The Cadillac Sollei concept was recently unveiled, showing off the luxury brand’s electric vehicle design language in an ultra-luxury cabriolet inspired by the sun and leisure. Interestingly, the Sollei features a soft top instead of a convertible hard top, and Cadillac Society discovered the reason behind this choice.
In Episode 10 of the Cadillac Society Podcast, Cadillac Society Executive Editor, Alex Luft, outlines why the Sollei was treated to a soft top instead of a hard top. Luft spoke with GM Design Chief Michael Simcoe during the Sollei reveal, who explained that it all comes down to packaging and functionality. Simply put, the soft top takes up much less space when folded down than a hard top would, enabling designers to make a vehicle with more flowing, natural lines while not having to allocate space toward stowing the hard top.
It’s also worth noting that the soft top isn’t unique to the Sollei. In fact, almost every ultra-luxury convertible utilizes a soft top, putting the Cadillac Sollei concept convertible in league with the likes of Rolls-Royce and Bentley. In fact, thank to advances in materials, using soft tops on luxury convertibles is becoming a trend, prompting some automakers to make the switch on existing models, such as the Mercedes-Benz SL, which now features a soft top rather than the hard top found on previous-gen models.
While the Sollei doesn’t exist as a production model (at least as of this writing), it’s easy to spot the Cadillac Celestiq‘s roots, which served as the donor vehicle for the Cadillac Sollei concept. The front ends are identical, sporting narrow horizontal lighting elements across the top of the LED grille.
The Sollei is finished in an exterior color called Manila Cream, a color offered on 1950s-era Cadillacs, while high-end décor includes unstained wood veneers, sunburst-inspired seatback and center console details, and a pastel yellow color palette. Other standout features include a built-in beverage chiller in the second row complete with crystal glasses and a full set of 3D-printed birdcalls to encourage passengers to sit back and enjoy the journey.
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