Cadillac XLR Classic or Tragic ?

"JR1" (type35bugatti) 07/08/2015 at 15:03 • Filed to: Cadillac XLR

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For those that are not in the know a brief overview of the Cadillac XLR. The XLR was introduced in 2004 as a Mercedes SL fighter priced at $75,000. It came with a 5 speed auto and roughly 320hp from the 4.6 Northstar V8 under the hood. In 2006 along with the base XLR Cadillac introduced the V model with a 6 speed auto and a supercharged 4.4 V8 producing roughly 440hp. The Cadillac XLR-V cost 100,000 dollars. The Cadillac XLR ended production in 2009 after mixed reviews.

What made the XLR such a tough car to sell had more to do with the Corvette than it did with XLR. Why would anyone buy a car that was only automatic and cost thousands more than GM’s darling? The XLR lived in the shadow of the Corvette it’s entire production life. After the car ceased production though it has become a bit of a unicorn. A rare drop top Cadillac that offers something the Corvette never can, uniqueness and luxury.

The Corvette wasn’t the XLR’s only problem. The star of the Cadillac lineup wasn’t the six figure grand tourer but instead the Cadillac CTS-V, a 550hp weapon of terror. Furthermore the automatic CTS had paddle shifters and the XLR did not which in the naughties was a ridiculous mistake by Cadillac.

Keeping those factors in mind do you think the Cadillac XLR will be a future classic. Or like the Allante will the XLR just be another failed attempt by Cadillac at a Mercedes SL fighter?

thebigbossyboss > JR1 07/08/2015 at 15:06

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I wonder what XLR’s go for these days.

LongbowMkII > JR1 07/08/2015 at 15:08

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I like them.

jkm7680 > JR1 07/08/2015 at 15:08

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Not a future classic at all.

DoYouEvenShift > JR1 07/08/2015 at 15:10

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Theyre actually really nice cars. They had 2 things going against them. 1, waaaay overpriced. 2, no LS engine.

JR1 > thebigbossyboss 07/08/2015 at 15:11

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Auto trader average is 31k

JR1 > LongbowMkII 07/08/2015 at 15:11

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I like them a lot. An attainable luxury grand tourer that won’t brake the bank like a Mercedes

JR1 > jkm7680 07/08/2015 at 15:12

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Care to elaborate why?

JR1 > DoYouEvenShift 07/08/2015 at 15:12

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I kinda like that it came without an LS. A bespoke Cadillac engine for the Cadillac flagship

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > JR1 07/08/2015 at 15:14

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I think the XLR will have a place, because of how much it cost. I feel that 25 years from now they could be a hot ticket on the collector’s market.

Years ago I did back-to-back test drives with a C6 and a XLR and I have to say I just liked everything about the XLR better. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, bit it didn’t feel as raw as a C6, yet it had plenty of giddyup when you hit the go pedal. Just a more refined package than the C6 was, IMHO.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > JR1 07/08/2015 at 15:15

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Meh. They look okay, I guess. I have no idea why they’re classified in A Street by the SCCA considering that most of the cars competitive in every lower class will demolish it, though.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > JR1 07/08/2015 at 15:15

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I think it’ll be a classic. It’s on a Corvette chassis so of handles great, has the best iteration of G1 Art and Science, the last DOHC V8 GM has made (so far), and the interior isn’t too bad if a little too square. Sure, it’s not as powerful as a Corvette, but it’s more boulevard cruiser with backroad ability than full-on sports car IMO.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > JR1 07/08/2015 at 15:16

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I quite like the XLR-V. I think those could be mildly collectable. The normal XLR is a rather boring vehicle though.

jkm7680 > JR1 07/08/2015 at 15:18

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It was an overpriced Corvette with a GM quality interior and the wrong engine.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > JR1 07/08/2015 at 15:19

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I think they’re pretty darn cool, especially the V, but it’s not actually better than an SL. The interior isn’t even on the same planet. So unless your primary objective in buying a hundred grand is “Chevy truck-like reliability”, get the Benz.

Caddy is cooler though, as I said. Probably a future classic.

JR1 > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! 07/08/2015 at 15:19

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Base XLR or XLR-V?

DoYouEvenShift > JR1 07/08/2015 at 15:21

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Yeah, I see what your saying. But how much more awesome would it be with an LS6/LS2 like the first gen CTSV.

JR1 > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 07/08/2015 at 15:22

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I really like the looks of them. As for A Street I have no answer there.

JR1 > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 07/08/2015 at 15:23

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I think they were going for the grand touring crowd. People kept calling it a sports car and that is unfair when you look at the weight of the car and the suspension tuning.

JR1 > jkm7680 07/08/2015 at 15:24

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I haven’t sat in the interior but I like the layout. And how can a DOHC supercharged engine be wrong? Although I will admit the LS series was better.

