There is a golden ratio for concept cars that has been ignored recently. Most “concept” cars are barely disguised looks at the future that, with a set of new mirrors, could be production vehicles. Other concepts are so conceptual that it’s impossible to see anything production-worthy. The art is in balancing the two, while also adding just enough ridiculous flourish to titillate the mind.
What’s the exact ratio? I think it’s about 33% production intent, 44% hope, and 23% flourish. I am willing to be wrong about this, and invite you to decide what your ratio is, but this is how the production cars of the ’50s and ’60s did it, and that’s probably the best era of concept cars. I’d also accept the late ’90s/early aughts Japanese post-Bubble and Y2K Euro concepts as well.
Can I give you an example of a car that fits this ratio quite well?
This is the Nissan Urge concept. I was at Hagerty’s Motorlux event and spoke with a former Nissan employee who was there around the time, and he reminded me of this mostly forgotten and incredibly cool car. The production intent here, per this conversation, was that Nissan wanted to see if it could do anything to extend the 350Z platform into something more affordable for younger people wanting to get into cars. Think of it as a Nissan-built Miata alternative. Both the overall look and the use of an existing platform make it something producible.
Obviously, the see-through doors are not something production intended. It’s also a three-seater, but in the very unpopular 2-and-1 layout, where the back passenger is essentially in a rumble bucket seat. Incredibly silly, but I love it.
This cockpit. Wow. The 2000s aesthetic is strong with this one. The completely silly flourish is the embedded Xbox 360. It’s not clear from the press release which game came with it, but for some reason, I just know that it’s the terrible Da Vinci Code video game. Don’t ask me how I know that, but I’m correct.
Obviously, we never got the cheaper Nissan sports car, which is a loss for the world.
I mention all of this because I’m trying to understand where the Cadillac Elevated Velocity (EV, get it?) concept fits within my rubric.
Credit Cadillac for managing to evolve a style that never quite stays the same but is always recognizable as Cadillac. I saw both a Celestiq and the new Jaguar concept last night, and it feels very much like Jaguar is trying to play catch-up with the American automaker. It made me feel just a little patriotic.
The brand already has two electric two-row crossovers in the Lyriq and the Optiq, so does it need a swoopy coupe-like electric crossover that combines a Celestiq and a Lyriq? I kind of think they do not. Here’s what the brand says about this specific concept:
The concept features a potent blend of extreme performance, cutting-edge advanced technologies and signature bespoke luxury craftsmanship. It showcases dual experiences with stunning looks and a refined interior that elevates the state-of-being for occupants (thus, Elevated), yet its lifted platform is calibrated for daring off-road performance in the most extreme desert locales (ergo, Velocity).
I’m not sure I see it. An off-road electric Cadillac isn’t a thing I’d be sad to see exist, but it’s not the most obvious next step for the brand. I think it’s a little too low on the production intent metric.
Besides the gullwing doors, is there some other whacky nonsense? Yes, of course:
Elevate Mode is engaged by the driver. When engaged, Elevated Velocity becomes autonomous and the interior transforms into a recovery space for occupants. In Elevate Mode, the pedals and steering wheel retract, while the outside temperature, the driver’s body temperature and the cabin temperature are displayed to help optimize performance. Interior ambient lighting shifts to red, while the seatback lighting features infrared light to promote the optimal performance of the concept’s occupants. Doors are backlit to synchronize breathing and movement, furthering the emphasis on recovery. Above the steering column, a light moves forward and rearwards to aid in breathwork in conjunction with an animation displayed on the cowl to help the occupants get into the headspace for performance.
The car guides you in meditative breath? That’s probably silly, though more cars are offering serenity modes that change the lights, smells, and sounds of the car to calm drivers, so maybe it’s not quite so silly. I think Cadillac is doing well in this regard.
Ok, now it’s time for the utterly nonsensical flourish:
Hell yeah. It’s a bespoke polo set!
The interior features layers of materials ranging from smooth wrapped surfaces, embossed grains, boucle fabric, tinted acrylic and glass, representing Elevated Velocity’s extreme capabilities with inspiration from desert polo pursuits.
