Cadillac XLR Ownership,  Ask Me Anything (AMA)

"Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight" (gizmoq) 10/19/2015 at 14:49 • Filed to: None

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I’ve owned my XLR for five years now and love it, but yesterday I returned home from a national meet (Allante/XLR) to see a post and comments about what a poor decision it was for Cadillac to build this beautiful halo car.

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This post is not to justify or defend its merits, but ask me anything about the car and I’ll share with you the facts I know (from my research and others as well as info from trusted sources), stats, experiences, opinions, etc..... and rumors ;)

I’ll give you a juicy rumor to start this. Why did the XLR have a Northstar engine instead of the more powerful LS? Cadillac trying to get an LS started a political frenzy in GM. The Chevy execs convinced GM that no car in any GM brand should be better than the Corvette, halo or otherwise. This was a very polarizing issue for a couple years as Cadillac moved forward to create a mass produced version of the Evoq. In the end, Chevy won out; agreed to assemble them in Bowling Green, but with a different motor.

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OBTW, the cover photo is a concept design of a possible future iteration of the XLR that was published on !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

AMA Away!

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight 10/19/2015 at 14:54

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Do you like it? Would you buy it again (assuming you could talk to yourself pre ownership)

itschrome > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight 10/19/2015 at 15:00

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can I drive it?

JGrabowMSt > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight 10/19/2015 at 15:01

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Where did the XLR fall short of your expectations, and where did it exceed your expectations?

At any time during your ownership, of course, not just when you first got it and started using it.

V12 Jake- Hittin' Switches > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight 10/19/2015 at 15:06

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What are some perks of the northstar ? Are you the dude with the joystick in the car ?

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 10/19/2015 at 15:08

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Emphatically, YES!!! Would I do it again... I’m planning on it. And if they ever come through with an updated 2018 version, I’d get two jobs to pay for it. Its the best 2-seater, convertable, highway cruiser I’ve ever owned or driven... and I’ve been through a few. Prior to owning the XLR, I thought my SL500 was the best (especially over the rough Corvettes), but not anymore.

Meatcoma > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight 10/19/2015 at 15:13

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I actually was tempted to buy one of these before I got my Camaro, but given the issues I had with my Eldo with the Northstar engine I decided against it.

I would still love to have one, don’t get me wrong. If it had an LS motor in it I would have one now, no brainer.

What year/mileage did yours have? Did you have any oil leak/burning issues? Did it have any overheating issues? Why did you sell?

Why not XLR V w/man?

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight 10/19/2015 at 15:25

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How have the maintenance bills been?

DoYouEvenShift > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight 10/19/2015 at 15:28

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If any, what changes would you of wanted for the car as delivered?

JR1 > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight 10/19/2015 at 15:29

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Do you have a V?

Do you miss not having paddle shifters/does the stick shift auto work well?

How does it work as a DD?

What do people come up and say to you when they notice you in the car?

PS- Always loved these. Great American grand tourer I have always thought.

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > JGrabowMSt 10/19/2015 at 15:35

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I’ll admit my purchase decision was purely emotional - I just loved the arts and science of it all ever since first seeing it at a 2003 Auto show. So my expectations weren’t considered much. Did I expect it to be a rebodied Corvette - I hoped not. Having owned several Northstar Cadillacs, I expected the engine to be bulletproof and with mine modified to 510RWHP/540RWTQ it still is. Did I expect it to draw attention at every stop light, gas station, parking lot, car show, racing venue, and just driving it through town or on the highway - no, I never suspected it would draw so much interest. Over time, there have been issues as with any car and the automakers bankruptcy hurt parts availability, but I have no regrets.

Where does it fall short - trunk space when the top is down. They designed it to carry one bag of golf clubs and that’s about it. But I’ve adapted. I long haul with the top up and the trunk’s as big as most sedans. When I get to my destination, I always empty the trunk at the hotel, hand wash the road grime off and put the top down for the entire time I’m there.