Spaceball-Two > JR1 07/08/2015 at 15:25

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My father in law had one up until a few years ago. He used to tool around on the weekends with it. The amount of electrical gremlins it had were astounding! Seriously it made my Audi seem reliable. Top wouldn’t work, trunk would pop open or not open at all at random. Door lock and window mechanisms were replaced three times over. The dash cluster would just go out mid drive. Great looking car, fun to drive but it was a piece of shit. He ended up selling it to a guy who promptly wrapped it around a pole.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > JR1 07/08/2015 at 15:25

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I guess that’s what happens when you put it on the company’s sports car chassis, but it was definitely a powerful grand tourer through and through just like the SL.

Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder > JR1 07/08/2015 at 15:26

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Cadillac speaks to a different audience than the Merc SL I think. Its weird, its more exclusive/rare than the SL, but at the same time not on the same level of quality/luxury/prestige.

I do think it will become a classic, as sort of a ‘overlooked in it’s time’ sports car.

It is a very pretty car, mostly because of its boxy and sharp styling. It is a Corvette for people that find an actual Corvette too basic.

JR1 > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) 07/08/2015 at 15:26

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Yeah the normal XLR could have benefitted from more horsepower

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > JR1 07/08/2015 at 15:27

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The SCCA does stupid things sometimes. The FiST is still in HS with the regular Fiesta and all of the other econoboxes.

JR1 > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 07/08/2015 at 15:28

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The SL did have a lot more nifty toys to make it exciting and luxury car buyers don’t care about reliability. It is easy to see why the XLR lost the battle but I agree it is cooler and more for the individual thinker.

505 - morphine not found > JR1 07/08/2015 at 15:28

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I will have a fond and sunny place for the XLR in my heart as long as i can remember the 20th of August, 2005. That was the day my daughter was born, and chance would have it that on that gorgeous sunny morning I had a press XLR. Took it to the hospital, and then to my mum to eat and celebrate my firstborn. So yeah, I loved every single second of the time I spent with the keys.

That said, the car wasn’t perfect, and I knew that even back then (I was only really starting at the time in the car journo gig). The infotainment sometimes needed a restart, á la Windows XP, the body flexed, and it was much blunter to drive than the base C6 we tested it together with. However, I liked the design, and the luxury, and the V8 sounded right too, so I can completely see someone looking for a GT loving the XLR.

Redhondamike > JR1 07/08/2015 at 15:29

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I break my neck whenever I see one of these driving. Really cool looking cars. You broke my heart though. I always pictured banging through the gears on one. Future classic just based on quirky unicorn looks.

JR1 > DoYouEvenShift 07/08/2015 at 15:30

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I mean it would have sold like hotcakes and I would have loved it. But I also love that it is bespoke to Cadillac. Damned if you do and damned if you don’t for Cadillac I guess.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > JR1 07/08/2015 at 15:30

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Should be easy enough to do now. I bet you could make a decent drag car out of one now.

JR1 > Spaceball-Two 07/08/2015 at 15:31

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That is disappointing to hear. It is too bad GM quality is so lackluster.

Bryan doesn't drive a 1M > JR1 07/08/2015 at 15:33

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I love the way these look and it’s kind of begging for an LS swap, right?

JR1 > Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder 07/08/2015 at 15:34

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I think you make an interesting point with that first paragraph. It is certainly an interesting and rare car but I will always think of the Mercedes SL as more prestigious.

JR1 > 505 - morphine not found 07/08/2015 at 15:38

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I would love to own a GT and I think that is why I see so much appeal in the XLR. Even if it was a bit blunter than the Corvette I imagine it was still a blast to drive on the twisty roads right?

Spaceball-Two > JR1 07/08/2015 at 15:38

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I think it was the product quality of the time frame. I do believe they are trying to get better. I tried to buy the car off him once, and he would have sold it to me but I couldn't justify dd'ing a convertible Caddy with that much engine in rainy Seattle. I still love the looks to this day. His was gunmetal grey with black interior.

JR1 > Redhondamike 07/08/2015 at 15:39

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I never understood why this did not come with paddle shifters or a manual. I am sure the six speed stick is still pretty fun but it is the worst of the three options.

And I break my neck too. They are just so rare!

JR1 > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) 07/08/2015 at 15:40

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A drag car? Probably more trouble to covert than what it is worth

JR1 > Bryan doesn't drive a 1M 07/08/2015 at 15:41

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The LS engine would be phenomenal in the car but the fact that it has an engine bespoke to Cadillac makes me very happy.

JR1 > Spaceball-Two 07/08/2015 at 15:41

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I am sure the gremlins were a small price to pay for how fun the car was.

DoYouEvenShift > JR1 07/08/2015 at 15:46

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Dont forget that Northstar wasntba Cadillac only engine. Oldsmobile, Buick, and Pontiac had their go at it too.

505 - morphine not found > JR1 07/08/2015 at 15:47

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Well it’s RWD and has ample power, and isn’t too big, and the TC can be turned off IIRC, so yeah. But no personal experience on this, I was more preoccupied with the impeding birth than to go for a proper drive... HOWEVER! Here’s something cool for you: the video we made back then. In Hungarian, sorry, but the people driving are rally drivers, and from the devil-may-care type...