The cabin is outfitted in shades of deep red with brushed metal accents, suggesting the feeling of energy and movement:
Morello Red: a deep red leather with smooth Fine Nappa grain outfitting the headliner/pillars, door uppers, seat cushions, rear compartment, cabin and cargo floor
Cerise: a sleek red fabric wrapping around the vehicle’s interior from the doors to behind the instrument panel, and behind the rear seats, creating a full ring of the material. The doors feature a unique 3D printed pattern in black crystal inspired by the dynamic action of desert polo – the clashing of mallets or motion of the horse’s hooves as they sprint across a field of shifting sand.
Garnet: a red boucle fabric that adorns the seat uppers, door armrests, console armrest, and instrument panel
Honestly, this whole thing may just be a way for Cadillac to show off some of its new interior colors and designs. Fair play.
It’s a good red. I’m not going to lie. I also like the screen built into the steering wheel.
This will be at The Quail tomorrow, and Jason and David might check it out in person if you’re all interested.
Top Photo: Cadillac
Surprised it wasn’t named the Eleviq Velostiq.
Yeah, no thanks…I just threw up
I would normally hate an all-red interior, but they do make it look pretty nice here. Being a deep red helps a lot. Not sure about the steering wheel screen (I think I’d rather have an airbag), and enough with the yokes already.
That red is pretty good! I had a Chevy Corsica with basically the same interior minus the polo set and steering wheel screen. I don’t recall the Corsica putting me “into the headspace for performance,” but maybe I just didn’t notice?
The bespoke kit in the back kind of reminds me of 10+ years ago when volvo had that cool 2 door concept estate with a kubb (viking chess, wicked fun) set integrated into the back. Love the included kit/gear sales angle- The chevy trucks with a winchester model 94, VW jetta with a trek mtb, etc.
Cadillac needs to do…. something. Other than the Escalade they haven’t really had a hit in decades. And for decades they do things like this, where its an unusual or interesting idea, only to never be seen again or instead reveal itself as a $500,000 thing nobody can afford.
And IMHO now is the time to do it. BMW, Mercedes, Audi and Lexus at this point make amorphous looking blobs. I rented a new Mercedes a few months ago and didn’t notice anything amazing about it. Not remarkable, not memorable and absolutely not worth the additional costs.
I used to write to GM a lot about this. Obviously zero response and I doubt anyone read it. But the ONLY way Cadillac can become relevant is to start taking chances again, count on your designers and give more creative control to them to bring their designs to fruition. We need another Harley Earl. We need something that puts them on the forefront again. No- that does not bring back fins. But it means being daring.
If all they do is try and ape whatever the other luxury automakers are doing nobody will ever care.
Wow, that red interior is incredible. I’d take a trickled-down production version of it, I bet!
“Morello Red”
C’mon GM, use a damn spell checker. How can you misspell “Bordello”?
“Whorehouse Red”
Don’t actually rich folks hire someone to ride their polo horses for them? The only polo match (game? event? meet?) I’ve been to was played almost entirely by Argentinians. In Wyoming.
I doubt those guys get fancy Caddies as part of their pay.
Oh for the days when interiors came in actual colors. It wasn’t that long ago that this was a thing. I had a 2nd Gen Plymouth minivan with a red interior that looked just like this. (mostly)
My mom just bought a new Camry Hybrid that has a red leather interior. I was absolutely blown away…. and its a CAMRY!~
We were looking at Camrys a while back and were annoyed that the interiors were almost entirely black. Out of curiosity I looked for “all” new Camrys on Cars.com to see how many had which interiors of what color. Out of 9500 cars 65% black, 30% grey, less than 5% red. It’s something, I guess.
Morello Red is actually the name for a casual slacktivist in the 90s who listened to too much RATM.
Polo set is too aspirational. It needs to be a croquet set or, if we’re being even more realistic and relevant, a carbon fiber pickleball set.
I don’t get gullwing doors, other than they look cool when open… and on my childhood poster of a 300SL. Everything else about them seems to be a disadvantage
Cadillac is giving off 50s-60s Futuristic vibes with their concepts and I am HERE for it. The Celestiq is amazing. If you’re gonna be expensive, LOOK your price tag. Don’t just cram speed into a supercar chassis. Give me rolling OPULENCE.