One thing did exceed my expectations, how I feel when I’m cruising along with the top down. All of lifes problems slowly melt away with the breeze in my hair, the symphony that is the blower whine and rumbling exhaust, the seats wrap me in comfort and the car responds to my inputs with a passion.

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > Meatcoma 10/19/2015 at 15:58

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I am the second owner of a 2006 V that I purchased in 2010. I bought it with just under 30K and it now has 118K. And I never plan sell it.

Oil leaks, overheating, burning issues.... really? I race this thing almost every weekend; either autocross, PDX, LSR, or whatever venue looks like fun. My engine/engine compartment is nothing like stock. I have seen some oil weeping from the cam position sensors, but none of the typical leaks many here would unjustly expect from a modern Northstar. I have battled heat issues, but not from what you’d think. When Land Speed Racing, I run 26lbs of boost vice the stock 12psi so the air charge entering the motor heats up due to the compression. I’ve added additional cooling for the supercharger and injected pure alcohol to cool the air.

I deal with burning issues as the arise because they tend to snowball if not addressed immediately. But I also send the car to several hot rod shops over the winter to ensure its ready for me to beat on it for another year. The battery maintenance is an issue for some owners, but I keep mine on a charger if not driven for more than a week.

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > JR1 10/19/2015 at 16:15

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Yes.

I am in the process of designing paddles for my car. It already has manual shifting via sport mode and the console shift knob. Its effective but not efficient during spirited driving. But I do want paddles and should have them done by Spring.

I love it as a daily driver. Although the attention can be annoying when you’re in a hurry. I have to be careful in the city cause my car is lowered quite a bit, so speed bumps and driveways can be a challenge. I try to limit short hops to the store, etc., cause the motor thrives on long fast drives. Part of my maintenance regimen during those times is a decent highway trip with one or two WOT pulls to keep the carbon build-up at bay.

I get mostly compliments and the occasional know-it-all who has all the wrong info about it or the guy thinking its brand new model. Most people have never seen one “in the wild” so they want to know what it is. Gearheads ask about my mods and results because as soon as you hear it, you immediately know it isn’t stock.

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > V12 Jake- Hittin' Switches 10/19/2015 at 16:27

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There are no “perks.” There is no aftermarket per se. All my mods are experimental. I guess I should admit its a proven motor in these cars. Of all the 16652 cars built, the experts know of only three that had to be replaced.

What joystick?

He he, yeah, that’s mine.

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 10/19/2015 at 16:32

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Expensive as with any luxury car. I tell most folks to buy the extended warranty or expect $3k/10000 miles for maintenance. My routine maintenance bills have averaged around $800 annually, but I caveat that with my annual mods and service because I race my car.

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > itschrome 10/19/2015 at 16:34

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Sure, come on over. Bring your helmet.

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > DoYouEvenShift 10/19/2015 at 16:35

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An updated infotainment system. The radio has no bluetooth and they quit updating the nav system in 2008.

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > Meatcoma 10/19/2015 at 16:38

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None of these cars ever had a manual. The earlier ‘04-06 had a 5-speed auto and the ‘06-09 had the 6-speed auto.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight 10/19/2015 at 16:39

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Badass, I love the Jake-ified Caddy logo!

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight 10/19/2015 at 16:40

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I’m guessing inline with other cars, nothing exorbitant. People worry about Northstars but I don’t think they’re THAT BAD.

Glad you’re enjoying the car!

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight 10/19/2015 at 16:52

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Would you consider it a discount corvette or a premium?

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 10/19/2015 at 16:56

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Corvette racing has had Jake for a while. When Cadillac got seriou about racing, a friend and I came up with the logo and called it ELWOOD. Since both teams were racing at the same venues and I’d park my car next to one of the Jake cars and open my hood to see if anyone caught the reference to the blues brothers.

