Cadillac

McLaren W1 First Drive: Ferocious Hypercar Transcends the Track

You know things are getting serious when McLaren rolls-out the ‘1’ suffix. The origin story is, of course, the very first road car McLaren ever built, the F1. Designed by visionary Formula 1 aerodynamicist and engineer Gordon Murray, it arrived in 1992 and rendered all other supercars obsolete. The tiny, lightweight F1 embraced carbon-fibre material technology, adopted a radical centre seat driving position with two passengers set back and either side and was powered by a 6.1-litre V12 engine from BMW that might as well have been passed down directly from the Gods. Game-changer? That doesn’t even come close to describing its impact, even if at the time sales didn’t come easy… The P1 was very different. Rather than a unique side project from the Formula 1 team, it was instead a statement piece for McLaren Automotive, a new road car division still in its infancy. It arrived in 2013 and was a wild-eyed showstopper. It traded the long-legged gait and supple suspension of the F1 for a weaponized hybrid system capable of delivering 903bhp and huge blue flames from its drainpipe exhaust. In Race mode, it lowered by 2-inches and its massive concave rear wing extended into the sky. The P1 was all about aerodynamic downforce, crazed acceleration and a snorting, angry soundtrack that mixed venomous twin-turbocharged V8 with the manic whirr of electric motors. Not so much a car as a force of nature. And now there’s this: The W1. It’s a true successor to the P1 with a similar brief and, on the face of it, it evolves rather than radically reinvents McLaren’s vision for the ultimate hypercar. This is not a criticism. How could it be when the result is this dramatic and has such staggering, other-worldly potential? The W1 has 1258bhp delivered to the rear wheels. It’s capable of 0-124 mph in 5.8-seconds, the quarter mile in 9.6-seconds at 167 mph and produces 2205lbs of downforce at 174 mph. The active aerodynamics – particularly a rear wing that extends way out beyond the rear of the car – are pure performance art and deliver massive aerodynamic efficiency. The result, aside from looking extremely cool, is that the W1 is McLaren’s fastest road car around a racetrack. Ever. Their benchmark circuit is the breath-taking Handling Track at the Nardo proving ground in southern Italy, where the W1 beats their previous benchmark, the flyweight McLaren Senna, by three seconds per lap. Or “a lifetime” as they call it in racing. Maybe two lifetimes! Core to the W1’s performance is the new ‘Aerocell’ carbon fibre tub. With integrated seats and a raised footwell to allow for inboard pushrod-operated front suspension – which in turn gives air a clean path to the huge underbody diffuser – it’s light, stiff, space efficient and has been instrumental in McLaren realising a full ground-effect concept. Just like last year’s F1 cars, which were the fastest ever made. There is also an active front wing and the aforementioned complex rear wing dubbed ‘Active Long Tail’. All of which is very admirable. But the ‘anhedral’ or gullwing doors and the fantastically shirnked-wrapped feel to the minimalist, highly-focussed interior are a pretty good side effect. The W1 feels special. Those fixed seats are perhaps a shade more upright than expected, and the driving position is less obviously racecar than, for example, the Aston Martin Valhalla or Ferrari F80. However, once you’ve adjusted the pedals (they move on a slider) and the delicate, slim-rimmed and alcantara-trimmed steering wheel, there’s an overwhelming sense of purpose. The cabin is so tightly tailored and imparts a sense of lightness and agility before you so much as start the all-new 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine, which makes 916bhp all on its own and revs to 9200rpm. Reach up to a roof-mounted control panel to find the starter button. Maybe this fighter plane trope is a little corny, but somehow you feel thrilled rather than manipulated. The W1 has a sense of humour as well as all that motorsport-derived sophistication. There’s a short delay, but when the engine does fire it’s instant – as the high-powered hybrid system negates the need for an old-school starter motor. A sharp flare of revs tells you that this engine is hyper-responsive and angry. On some deep level your brain and body have been sent all the signals required to prepare for something new and intense. Ahead of us, an empty Mugello racetrack, so press and hold the blue button next to the red starter to select Race mode. The centre display graphic shows the W1’s transformation in real time as it lowers by 37mm at the front and 17mm at the rear whilst simultaneously undocking all that active aero goodness. Race mode is not road legal and is geo-locked. You can show your friends and neighbours the aero dance, but it won’t allow you to select a gear to actually drive unless you’re at a circuit. Incidentally, the rocker switches either side of the display binnacle allow further options now: Toggle up the Handling control on the left for Race+ (for F1-spec super smooth tracks) or stick to Race for gnarlier ones. On the right toggle select ‘GP’ for sustained performance over a stint or ‘Sprint’ to unleash all 1258bhp for a time attack. There’s also a DRS and Boost function on the steering wheel. But I guarantee you won’t have the mental capacity to use them… Exit the pitlane, pin the throttle and W1 takes maybe a millisecond or two to gather its might (the gearing stretches to around 60mph in first, nearly 100mph in second, primarily to aid traction), but then lunges at the first turn with incredible ferocity. It instantly feels light, almost like inertia is no longer a thing. McLaren really does prize lightweight engineering, and at 3084lbs (dry) the W1 has a 278lbs advantage over the Ferrari F80. Plus, Ferrari uses figures for cars fitted with every single carbon fibre option. In reality, the gap is probably wider still. The impression of agility and stunning control continues as the track is unravelled at startling pace. The electric motor mounted to the side of the new 8-speed dual-clutch transmission is good for 342bhp and 324lb ft and it boosts any low rev lethargy the new flat-plane crank V8 might have (spoiler alert: It doesn’t appear to have any), so the W1 just feels massively, almost impossibly powerful at any revs. Even so, there’s real reward for wringing it out to 9200rpm and the power curve feels superheated but organic, too. In Race mode the steering – still hydraulically powered – has less assistance and it is noticeably heavier than other McLarens. However, that resistance is welcome as it gives you something to push against and imparts so much information about the front grip level. New Pirelli Trofeo RS tyres with a bigger front footprint than P1 or Senna really help. The front-end feels incredibly secure and the rear-axle follows with perfectly-aligned precision. The whole car feels super-stiff, completely locked into the surface and inspires confidence, but there’s an inherent agility and adjustability that means you’re quickly confident to push at its limits and really impose yourself on the chassis. It’s such a complex car but the driving experience is intuitive, and the driver feels a key contributor rather than just amazed (or terrified) observer, holding on for dear life. Every dynamic ingredient really is shockingly effective and yet has a subtlety and lightness of touch. From that delicious steering to the incredible brakes, the W1 just feels so mission-focussed, so hooked-up. Only the new 8-speed gearbox is a slightly disappointment. It’s fast and punchy, but after the scintillating energy of the Ferrari F80 ’box it feels competent rather than inspired. Other quibbles – it’s okay to quibble when the starting price is $2.1-million before tax and destination charge. Well, that new twin-turbocharged V8 sounds tightly wound and aggressive but if you have a P1 tucked in the garage you’ll miss the snorting, Darth Vader-style soundscape and all the drama that goes with it. Ferrari does this better, too. The F80 sounds deathly dull from the outside but is a riot of turbochargers, electric motors and all sorts of mechanical fury within the cockpit. Even so, the W1 is wildly entertaining on track, and the rear-drive configuration makes it more of a challenge and more satisfying than the F80 when chasing lap times or just sliding around for fun. In the Ferrari, you must second-guess what the front e-axle might do, whereas in the W1 it’s all on you. There are plenty of tools to help, including the ingenious Variable Drift Control, but somehow the W1 is more heroic. Or at least fools you into feeling more heroic – which is surely the point! On the road? Nimble, loaded with feel and sublime response. The ride is noticeably tougher than, say, a 750S but the control is ramped-up too, and with a bit more speed the whole car finds a delicious rhythm. Sport mode for the drivetrain brings some nice turbo whooshes and chirps, but the noise remains high-quality rather than extreme excitement. It is perhaps the one area the W1 feels just a little too tame. Of course, there’s nothing tame about the raw performance… which is genuinely shocking and literally hurts your neck muscles after a few hours. How McLaren has given the W1 such immense traction through just two driven wheels is beyond me. So, is it worthy of that ‘1’? I think so. Perhaps we won’t be talking about $25-million auction results for the W1 in 30 years from now, as we are for the F1. Perhaps it doesn’t quite have the amazing presence and jaw-dropping star quality of the simply gorgeous P1. But it is such an intense experience and the way it marries stunning track performance with delicate poise and entertainment on normal roads is something akin to magic. Maybe not ‘the one’ but definitely a searing, outrageous addition to McLaren’s fiercest family line. Just 399 W1’s will be built and they’re all sold. I’m not surprised at all. View All McLarens For Sale Images: McLaren Automotive

