July 22, 2024

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Cadillac Unveils SOLLEI Concept

DETROIT (July 22, 2024) – Today, Cadillac introduced the SOLLEI concept vehicle, the ultimate design expression of a coach-built luxury electric convertible. This imaginative design exercise pushes the boundaries of future bespoke commissions, tailored to reflect the unique passions and interests of its clientele.

SOLLEI conceptualizes an all-electric, 2+2 convertible equipped with the brand’s signature 55-inch pillar-to-pillar screen, awe-inspiring interior, exterior lighting chorography for arrival and departure, and intuitive front and rear command console.

Defined in its name sun (‘SOL’) and leisure (‘LEI’), SOLLEI represents Cadillac’s optimistic inspiration for an open-air, leisurely lifestyle.

 “SOLLEI reimagines the discovery of travel, envisioning a personalized driving experience that connects one with the natural world around them,” said Erin Crossley, design director, Cadillac. “The concept celebrates Cadillac’s pedigree of elegant convertibles in a modern form by cultivating high luxury through design expressions and experiences.” 

SOLLEI is also Cadillac’s first concept vehicle to incorporate an innovative bio-based material developed in collaboration with MycoWorks. Used in the charging mats on the console and the door map pockets, Fine Mycelium™ by MycoWorks is ushering in a new era of luxury materials grown from mycelium (the renewable root structure of mushrooms). The material reflects Cadillac’s mission to pioneer renewable automotive resources.

Sophisticated exterior, clean body style
The SOLLEI’s exterior exudes emotion and embodies Cadillac’s unmistakable bold proportions. The low, elongated body is accentuated by a wide stance and long coupe door, facilitating easy access to the spacious rear.

The uninterrupted surfaces and stretched A-line emphasize the vehicle’s length, while the low tail design creates dynamic yet elegant proportions. The mid-body line seamlessly connects the headlamp to the taillight, unifying the car’s harmonious design. Conventional door handles are replaced with discrete buttons helping to enable the clean profile line.

Celebrating Cadillac’s heritage of bold colors, the exterior is finished in “Manila Cream,” a color originally used on Cadillacs in 1957 and 1958. This revived finish was meticulously curated and hand-painted by Cadillac craftsmen.

Artistic interior, expressive personality
The interior of SOLLEI channels Cadillac’s “art of travel” design philosophy, elevating the travel experience for both the driver and the passenger. Features include a fully integrated beverage chiller with a power glass door and crystal glasses seamlessly blending leisure with travel.

Craftsmanship is at the heart of Cadillac design. Every detail is intentionally designed to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. Illuminated décor and unique embellishments add expression to the brand’s unparalleled aesthetics. The interior decor, wrapped in unstained wood veneers, honors natural color and grain pattern variations, while surfaces feature open pore finishes that can be felt by touch. Each piece is hand-cut and hand-laid using marquetry techniques, creating a beautiful focal point that draws the eye from the front doors to the console, and into the rear compartment.  The windshield is framed in milled brushed aluminum continuing Cadillac’s use of natural materials.

Personalization and nature connection
Cadillac design utilizes lighting in many of our products as a layer of personalization. SOLLEI elevates this offering with distinguished ambient lighting for true customization including multiple zones and 126 color options in each zone. The lighting can evoke specific moods and personalize the interior ambiance.

SOLLEI also caters to bird-watching connoisseurs with a unique interior accessory. A custom brushed metal and leather-wrapped case houses 3D printed acrylic bird calls, a leather-bound journal with hand painted bird illustrations and a leather tool roll for pens and pencils, made to custom match the vehicle interior, allowing enthusiasts to capture their bird-watching experiences.

Celestial and optimistic design
SOLLEI celebrates the optimism of travel and the celestial environment with its rich sensory engagement, unexpected discoveries, and sense of occasion. Sun themed features are pronounced in its color, materials, and finishes:

  • Unique sunburst-themed lighting and graphic choreography.
  • Sunburst motif perforation, quilting, and embroidery on seat patterns.
  • Interior Fine Nappa leather featuring a pink iridescent pigment that creates a subtle color-changing sunrise effect.
  • Charging mats on the console, door map pockets and custom accessories are made from MycoWorks’ premium bio-based material created using their Fine MyceliumTM technology. This material is in an iridescent finish in a soft hue color palette.
  • Pink iridescent hue on the beverage chiller door and glass tray in the rear compartment that reveals different sunlight exposures.
  • “Aurora” tint on primary metal finishes, which includes color shifting to reflect the phenomenon of the sun’s solar winds reacting with the earth’s atmosphere.
  • Convertible metallic roof fabric called “Daybreak”, whose name ties to the functionality of the convertible roof; as the roof pulls back, sunlight can pour over the interior.
  • Textured floormat material named “Bask”, a boucle fabric adding beautiful texture and subtle warmth, matching the color of the roof material keeping the whole interior very light.

