GM executives had a lot to say in Miami about what Formula 1 could mean for the brand's product approach. The world of Formula 1 is dominated by the world’s most iconic names in automotive performance. Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes-AMG road cars all benefit from an undeniable perception boost as a result of their lasting success in the sport. Cadillac certainly has a storied history of its own, but its motorsports endeavors haven’t helped elevate the brand’s products to the level of its newfound European rivals thus far.
During this year’s Miami Grand Prix festivities, however, senior General Motors executives shared their thoughts with Road & Track about how F1 could help close that gap, and how that shift in perception would be an important step on the road towards a genuine Cadillac supercar. The Cadillac of today is quite simply not the same company that your father or grandfather was a fan of. The CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing models are some of the greatest sports sedans ever crafted. The Escalade remains the top dog in American luxury SUVs, both in combustion and electric forms.
View Price on AmazonRegardless of those genuine product successes, however, brand leadership is aware many people have not gotten over a few earlier decades of poor product planning and execution. But the entry into F1 offers GM an opportunity to further differentiate Cadillac from the larger portfolio, and perhaps move upmarket, according to GM president Mark Reuss. “I think there's reality—[but] perception is worth talking about, too,” Reuss said during a media roundtable in Miami. “We don't have that perception yet, so we got to earn it, which is really important. But I think [F1] does offer that opportunity."
Coming into F1 also means there can be pressure from the racing side, he said, citing the company's experience with the limited-edition CT5-V Blackwing F1 Edition. "When we were doing this car, the Blackwing, the Formula 1 one, Stefano [Domencali] says: ‘Well, how much are you gonna charge for it? I said, this [much]. He said, ‘You're not charging enough money for it. Charge more for it.’ And so I think they [F1] want to see us really take advantage of it and drive it.”
Reuss further noted that the entry into F1 serves as a great bridge for international markets, particularly those in which Cadillac has not operated recently. An appearance on the biggest stage in motorsports is sure to gain attention from buyers who might have otherwise never even heard of Caddy's current lineup. Furthermore, the sport serves as an entry point for much younger fans who are not “tainted” by the woes of Cadillac’s past.
“There's a whole set of people that are much younger than me that do not know what Cadillac was or is, or all they know is what they see, which is really powerful,” said Reuss. “And that's a huge opportunity too. So we got to do it right. Cadillac's cool. Cadillac's very modern, very much on the edge of the technical point for America, but also GM—and, I think, the whole industry that's American luxury."
Source: roadandtrack.com