By Sponsored Article – September 23, 2026

Every Cadillac CELESTIQ is the Only One of Its Kind

Cadillac adopted the phrase "Standard of the World" in 1908, a claim staked on engineering, styling, and technology at a time when the American luxury car was still being invented. More than a century later, the brand has applied that same phrase to a hand-built, all-electric sedan that no two owners will ever experience identically. The CELESTIQ is available by inquiry only. Production is deliberately limited. And each car that leaves Warren, Michigan, exists in a run of exactly one. For collectors who have spent years chasing low-production specials, matching-numbers survivors, and factory specials built in the dozens, the proposition here is unusual. Rarity is normally something a car earns in hindsight, through attrition, or a homologation quirk. The CELESTIQ arrives with it built in. Extensive design options ensure every CELESTIQ is one-of-a-kind. A client begins with what Cadillac describes as a blank canvas and works outward from there, choosing colors, materials, and finishes across a range the brand characterizes as expansive. That structure has consequences for pricing and timing. There is no single MSRP, because there is no single car. Cadillac has said the blank canvas opens in the low-$400,000 range, with each client's final figure determined by the depth of their curation. Delivery schedules move the same way. A restrained commission and an ambitious one do not take the same amount of time to build, and Cadillac has not pretended otherwise. For the collector market, the interesting detail is what this produces downstream. Every CELESTIQ carries a documented, client-authored specification that cannot be duplicated by a later buyer or reverse-engineered by a restorer. Provenance is established at the point of commission rather than assembled decades later from build sheets and correspondence. The commission takes place at Cadillac House at Vanderbilt. This location is a facility Cadillac built specifically for CELESTIQ clients on the General Motors Global Technical Center campus in Warren, Michigan. The Global Technical Center was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2014 and was the first major commission awarded to Eero Saarinen, whose neo-futurist approach also informed the CELESTIQ design team. The building that houses Cadillac House sits directly across the lake from the main entrance and originally served as the campus restaurant, the room where GM's designers and engineers ate lunch and argued about the future. Its design won an American Institute of Architects Honor Award in 1955. Inside, a stepped floor and a glass curtain wall open onto a panoramic view of the campus dome, the lake, and the Alexander Calder fountain. Saarinen's material palette remains: travertine and terrazzo, stainless steel detailing. The centerpiece is a sculptural gold screen by Harry Bertoia, 36 feet long and 10 feet tall, built from individual enameled steel plaques the artist coated in molten metal. It is one of only a handful Bertoia produced. The house is named for Suzanne Vanderbilt, who joined GM Design in 1955 and worked in the Cadillac studio at a time when very few women worked anywhere in automotive design. Her portfolio included two unique cars, the 1958 Eldorado Seville Coupe known as Baroness and the Cadillac Saxony convertible. She held two patents from her work on interior safety, mentored the generation of designers who followed her, and retired in 1977. Clients who cannot travel to Michigan are not handed a lesser version of the process. Their journey still begins at Cadillac House, conducted virtually, with the same one-on-one access. Each client is assigned a CELESTIQ concierge. The concierge then guides the commission from first conversation to handover, working alongside the client's CELESTIQ Certified Dealer. Cadillac recruited the concierge team from outside the traditional retail channel. Their backgrounds run through fashion, entertainment, fine art, and design, and include work with major artists and brands as well as luxury residential interiors. The reasoning is straightforward: a client who wants a specific shade pulled from a piece of furniture, a textile, or a painting needs an advisor fluent in that conversation. Beyond the concierge, clients have direct access to Cadillac Design itself. Bryan Nesbitt, Senior Vice President, Global Design at General Motors, has described the on-site collaboration as the opportunity for a client to translate their vision into "a one-of-one piece of moving sculpture." Cadillac delivered the first client-ordered CELESTIQ in June 2025, at a private ceremony at the Global Technical Center with the handover staged at Cadillac House at Vanderbilt. It closed the loop on a process that began in the same building, with the same people. That moment is the part of the experience most difficult to replicate elsewhere in the ultra-luxury market. The client returns to the room where the car was imagined, and takes delivery of the only example of it that will ever exist. For a brand that has spent 118 years honoring a phrase it coined in 1908, it is a fitting way to hand over the keys. Discover Celestiq The Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price excludes destination freight charge, tax, title, license, dealer fees and optional equipment. Dealer sets final price. Click here to see all Cadillac vehicles’ destination freight charges."

