2004 - 2009 Cadillac XLR
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Cadillac XLR
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Year:2004- 2009
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The luxury Corvette that Chevy never built
Introduced in 2003 for the 2004 model year, the XLR was a two-door luxury roadster. A spiritual successor to the Cadillac Allante (1986-1993), the XLR was based on the C6-generation Chevrolet Corvette. Discontinued in 2009 due to low demand, the XLR is Cadillac’s last roadster as of 2019.
Essentially a luxury alternative to the Corvette C6, the XLR had many premium features over its Chevy-badged counterpart. Some of them were optional on the Corvette, but most of them weren’t even available. The XLR also had a design of its own, borrowing many cues from the CTS and STS models of the mid-2000s. Cadillac also produced a higher performance XLR-V version and launched an update for 2009, the vehicle’s final model year on the market.
Latest Cadillac XLR news and reviews:
2021 Cadillac XLR Successor
The Cadillac XLR was a high-performance, luxury roadster built from 2004 to 2009 on the same platform as the Chevrolet Corvette C6. The nameplate could return when GM introduces the mid-engined, C8-generation Corvette.
Although there’s no official confirmation from Cadillac, leaked photos of a key fob suggest that the luxury brand will soon unveil a mid-engined sports car with a retractable roof. More specifically, the drawings on the fob look like the upcoming mid-engined Corvette, but also show a convertible roof. The C8-generation Corvette will break cover in 2019, so the Cadillac might follow sometime in 2020, for the 2021 model year. That’s a long wait, so here’s a rendering of the luxury roadster and everything we already know about it.
2004 - 2009 Cadillac XLR
Introduced in 2003 for the 2004 model year, the XLR was a two-door luxury roadster. A spiritual successor to the Cadillac Allante (1986-1993), the XLR was based on the C6-generation Chevrolet Corvette. Discontinued in 2009 due to low demand, the XLR is Cadillac’s last roadster as of 2019.
Essentially a luxury alternative to the Corvette C6, the XLR had many premium features over its Chevy-badged counterpart. Some of them were optional on the Corvette, but most of them weren’t even available. The XLR also had a design of its own, borrowing many cues from the CTS and STS models of the mid-2000s. Cadillac also produced a higher performance XLR-V version and launched an update for 2009, the vehicle’s final model year on the market.
Is this Proof that Cadillac Is Making a Mid-Engined Sports Car?
It’s no longer a mystery that GM is working on a mid-engined Chevrolet Corvette. The sports car has been spotted testing numerous times, we’ve seen sketches of the interior, plans of the engine, and even leaked pricing information. But General Motors may be hiding a vehicle based on the upcoming C8-generation Corvette: a mid-engined Cadillac.
Okay, let’s start with the not-so-cool stuff… Cadillac’s new CEO, Robert Ferguson, announced recently that Cadillac is considering two new models. The first of the two is a large flagship model to do battle with the likes of the BMW 7-Series and the Mercedes S-Class. While that’s all well and good, we want to hear the more exciting side of this pair of potential new models.
For the second model, we need to have a look back at the 2009 model year, which was the final year of the relative flop that was the XLR and XLR-V – Cadillac’s Corvette-based sports car. It was cool looking, but ultimately it was way ahead of its time in Cadillac’s brand overhaul and in its base format was relatively slow (6 seconds to 60 mph).
According to Cadillac’s CEO, an all-new two-seat sports car is “being considered.” With the CTS and CTS-V doing pretty well in the lineup and performance luxury cars becoming more popular, we think this is an awesome idea. Add in the fact that Cadillac’s image has officially been changed to and accepted as a luxury car maker with a little bit of pop under its hood and Cadillac may be sitting on solid gold.
You see, even the XLR-V and its 4.4-liter V-8 could only muster up a 443 horsepower and a 4.6-second sprint to 60 mph, but retailed at nearly $100K. Now with the CTS-V pumping out 556 horsepower, hitting 60 mph in just 4.2 seconds, and carrying a $63K base price, a new Caddy roadster could step right in, borrow some components from the CTS-V and make a run at the likes of the Jaguar F-Type and others.
While this is all still speculation, we can’t help but be excited by even the potential of a performance roadster in the Cadillac lineup. Stay tuned!
Will.i.am has again made it onto our radar. This time, however, it’s not for another disastrous customization that he pawns off as a “new model” in his supposed “car company.” This time around, Will.i.am slammed a Cadillac worth ₤100,000 ($157,830 at current exchange rates) into a parked car.
The first thing we are trying to figure out is what Cadillac Will.i.am has that costs ₤100,000. The most expensive Caddy available in the U.K. now is the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe, and that only runs about ₤85,000, including the VAT. The only other car we can come up with is an older XLR-V, which is the likely culprit.
Fortunately, the pop star escaped the accident with only a bloody nose and whiplash, as did his passenger, Cheryl Cole. The crash took place at about 3:30 am, following a recording session, and the details are still rather sketchy. We’re not too sure what exactly cause the wreck, but we are upset to learn that the parked car was not his “I.am Auto Concept car (AKA a thoroughly thrashed and trashed Delorean).
According to the report, only I.am’s air bag inflated and Cole hit something slightly less forgiving than the air bag – the dashboard. We’ll keep an eye out fir a cause if the accident here, but it’s doubtful that we will hear one.
General Motors giveth, and General Motors taketh away. Yesterday we rejoiced over news the the Cadillac CTS coupe would make it into production, and today we morn the death of the Cadillac XLR.
