

Interestingly, the two other named plaintiffs in the case, Mezanur Rahaman and Gerald Reed, haven’t experienced failures themselves but say they’ve lost confidence in the reliability of their vehicles and criticize GM’s response as lacking transparency and urgency.

A History of Complaints

While the lawsuit is new, GM has been aware of the issue for some time. An internal investigation reportedly unearthed more than 28,000 customer complaints or related incidents in the U.S. tied to the L87 engine. Despite this, the automaker closed the investigation in February 2022, and sales of vehicles equipped with the engine continued without interruption.

Moreover, L87 owners have reported a host of related performance issues, including abnormal shifting, reduced power, and hesitation during acceleration, suggesting that the defect may be symptomatic of broader drivetrain instability.

What’s Next for GM—and Its Customers?

GM has yet to publicly comment on the most recent legal action, but the growing list of lawsuits underscores a potential reputational risk for the brand, especially among buyers who prioritize reliability in the high-end SUV and truck market.

If courts find in favor of plaintiffs, GM may be forced to revise its recall strategy or provide broader compensation. Meanwhile, owners are left in a state of uncertainty—some waiting for failure, others wondering whether their engine is a ticking time bomb.

For GM, a brand that has heavily leaned into premium truck and SUV offerings in recent years, the stakes are high. The L87 engine was meant to symbolize performance and durability. Instead, it’s become the focal point of a legal and technical headache that shows no signs of going away.

Source: GM