Well most corvette snobs didn’t like it and I didn’t care. After a few event with me doing it, it became comonplace and the Cadillac marketing and racing execs loved it because the Team Cadillac drivers had both come over from Corvette racing. As side trivia, Jake’s teeth symbolize the number of championship won by Corvette racing (Jake has 4, Elwood has 6).

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight 10/19/2015 at 17:00

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That’s badass and I didn’t know about the teeth. I’m a big fan of Jake and Corvette Racing. I love when they hide Jake on production cars (C6 ZR1 for example)

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 10/19/2015 at 17:02

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Right. If you’re serious about owning one you learn how to avoid catastrophes and do the routine maintenance on schedule. Most are trouble free. There were some design issues in the ‘04-05s, but Cadillac was most helpful in resolving those with the owners who escalated the issues above the dealerships.

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 10/19/2015 at 17:18

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Neither. I’m the only one who has hard data to compare because I race against C6 and C5s routinely. With my current mods, I’m equivalent to most C5 Z06s on the track (C5 Z06 was better on road courses than the C6, except ZR1).

These cars were never intended to compete with the Corvette. I was marketed 1) as a halo/flagship car exemplifying the arts and science philosophy of the brand and 2) as a grand touring luxury two-seater. It was touted as the brands convertible touring car for the elite discriminating customer, not a sports car for racing; but a cruiser with manners not unlike a base Corvette (the suspension components are all off the base C6 - same part #s, same fitment ... on a 1000 lbs heavier car).

V12 Jake- Hittin' Switches > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight 10/19/2015 at 17:21

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Cool, have there ever been any manual swaps ?

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > V12 Jake- Hittin' Switches 10/19/2015 at 17:38

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I recall rumors of one that went with an LS swap. He spent over $20k and the car never was right - throwing codes and systems not recognizing/talking with each other.

My sources at Cadillac engineering say an Ls swap is a futile endeavor. With the level of systems integration used on this platform and current emmission/safety requirements frommthe states,mthe 16 computers on-board will never pass inspection with a motor or tranny swap.

JR1 > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight 10/19/2015 at 18:02

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I assume it has been difficult developing aftermarket paddle shifter for it then.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight 10/19/2015 at 18:11

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Not to be rude, but I was always under the impression it was a rebodied ‘Vette with a cushier ride. Sounds awesome to me, but I can see how some wouldn’t like it. I always liked that they looked like a land-bound Stealth fighter. Very distinctive design.

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > JR1 10/19/2015 at 18:45

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Actually no. The current manual mode is just two momentary switches, one in front for upshifts, one toward the rear of the shifter to downshift. All I have to do is jumper the three wires, run them up to the steering wheel and connect to the paddles. My development has been bogged down in selecting an existing paddle set and how to mount it.

I started out working with a Corvette aftermarket company to get them to put paddles on a wheel that was compatible with the XLR - they failed. Since then I’ve been checking out cars with the paddles on the stalk instead of on the wheel which are harder to find. Since it doesn’t turn with the wheel, the paddles have to be large enough to be used while turning. And I need to be able to mount them within reach of the wheel for my small hands. I’ve reduced the field to 04-08 RX-8 and the 08-14 Lancer Evolution (although I’m drooling over the Aston Martin Vantage set... pant, pant, pant).

I’m not planning to market them, just document what it took and be able to return it back to stock if need be.

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 10/19/2015 at 18:58

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It is far, far, far more than a rebodied attempt. At the time, no one’s production cars had ever integrated the level of technology found in the XLR. Multiple setting for the suspension, shift points, automated cruise control, etc.; each may have found its way to a supercar or luxury car, but all together, integrated to work in unison was never done.

It amazes me to this day how the car learns your driving style and adapts the suspension, traction control, stabilitrack, ABS, and shift point to your style. When I race mine on road courses or autocross, I have to remember to hoon it hard before the event so it will be setup for the race, otherwise its changing and adapting during the event which throws me off my consistency.

