Terminating Caddy’s XLR SL fighter is a no brainer. The brand shifted just 83 of the two-door drop-tops in September (vs. 111 last year), bringing the year’s total to… 1039. While that’s only 4961 units away from Caddy’s annual sales goal for it’s over-priced, under-developed sports car, Left Lane News (LLN) quotes “inside sources” who say the model will be killed off “in a few year’s time.” The XLR is based on the ‘Vette, due for a 2012 re-do. “Not long ago, we flatly asked GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz, ‘when the new C7 Corvette arrives, will the Cadillac XLR be along for the ride?’ ‘That is way too specific,” said Lutz.” Yeah, lay off, will you?
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Proud to say my uncle is one of the 1,039. He saw the end was near, knew he didn’t really want the “Vette image” and snatched one up. He absolutely loves it.
GM builds great cars, just doesn’t have a clue how to market them.
Yawn. What took them so long?
The Corvette-XLR relationship is actually how GM should be across the board.
Come up with a great vehicle, then re-skin it only once (not re-badge) to appeal to a different crowd.
That odd sound you hear is the Mercedes SL snickering off in the corner. Every few years, someone in Detroit thinks they can build a nice convertible for $70K and outsmart M-B.
Allante, Reatta, Maseratic TC by Chrysler, and now the XLR. Tee hee hee. Take the SC430 to the grave with you, would ja?
I loved the Evoq concept when it hit the auto shows, but once again GM released a car which was 90% of the way there and “almost competitive”.
The name didn’t help either. XLR? Is that some new type of camera?
I am firmly convinced that part of GM’s marketing problem these last several years has been their ADD naming not-a-strategy. Well that, and having Trump as a pitchman!
CTS convertible coming? (or better yet CTS-V convertible)
Just another example of why General Motors is the Jack-Shit of all Trades, Master of None.
GM wasn’t all the way there when it came to building a halo model. The XLR certainly wasn’t it and the interior, as compared to the Mercedes SL, emphasized that glaring fault. I remember the Top Gear episode when your man Jeremy Clarkson tested some American cars on American soil and completely bashed the XLR for it being such a sub par for the money one would pay.
Perhaps they can rework the Zeta platform top create a truly top notch halo model and do it right this time.
And the Lexus SC430 needs to go….like last year.
One of my favorite comments on TTAC concerns this car. It concerns the fact that if GM can’t build a nice interior into a $70,000 (or $100,000 XLR-V) vehicle where margins are thick, it just shows that they can’t build one at any price.
“…Master of None.”
Yeah, the Corvette is really an over-priced, under-performing car compared to its competitors.
Is that Putz and Chump? Two well known ole Coots who love to hear themselves speak – seems they are good company (failed businesses – want celebrity status – no responsibility – and big mouths).
I know Phil loves his XLR, but I’ve tried hard to like it…and the SL simply blows it away in terms of craftsmanship. There’s a reason so few people wanted this thing, even with the strong discounts.
Its the same thing as the Vette vs. 911, but the SL isn’t a low power pushover in the face of the XLR.
I’ll expect the SC430’s resignation soon, but for different reasons.
Take two would have probably been much better, but there are simply no profits to be had in this segment unless you’re MB. Right now GM is no doubt focusing on products almost guaranteed to earn a profit, and not merely improve a brand’s image (or not).
Thousand cars a year? Could we get som comparisons? How many Jaguar XK:s are sold a year? How many Boxsters and 911 convertibles? How many Lexsus SC430:s? How many Corvettes? and how many SL:s does Mercedes flog a year?
I mean, a thousand a year, we are talking british sports car territory here, even Morgan and Caterham sells more than that on a year…
This was a far better effort than what Lexus gave the world.
It’ll be missed, I quite liked it. GM fumbled the pricing and marketing of this car. At $55,000, it would have had a chance.
Buick61,
If they had priced at that point to start with I bet they would have made their sales goals for the thing and still made money on them. The exterior is not my favorite, but I still like it. The interior is awful at the price point it is at now, but at $55k it becomes a little bit more acceptable and reasonable.
