Cadillac to continue V Series, Blackwing models in shift to EV

Cadillac’s high-performance V-Series and Blackwing models will live on as high-tech heroes when the brand shifts to electric propulsion.

While the pinnacle of the brand’s American showrooms have been powered by tuned combustion engines – turbocharged four-cylinders and V6s as well as V8s – future iterations will lean on electric motors for high performance thrills.

And they’ll be anything but anodyne, Cadillac confirming that it wants V8-like personality in its stove-hot EVs as it chases go-fast rivals from BMW M, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche.

Furthermore, you can bet your bottom dollar they’ll deliver cheek-rippling pace for buyers chasing driving excitement, in the vein of the 500kW supercharged V8 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing.

“Stay tuned,” said Shilpan Amin, the president of GM International and the man overseeing the return of the Cadillac brand to Australia.

While he’s not going into details about upcoming EV versions of V-Series models or the even more potent Blackwing variants, Cadillac says performance cars are “critical” to the brand.

Given Cadillac is working towards an EV-only future it means those V-Series and Blackwing models will soon be electric.

He added that “racing is core to Cadillac”, something that typically breeds road cars designed to leverage the marketing connection.

One of the most famous hardcore Caddies is the Cadillac Escalade V-Series mega SUV, whose 6.2-litre supercharged V8 makes a bit over 500kW (682 horsepower) and storms from zero to 60mph (96km/h) in 4.4 seconds, which ain’t hanging around.

The all-electric Escalade iQ in standard guise makes an estimated 750hp (560kW) and gets to 60mph in “less than five seconds”.

So with some tuning and upgraded hardware it’s clear an iQ V-Series or Blackwing will be able to embarrass the supercharged V8 hotties currently offered by Cadillac.

The American brand has already given a hint of its high-performance EV future with the one-off Opulent Velocity show car.

The sleek 2+2 gives hints of a future Cadillac hypercar, something GM design boss Mike Simcoe says is on the wish list for the brand as it looks to reassert itself as an innovator and pinnacle of luxury to challenge the top end of town, including Rolls-Royce and Bentley.

Performance capabilities will be crucial in stealing attention away from its European rivals but optics should not be underestimated either.

In a recent interview with carsales, the former Holden designer and now GM’s global design boss, Simcoe expressed his desire to create a hypercar for the aspirational brand.