$300,000 Cadillac CELESTIQ Gets Real

We didn’t know if Cadillac had the stones to actually go through with it — but they did! Meet the new “Standard of the World.”

It may seem like myth or lore to younger readers, but there was a time when Cadillac really was the standard of the world. When a Cadillac was the biggest, baddest, fastest, most luxuriously out there symbol of rolling luxury that money could buy … and, sure. An Escalade is a fine body-on-frame SUV, if that’s the kind of thing you’re looking for, but “standard of the world” it ain’t.

The all new, $300,000 electric Cadillac CELESTIQ, meanwhile? Now, we’re talking a type of personalized luxury unseen since the 1933 V16 Aerodynamic Coupe and 1957 Eldorado Brougham — and have we missed it!

“CELESTIQ is the purest expression of Cadillac, acknowledging our incredible history and driving us to a bolder and brighter future,” said Global Vice President of Cadillac Rory Harvey. “It is a completely bespoke work of automotive art, built around the most advanced and innovative technology that we have ever engineered into an automobile.”

As if to underscore those words, Harvey revealed that each CELESTIQ would be hand-built in Detroit, and carry a special badge denoting it as one of just a very few such artisan-crafted vehicles.

Hand Built, in Detroit

“With an extremely low volume of hand-built vehicles to be offered globally each year and an exclusive declaration process, CELESTIQ will truly be a custom-commissioned one-of-one,” continued Harvey. “Each client will experience a personalized journey to make their vehicle exactly the way they desire.”

Each of those well-heeled buyers will receive a coachwork car built on GM’s proven Ultium Platform, equipped with a 111-kWh li-ion battery and a two-motor, AWD drive train good for 600 HP and more than 640 lb-ft of TQ — more than enough to keep up with the Jones’ and their series production Rolls-Royce Spectre, of course.

GM’s engineers left nothing to chance with this one. They spared no expense to ensure that the CELESTIQ could be compared to any car out there, and — if not come out on top, at least put up a formidable challenge. To wit, these features include:

• Adaptive Air Suspension: CELESTIQ makes use of an air suspension system, rather than the coiled springs used in a traditional suspension system. Compared to traditional suspension systems, air suspension offers a softer, more isolated ride for greater ride quality.
• Active Rear Steering: CELESTIQ will offer up to 3.5 degrees of out-of-phase rear steering, in which the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction of the front wheels for greater maneuverability at low speeds. At higher speeds, the rear wheels will turn in-phase with the front wheels.
• Magnetic Ride Control 4.0: A signature Cadillac engineering innovation will find a new home in CELESTIQ. Originally developed for the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, the system is the world’s fastest-reacting suspension technology, which allows for greater responsiveness and enhanced isolation from road imperfections.
• Advanced AWD: CELESTIQ offers a two-motor electric drive unit. These motors work with torque optimizer modules that analyze torque requirements for given vehicle inputs. These modules turn the front or rear motors on and off as required to provide optimal torque to enhance ride quality and electric driving range.
• Active Roll Control: The Cadillac-first Active Roll Control feature is a significant contributor to the vehicle’s nimble handling. It employs stabilizer bars embedded at the front and rear of the chassis to mitigate the rolling force exerted on the vehicle during turns and other maneuvers, enhancing the feeling of stability, control and occupant comfort.
• Active Rear Spoiler: The CELESTIQ Active Rear Spoiler deploys at lower speeds to help improve aerodynamic efficiency and further raises at higher speeds to help keep the vehicle balanced.
• Ride-focused tires: CELESTIQ will feature available 23-inch forged aluminum wheels with 23-inch summer-only Michelin Pilot Sport EV tires. This combination will offer strong rolling resistance performance and precision steering. Designed specifically for Cadillac, the tread pattern, self-sealing technology and foam inserts enable a quiet tire for greater ride isolation.
• Electric Power Steering: CELESTIQ features a variable ratio front electric power steering system, similar to that found on the Cadillac Blackwings but calibrated specifically for CELESTIQ, that works in coordination with active rear steering to automatically adjust to the ideal steering ratio depending on vehicle speed resulting in an engaging and intuitive driving experience.
• 5-link front and rear suspension: CELESTIQ’s 5-link front and rear suspension provides exceptional performance tailored specifically for the high torque output of an electric vehicle motor. The suspension isolators are precisely tuned to minimize cabin disturbances yet allow proper road feel and handling response, delivering on Cadillac’s promise of isolated precision.

And that’s just the surface stuff. When you commission yours (and let’s face it, kids: a vehicle like this commissioned, like a painting; not ordered, like a hamburger), you can spec out all manner of additional features, too.

While you decide whether or not Cadillac has done enough with this future classic to earn your hard-earned house payment, check out the pictures of this new street beast, below, then let us know what you think of it in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

Cadillac CELESTIQ Photo Gallery

SOURCE | IMAGES: GM.

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