I saw a pink Mary Kay XLR the other day. Some how, it just seemed right. ;-) Now I wonder if there is a pink Mary Kay Corvette out there?
I have never seen a pink Mary Kay Porsche or Ferrari – I am not sure it would even be allowed. (although I am ok with a pink Lambo for some reason)
Craiggbear:
Here’s your pink Corvette, though sadly not Mary Kay’d. This Pink ‘Vette has a female owner!
Also, your Camo’d Pink Veyron is waiting.
1991 Lamborghini Diablo in Bubble Gum Metallic
I’m sad. I used to see a few around my area, and always liked the look. Mechanically, I’m sure it overwhelmed the usual purchasers, but it would have been nice if GM made it a true technological flagship.
This move continues to show me and the buying public that GM is not committed to anything and does not have a clue in general.
GM wonders why people will not buy their cars. I think alot of it has to do with the constant inconsistency in branding, discounting, and just plain giving up on models.
If the XLR was to be a flagship for Cadillac and something to take on the SL, it should have been improved continuously.
I was at a large Caddy dealer for the launch of the ‘08 CTS and we got on the subject of the XLR. He mentioned one of the few they sold that year was bought back because of the top. He said the dealer won’t even stock them because of the problems. That and as I looked over the CTS, I thought the least expensive Cadillac has the nicest interior while the most expensive has the worst interior.
I know Phil loves his XLR
XLR-V, that is. It’s a big difference.
GM never put enough effort into marketing the XLR to spur meaningful incidence of cross-shopping by SL intenders. Despite the criticism here about the interior, my experience with SL owners who actually experience the XLR-V is that they don’t see any problem with it. The salient point is that they mostly didn’t know the XLR and V exist, prior to getting up close to mine.
Getting into this segment and succeeding requires persistence and a commitment to develop at least three generations of the car. If Cadillac were to show the commitment to XLR that Chevrolet has to the Corvette, they’d get to a point of admiration and perceived competitiveness for the car, and we’d arrive at a point where there are SL drivers and XLR drivers splitting the segment, just as Corvette and 911 adherents are both numerous and mostly mutually exclusive.
I’m into my 32nd month with my XLR-V. The interior remains tight, with no visible wear of any kind anywhere and its straightforward design with superior technology integration still feels current. It needs better carpet. Other than that, I have no complaints.
But if there is no Northstar successor, what was always destined to be a very limited production car had to yield to its term limit. The excellent Corvette engines just cannot be made smooth enough for this segment, and it’s just not a car for a V6. Gone “in a few years’ time”? Well, let’s see. The Corvette ZR1 is an effort to deliver ultimate performance in a car comfortable enough to be a long-distance transport, which the Z06 is not. It’s not hard to imagine a lighter-weight retracting hardtop ‘Vette emerging in absence of XLR. Meanwhile, I’m a long way from using up my V.
Phil
This was a far better effort than what Lexus gave the world.
OK, granted the XLR would whoop the SC430 a$$ in regards to performance driving but the problem was IF you were interested in the PERFROMANCE, GM had a equally nice Vette to sell you for many thousand less. No GM/ Caddilac kinda screwed the pouche on defining the mission of this car ( a typical GM habit) IT drove like a charm for the the one or two members of the enthusaist crowd that might having taken notice, but those seeking an expensive retirement cruiser were easily turned off by the sub-par materials and poor execution of the XLR. Why does it appear that GM is simply willing to ignore what the market actually wants. Folks do NOT want a car like this to pull .90g on a skidpad at the expense fine workmanship and rich details.
As a luxury touring car that conveyed “class” and “high quality” the Lexus simply put the XLR to shame. The XLR looks cheap and feels cheap and the only folks it appeared to appeal to were those that wanted a garage companion to their tricked out Escalade. The joke is that while the XLR is extremely rare the few I see around are all extra-uglified with tacky gold trim, vogue tires, aftermarket grills, and under-car lighting. I guess there just weren’t enough pimps in America to appreciate the XLR!
A slower, more expensive, ugly ‘vette.
Wonder why they haven’t sold?
