As promised Cadillac unveiled an awesome new concept car at the Pebble Beach Concourse. It’s called the Ciel.

And it is pronounced C-L. It is French for Sky, but the car itself is inspired by the natural beauty of the California coast. The Ciel is a four-seat convertible, and it’s very large and imposing, like the Cadillacs of the good ol’ days!

It’s amazing how Cadillac is going back to its roots with this car, in the midst of a design revolution which is supposed to give the company a new image with smaller, sportier models. They are all nice, but this, this is a proper Cadillac.

Don’t think for a second though, its retro styling means the car also has retro technology. The Ciel is powered by a sophisticated hybrid powertrian, consisting of a 3.6-liter Direct Injection V-6 engine, paired with a hybrid system using lithium-ion battery technology. It makes 425 hp and 540 Nm of torque, and can be drive in pure electric mode.

But Cadillac Ciel is all about lush and plush styling. That’s why it’s got no B Pillar, suicide doors, 22-inch rims, and a huge front grille. The interior is even nicer than than the exterior. There you find Italian Olive wood, machined aluminum and hand-tipped leather are elements that flow through the interior, complementing the primary colors with warm, rich tones. A wheelbase of 125 inches means you get loads of space inside to enjoy your cruise along the coastline even more.

We love this car. It reminds us of simpler time! Unfortunately though, it is like the Cadillac Sixteen. An amazing design exercise, but that’s all it is. It is almost impossible that they greenlight production of this car at GM headquarters, especially in this poor economy.

Transparent gauges deliver their information within a detailed, brushed-aluminum housing that has the intricate depth of a high-quality chronograph. They offer dual readouts – analog and digital – as well as an information hierarchy. Additional interior features include:

• Sloping bolsters on the seats that allow passengers to slide into the seats more comfortably
• A personal device storage area on the front of the console with inductive charging and Bluetooth connectivity
• A power-assisted transmission shifter that deploys as soon as the engine is started
• Lighting in the armrests that combines a natural light well for daytime driving and ambient lighting for nighttime drives
• Door storage areas that are inspired by premium fashion accessories and open with high-quality zippers
• Pull-out blankets are available for all three passengers and retract automatically
• All the seats have heating and cooling features, along with a drawer containing sun lotion, sun glasses and towels, as well as aromatherapy that is controlled from the rear armrest.

SPECIFICATIONS