Carbon fibre has become so common on high-performance cars that the traditional black weave no longer carries quite the same sense of exclusivity it once did.
LARTE Design’s latest Cadillac Escalade project takes a very different approach. Rather than choosing the exterior finish first, the German tuner used the SUV’s bespoke Espresso interior as the starting point, creating a matching brown carbon fibre finish for the body.
The result is the latest interpretation of its ESTHETE programme, featuring a custom finish known as Suede Carbon.
This Cadillac Escalade Was Designed From The Inside Out
Before the Escalade arrived at LARTE Design’s facility in Erkrath, Germany, its cabin had already been completely finished in a single Espresso colour. Leather and suede were specified in the same rich brown shade throughout.
Instead of treating the interior and exterior as separate projects, LARTE used the cabin as the reference point for the entire build.
The company’s sixteen ESTHETE exterior components were subsequently produced in Suede Carbon, with the brown finish developed specifically to complement the Espresso upholstery.
It’s effectively the reverse of the traditional customisation process. Rather than building an interior around an exterior colour scheme, the exterior was designed around an already completed cabin.
Suede Carbon Is More Than A Surface Finish
LARTE introduces the colour during the carbon layup process before the material enters the autoclave. This means the colour becomes part of the carbon itself rather than being applied afterwards as paint, tint or a film over conventional black carbon fibre.
On this Escalade, the treatment extends across components including the bonnet, mirror caps, front splitter, wheel arch extensions, side skirts and rear diffuser.
Each section was developed to visually connect with the Espresso interior, creating a consistent theme across the entire SUV.
Sixteen Dry Carbon Components Transform The Escalade
The ESTHETE package has been developed for the 2024 to 2026 Cadillac Escalade and consists of sixteen exterior components manufactured from 100% dry carbon fibre with a Class-A surface finish.
Up front, there’s a two-piece fascia incorporating daytime running lights together with a functional front splitter. A sculpted vented bonnet sits above it, while wider front and rear wheel arch extensions give the large SUV considerably more presence.
Matching side skirts continue the treatment along the flanks, while carbon mirror caps provide another smaller detail.
At the rear, LARTE installs a new diffuser featuring the tuner’s distinctive vertical brake lights.
Importantly, the conversion doesn’t require cutting or drilling into the Escalade. Components use the vehicle’s existing factory mounting points, while the parking sensors, cameras and driver-assistance systems continue to operate as intended.
The 6.2-Litre V8 Remains Completely Standard
Despite the substantial visual transformation, there are no changes beneath the bonnet.
The naturally aspirated 6.2-litre V8 continues to produce its standard 420 hp (313 kW), so this ESTHETE package is firmly focused on design rather than extracting additional performance.
Customers wanting to complete the exterior transformation can also specify forged wheels separately.
Coloured Carbon Doesn’t Have To Be Brown
Suede Carbon was created specifically around this Escalade’s Espresso cabin, but LARTE says the same production process can accommodate significantly more adventurous requests.
Green, violet, two-tone and even gradient finishes can potentially be developed around a client’s existing leather, stitching and trim choices.
In other words, the interior effectively becomes the colour sample for the carbon fibre outside.
Traditional black carbon remains available, but LARTE’s recent projects suggest increasingly elaborate coloured carbon finishes are becoming a major part of its customisation offering.
Exclusivity Is Moving Beyond Black Carbon
There was a time when simply having exposed carbon fibre was enough to make a car stand apart.
That’s increasingly difficult when carbon packages can now be ordered directly from numerous manufacturers.
This Escalade shows where high-end customisation may be heading next. The exclusivity isn’t necessarily in the material anymore, but in how that material is created for an individual vehicle.
LARTE Design categorises this approach as its Customization Level 2, where personalisation is incorporated directly into the components themselves rather than simply being applied as a surface treatment afterwards.
For this particular Escalade, the Espresso cabin didn’t need to adapt to the exterior. The exterior adapted to it.