The New Cadillac V-ONE Concept Previews A Possible Customer Racing Hypercar

By Tyler Rampersaud – August 14, 2026

Cadillac Reveals the New V-ONE Concept

Cadillac’s V-Series, the performance arm of the legendary American luxury manufacturer, has spent the past few years blossoming. Just over 20 years old, the V-Series started with performance versions of cars like the XLR convertible and the CTS and STS sedans, growing to include an iconic wagon, a powerful coupe, and other models over the years. This decade, the first V-Series SUV came in the form of a V-Series version of the legendary Escalade, and the V-Series also introduced an electric model with the Lyriq-V. Meanwhile, the nameplate gained an impressive racing presence with the V-Series.R, an LMDh hypercar that competes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship, and an entry onto the Formula 1 grid this season. In both the IMSA and WEC series, the V-Series.R has earned impressive results in the endurance racing world, with 10 wins, 16 pole positions and 32 podiums for the car since it began racing in 2023. Its other achievements include the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech Championship manufacturer, team and driver titles, the 2025 Le Mans Hyperpole, and Cadillac’s first 1–2 finish in the FIA World Endurance Championship at São Paulo. <- Gallery -> Now, a new concept, unveiled at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering during Monterey Car Week, envisions an expansion of Cadillac’s racing hypercar presence, and it’s called the V-ONE. About the new V-ONE concept, Dominic Najafi, Executive Design Director at Global Cadillac, said, “The Cadillac V-ONE Concept is the ultimate manifestation of a customer performance concept and is a clear sign of our ambition for the Cadillac V-Series brand in the future.” It shares a foundation with the V-Series.R, and was created in collaboration with Dallara, the chassis manufacturer for the LMDh hypercar. However, the V-ONE’s V8 hybrid powertrain features a combined 830 horsepower, a significant increase from the regulation-restricted V-Series.R’s 671. Its aerodynamics are inspired by the V-Series.R, as well, and the two share suspension components, body proportions, and other details. Inside, the racing purpose of the car is maintained, with refined details that evoke Cadillac luxury, like an elegant interface and data visualization concept, a new wheel design, and a hand-sprayed gradient paintwork from silver to deep navy that nods to the grueling hours of endurance racing. The interior also features Cadillac Collection recycled fabrics, a serialized plaque on the door, and a seat that can be customized to driver specifications. While the new Cadillac V-ONE is a concept, other manufacturers in the endurance racing hypercar arena have created customer racing cars, like Ferrari’s 499P Modificata and the upcoming McLaren MCL-HY GTR, coming alongside the MCL-HY’s entrance to the endurance racing grid. With impressive success at the top class of endurance racing, Cadillac may be looking to expand its endurance hypercar presence to include customer racing with the new V-ONE. View All Cadillac For Sale Image Source: Cadillac

Cadillac Will Reveal the One-Off CELESTIQ 'Night Test' at The Quail

By Khris Bharath – August 13, 2026

Cadillac Will Reveal a One-Off CELESTIQ 'Night Test' at The Quail

Cadillac will showcase a one-off CELESTIQ commission called ‘Night Test’ at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, during Monterey Car Week 2026. The commission is themed around solitary preparation, the athlete or musician putting in thousands of hours of work before the spotlight. Finished in high-gloss Caspia Tricoat Metallic, Night Test appears almost black, but direct light reveals a deep midnight-blue metallic finish across its bodywork. The color suits the CELESTIQ's unusually long, low proportions, with its fastback roofline, heavily sculpted lower doors, and thin rear lighting giving the car an almost concept-like profile. Dark-finish 23-inch reverse-rim wheels with Jade accents fill the arches, while up front, Cadillac's vertical lighting signatures flank the broad illuminated grille. A Jade-finish lighting bezel surrounds the headlamps. Inside, the cabin provides a much brighter contrast. Sheer Gray dominates the perforated seats, set against Backen Black across the dashboard, center console, roof structure, and upper cabin. Carbon fiber and brushed metal add a more technical character, while the expansive glass roof and four-seat layout highlight just how far removed the CELESTIQ is from a conventional Cadillac sedan. The underlying car remains Cadillac's most ambitious flagship in decades. As we found when we reviewed the flagship all-electric sedan last year, the CELESTIQ produces 655 horsepower and 646 pound-feet of torque through a dual-motor all-wheel-drive system, reaches 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, and offers an estimated 303 miles of range. Every CELESTIQ is hand-assembled at the Cadillac Artisan Center in Warren, Michigan, an $81 million facility established inside GM's Global Technical Center that holds only six cars at a time. Annual production is expected to remain between 100 and 150 units. Clients curate their own palette of colors, materials, and finishes through a dedicated commissioning facility, with the production process centered around individual specifications. Priced from $300,000 before commissioning, the CELESTIQ occupies a very different corner of the Cadillac portfolio. The first customer car was delivered at Cadillac House at Vanderbilt, while only 25 examples were built for the 2025 model year. Night Test now offers another glimpse at what Cadillac's highly individualized approach can produce, trading traditional flagship opulence for something considerably darker and more restrained. View All Cadillacs for Sale Images: Cadillac

