Cadillac SOLLEI Concept journeys on to the higher reaches of the auto market
Cadillac describes its all-electric four-seater convertible concept as an ‘ode to the sun’ as it moves even further upmarket
![Cadillac SOLLEI Concept](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Ljbddupwv7XMxDQrxw9NUL-415-80.jpg)
Cadillac’s current impulse is to return to a golden age of coachbuilding, a destiny demonstrated by the announcement of the Cadillac Celestique EV and the accompanying restoration and renovation of the Eero Saarinen-designed Cadillac House at Vanderbilt, in Warren, Michigan.
An up-to-the-minute blend of refreshed midcentury design and contemporary digital culture, Cadillac House is where potential clients are encouraged to visit and specify their Celestiq in a series of one-to-one design sessions.
The Cadillac SOLLEI Concept interior
The arrival of the SOLLEI Concept hints that the Cadillac range will be growing in the very near future. This is another mighty machine, very much in the tradition of the Harley Earl-era Cadillacs of the 1950s and 1960s that established the benchmark scales and opulence of America’s equivalent to Rolls-Royce.
SOLLEI, slightly disappointingly, is a conflation of ‘Sol’ and ‘Leisure’, a word that doesn’t quite have the same upmarket spin in Europe as it does in the US. When faced with the concept’s opulence and specifications, however, such quibbles quickly face. The car is mighty, with every element scaled up to match the aspirations of modern ultra-luxury.
Cadillac SOLLEI Concept
From the 55in screen that stretches the full width of the dashboard, to the elaborate inlaid wood on the doors and seat backs, every facet of the SOLLEI has been designed to impress and intrigue. Shown in a pale lemon yellow (known as ‘Manila Cream’) with matching leather and light wood interior, the concept is a full-sized four-seater that maintains the classic proportions of grand Americana despite the all-electric drivetrain.
Driver's seat, Cadillac SOLLEI
Innovative material choices include a bio-based material for the door pockets and charging mats derived from mushroom roots, as well as unstained wood veneer marquetry in a sunburst pattern and milled brushed aluminium. Every facet of the concept helps showcase the abilities and options offered up by the Cadillac design team, like the crystal glasses and chiller cabinet included in the rear console.
Drinks cabinet, Cadillac SOLLEI Concept
There are also welcome touches of true concept car eccentricity, like the bespoke bird-watching kit that includes ‘3D printed acrylic bird calls’, whatever those are, presumably inspired by the sounds of nature one might hear from within a silent, open-topped vehicle.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Cadillac SOLLEI Concept interior
‘SOLLEI reimagines the discovery of travel, envisioning a personalised driving experience that connects one with the natural world around them,’ says Cadillac’s design director, Erin Crossley. ‘The concept celebrates Cadillac’s pedigree of elegant convertibles in a modern form by cultivating high luxury through design expressions and experiences.’
Cadillac SOLLEI, concept only, Cadillac.com, @Cadillac
Cadillac SOLLEI Concept
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
How guest editor Marcio Kogan, during a visit to the movies, ‘discovered that something else exists in the world, real poetry’
Marcio Kogan is a guest editor of Wallpaper* October 2024. In his dedicated section, we discover how the world of cinema’s loss was architecture’s gain when a feature film failed but a dream space creator rose from the ashes
By Rainbow Nelson Published
-
Discover Tempe à Pailla, a lesser-known Eileen Gray gem nestled in the French Riviera
Tempe à Pailla is a modernist villa in the French Riviera brimming with history, originally designed by architect Eileen Gray and extended by late British painter Graham Sutherland
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Guest editor St. Vincent and Alex Da Corte on making the dark and uncanny world of All Born Screaming
St. Vincent is a Wallpaper* guest editor for 2024. Here, the shape-shifting musician deliberates with her long-time collaborator, conceptual artist Alex Da Corte, about the human condition, finding inspiration in dark places, and the merry dance with chaos that is a creative's path
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
A new exhibition at Los Angeles’ Petersen Auto Museum charts the rocky road to electric cars
‘Alternating Currents: The Fall and Rise of Electric Vehicles’ brings together EVs old and new, from forgotten prototypes to legendary innovations. We take a tour
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Four tiny electric motors offer a space-saving take on modern urban transport
This quartet of ultra-compact city cars prove that big is definitely not better when it comes to last mile, last minute short haul travel in a built up area
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
We take Audi’s new Q6 e-tron quattro around and across the fjords of Norway
The new Audi Q6 e-tron quattro is a pure EV that marks a new design direction for the German brand, setting new tech standards along the way. Transportation Editor, Jonathan Bell, takes it for a drive
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
We sample the latest sports car from bespoke British manufacturer Theon Design
With the GBR002, Theon Design have transformed a classic Porsche into a low-key bespoke supercar, uprating and enhancing the iconic 964 model to exacting customer specifications
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Can Lotus' mighty flagship SUV live up to the hype? We try out the Lotus Eletre R for size
Is day-to-day life with a 905hp electric SUV a delight or a disappointment? A fortnight with a Lotus Eletre R provides the answers
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
With the Lucid Air and now the Lucid Gravity, the Californian EV maker is redefining luxury
As the Lucid Gravity debuts, Derek Jenkins, Lucid Motors’ SVP of Brand and Design, discusses the EV company's approach to shaping high-end, high-performance electric cars
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Hongqi’s Giles Taylor on the Chinese car maker's imminent arrival in the UK
Hongqi makes China's state limousines. By 2026, it'll have a pair of premium EVs on UK roads. Giles Taylor, its VP of design, tells us about its design approach, and ambition in Europe
By Aysar Ghassan Published
-
We sample the world’s first all-electric DeLorean, a stainless steel marvel for the modern age
Electrogenic brings its brilliance with batteries and motors to bear on the iconic DeLorean DMC-12, giving this classic design the futuristic feel it deserves
By Jonathan Bell Published