JR1 > DoYouEvenShift 07/08/2015 at 15:49

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Shows you my lack of knowledge with regards to GM engines I guess. The 4.4 was Cadillac specific at least right?

DoYouEvenShift > JR1 07/08/2015 at 15:50

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Regardless, I think itll be a Classic. We all know that speed/power, reliability, among other things are not what determine a classic.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > JR1 07/08/2015 at 15:51

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Good thing Cadillac would learn from their experiences, and not do something like that again. Wait...

JR1 > 505 - morphine not found 07/08/2015 at 15:51

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Too bad your daughter didn’t get to say her first ride in a car was in a Cadillac XLR! That would have been cool!

JR1 > DoYouEvenShift 07/08/2015 at 15:52

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Nostalgia is a weird emotion that is for sure.

JR1 > BaconSandwich is tasty. 07/08/2015 at 15:53

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Hey the ELR is a beautiful car!

LSXforYourSuperCar > JR1 07/08/2015 at 16:00

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How bout 2500 more horsepower?

BeaterGT > JR1 07/08/2015 at 16:20

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Classic. Friend and I took his dad’s out years back to pick up chicks. It rocked.

Speed > JR1 07/08/2015 at 16:52

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Stylistically, I think they’re amazing looking cars and aren’t exactly turds (especially the V), but damn are they heavy for what they are. Considering a C5-C6 is comfortably in the 3,100-3,200lb range and the drop tops don’t carry much of a weight penalty over the targas, it’s a shame the Caddy is in the 3,600-3,700lb range.

JR1 > BeaterGT 07/08/2015 at 17:12

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So you had some luck then?

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > JR1 07/08/2015 at 17:15

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Base XLR. Both vehicles were bone stock too. I’m sure the ‘vette had more power, but the butt dyno couldn’t really tell the difference

JR1 > Speed 07/08/2015 at 17:17

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You have to remember for the class though this car is a lightweight. A comparable grand tourer is 4,000 pounds or more. You can't consider the XLR a sports car and then the weight makes more sense.

Remember dialing "popcorn" for the time? > JR1 07/08/2015 at 17:17

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“putting on flame suit”

Tragic. It is the ultimate example of the horrible angular styling that has afflicted Cadillacs for some time now. That worst example is now the CTS coupe, but I would never buy any of them as they’re all just too ugly!.

JR1 > Remember dialing "popcorn" for the time? 07/08/2015 at 17:26

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I do believe you are in the minority my friend. Cadillac’s distinctive styling is one of the companies greatest strengths

DoYouEvenShift > JR1 07/08/2015 at 17:51

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Yes sir it was. I actually really liked that engine too.

440 HP 425 Ft lbs

BaconSandwich is tasty. > JR1 07/08/2015 at 18:03

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Oh, I completely agree. But it is a very similar situation - a much more expensive car based on something less expensive.

JR1 > DoYouEvenShift 07/08/2015 at 18:25

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Last V8 GM to have a DOHC engine I think at least for now anyway.

JR1 > BaconSandwich is tasty. 07/08/2015 at 18:28

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The ELR and XLR are pretty different though. The XLR at least had a bespoke engine and unqiue suspension components as well as a folding hardtop co designed with Mercedes. The ELR is very much from the old GM train of thought.

BeaterGT > JR1 07/08/2015 at 18:33

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The night ended well, I’m not sure if his dad ever found out either.

Remember dialing "popcorn" for the time? > JR1 07/08/2015 at 19:08

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Distinctive ... yes; strength ... not in my book. I do concede that I am apparently in the minority regarding the styling (even among my friends and family), but it’s never done anything for me.

(Thank you for the polite response!)

S2Konstantin > JR1 07/08/2015 at 19:45

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I like these espeically because I think with the right matte gunmetal paint (or vinyl) it will have that stealth fighter vibe.

JR1 > Remember dialing "popcorn" for the time? 07/08/2015 at 20:35

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Yeah there is no reason to work up a fuss about it. You have your opinions and I have mine. Rule # 1 on Oppositelock don't be a dick. I try to stick by that rule.

JR1 > S2Konstantin 07/08/2015 at 20:35

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It does have a stealth fighter look to it that people seem to love

shop-teacher > JR1 07/09/2015 at 00:16

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They look great. They are a future classic, although they will never be a high dollar classic. Maybe that means I’ll be able to afford one someday.

pip bip - choose Corrour > JR1 07/09/2015 at 05:36

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future classic , but only the XLR-V

JR1 > shop-teacher 07/09/2015 at 07:05

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I bet they still have a good bit of depression left in them too.

JR1 > pip bip - choose Corrour 07/09/2015 at 07:06

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I think they only made about 1000 Vs the 4 years it was ok production. Those will be a hot commodity