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Christopher Jackson | 9/6/2007 | Cadillac
During our week with the Cadillac XLR, the word 'slab' popped to mind a lot. This car exudes a singular sense of purpose, a confidence of its place in the world. If you discovered a vast brick of pure 'Cadillac' in a GM warehouse somewhere, and sliced yourself off a good-sized chunk, it would probably look a lot like the XLR.
What this car is, is a big slice of luxury. As the only domestic offering in the high-end droptop roadster sweepstakes, Cadillac's XLR offers poise and grace to rival its overseas competitors. It's a toss-up whether the XLR or the Escalade SUV deserves credit as Cadillac's flagship. The XLR is certainly the rarer of the two, occupying the posh luxury-coupe market with cars like Jaguar's XK, Lexus' SC430 and Mercedes SL500. It also inherits equal measures of DNA from the Chevrolet Corvette and from Cadillac's Evoq show car of 1999.
The XLR's many flat surfaces aren't making it look bigger than it is--it really is that big. It's got a long hood, a low roof and a short tail. It looks a lot like the offspring of a Corvette and a Stealth bomber, in fact. The wide grille and vertical headlamps identify it immediately as a Cadillac. If nothing else, the XLR will be remembered for incorporating many of the gee-whiz features that are normally reserved for auto show stands. There's the retractable hardtop, of course. The top trims weight with aluminum and magnesium construction. It's got real glass side windows and a defroster in the rear window; when closed, the XLR is a true hardtop coupe. The XLR's trunklid is also power-operated, and the doors open with the press of a hidden pushbutton. Cadillac has added Adaptive Front Lighting to this big roadster for 2006. The system allows the headlights to turn up to 15 degrees based on the car's speed and the wheel direction and placing the beam closer to the direction of travel when the car's moving through a curve.
The adaptive lighting is a helpful system, because it's very difficult to tell where the XLR's nose ends from the driver's seat. The interior's dimensions are the only remaining clue to the XLR's Corvette DNA. This is a big, snug two-seater, with high sills that make it seem even tighter. "How are people supposed to fit in here?" a five-foot tall friend asked. Trunk space is also tight, but that's not a surprise in a car like this.
Gripes about space aside, the XLR is a very nice place to be, on par with BMW. Our XLR's interior didn't elicit the awed gasps that the Lexus SC430's cabin generated, but we did hear the word "fancy" a lot. Eucalyptus wood decorates the console and instrument panel, whose gauges have been co-designed by Italian watchmaker Bvlgari. The show-car tricks are inside the car as well; pushbutton solenoids open the doors from within as well, and a spacey head-up display projects the speed onto the windshield. Adaptive cruise control allows the XLR to maintain a set distance from the vehicle ahead of it. Keyless entry and pushbutton start, heated and cooled seats and a touch-screen DVD navigation system are also part of the technological array. OnStar is standard, as it is in most GM vehicles, but the XLR also comes with twelve months of complimentary OnStar Virtual Advisor access. Virtual Advisor offers weather, stock and traffic information at the touch of a button.
On the road, the XLR is at its best with relaxed cruising. The 320-horsepower Northstar V8 provides adequate urge, but this is not a sports coupe. If you're looking for a serious luxury sportster, we'd advise spending the extra money for an Aston Martin or waiting for the upcoming XLR-V, which ups the power ante by about 100 horses. With the XLR's variable valve timing-equipped 4.6 liter V8, we found the electronic throttle's response to be a bit sluggish, and the five-speed automatic transmission is reluctant to kick down quickly. The power means the XLR will get up and go, once it decides it's ready. It's smooth, but not particularly fast. This car is happiest when it's not being rushed, and will burble pleasantly around town.
As is often the case when you combine Murphy's Law and nice sports cars, a snowstorm mucked up the roads for much of our XLR test drive, and we can report that this car is supremely unhappy in deep snow. Get it on some dry pavement and things improve dramatically. The XLR's transmission is mounted at the rear of the car to even out the weight balance, and this car rides on the same strong, performance-oriented and race-proven backbone that underpins the Corvette. This is a stiff car, and the double wishbone suspension and massive 18-inch wheels and tires allow it to take maximum advantage of the rigid structure. The XLR corners confidently, and at speeds far faster than we suspect many of its drivers will take it. Cadillac's Magnetic Ride Control adjusts the shock damping to road conditions and car attitude and keeps the ride from becoming brutal when the XLR isn't carving canyons.
The XLR serves up a nice healthy serving of automotive luxury, both visually and sensually. It's got the power and poise to match Europe and Japan's best, but with an American sense of style that will appeal to some and be a fatal turn-off to others. XLR pricing starts at $76,480.
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2006 Cadillac XLR.
Length: 177.7 in.
Width: 72.3 in.
Height: 50.4 in.
Wheelbase: 105.7 in.
Curb weight: 3647 lb.
Cargo space: 11.6 cu.ft. (top up); 4.4 cu.ft (top down)
Base price: $76,480
Price as tested: $77,295
Engine: 4.6 liter DOHC 32-valve V8
Drivetrain: five-speed automatic transmission, rear-wheel drive
Horsepower: 320 @ 6400
Torque: 310 @ 4400
Fuel capacity: 18.0 gal.
Est. mileage: 17/25
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