Your boy, BJR > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight 10/19/2015 at 19:00

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Could you get an Elwood skin made for my hood ornament if I payed?

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight 10/19/2015 at 19:04

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Cool. Good to know it lives up to it’s looks. Most cars don’t.

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 10/19/2015 at 19:19

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I had originally named my car FireFox as an omage to the plane in the Clint Easwood movie. Adding the joystick was easy; adding a CarPC that accepted voice commands was doable; I even designed a cockpit themed screen interface for nav, audio/video infotainment.

But my car club overrule my vote and everyone was calling the car ELWOOD after seeing the emblems i replaced the Cadillac crests with.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight 10/19/2015 at 19:37

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Elwood?

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > Your boy, BJR 10/19/2015 at 19:40

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Yes, I’m sitting here with my latest additions that are 3 feet across (these will go on my 40 ft schoolbus that I’m converting to haul the car to the races). My poor excuse for an artist rendition of what the hauler will look like when I’m done.

Contact Tony at 8th Day Creations (989-550-1905), tell him Gizmo sent you. He’ll need some dimensions of your existing crest if its different from the XLR, CTS, or STS (those he already sells). Also be sure to tell him the emblem with corvette flags for eyes (without the flags its not an ELWOOD emblem).

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 10/19/2015 at 19:42

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Jake and Elwood, the blues brothers.... see below.

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > Your boy, BJR 10/19/2015 at 20:07

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Closeups used on his site.

He prefers brushed aluminum style, but I made him do mine to look like chrome. These are vinyl overlays, 2 per crest: a flat black background to hide the crest’s colors and give the shiny Face good contrast on an almost flat surface.

Carbon Fiber Sasquatch > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight 10/19/2015 at 20:24

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Dude, calling it Elwood is brilliant!!!! Has anyone from Cadillac racing approached you about using it?

Carbon Fiber Sasquatch > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight 10/19/2015 at 20:29

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Thanks for the read, I still wish the XLR was more halo-ey than it was but you’ve given me additional understanding to appreciate them more.

Do you think it should have been placed above the Corvette and given an LS?

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > Carbon Fiber Sasquatch 10/19/2015 at 20:39

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Yes and no. Everyone from the VP of marketing to the Director of the racing program have adopted my car as the team mascot. But like Jake, its not officially licensed. I have lunch with the various VPs every year at the Chicago Auto Show and will keep making my case. Unfortunately, now that they’ve changed the shield and are now racing the ATS-VR, my chanced of getting it approved are significantly diminished.

Carbon Fiber Sasquatch > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight 10/19/2015 at 20:48

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Yeah if you modify it to the new logo, it might look too much like a much more famous symbol

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > Carbon Fiber Sasquatch 10/19/2015 at 20:51

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I would love to have a forged 434 LSX in mine, but it was never gonna happen at GM.

Yes, it should have been placed above the Corvette, but they made too many compromises. If they really wanted an over the top halo car: it should have had a V16, a wider track to accomodate the Corvette or Lambo sized wheels, and the hand-made interior of a Maybach.

Carbon Fiber Sasquatch > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight 10/19/2015 at 20:54

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YES!!!! It would have been a game changer!!

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > Carbon Fiber Sasquatch 10/19/2015 at 20:59

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If you’re ever given the chance, get up close and watch what happens when the top is retracted. Your picture is somewhat related. Little kids at car shows love it and call it a transformer.

Nauraushaun > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight 10/19/2015 at 22:18

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the cover photo is a concept design of a possible future iteration of the XLR that was published on GMINSIDENEWS.COM in 2012 .

Lets not get confused here. This is a render done by some random guy named George who has no affiliation at all with GM.

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > Nauraushaun 10/19/2015 at 22:22

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That’s correct.

Meatcoma > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight 10/20/2015 at 08:53

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Where is our short video of the exhaust note? You know we love that shit!

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > Meatcoma 10/20/2015 at 11:33

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Not mine but this is what I have.