Cadillac Introduces Curated by Cadillac For The Escalade IQ

By Tyler Rampersaud – August 11, 2026

Curated by Cadillac Introduced For Escalade IQ

Introduced last year for its V8-powered performance sedan, the CT5-V Blackwing, Curated by Cadillac is a low-volume, concierge-led customization program, allowing the most discerning customers to create a vehicle that reflects personal expression and individual taste. Ahead of this year’s Monterey Car Week, however, another model from Cadillac’s lineup is being introduced to the Curated by Cadillac program: the Escalade IQ. The all-electric reimagination of Cadillac’s legendary luxury SUV, the Escalade IQ is an evolution of Cadillac’s approach to flagship luxury, making for a perfect addition to the Curated by Cadillac program. Similar to the bespoke configuration experience given to customers of the exclusive Cadillac Celestiq, the Escalade IQ’s addition to the Curated by Cadillac program offers another EV for Cadillac owners to configure at an elevated level. About Curated by Cadillac being offered for the Escalade IQ, the Vice President of Global Cadillac, Kristian Aquilina, said, “Curated by Cadillac ESCALADE IQ gives clients the chance to create a vehicle that reflects their individual taste by working alongside expert Cadillac designers. We’re extending the hand-built CELESTIQ experience to deliver true customization capabilities for a select number of ESCALADE IQ clients.” <- Gallery -> The program unlocks the potential for millions of combinations for the Escalade IQ’s design, with personal concierge support being offered for clients throughout the experience, over 160 exterior colors available including metallic, matte, tri-coat, frosted, and solid shades, 44 available interior colors for combinations across the Escalade IQ’s three rows of seating, and elevated craftsmanship including hand painting, artisan construction, serialized badging, low-volume production, and a unique VIN. Starting with the 2027 model year, each Curated by Cadillac Escalade IQ will be made in the Warren, Michigan Artisan Center. Sold for the US and Canadian markets, deliveries of Curated by Cadillac examples are set to begin in the second half of 2027, and the Curated by Cadillac package is priced at $54,995, on top of the vehicle MSRP, tax, title, license, and dealer fees. At The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, a concept of the Curated by Cadillac Escalade IQ will be on display, showcasing the future of Cadillac flagship luxury and bespoke craftsmanship at one of Monterey Car Week’s most prestigious events. View All Cadillac Escalade IQ For Sale Image Source: Cadillac

By Khris Bharath – July 14, 2026

Watch Bottas and Pérez Go Head-to-Head in Cadillac's V-Practice Showdown

This year’s Miami Grand Prix may be behind us, but Cadillac recently released a video of its Formula 1 drivers, Valtteri Bottas and Sergio "Checo" Pérez, in a head-to-head V-Practice showdown at the Miami Concours Club, between its gas and electric performance models, filmed in the week leading up to the race. It is a fitting feature for the American brand making its Formula 1 debut this season, showcasing two high-performance models that sit at opposite ends of the V-Series spectrum, Cadillac's performance sub-brand, currently spanning six models today, with everything from the all-electric CT4 to the Escalade ESV. Bottas and "Checo" Pérez went out in OPTIQ-V and a CT5-V Blackwing for V-Practice, where they put them through their paces. Pérez had driven the circuit the previous day. Bottas was experiencing both cars and the layout for the first time. Starting with a precision slalom in the OPTIQ-V for V-Practice 1, with the car’s V-Mode, unlocking Competitive Mode, and personalized chassis settings, both drivers posted identical times of 25.98 seconds, a result that caught both drivers off guard, highlighting how well-sorted the OPTIQ-V's instant torque delivery (650 pound-feet) actually is, not just in a straight line but also in a lateral direction change context, with both drivers reinforcing how agile it felt for an EV. V-Practice 2 moved to full flying laps in the CT5-V Blackwing with the 10-speed auto, in V-Mode. Bottas posted a time of 1:30.4, whereas Checo was slightly quicker with a time of 1:29.9 but had it deleted for track limits. Both drivers noted how naturally the CT5-V's breadth of capabilities is both on and off track, with Bottas calling the balance genuinely impressive for a four-door luxury sedan. The OPTIQ-V arrives at a moment when Cadillac's EV momentum is genuinely building, with the brand having crossed 100,000 US EV sales despite broader market headwinds. duPont REGISTRY has reviewed three all-electric models: the Lyriq, the Escalade IQ Sport, and the flagship Celestiq, an evolving lineup that showcases just how seriously GM is treating the next generation of American luxury. The CT5-V Blackwing sits at the other end of the story entirely: an old-school 6.2-liter supercharged V8 that pairs with a Tremec 6-speed manual gearbox for 668-horsepower, and 659 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels, currently the last V8-powered sedan on sale anywhere in the world that still offers three pedals. To further add to its exclusivity, Bottas and Pérez also unveiled a special CT5-V Blackwing F1 Collector Series ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, a limited-edition model we covered at its debut. View All Cadillacs for Sale Images: Cadillac

