Cadillac's Sollei Convertible Concept Is Glorious, But Promises Disappointment

Cadillac's history of introducing well-received concept cars that never made it to production is almost as old as the brand itself. From the likes of the Cadillac Le Mans and Cadillac Starlight from the '50s to the Cadillac Voyage of 1988 and the Cadillac InnerSpace electric sportscar unveiled in 2021, the company has never been short on big ideas that have sadly proved impractical to manufacture.

The advent of EVs hasn't slowed down Cadillac's zest for creating fresh concepts, not matter how outlandish they might appear initially. A few notable all-electric concept cars from Cadillac include the Cadillac Opulent Velocity Concept, revealed in 2023, and a wackier one-seat autonomous EV helicopter called the Cadillac PersonalSpace.

Now the company has unveiled yet another forward thinking concept car — the Cadillac Sollei Convertible. This car is different from Cadillac's previous EV concepts in that this one is a 2+2 luxury electric convertible, although it clearly takes plenty of inspiration from iconic Cadillac convertibles from the past.

Cadillac showcased the new Sollei Convertible concept at Cadillac House at Vanderbilt, located at GM's Global Technical Center campus in Warren, Michigan. While the company hasn't commented on the possibility of a production variant of the Sollei Convertible ever making it to the public, it did provide some stunning images of how the car might look on the road.

If you were confused by the rather strange naming choice for this car, Cadillac has clarified what they really mean by the term Sollei. It is, in fact, a portmanteau of the words Sol — Latin for Sun — and Leisure, and the name represents Cadillac vision an open-air driving experience in maximum comfort.

What also differentiates the Cadillac Sollei Convertible from older concepts from Cadillac is the renewed focus on the use of bio-based material for various parts of the vehicle. Cadillac says it collaborated with a company called MycoWorks to develop a new material called Fine Mycelium, which is used in several areas of the car — including the charging mats near the console and the door pockets.

One of the interesting thing about Fine Mycelium is that it is sourced from the root structure of mushrooms — hence the name. In addition to Fine Mycelium, the Sollei Convertible concept also features interiors wrapped in unstained wood veneers. It also gets surfaces that have an open-pore finish, which is easily felt by touch.

There is no denying that the Cadillac Sollei Convertible is a good-looking car, but we can't help but wonder if it isn't a bit too futuristic. Like some of the the other famous Cadillac concepts listed earlier, the Caddllac Sollei may prove impractical to manufacture at scale — but that won't stop us from hoping we see a road going version. 

While Cadillac hasn't specified the dimensions, it looks to be a very long car with a low-slung body. Despite its long body, it only features two doors — albeit very wide ones — thereby allowing easy ingress and egress. Cadillac describes the Sollei Convertible's design language as harmonious, which is accentuated by the car's mid-body line that traverses the car from the headlamps to the taillights. Highlighting this design is a lack of door handles, which have been replaced by buttons. Taking inspiration from Cadillacs of old, the exterior paint finish of the Sollei Convertible is inspired by a Manila Cream shade that was used on several Cadillac cars sold in the late 1950s.

The interiors of the car are both spacious and exquisitely designed at the same time. The most striking feature of the interiors is the signature 55-inch pillar-to-pillar screen. The front and rear passengers are surrounded by luxurious fitments. It is also pertinent to note how the rear passengers also get access to a central display, as evident from the images. This is in addition to a fully integrated beverage chiller with a power glass door and their own crystal glasses.