What do you think GM’s actual incremental production cost is to manufacture an XLR vs. a convertible Corvette? Maybe $5k at the most ????? If they had sold it for $10k more than the Corvette it might have had a chance, but with a $25-30k price premium the XLR made no sense.
i have seen exactly one in my life. Cant say i will miss it, it will be fun seeing one every once in a while.
i do think a vette in another kind of drag is a good thing, tho. perhaps gm will come up with something else instead. maybe cheaper this time.
Pity, I kind of liked the way it looked. And the XLR-V would have been a blast, but I never had the pleasure. Although it was in need of a freshening, cancellation is a pity. I’d like to have seen Cadillac with an SL competitor. The SK looks and goes, but has proven to be very problematic, especially with respect to electrics, trim, and interior materials. Looking good in the showroom and falling apart on the road is nothing to brag about. Fortunately for MB they still have their rep, for reasons that elude me.
I was actually wondering if they still made this thing yesterday — then I saw one in my Vons parking lot yesterday afternoon. First one I’ve seen in probably six months. How many SLs have I seen in the same spot during that time? Couldn’t possibly count them. It’s too bad, because the XLR is at least distinctive… but my surprise level about this is about zero.
I once saw a $100,000 XLR-V at my local Pontiac-Buick-GMC-Cadillac dealer. A $15,000 Pontiac G5 was sitting 10 yards away.
The XLR was a pretty cool ride, but it suffered from the interior, and I think to a degree it’s styling.
XLR is a great-looking car when the top’s down. But with the hard-top up it looks out of proportion. Almost like a fly bridge on a really big yacht. That’s something Benz definitely has going for it on the SL’s, those cars have lines that are just a great flowing shape no matter the top being up or down, and perception things like that are a big hit in that demographic of car buyer.
Obviously, the interior has some issues at that price point. That interior should be in the ‘Vette at it’s price-point and the Caddy should have something much nicer. Its too bad, because it looks like GM spent some money on equipping the interior, but just didn’t spend it wisely. GM needs a real premium sat/nav to go with its high-end rides as well. OnStar is neat, but its a service and not a toy – cars north of a hundred grand should have the toys, and nice ones at that.
GM is unwilling to think. I can’t describe how frustrating it is to see them flip flop and come up with premature car elation.
I agree with Sajeev. I would like to like the XLR, particularly the XLR-V, but the styling really leaves me cold. It doesn’t offend, but there’s no spark there. By comparison, I like the Benz SL in spite of myself — it’s not really my kind of car, but it’s a slick-looking piece, and it feels appropriately ritzy. I agree that the XLR is better conceived than the Lexus SC430, but that isn’t saying very much.
I would like to like the XLR, particularly the XLR-V, but the styling really leaves me cold. It doesn’t offend, but there’s no spark there.
One can’t argue with another’s reaction to styling. Like, dislike, leaves you feeling hot, cold, indifferent. So, no protest from me. But “there’s no spark there”….?
There’s nothing on the road that looks remotely like the XLR/ XLR-V, and in 2-1/2 years of driving one, I’m on the receiving end of that reality daily. People don’t merely tell me they like the design of my car, they’re emphatic. I’ve never driven anything, including a borrowed Ferrari, that elicited the steady, daily, even hourly stream of admiring comments earned by this XLR-V. Every day — and I mean *every* day — I get multiple thumbs-up from while in transit. Very few fuel stops get completed without someone sauntering over to ask about — and compliment — the car. The exterior design might be polarizing, which is fine with me, but lacking spark it isn’t.
Phil
Phil-nothing else really looks like an Aztek either, that still doesn’t mean there is a spark.
I reallllly tried to like the XLR when it came out, truely. Walked all around it at Chicago trying hard. How they made it radically different while being painfully dull I do not know. Didn’t think it was possible. Leave it to the General.
Regards,
Bunter
nothing else really looks like an Aztek either, that still doesn’t mean there is a spark.
Yeah, but people don’t go out of their way to rave about the Aztek’s design. They do for the XLR/V.
