The high-priced, massively customizable Cadillac Celestiq halo luxury sedan includes a huge selection of GM’s latest technology, some of it unique for the Celestiq. One of those Celestiq-exclusive features is its Smart Glass Panoramic Roof, which offers a high level of adjustability to the sunroof’s variable tinting.
Although Tesla contests the claim, GM says this roof is the largest single piece of automotive glass on any production car. Because it’s uniquely huge and uses fancy Smart Glass nanotechnology for its tinting, it’s not an easy part to source. Celestiq chief engineer and recently appointed Corvette chief engineer Tony Roma explains the process in a recent interview with Top Gear around the 18-minute mark in the video below.
“We had to find a furnace large enough in the world, and there’s one furnace in the world that can bend automotive glass to get the shape of the roof we want, and it’s in Peru,” Roma explained. “The glass is made in Belgium, it’s laminated and made as flat sheet stock in Belgium, sent to Peru, molded into this shape, and then sent up to us [in Michigan].”
That means that the roof of a Cadillac Celestiq travels approximately 10,000 miles from the genesis of its production until it’s installed on a car. That’s quite a long, global journey for what is ostensibly a sunroof, normally a pretty simple part to source.
However, as we’ve covered here previously, the Smart Glass roof on the Cadillac Celestiq is no ordinary sunroof. It has five tint levels, ranging from a nearly colorless tint that is close to completely clear to a dark tint. Depending on the options chosen, each of the panoramic roof’s panels can be set to a separate tint, or all can be given the same tint. The vehicle offers five different tint modes to choose from:
- Individual mode lets the occupants choose each panel’s tint level separately from 0 percent to 100 percent in 25 percent increments.
- All Clear mode sets all sunroof panels to 0 percent opacity.
- All Dark mode sets all sunroof panels to 100 percent opacity.
- Automatic mode lets the vehicle set tint as already described.
- Sync or Synchronous mode sets all panels to 50 percent opacity, with a gradient bar or slider then usable to adjust the tint.
Smart Glass achieves its results using nanotechnology, as GM Authority detailed in a previous article. The Cadillac Celestiq is the first GM production vehicle to feature Smart Glass tech, though it has appeared earlier in concept vehicles.
Comments
The hype just keeps coming but apparently the orders do not. GM said this product would be very exclusive with only two built per day or 400 each year. It now appears that after opening Celestiq up for orders two years ago, there are only 25 or about two weeks worth of production that’ll be built for 2025. Tony Roma said the car was “sold out” for the first 18 months so one has to wonder what happened and what’s going on.
WRONG! they’re only making 25 units, and most of them have been sold! per Motor trend
That’s what it says, 25 in 2025.
This car is sold out. I have seen them in many places so not sure the rumor you are talking about . They maybe holding back some orders to install new software however so some of the build dates are delayed.
Considering GM has yet to deliver a single one of these vehicles, I find it impossible that you’ve seen this $350k vehicle in many places.
That’s going to be an expensive replacement if damaged in a storm or something. Expect to pay high insurance premiums most likely
Yes, quite absurd!
That doesn’t sound very environmentally friendly.
GM does something stupid AGAIN! Imagine that
This is on of the most ugliest vehicles GM has ever built.
That means the glass will be tariffed 3 times!
Makes the Aztec look beautiful.
I’m sure the technology is impressive, but nothing hides that fact that it’s Just Plain Hideous!
Watch out for hail storms!
Imagine trying to get a replacement if damaged. Good luck.
No economy of scale to be seen here, just my pension blowing in the wind.
Why do we need this feature???
Salaried – retired in 2005, had pension eliminated in the 2009 recession.