2006 Cadillac XLR
Styling that's anything but derivative and its Corvette chassis make this two-seater a halo model for Cadillac. Critics dismiss the XLR as a poseur and the harshest of those have been known to lambaste its sharply creased sheetmetal as much as its driving qualities.
Maybe, but there's more on offer here than just another pretty face. I'll admit that the styling issue will remain controversial. But in my week spent driving an XLR around Los Angeles and Las Vegas, the car drew a number of thumbs-up by passers-by. Checking into my hotel in Las Vegas, a thirty-something man walked over from his tour group. "Just one question," he said. "How much?"
And these are towns where cars like the Mercedes SL65 AMG are virtually ignored unless two of them happen to collide on Rodeo Drive--and one of them is driven by a newly detoxed Brittany Spears.
I suspect that many will buy this car for its exclusivity alone. Regardless of whether or not you're in love with the styling, at its low rate of production it's a dead cinch you won't roll up to an intersection and find another XLR sitting there.
The Cadillac roadster rides on a 105.7-inch wheelbase and has an overall length of 177.7 inches, both dimensions very close to those of the C6 Corvette. It's wide for a two-seater at 72.3 inches, calling for a little caution in low-speed maneuvering, particularly when backing, until you've learned its extremities. Thankfully, a rear parking-assist system is standard equipment.
The hardtop has a frame of aluminum and magnesium covered with composite exterior panels. The rear-quarter windows and backlight are glass; the latter is heated.
Suspension is pure Corvette: cast aluminum double wishbones at each corner with transverse composite leaf springs front and rear. The sophisticated Magnetic Ride Control switches between damper settings in near-realtime to deliver sports car levels of handling without sacrificing ride quality.
Other benefits of sharing the Corvette platform are hydroformed perimeter frame rails and a central structural tunnel with aluminum structural members to reinforce the cockpit area. A lightweight balsa-cored composite floor helps to deaden sound without adding much weight in the process.
Aluminum 18-inch alloy rims are fitted with 235/50 ZR Goodyear EMT run-flats, a compromise made in the interest of preserving trunk room. They generate 0.90 G of lateral grip and offer an acceptable tradeoff between ride quality and handling precision.
The attractive interior is a mix of brushed aluminum, leather and lots of wood. The details are nicely done and generally tasteful. It offers comfortable seats and generally superior ergonomics. I could live without the gimmicky electrically-operated door-latch switches and the start/stop button, however. There's no ignition key, just a keyfob/transmitter with door lock/unlock buttons. So long as the transmitter is nearby, the car starts with the dash-mounted switch.
Just don't forget the transmitter. I did exactly that when switching driving chores with one of my drivers. Jumping behind the wheel, I left him behind while I drove to a bite-sized town marking the midpoint of a remote, 50-mile-long loop we use for testing in the mountains. Upon arrival I found that the keyfob transmitter was still in my employee's hip pocket. Hoping that the tiny hamlet's minimalist crime rate would remain low during my brief stay, I had to leave the car idling while I went inside to use the facilities.
There's plenty of standard equipment, including, arguably, one of the world's best nav systems. Also: adaptive cruise control, keyless entry, adaptive headlamps that turn in concert with the front wheels; satnav, heated and cooled seats, upscale sound system, you name it.
The adaptive cruise control uses radar to automatically maintain a safe following distance. It does that reliably and is smart enough to sense the abrupt arrival of another vehicle darting into the gap in front. On those occasions it chops the power or downshifts to open the gap again.
The retractable hardtop serves as a good sound deadener and leaves the interior with noise levels little different than you'll find in a good sedan. Top down, the vault-like chassis construction pays dividends, displaying almost none of the cowl shake seen in many topless cars.
Some compromises are demanded by this design. Trunk space shrinks from 11.6 cubic feet to a miniscule 4.4 cubic feet when the top is down, for instance. And the cargo area is accessible only by raising the entire rear hatch. It's power-operated but slow to operate and tedious to use when you're only looking to toss in one item. And there's no protection for the trunk's contents with the hatch standing open, making the car a marginal contender for use as a daily driver in Seattle or any area with frequent rain.
All this hardware and amenities add the pounds however, giving the DOHC, 32-valve 4.6-liter V-8 a lot of mass to contend with. Variable valve timing helps flatten the torque curve and it copes with the 3,647 pounds of curb weight without complaint. But midrange torque is never overabundant, calling for frequent use of the automatic's six speeds, particularly gears 3 and 4, when looking for maximum acceleration in traffic. It's hardly slow and those in need of serious forward thrust can have it in the supercharged V model ($100,000 base price), good for 443 hp and 414 lb-ft. The upscale version also gets a stiffer suspension and bigger brakes along with upgraded wheels and tires.
The base car's all-aluminum 4.6-liter, 320 hp Northstar is good for 0-60 times in the 7-second range and 155 mph. With a long 2.73 final and the top two gears both overdrives, the engine is loafing at 70 mph and it will deliver 25-plus mpg in steady-state cruising.
The XLR's rear-mounted transmission contributes to a near 50/50 weight distribution and it changes direction quickly, with minimal body roll. Not intended to be a true sports car, the XLR instead is an all-weather, limited-production roadster. It's tailored more for laid-back cruising but if asked, it'll spend the day hammering over mountain roads without complaint.
Targeted at the affluent suburbanite, the Cadillac XLR is a bold step for a company that not long ago was watching its customers disappear into managed-care facilities. And with the arrival of the V model, unless its detractors are driving very expensive imported iron, this two-seater will leave them for dead.
