After a slow buildup with teasers that literally lasted years, things are now moving faster for the Cadillac Celestiq. This is technically our first catch of a Celestiq test vehicle in public, and while the camo wrap hides details regarding the final design, the tires offer hints for power and performance.
For the record, yes we’ve seen the Celestiq wrapped in camo in previous production trims. However, the “spy” images were officially released by Cadillac, meaning they had to be vetted by the automaker before being published. This time, just our spy photographer, camera, and a series of unfiltered images show the test car in white camo.
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The thin fender strips just behind the front wheels are very easy to see here, and can feature lighting elements similar to the concept. Speaking of lights, a zoom in at the rear shows the concept the top and bottom taillight structures should be made for production, although they could be scaled down a bit. The concept’s flimsy side mirrors are replaced with standard side mirrors here, and we get to see cool wheels with a six-wheel bolt pattern behind that solid cover.
We know the production version of the Celestiq will be very similar to the concept that was revealed in July, but we don’t know anything about its performance yet. That’s why the tires are so interesting in this collection of images, as we can clearly see the Michelin Pilot Sport on the sidewall. The specific type is unknown, but every the Pilot Sport version is a serious performance tire.
We know the Celestiq will use the Ultium platform, but Cadillac hasn’t given any hints about its power. It’s safe to assume that, with this set of tires in the game, Cadillac isn’t just building a fancy luxury cruiser. Our spy sources say they’ve heard a 0-60 mph time of under the mentioned three seconds, but that’s completely unconfirmed at this point. Such a boost would certainly be enough to match or beat the electric competition from Porsche, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz, although performance close to the two-second mark would be needed to challenge the Lucid Air Sapphire and Tesla Model S Plaid.
During the Celestiq Show Car reveal, Cadillac promised to share more details about the production version in the coming months. Whether that includes performance figures remains to be seen, but all information should be disclosed no later than the end of next year with an official debut.
