GM has its “Hermès” car to take on Rolls-Royce
General Engines (GM) – Get General Motors company report finally seems to have a vehicle that will propel it into the ranks of high-end luxury vehicle makers to rival Rolls-Royce and Bentley.
It is the club of craft vehicle manufacturers, one would be tempted to say. The principle of the brands belonging to this club is that each car that leaves their factory is different from the others. The cars don’t look alike at all. Each customer can personalize his car according to his tastes. It’s tailor-made.
To enter this elite club, GM has just unveiled the Cadillac Celestiq, the second all-electric model from the Detroit giant’s premium brand after the Lyriq. The vehicle is intended to change the perception of the Cadillac brand and reconnect with its famous motto: “the standard of the world”.
GM wants to change the narrative around Cadillac
The group has just unveiled this concept car on Instagram.
It is an imposing luxury electric sedan that the company aims to market by 2024. The design is inspired by the myth of Cadillac. It features futuristic lines that, especially in the rear area, offer a very innovative look, using two pairs of boomerang LEDs that act as optical groups and at the same time as real style cues on the side. The rear part is very plunging but, given the length of the vehicle, one could almost see a cross between the 4-seater coupé and the hunting station wagon.
Celestiq designers traveled back in time to study pre-war V-16s and the 1957 Eldorado Brougham for inspiration. Fewer than 400 Eldorado Broughams were built, for a starting price of $13,074 each. At the time, a Rolls-Royce Silver Wrath was selling for $9,000. Adjusted for inflation, those numbers would be about 10 times higher today.
“These vehicles represented the pinnacle of luxury in their respective eras and helped establish Cadillac as the global standard,” Celestiq chief engineer Tony Roma said in a press release. “The Celestiq show car – also a sedan, because the configuration offers the best luxury experience – builds on that pedigree and captures the spirit of arrival they expressed.
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There are similar details between the Celestiq and the Eldorado Brougham, such as the presence of the “Flying Goddess”, once used on the radiators in the ornament near the front wheel arch. There’s also a contrast between the high-tech digital trim and the color of the upholstery and the shape of the steering wheel, which looks vintage.
Cadillac has provided numerous internal LED screens, including a gigantic 55″ panel that crosses the entire dashboard that stands out, like the Hyperscreen Mercedes MBUX. Passengers can count on a sort of virtual curtain, which allows them to enjoy different video content, not visible to the occupants of the cabin.The front passenger will be able to watch videos or other content on the large screen without the driver being able to see anything due to their angle. screens are located on the front and rear consoles and on the back of each front seat.
$300,000 per unit?
The roof also uses smart glass technology, which creates four distinct areas that can be hidden from the respective passengers to control the amount of light coming through.
GM still hasn’t released technical information on the Cadillac Celestiq. We know that this sedan will be electric, but we still don’t know how many kilometers it can travel with a charge, for example.
Production, which will be based on GM’s modular Ultium platform for electric vehicles, is expected to begin in late 2023.
The Celestiq will be a niche and exclusive product, GM says, with each unit handcrafted and customized for each buyer at dedicated facilities in Warren, Michigan. Its base price could be around $300,000 or more. The automaker intends to build fewer than 500 Celestiqs per year to showcase its technology, increase rarity value and generate buzz for Cadillac.
Earlier this month, GM announced it was investing more than $81 million in the GM Technical Center in Warren for the Celestiq. The car will be equipped with the new generation of Ultra Cruise, the company’s driver assistance system.
Cadillac is aiming for an all-electric portfolio by 2030.
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