diff --git a/cmd/car/car.go b/cmd/car/car.go
index 76a1ed49..850673c6 100644
--- a/cmd/car/car.go
+++ b/cmd/car/car.go
@@ -91,9 +91,10 @@ func main1() int {
 						Usage:   "The type of index to write",
 						Value:   multicodec.CarMultihashIndexSorted.String(),
 					},
-					&cli.BoolFlag{
-						Name:  "v1",
-						Usage: "Write out only the carV1 file. Implies codec of 'none'",
+					&cli.IntFlag{
+						Name:  "version",
+						Value: 2,
+						Usage: "Write output as a v1 or v2 format car",
 					},
 				},
 			},
diff --git a/cmd/car/index.go b/cmd/car/index.go
index ac368886..153c0b7c 100644
--- a/cmd/car/index.go
+++ b/cmd/car/index.go
@@ -23,9 +23,9 @@ func IndexCar(c *cli.Context) error {
 	}
 	defer r.Close()
 
-	if c.Bool("v1") {
+	if c.Int("version") == 1 {
 		if c.IsSet("codec") && c.String("codec") != "none" {
-			return fmt.Errorf("only supported codec for a v1 car is 'none'")
+			return fmt.Errorf("'none' is the only supported codec for a v1 car")
 		}
 		outStream := os.Stdout
 		if c.Args().Len() >= 2 {
@@ -40,6 +40,10 @@ func IndexCar(c *cli.Context) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	if c.Int("version") != 2 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("invalid CAR version %d", c.Int("version"))
+	}
+
 	var idx index.Index
 	if c.String("codec") != "none" {
 		var mc multicodec.Code