It was named for the Elmira, New York, though some claim it's a dry lake bed that was used for high speed runs.

It is 205 inches (5207 mm) long, and powered by a 4.5-liter twin turbocharged V8 delivering an estimated 500 hp (373 kW).

The Elmira J is rear-wheel drive and was "constructed with chassis and structural elements of an ongoing Cadillac vehicle development project slated for future production".

[1] According to a blog article claiming to be informed by an insider, this platform is under development by the name of Omega, to underpin future top-of-the-line Cadillac cars to compete with the European premium class like the Audi A8, BMW 7 Series, and Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

“It explores performance driving, as well as how we’re approaching elevating the Cadillac range and new dimensions of Art & Science philosophy.”[1] The Elmira J was exposed to a larger public at the 2013 IAA (Internationale Automobilausstellung) in Frankfurt, Germany.