Continuing the tradition of bespoke expression
The SOLLEI convertible exercise represents the brand’s vision to offer modern design this time in an open-air format, inspired by iconic Cadillacs from the past.

The concept was officially unveiled at Cadillac House at Vanderbilt, a newly restored, state-of-the-art facility at GM’s Global Technical Center campus in Warren, Michigan. This location is dedicated to providing a bespoke design experience for Cadillac CELESTIQ clients.

Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH Hypercar Begins Development Testing

GAYDON, U.K. (July 22, 2024) – The new Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH has hit the track for the first time, as Aston Martin with The Heart of Racing begins a comprehensive testing program ahead of the British ultra-luxury sportscar brand’s bid to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans outright next year and for the first time since 1959.

The new Hypercar, developed by Aston Martin Performance Technologies and works team The Heart of Racing, completed a shakedown and initial evaluation testing in the UK this week, The car was driven by Aston Martin High Performance development driver Darren Turner (GBR), The Heart of Racing’s Mario Farnbacher (DEU) and Harry Tincknell (GBR), who won the LMGTE class of the 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans with Aston Martin.

Aston Martin with The Heart of Racing will now commence a full development schedule to prepare the car ahead of FIA homologation in the autumn and its competitive debut in early 2025. The Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH is the first racing car to be built to Hypercar regulations to contest both the FIA World Endurance Championship [WEC] and the US-based IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship [IMSA] simultaneously.

The Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH is unique in the top Hypercar class of global endurance motorsport in that it is the only one among its contemporaries to derive its roots from an existing production-based extreme performance car – Aston Martin Valkyrie, the ultimate hypercar. Works team The Heart of Racing will enter two Valkyrie AMR-LMH contenders in WEC and a single car in IMSA in 2025.

“The Valkyrie AMR-LMH sets its own standard as a thoroughbred endurance competition car. It is a pure, leading edge racing machine, and while it is very early in the testing cycle, from what we have witnessed so far, we are satisfied that it is achieving the targets and criteria we have set out for it to accomplish.”

– Adam Carter, Aston Martin Head of Endurance Motorsport

The race-optimized carbon-fiber chassis Valkyrie AMR-LMH uses a modified, lean-burning version of the sensational Cosworth-built 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12 engine, which in standard form revs to 11,000rpm and develops over 1000bhp. The power unit is enhanced and adapted to meet the performance window of the Hypercar class and developed to withstand the rigors of top-level long-distance competition.

The Heart of Racing recently established a UK team headquarters for its WEC program, near to where the racing cars are being constructed in co-operation with Aston Martin Performance Technologies, based at Silverstone. The team is overseeing the development and test program of the Valkyrie AMR-LMH, which will move from the UK to European circuits through the summer as performance evaluation becomes the priority.

“The first runs for the Valkyrie AMR-LMH have been an immensely proud moment in the programme. The birth of this project has been a couple of years in the making, so to get it to the track and to see it going around in the flesh, feels momentous for The Heart of Racing. We’re looking forward to the journey ahead – it’s a steep hill to climb for everyone involved in this project. We are at the pinnacle of sportscar racing, the competitors are formidable, and they have been doing it a long time. Some of them have endless resources. We know we are going up against the best, so we intend to represent Aston Martin at the same level. I believe, from what we have seen so far, and with the DNA of where this car came from, I think we have the right tools to be able to do this successfully.”

– Ian James, The Heart of Racing Team Principal

Aston Martin with The Heart of Racing also plans an IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Program for the Valkyrie AMR-LMH and will contest the US-based endurance series’ GTP class. This will be run out of The Heart of Racing’s Phoenix Headquarters in North America.

Aston Martin’s entry into the Hypercar class ensures that the British ultra-luxury sportscar manufacturer will have a presence in all aspects of endurance racing from the gentleman racer through to the very pinnacle of the sport. Indeed, from 2025, Aston Martin will be the only manufacturer competing at all levels of sportscar and GT racing (from Hypercar to GT4) and the FIA Formula 1® World Championship.

In total, more than 240 drivers have raced Aston Martins at Le Mans over the past 95 years in 27 different chassis and engine combinations, through virtually every era. No other venue has given Aston Martin so much success, or more steadfastly proven that our DNA is forged out of the very essence of competition.