The Sound of American Luxury: Cadillac’s Audio Revolution

By Bradley Iger – June 21, 2026

Cadillac, AKG, and Dolby: Redefining the Sound of Luxury

Cadillac adopted its famous “Standard of the World” slogan back in 1908, a statement that concisely defined its commitment to world-class engineering, technology, and style. And for a time, there weren’t many contenders who could challenge that claim. General Motors’ luxury brand has seen its fair share of ups and downs in the decades since. But after recent stints chasing BMW’s ghost around the Nürburgring and briefly relocating its headquarters from Detroit to New York City, Cadillac finally seems to have come around to the notion that products speak louder than posturing. Halo cars like the Celestiq would have been unthinkable from the brand a decade ago, yet the hand-built $400,000 flagship sedan has purportedly seen enough demand to create a backlog measured in years. But while the Celestiq has certainly raised Cadillac’s profile in the ultra-luxury realm, it’s the volume sellers that truly dictate an automaker’s fortunes. And that’s precisely where the company is currently making significant progress with models like the Vistiq and Escalade IQ. In 2020, Cadillac inked an exclusive partnership with AKG Acoustics as part of a greater effort to enhance its offerings and produce audio systems that would be capable of going toe-to-toe with the best that Europe has to offer. Known primarily for its recording studio products, AKG microphones have been used in sessions with artists ranging from Buddy Holly and The Beatles to Nirvana and Beyoncé, while the company’s headphones are often used for accurate in-studio playback. As EVs continue to gain ground with the motoring public, audio fidelity has become increasingly crucial concern in the luxury space. Removing the constant din of an internal combustion powertrain from the equation results in a much lower sound floor, which allows for greater audio clarity and detail in turn. So, rather than simply ramping up the wattage and speaker count, Cadillac sought to partner with a company that would bring an engineering-focused approach to the complexities of in-car audio. The collaboration’s latest endeavor focuses on Dolby ATMOS, an audio standard which builds on traditional 7.1-channel surround sound with the addition of at least four overhead speakers that are designed to create a greater sense of both horizontal and vertical space. First seen in movie theaters and high-end A/V setups, Dolby ATMOS is starting to gain traction in mainstream music as well. Streaming services like Apple Music, Tidal, and Amazon Music now offer a wide selection of ATMOS-enhanced albums, and as artists, studios, and record labels are beginning to embrace the technology, these libraries are growing at a remarkable pace. Automakers are starting to take notice, too, and Cadillac now offers an ATMOS-capable AKG audio system in all of its 2026 EV models. “I think this is going to be like the transition from mono to stereo back in the 1970s,” John Cockburn, GM’s Vehicle Chief Engineer for Cadillac BEVs, told me ahead of an ATMOS listening session and a panel discussion with record producers and Dolby representatives, at Larrabee Studios in North Hollywood, California. “When used correctly, it can be an incredible tool to add clarity and immersion to the music that you listen to.” Cadillac faced an uphill battle convincing me, though. When I get into a new press car with a high-end audio system, I tend to immediately disable “surround sound” and other enhancement filters because these technologies typically rely on software algorithms to make educated guesses about which speakers should produce a given frequency range in order to create that sense of space. Because these alterations are usually being applied to a stereo audio file, which does not contain data that would actually inform the system’s decisions, I find the results are hit or miss at best. And, perhaps more importantly, they’re not an accurate portrayal of the artist’s original intent. “Some of this comes down to customer expectations,” explained Brandon Wheeler, Director of Acoustic Systems Engineering for AKG’s parent company, Harman International. “The customer is saying, ‘I paid for 38 speakers, and I want to hear every one of them.’ We’re not trying to make decisions about what the creatives wanted to accomplish. We’re saying, ‘how do we create an immersive experience here?’” Dolby ATMOS, by contrast, takes a very different approach to spatial audio. In order to create an ATMOS-enabled song, the audio must be mixed track-by-track in studios that have been set up to utilize the technology with direct guidance and support from Dolby Labs, an American firm that has been at the forefront of audio standardization initiatives for nearly a century. AKG’s job, meanwhile, is to ensure that those ATMOS-enhanced songs are properly translated from control rooms like Larrabee’s Studio 6 to the cabins of Cadillac’s latest models. “I think AKG’s authenticity is really centered on ensuring that the components in the vehicle can deliver the same kind of capability that you would see in a high-end studio,” Wheeler told me. “Automotive is a tough space because of the limitations you’re presented with when it comes to packaging and faithfully reproducing those frequencies. Something we lean into heavily at AKG is our capability and competency in transducer design. That’s all done in-house. “I always say that audio engineering in the automotive realm is not only about having acoustic expertise, it’s about knowing which compromises to make. Compromises are inevitable, whether it comes down to packaging and the integration of the speakers or the tuning decisions that you have to make. We’re incredibly critical of those considerations, so we tend to look at how those compromises affect the end goal. With an AKG system, we prioritize consistency in spectral response – the frequencies that you hear – across the entire vehicle. Spatial representation – where a particular sound is coming from – is incredibly important for us as well, and multi-channel technologies like ATMOS make that sense of space a lot more obvious.” After the panel discussion, I struck up a conversation with Ryan Ulyate, a Grammy-nominated record producer who has worked with the likes of Tom Petty, ELO, and George Harrison. Ulyate has also been creating immersive audio mixes since 2004 and has produced Dolby ATMOS versions of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ Wildflowers and Long After Dark, alongside other albums in recent years. I asked him for his perspective on adding these spatial qualities to songs that were originally created for traditional two-channel listening. “The creators have an idea, an emotion that they want to convey,” he said. “My job as a producer is to make that emotion translate to the listener as purely as possible. There are people working really hard to make sure that the experience is true and faithful to the artist’s intent. When you hear a song that’s really well done in Dolby ATMOS, it feels like a religious experience. When it’s done right, and the technology enables you to get the full feeling of what that artist wanted to express, it’s amazing. I’m glad more people are getting a chance to listen to music like this.” The next morning, Cadillac handed me the keys to an Escalade IQ loaded up with a curated playlist of Dolby ATMOS songs for the fifty-mile trek from West Hollywood to the Anaheim Convention Center for the annual National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) event, where AKG would later announce a new line of condenser microphones. The songs on the playlist were primarily top 40 tracks that, while beautifully reproduced, didn’t really convey to me how ATMOS mixes differ from their traditional stereo counterparts in a vehicle with more than three dozen speakers. (To be fair, I must admit that I wasn’t familiar with most of these artists.) Eager to suss out where this religious experience could be found, I started thinking about classic artists with songs that I know intimately, and who among them would have embraced this technology if it had been available to them at the time of the original recording. “Let’s see if there’s any Hendrix in ATMOS,” I said to my driving partner. After a moment of back and forth with Google voice controls, we managed to convince Amazon Music to cue up the ATMOS version of Voodoo Child (Slight Return). Cautiously optimistic, I cranked up the volume as the song’s intro unfolded. “If anyone can get away with guitars swirling all over the place,” I thought to myself, “it’s this guy.” I wouldn’t consider myself a particularly spiritual person, but when the bass and drums kicked in around the 30-second mark, I was genuinely overwhelmed. Beyond the aural spectacle of the whirlwind panning and sheer force of nature that was the Jimi Hendrix Experience, what really surprised me was how much more information I could hear in a song that I’d listened to countless times before. With specific instruments directed to specific speakers, the bass guitar was no longer simply holding the rhythm down in the background – it was now an integral part of the song and showcased details in Noel Redding’s performance that I’d simply never heard before. And it did so without competing for space with the rest of the mix. Afterward, I fired up the original stereo recording, and it suddenly sounded simple by comparison. Have AKG and Dolby ATMOS converted me into an immersive audio disciple? Hey, if Cadillac can reinvent itself, maybe I can too. View All Cadillacs For Sale PHOTOS COURTESY: Harman, Bradley Iger

