The Cadillac Celestiq signaled a new direction for the brand when it debuted nearly two years ago . The limited-production, bespoke electric vehicle gave customers near-limitless customization options—a bold new way for the luxury brand. But what comes next for Cadillac's commissioned cars? The Celestiq won't be a one-hit wonder if the new Sollei convertible concept previews the automaker's future direction.
The Sollei evokes memories of the equally sleek Ciel from 2011 that never made it to production. The Sollei—a combination of SOL, for the sun, and LEI sure—is a new design. But it's not an accident that it looks like the Celestiq, Cadillac's first new hand-built car in over half a century.
The two share everything ahead of the A-pillar and a cabin and use the same Ultium platform. Everything behind that is all Sollei, including the 5.68-foot-long doors.
It has a mid-body line running down the side connecting the familiar headlights and the new taillights—they stretch across the rear in a single element. The concept lacks conventional door handles and instead has thin buttons placed in the aluminum halo that rings the cabin, giving the car a clean, minimal design that’s supposed to get out of the way of the car’s finer details, says Takahiko Suginoshita, the car’s lead exterior designer. Cadillac tinted the metal inside and out in a new finish called "Aurora," named after the Northern and Southern Lights, including the solid billet aluminum windshield frame a.