Cadillac called the 1988 Voyage a “rolling laboratory”, and it was an intriguing concept that incorporated a lot technology with futuristic design.
The Voyage was a well-thought-out concept. It had a futuristic design but still retained retro elements. It also featured a smooth body with a drag coefficient just 0.28. This was impressive for a car that measures 212.6 inches (5.4 meters). Special front skirts were designed to move outward when the car made an abrupt turn.
Cadillac fitted the Voyage’s windshield with a huge one-piece tinted window that stretches from the windshield to the back of the vehicle, just above the taillights. This was done in order to improve visibility. The slender rear lights created a long strip of LEDs that used the same technology as the turn signals. The concept was created with a rearview camera, which sent footage to an internal screen. Not bad for 1988.
The windshield wipers were kept hidden beneath a cover at the base of windshield to keep the sleek appearance. The car did not have a traditional door lock, but instead used a keyless entry system that required a code to enter. The interior featured super-comfy seats with massaging and preheat functions. There were also more than 20 adjustment options for the driver’s position.
To avoid distractions, you could access the phone via voice recognition and a navigation system.
It used a 4.5-liter V8 with 275 horsepower. This power was delivered to the road by a four-speed manual transmission. Cadillac claimed a speed limit of 200 mph (322 km/h) at the time. However, this was electronically limited and never tested. Although the Voyage was not rear-wheel driven, it switched to AWD when sensors detected slippage at the rear wheels.
Cadillac’s Solitaire concept was unveiled a year after the Voyage. It was basically a two-door coupe version with a 430-hp, 6.6-liter V12 engine that Lotus co-developed.