In the pantheon of automotive greatness, there’s a special hall dedicated to barely-sanitized race cars that individuals could actually buy. Stuff like the Lancia 037, the Porsche 911 GT1, and the Ferrari 250 GTO. Usually, these cars exist out of necessity, a bare minimum number of customer vehicles required to meet homologation requirements. Other times, they’re purely a giggle, and GM’s poshest division seems to want to have a go at the latter. This is the Cadillac V-One Concept, and while it is just a concept, it seems surprisingly executable. You’ll see what I mean.
While Cadillac’s headline-grabbing motorsports venture of the moment might be its entry into Formula 1, it’s been a competitive player in top-level prototype racing for nearly a decade. The latest speed machine in this arena is the Dallara co-created V-Series.R, and it’s one of the most memorable cars on the grid. Part of that’s due to a quad-cam 32-valve 5.5-liter V8 with a 4.104-inch bore and a 3.1-inch stroke that Cadillac says is completely unrelated to the 5.5-liter quad-cam V8 in the Chevrolet Corvette Z06. No matter, it still sounds the business, with hybrid drive roll-starting it to an eruption of fury. It’s a soundtrack that’s won an IMSA championship along with 10 races, and now Cadillac’s experimenting with visions of how far it can take things.
Indeed, the suspension components of the V-ONE are shared directly with the racecar, along with the transmission and what seems to be the entire body. The fin on the back, the flics and apertures on the fenders, the wing and splitter, that’s all Le Mans Daytona Hypercar stuff. However, the whole thing’s received a little bit of a makeover as part of the V-ONE treatment.
There’s no racing livery here, just a fantastically complex gradated paint job fading from futuristic silver to an inky blue. The wheels seem to be inspired by the multi-spoke designs of the CT5-V Blackwing and Escalade-V rather than being borrowed directly from the pit row, and all the important functional areas are clearly marked. Where the nitrogen bottle for the air jacks plugs into, where the recovery points are, that sort of stuff. Those last two touches say trackday toy rather than customer racing program, and the interior only strengthens that impression.
Normally, the inside of a racecar is as spartan as an Appalachian outhouse. You get a basic seat, hard surfaces, and something to inform pests of your presence with. Shelter mice, dentists committing atrocities in LMP3 cars, that sort of stuff. The V-ONE, on the other hand, is different. You get a streamlined user interface, metallic knobs, choice upholstery, and ambient lighting. It looks like it’s designed to be user-friendly whilst providing a modicum of luxury, and that says something about Cadillac’s ambition here.
If it’s this close to the actual race car, a customer-spec Cadillac hypercar seems like it would be within the realm of feasibility. Judging by language such as “button layout tailored for clients” and “seat customized to the driver’s specification,” it’s likely there are some people at Cadillac who want the V-ONE to be more than just a showpiece. For those well-heeled enough to afford this caliber of trackday toy, the promise of 830 combined horsepower from a hybrid powertrain seemingly unshackled from Balance of Performance restrictions would only sweeten the deal. Would GM allow one of its brands to sell a car that’s faster than a Corvette? Maybe if it’s not for the road. For now, we can only dream, and wait to see what Cadillac cooks up next. It would certainly be such a shame if the V-ONE ends up like the Cien, Ciel, and Elmirage, a concept that stays a fantasy.
Top graphic image: Cadillac
Cadillac doesn’t need a performance halo car. Leave that for Corvette (unless this shares a platform). I think the Celestique and more ultra lux cars make more sense for the brand.
It’s about time Cadillac had some kind of halo hyper performance car.
I’ve been close to the WEC version revved in anger and it is glorious! Race cars sound better without turbos.
The back sail, now required on top spec endurance cars, needs to go. I’m 50% sure the placement’s first consideration was for advertising space. Everything else, that they publicly acknowledge, is the other reason.
I feel like Cadillac has been promising something like this for like 24 years or so, so I will believe it when I see it. Maybe its next in the production queue after the Sollei
Since it’s a Cadillac, the Stig will enjoy a back massage and customized ambient lighting while taking the supercar on a timed lap around the track.
To start, as a lifelong Cadillac super-fan, HELL YEAHHHHHHH!!!!!! Do it Cadillac.
Okay, alright, with that out of my system I’ll just say it’s no Fleetwood, but I could see adding one to the collection (in my dream garage out next to the personal money factory).
Near to the Sebring track are these “garagedeminiums” for sale and according to the real estate guy I talked to last March during the 12-hour, the owners of those places receive a special plate for their track toy which allows one to legally drive on the short portion of the public road leading to the track.
So yeah – it will be possible to legally drive this on at least one specific portion of a public road! I guess I should pick up a lottery ticket this evening for the one-in-a-gazillion chance of future-me making that all happen.
Their IMSA and WEC entries have been massively successful but lots of bugs to shake out in F1. Specifically their brakes…but I’m sure they’ll manage not to set them on fire every race. There’s just no stopping Cadillac!
I’m assuming the Sales Manager at Casa de Cadillac in Sherman Oaks has already sent the specs to Jay Leno, but who’ll buy the second one?
I feel like I’d tire of cleaning shoe marks off that front porch of a splitter at car shows, from people standing on it so they can take a selfie of themselves going “hey, look how much weight it can take, LOL!”
…maybe I’m just in a bad mood today. Empty of compassion or hope for humanity.
Well Ferrari has the 499P Modificata for their Corse Clienti program, so GM sees the money in that, so why not?
and Porsche did a road going 963
Miles per hour?
I’m impressed.
The CTS/CT5 V’s have been faster than base Corvettes for a while, if not the top dogs. I think the ZR1X would be safe from even this thing, considering it has 400 more horsepower and AWD.
It really depends how far from the V Series-R the street version is. While the ZR1X has loads of power, the V series on the track is only 2300 pounds. If adding a real interior only takes it to 2500, that’s a 1500 pound advantage. It may not win the 0-60, but it would win anything with a turn.
Yeah I guess I’m assuming a decent amount of changes need to be made to make the car road worthy. Maybe GM can work miracles with the interior and safety requirements.
Either way it seems a bit absurd for the buyer of a $250,000 ZR1X, let alone a $75,000 Stingray, to be upset at a million dollar Cadillac race car being faster around a road course because of some decades-old unofficial GM policy.
Good commentary. I was thinking that GM has killed some really good products because Corvette. Those potential customers may not want a Corvette. The policy is self defeating for GM. The Banshee would have been awesome. A Z car fighter before the Z existed. Just as an example
Second generation Fiero has entered the chat