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General Motors senior vice president Jaclyn McQuaid said she cannot rule out future Cadillacs without steering wheels as the company develops autonomous driving. She also said people who want a V Blackwing will still be able to drive one, describing autonomy as an option rather than a plan for the entire lineup. GM has not announced a wheel-free Cadillac or provided a timeline for one.
General Motors has not ruled out future Cadillacs without steering wheels, but senior vice president of vehicle products Jaclyn McQuaid said customers who want a V Blackwing will still be able to drive one. Her remarks on The Drivecast describe autonomous vehicles as a possible part of Cadillac’s future, not a change GM has announced for the full lineup.
Asked whether enthusiasts who value the Blackwing should worry that its steering wheel could disappear, McQuaid told The Drive, “I can’t say that there won’t be Cadillacs where that one day happens.” When the question was clarified as being specifically about Blackwings, she added: “But if somebody wants [to drive a] V Blackwing, they’re going to be able to drive a Blackwing.”
McQuaid said autonomous driving does not have to become a one-size-fits-all approach across GM’s vehicles. She pointed to the company’s investment in racing, including Formula One and NASCAR, as evidence that driving and vehicle control will continue to matter in some applications. Her comments set out a distinction between cars designed to take over driving and models intended for people who want to drive themselves.
GM’s nearer-term autonomy plan is more defined: the company has said its eyes-off driving system will debut in the 2028 Cadillac Escalade IQ, then expand to full-size light-duty trucks. The Drive also reports that GM’s future system, called Mission Mode, is intended to let vehicles handle errands. Those plans do not amount to an announcement of a steering-wheel-free Cadillac, and the company has not specified when or whether such a model would arrive.
Autonomy May Not Replace the Blackwing
The remarks matter because they address a central concern for performance-car buyers: whether the growth of automated driving will eventually remove the controls and driver involvement that define enthusiast models. McQuaid’s answer signals that GM sees space for both approaches, rather than treating autonomous technology as a reason to make every Cadillac operate the same way.
That distinction could shape how automakers balance convenience with driver choice. A vehicle able to drive itself may appeal to people who cannot or do not want to drive on a particular trip, while a performance car depends on an active driver. McQuaid also framed autonomy as a potential source of mobility for people who lose the ability to drive as they age. Her comments are a statement of direction, however, not a product commitment or guarantee about future model specifications.
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GM’s Two Tracks for Cadillac
Cadillac’s Blackwing models are positioned around driver involvement, while GM is also preparing to introduce more capable automated driving technology. McQuaid said the company’s motorsport activity and its support for vehicles people want to drive remain relevant alongside its work on autonomy. She also said she loves driving and wants to have her own vehicle.
The Drive reports that GM has confirmed a gas-powered next-generation CT5 and that its own reporting points to a future CT5-V with a naturally aspirated V8 and manual transmission. These details suggest continued investment in enthusiast-oriented products, but the article’s report about the CT5-V configuration is not the same as a complete official specification announcement from GM. McQuaid’s statements do not confirm the final features or timing of that model.
GM has said the 2028 Escalade IQ will be the first vehicle to receive its eyes-off system. The company plans to bring the system later to full-size light-duty trucks. This rollout provides a more concrete near-term marker for GM’s autonomous-driving plans than the possibility of Cadillacs without steering wheels, which McQuaid discussed without naming a model or date.
“I can’t say that there won’t be Cadillacs where that one day happens.”
— Jaclyn McQuaid, GM senior vice president of vehicle products, speaking on The Drivecast
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No Wheel-Free Model Has Been Named
GM has not confirmed that it will build a steering-wheel-free Cadillac, identified a candidate model, or given a timetable for one. McQuaid’s statement leaves the possibility open; it does not establish that the company has approved such a vehicle for production.
It is also unclear what future Blackwing models will include beyond McQuaid’s assurance that people who want to drive a V Blackwing will be able to do so. The reported next-generation CT5-V engine and transmission details come from The Drive’s reporting, and GM has not provided a full set of official specifications in the material cited here. The operating limits and availability of the planned eyes-off system have not been detailed in these remarks.
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Watch the 2028 Escalade IQ Rollout
The next concrete milestone is GM’s planned debut of its eyes-off driving system in the 2028 Cadillac Escalade IQ, followed by an expansion to full-size light-duty trucks. GM has not provided further dates or product details for Mission Mode, the possible wheel-free Cadillacs, or future Blackwing specifications in the source report.
For now, McQuaid’s comments indicate that GM intends to keep driver-focused cars available alongside autonomous options. Whether that approach leads to a Cadillac with no steering wheel remains an open question, while the company’s stated rollout plans and any formal announcements about future models will offer clearer evidence of how its strategy develops.
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Key Questions
Has GM announced a Cadillac without a steering wheel?
No. McQuaid said she could not rule out such a Cadillac in the future, but GM has not named a model, confirmed production, or provided a release date.
Will future Cadillac Blackwings still have steering wheels?
McQuaid said people who want to drive a V Blackwing will be able to drive one. She did not provide specifications or a timetable for future Blackwing models.
When will GM introduce its eyes-off driving system?
GM has said the system is planned to debut in the 2028 Cadillac Escalade IQ, with a later rollout to full-size light-duty trucks.
What is Mission Mode?
The Drive reports that Mission Mode is intended to let vehicles handle errands. The source material does not give a launch date or detailed operating information for the feature.
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