By Khris Bharath – May 01, 2026

Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing F1 Collector Series Debuts ahead of 2026 Miami Formula 1 Grand Prix

Cadillac unveiled the CT5-V Blackwing F1 Collector Series earlier today, the first road-going car from an American automaker to wear official Formula 1 and FIA branding, timed to drop ahead of Sunday's Miami Grand Prix. Only 26 examples will be built, the number chosen to mark Cadillac's debut season on the F1 grid. The base car is already one of the more interesting performance sedans currently on sale, packing a 668-horsepower supercharged 6.2-liter V-8, bringing it in conversation with the likes of the G90 BMW M5 (also available in Touring form) and W214 Mercedes-AMG E63. But unlike those two, the Cadillac continues to offer a manual transmission. In fact, it is the last V8-powered sedan to offer a manual. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Cadillac (@cadillac) "The CT5-V Blackwing embodies the very best of Cadillac track-capable performance. With the F1® Collector Series, we’re channeling the energy and innovation of Formula 1® into a road-ready sedan that feels every bit as special as our entry into the sport” - Mark Reuss, President, General Motors. For the F1 edition, GM Motorsports retuned the supercharger to push output to 685 horsepower while leaving the engine block and gearbox untouched. Every car ships with carbon-ceramic brakes, the Precision chassis package, and a bespoke interior trim throughout. The exterior wears a Midnight Stone Frost paint job with silver, gray, and black accents, along with full Formula 1 and FIA logos, with visual cues lifted directly from the MAC-26 racecar, that team drivers Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas will pilot on Sunday. The timing also aligns with a heavy moment for Formula 1 in the United States, since Sunday's race ends a five-week hiatus and opens the first of three U.S. rounds this season alongside Austin and Las Vegas, all under Apple's debut year as the sport's exclusive U.S. broadcaster. Cadillac will run its team headquarters out of Jungle Plaza in the Miami Design District on Saturday and Sunday with the V-Series lineup on display and team merchandise on hand, plus a Saturday appearance from Checo Pérez. On the grid, both MAC-26s will run a one-off Stars and Stripes livery featuring fifty stars on the front wing and "USA" in red, white, and blue across the rear. View All Cadillacs for Sale Images: Cadillac, General Motors

