Sumptuous 2024 Cadillac Sollei convertible revealed

No, this isn’t a new Cadillac sports car – let alone the hypercar that’s expected to eventually be released by the historic US luxury brand, which will be officially relaunched in Australia later this year with the 2025 Cadillac Lyriq large electric SUV.

Instead, it appears Cadillac is looking to head back to its roots despite its brave new EV-only strategy, with a quintessential drop-top concept vehicle that suggests it has eyes on the coach-building market famously ruled for the past century or so by Rolls-Royce.

The 2024 Cadillac Sollei concept is a large electric four-door drop-head that’s said to explore “the possibilities of custom commissioned vehicle design”.

Vast in its proportions and dynamic in its design, the Sollei is unmistakably a Cadillac with its long and low silhouette, bold front-end design, unique lighting signature, huge wheels and opulent interior.

The ‘Manila Cream’ colourway is lifted straight from the American brand’s 1957 and 1958 catalogue of paint options, while the interior is broken down into four zones separated by a full-length centre console and two rows of seating.

While the Sollei is claimed to be almost infinitely customisable, headline appointments within the cabin include quilted Nappa leather upholstery, bio-based MycoWorks door, console and accessory trims, a rear beverage chiller, hand-cut open-pore wood seatback, centre console and door inserts, Bask floor mats, brushed aluminium inlays, a rear command interface and glass switchgear.

“Sollei reimagines the discovery of travel, envisioning a personalized driving experience that connects one with the natural world around them,” said Cadillac design boss Erin Crossley.

“The concept celebrates Cadillac’s pedigree of elegant convertibles in a modern form by cultivating high luxury through design expressions and experiences.”

There’s no word on the Sollei’s hypothetical powertrain, but odds are it’ll be a multi-motor battery-electric set-up delivering monster power and torque outputs, as is traditionally the way with ultra-high-end luxury EVs.

Indeed, we wouldn’t be surprised if it leveraged powertrain componentry from the GMC Hummer EV, which outputs an insane 745kW/15,600Nm.

And its battery pack would undoubtedly be sourced from GM’s growing and advancing range of Ultium-based EVs, with an expected capacity of well over 100kWh.

It’s unclear at this stage when Cadillac intends to launch a dedicated coach-building service, however, the Sollei was officially unveiled at Cadillac House at Vanderbilt – the same facility that’s dedicated to providing a bespoke design experience for Celestiq customers, suggesting an escalation might not be too far off.

Cadillac announced it will become an electric-only luxury brand in 2019 and the Lyriq’s local launch in late 2024 will likely be followed by the Optiq mid-size SUV, a smaller electric SUV and, perhaps, the Escalade iQ full-size electric SUV.

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