Not dull; dramatic in a mature way. In the context of the modern car market, the entire Cadillac Art & Science theme is inspired and I doubt the brand’s rebound from circa 1999 would have been possible without it. XLR-V is often referred to as the best-resolved iteration of A&S and I agree with that.
Phil
The XLR has all the grace and style of the box that the Corvette came in.
At that is the problem, there is NO style to a box on wheels!
When you have a really good look at the XLR you can see that the problem for GM was trying to wrap luxury styling ques around the low slung platform of the Corvette. It did not work out very well. What Cadillac ended up with was a “door stop” with a plastic grill attached to the front. To make matter worse it appears that Cadillac was content to include an interior that didn’t even “look” as well conceived as that in the 1980s Allante in its day.
The XLR looks like a $40,000 car not something that would cost you a good $75,000.
In the future if GM/ Cadillac are going to make cliams about competing with the SL they should understand that the customers do expect them to mean it!
Am I the only one that thinks the XLR looks better than the current SL?
The problem with the current R230 SL is that it doesn’t look as good as the R129. The R230 looks bloated, like someone crashed an CLK in both ends and then sat on it. The R129 looks like it was carved out of solid titanium. I can’t for my life understand why someone buys a new SL on looks and style alone. It doesn’t even have a style. Sorry, it doesn’t do it for me… It has to be that the cachet of an SL is stronger than the car itself. And that talks something about solid improvement. People buy the car because they know what they’ll get. The XLR at least looks distinct. It’s not the look that bothers me…
The XLR was only bought by young drug dealers in my neck of the woods. Who would pay over $100K CAD for this garbage.
The XLR was only bought by young drug dealers in my neck of the woods. Who would pay over $100K CAD for this garbage.
Me. 54, MWM, educated business professional. Sounds like you might not have driven one. I cross-shopped everything in the category and XLR-V won on the merits. $100K US. Where I live, the drug dealers buy AMGs….
Phil
The XLR has all the grace and style of the box that the Corvette came in.
At that is the problem, there is NO style to a box on wheels!
A highly subjective comment. You see what you see, but the XLR bears no resemblance to a box. It uses a design aesthetic that features creases over curves. To those who appreciate it, it looks sensational, ultra-modern and distinctive.
When you have a really good look at the XLR you can see that the problem for GM was trying to wrap luxury styling queues around the low slung platform of the Corvette. It did not work out very well. What Cadillac ended up with was a “door stop” with a plastic grill attached to the front. To make matter worse it appears that Cadillac was content to include an interior that didn’t even “look” as well conceived as that in the 1980s Allante in its day.
The SL isn’t low-slung? I far prefer the short overhangs and stout angularity of the XLR over the 90s squished curviness of the SL, for example, and its 90s Camaro-like overhangs. My grill is metal.
The XLR looks like a $40,000 car not something that would cost you a good $75,000.
I have yet to see a $40,000 car that has anything remotely close to XLR’s emotional projection and distinctiveness. More should.
In the future if GM/ Cadillac are going to make claims about competing with the SL they should understand that the customers do expect them to mean it!
This is a very low volume category. Mercedes sells around 5000 SLs annually, +/- in the US. If in a seriously deflated market Cadillac sells a thousand, that’s not bad for a segment in which the defining leader has had an entrenched model continuously offered for over 40 years. Every XLR owner I know actively *prefers* the XLR/XLR-V over comparable SLs or the Lexus SC. The XLR is a true alternative. It offers the segment a lighter, more sporting variant on the retracting hardtop dual seat GT than the bloated SL or the marshmallow Lexus.
Cadillac’s effort on this car as a first-gen elbow into the segment was serious. The product communicated they meant to be taken seriously. “Meaning it” means persisting through at least three generations of such a car to find your footing and grow from there. It takes years for a newcomer to credibly establish a model as radical as the XLR in such an intrinsically conservative market. The car is a great start. The failure here is not in the car itself — it won thousands of customers in a market of merely thousands. The failure is in the corporation’s lack of persistence to see the task through. It’s not a one-model-generation task. I’ll be unhappy to see the car canceled, but glad GM conceived and made such a distinctive, pleasurable vehicle.
Phil