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Quick Test:'04 Cadillac XLRAfter decades of neglect and ugly cheapening, GM has been impressively burnishing Cadillac up for battle in the luxury car wars these last two years. The first shiny Caddy of the new wave was the CTS midsize sedan last year and now there's the XLR roadster, a two-seater that shares much of its structure and chassis with the upcoming sixth-generation Corvette.
Now being screwed together in the same Bowling Green, Kentucky, plant as the 'Vette, the XLR is an impressive piece of work, even though it's not the high-performance screamer the Chevy is. The hydroformed frame is a backbone design similar to that of the C5 Corvette that mounts the engine in a Y-shaped spur up front and the 5L50-E five-speed automatic transmission in the back. The suspension employs a slightly redesigned version of the C5 double A-arm system with most of the major components cast in aluminum and transverse leaf springs doing most of the major lifting. Of course the suspension is tuned for a gentler ride than in the Corvette, and the P235/50R18 Michelin ZP run-flat tires are quite a bit narrower and softer.
Power comes from the first rear-drive application of Cadillac's justly lauded Northstar V-8. Now carrying continuous variable valve timing, the all-aluminum Northstar still has dual overhead cams and four valves for every cylinder. The 320 hp this engine is rated at is deceptive, since the torque curve is friendlier than an Amway salesman after you've just bought one of everything. Supposedly the torque peaks at 310 lb-ft at 4,400 rpm, but it feels like that much is available from just off idle until the 6,700 rpm redline. A muscle engine? Not really, but it's the best luxury car engine ever built in America, and the competition isn't even close.
It's a beautiful car to drive. The cockpit is a bit narrow in the hips, but the design is truly exceptional. The wood trim is lusciously light toned (and it's real wood), there's a metallic finish in other parts of the dash that is sleek and complementary to the dead trees, and the three-spoke steering wheel is perfectly sized and easy to grip around its leather-lined circumference. The stereo sounds wicked with speakers built into the power-adjustable seats.
The XLR's electronic throttle doesn't seem as responsive as good old mechanical units, and the "Magnasteer" power rack-and-pinion steering could be more aggressively tuned, but the suspension massage is a near-perfect balance of composure and comfort. Extra credit goes to the 5L50-E transmission that shifts unobtrusively most of the time and with real enthusiasm when asked to using the manual mode.
One thing the XLR lacks is a conventional ignition key. Using a proximity sensor in a fob, the car senses if you should be allowed in the car (the doors open with solenoid switches) or start it. To start the car, you just press a button-as long as you have the fob with you. There are, of course, contingency technologies aboard should the system fail, but really was anyone all that desperate to get rid of the ignition key?
At just over $75,000, there are no options available for the XLR. However there should eventually be a "V" version of this machine with larger wheels and tires and most likely a supercharger.
What we can learn about the C6 Corvette from driving the XLR is limited. But obviously the next Corvette will be an evolutionary step forward from where it is today.
Online PonyTroy Trepanier has teamed up with eBay to create a '67 Mustang fastback that will eventually be offered with no reserve on the Internet auction site.