By Tyler Rampersaud – March 18, 2026

2025 Cadillac Celestiq Listed For Sale

Cadillac unveiled the Celestiq a few years ago as a revival of the dramatic flagship that characterized Cadillac in decades past. Many of the same principles from legends like the Eldorado guided the creation of the, like a massive footprint, dramatic design, and elevated craftsmanship. However, the Celestiq features a futuristic EV powertrain and plenty of high-tech features that catapult the idea of the ultra-luxury Cadillac into the 21st century. That said, traditional principles give the Celestiq its ultra-exclusive panache, like a strictly limited production volume and bespoke curation that involves customers working directly in conjunction with Cadillac’s design team. With 655 horsepower and 646 lb/ft of torque on tap, the Celestiq can get from 0-60 in just 3.7 seconds with dual-motor all-wheel drive. Reportedly, only 25 were made for 2025, and one of them is listed now for sale on duPont REGISTRY, the source for supercars since 1985. <- Gallery -> Available at Galpin Aston Martin in Los Angeles, California, this 2025 Cadillac Celestiq for sale has 668 miles on its odometer. It was delivered in November 2025 and features a Rosewood Metallic exterior color, along with an interior in a two-tone configuration that combines Renaissance Red with Sheer Gray. The original window sticker is included with the car, and the vehicle has also been treated with Paint Protection Film. If you want a chance to own the new chapter of Cadillac’s incredible flagships, this 2025 Cadillac Celestiq is one of just a handful of these futuristic yet traditional masterpieces made, and certainly one of the only ones available for sale now. View the price and listing by clicking below. View Price And Listing

1-of-15 Manual Cadillac CTS-V Wagon Listed For Auction on dR Live

By Tyler Rampersaud – March 13, 2026

Ultra-Rare Manual Cadillac CTS-V Listed on dR Live

The Cadillac CTS-V has long been a unique expression of American performance. Combining American muscle V8 power with a sophisticated and elegant luxury sedan made it a unique approach to performance, competing with European performance luxury models with a distinctly muscle car approach. However, what was even more unique than the CTS-V sedan was the CTS-V wagon, which, in the car’s second generation, offered drivers a luxury performance wagon with a V8 engine under the hood, and even a manual transmission if the owner chose that. Today, any Cadillac CTS-V Wagon with a 6-speed manual transmission is a collector-worthy masterpiece and a unique statement of American performance, and despite examples being just over a decade old, the manual CTS-V Wagon is already well on its way towards becoming a classic. Listed now on duPont REGISTRY Live, the new luxury online auction platform that is changing the landscape for enthusiasts with a 14-day return policy and a 100% sell-through rate, is not just any 2013 Cadillac CTS-V Wagon, and not even any example with a 6-speed manual. With a Glacier Blue Metallic exterior color, along with a Light Titanium leather and suede interior, this example is reportedly one of just 15 cars like it. Originally delivered in Ontario, Canada, it was imported into the United States in 2024. Its 6.2-liter LSA V8 engine is shared with the contemporary Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, with 556 horsepower, and a 0-60 time of approximately 3.9 seconds after sending that power to the rear wheels. With a top speed of 190 mph, the CTS-V Wagon is still one of the fastest station wagons to ever be conceived. <- Gallery -> This specific example enjoys a variety of optional factory equipment, as well, like Recaro seats, Brembo brakes with red calipers, Bose surround sound, and a panoramic sunroof. It also has various performance upgrades, like an Airaid intake, a Tony Mamo ported throttle body, ceramic-coated American Racing Headers, dual exhaust from Corsa, an aftermarket supercharger pulley, and a secondary catalytic converter delete. Destined for the highest caliber of American performance enthusiasts and luxury performance wagon fans, bidding for this 2013 Cadillac CTS-V Wagon on duPont REGISTRY Live ends in less than a week. If you want to put your bid in now, just click below. Bid Now

You Can Buy The Cadillac Escalade, GMC Yukon & Chevrolet Silverado In The UK

By Tyler Rampersaud – February 27, 2026

Escalade, Yukon & Silverado Now Available In UK

Here in the States, full-size pickup trucks are some of the most popular vehicles from domestic manufacturers, and their platforms serve as the basis for a unique class of luxury SUVs like the Cadillac Escalade and GMC Yukon that combine luxury features with an impressive footprint and unmistakably American design. Now, thanks to GM Specialty Vehicles, those models are available to UK customers via direct order. Working with UK luxury and performance car specialist Clive Sutton, GM Specialty Vehicles has launched in the United Kingdom. Through the program, discerning customers can get their hands on models like the Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade-V, the Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, and Silverado, and the GMC Yukon Denali, Sierra 1500 Denali, and Sierra 1500 AT4. Some of the most iconic luxury vehicles in the GM lineup here in the States, UK customers will be able to experience the unique aspects of GM’s full-size luxury models seamlessly with full UK homologation, a three-year, unlimited-mile warranty, financing, aftersales services, and service support. The vehicles will be supplied directly by GM and available to purchase through Clive Sutton’s London facility or through the GM Specialty Vehicles website. Accessories, paint protection film, special finishes and treatments, parts exchange services, and security installations are all part of the retail experience. With the launch of GM Specialty Vehicles in the UK, some of the most iconic American luxury titans are officially crossing the pond. <- Gallery -> View All Cadillac Escalade For Sale Image Source: Clive Sutton

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