"A specialty sports car like this has a limited life cycle," Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell told Inside Line. "It is not unusual for them to have a less permanent life cycle. This will be the final year (for XLR)."
We’ll miss this Caddy, but we’re not surprised. It was a tough road for the XLR. While it stood as a flagship for the brand and had a nifty folding hardtop; it was a low-volume, high-dollar car that first started production at about the same time the whole Cadillac brand was just beginning a renaissance. Sales have never met full expectations, and the current economic conditions make the XLR an obvious martyr. Our only hope is that when the economy is resurrected, so is the Caddy roadster.
It looks like the Cadillac XLR may go the way of the Allante. According to LeftLaneNews, Cadillac is likely to kill the XLR by the time the new Corvette arrives in 2012 (the two cars share the Bowling Green, KY plant). Although there has been no official announcement, the Cadillac has only managed to sell 1750 copies of the XLR last year (well under the 6,000 annual goal.)
Hmmmm, a V8 coupe/convertible sports car with very low production numbers. That sounds like a future classic.
The 2009 supercharged Cadillac XLR-V is the quickest, most agile and most exclusive Cadillac ever offered, combining advanced technology with hand craftsmanship that harkens back to Cadillac’s origins as a custom luxury coach builder.
Its 443-hp supercharged Northstar V-8 is hand-assembled to exacting standards at GM’s Performance Build Center in Wixom, Mich. Each engine is built from start to finish by a single expert craftsman. The engine is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission with Driver Shift Control. This powerful combination enables 0-to-60 (mph) acceleration in less than five seconds. The XLR-V includes numerous chassis enhancements for outstanding performance, developed and tuned in some of the world’s most demanding environments.
The interior features extensive use of leather-wrapped surfaces, created by craftsmen who cut, wrap and sew leather components individually.
Cadillac today revealed the new 2009 edition of the XLR Roadster, featuring styling and model enhancements providing more dramatic design and technology. For 2009 XLR will be offered in only two versions: luxurious XLR Platinum and the high-performance XLR-V.
The XLR Platinum is powered by a 4.6L Northstar V-8 engine that delivers 320 hp, while the XLR-V is powered with a 443 hp 4.4L Supercharged Northstar V-8 engine.
The 2009 XLR includes a new front fascia, new rear fascia and new side fender vents. The revised design is inspired by the award-winning CTS sport sedan, delivering more detail and aggressiveness to Cadillac’s roadster. The front fascia includes new fog lamps and specific upper and lower grilles for the Platinum and V-Series models. Also, both ’09 models feature the distinctive hood with a raised center section that was previously exclusive to the V-Series.
The Cadillac XLR-V, which has been available in Cadillac showrooms across Europe since April, is a further addition to the luxury nameplate’s growing family of high-performance V-Series vehicles. The XLR-V combines luxury with power, performance, personal amenities and style and is equipped with the Northstar V-8 supercharged engine, producing 331 kW (450 hp). Combined with a rear-mounted, six-speed automatic transmission, the XLR-V’s supercharged engine helps deliver 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) acceleration in 4.7 seconds.
The XLR roadster, Cadillac’s bold entry into the elite club of luxury convertibles, adds a dash of exclusivity to its unique combination of performance, advanced technology and dramatic design. The XLR is an icon for Cadillac’s ongoing renaissance, expressing the brand’s resurgence in the categories of serious performance, image, luxury and technical sophistication.
Metal-roofed convertibles are sturdier, safer, and offer better handling and a dramatically quieter ride than any ragtop. They are sexy, unsafe, pricey, cramped, and eminently unsuitable for families.
As a result, many prospective car buyers just glance at them longingly in the showroom before driving off in a minivan or crossover. But safety is increasingly less of a factor. That’s because these days auto makers offer convertibles with the sensuality of a ragtop and the solidity of a (...)
Cadillac XLR, a retractable hardtop convertible, is a striking presence in the automotive spectrum. A luxury roadster with performance car roots, XLR’s lightweight chassis and structure and 4.6L Northstar V-8 VVT (variable valve timing) engine deliver a remarkable blend of sporting capability and luxurious refinement.
Cadillac XLR, a retractable hardtop convertible, is a striking presence in the automotive spectrum. A luxury roadster with performance car roots, XLR’s lightweight chassis and structure and 4.6L Northstar V-8 VVT (variable valve timing) engine deliver a remarkable blend of sporting capability and luxurious refinement.
Your new Cadillac represents the pinnacle of Cadillac luxury and quality. You’ve made a significant investment in a premium vehicle and it is important to have specific maintenance services performed to protect your investment and to ensure the long-term enjoyment of your XLR or XLR-V.
Cadillac drove over an entire semi-truck with three XLR-Vs — representing each of the three exterior colors (Infra Red, Black Raven, Light Platinum) — so that the basketball legend could pick his favorite.
Jordan chose a red car. The purchase price: a cool $100,000. As a little extra, Cadillac threw in a set of custom side sills with Jordan’s signature etched in aluminum, insiders told IL.
Jordan is said to have confided to Taylor that he has 40 cars in his personal collection but that the (...)
The 2006 Cadillac XLR-V the newest addition to the luxury nameplates growing family of high-performance V-Series vehicles establishes a new benchmark for the ultra-luxury class of high-performance roadsters in power, performance and personal amenities.
