Cadillac XLR-V takes a back seat to no one
2006 CADILLAC XLR-V
ON SALE: Now Base price: $100,000
POWERTRAIN: 4.4-liter, 443-hp, 425-lb-ft supercharged V8; rwd, six-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT: 3810 lbs 0 to 60 mph: 4.6 seconds
FUEL MILEAGE: 15/22 mpg (mfr.)
Cadillac's ambitions to play on the global luxury stage reach new heights with the XLR-V, on sale now. Consider: a 443-hp supercharged two-seater with retractable hardtop, a showcase for its makers technological acumen, priced at a nice round $100,000.
As a flagship sports car for a luxury marque, XLR-Vs closest analog is the Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG, the performance edition of a classic statement in automotive taste, refinement and engineering. Other competitors include the Jaguar XKR convertible, the Lexus SC 430 and the BMW 6 Series cabrio. Of that crowd, only the Mercedes and Cadillac are true two-seaters.
How does Cadillac fare in this company?
Amazingly well. We drove the XLR-V on a round trip from San Diego inland, over the mountains and through parkland to the desert resort town of Borrego Springs, and it proved far more than competent. It is alternately elegant, smooth and inspiring, delighting its driver in dozens of ways and disappointing in none. Well, unless you really cant get used to its styling, a brashly American statement that emerges from the intersection of an Eldorado, the F-111 Stealth Nighthawk fighter and Luke Skywalkers X-wing. Regardless, this is one heck of an automobile, and the most fun weve had in a Cadillac.
Last year, although its market segment shrank 17 percent, the XLR gained 7 percent in sales, so its share rose from 12 percent in 2004 to 14 percent in 2005. At the same time it topped the J.D. Power APEAL survey for the segment. Now comes the V version, with a powertrain that takes a back seat to no one.
The XLR shares architecture with the Chevrolet Corvette (GM refers to it as its performance car platform). The differentiation between performance variants (Z06 and XLR-V), though, is even more starkly defined than the distinction between base models.
In place of the Vettes 6.0-liter normally aspirated pushrod V8, the Cadillac mounts the 4.4-liter supercharged dohc Northstar SC, a sophisticated and refined engine it shares with the STS-V. Note the SC displaces 200 cc less than the Northstar VVT on which it is basedthe bore is a little smaller to keep the block strong enough for the 12 pounds of supercharger boost while maintaining the quiet character demanded in the luxury segment.
Neatly packaged into the vee of the engine block is a Roots-type blower with the biggest impeller in the business housed beneath the intake manifold. Indeed, the underside of the manifold is the top side of the supercharger housing, and the assembly incorporates its own intercoolers. More than half the components in a Northstar SCCadillacs first forced-induction enginediffer from the regular Northstar, starting with the sand-cast (rather than die-cast) block with cooling passages featuring 50 percent better flow rates.
This Northstar SC is a thorough reengineering of the powerplant with an eye not just on maximizing output (though 100 hp/liter is nothing to sneeze at), but also on matching or exceeding the noise, vibration and harshness standards set by the worlds best. Each of these engines is assembled by a single craftsman at a dedicated performance engine factory in Michigan before being shipped to Bowling Green, Kentucky, for installation in the cars.
The focus on refinement pays off with a high-performance edition that is notably quieter and smoother than the base car. At idle or in steady cruising, the engine is so silky you would conclude this is no performance car. Its actually quieter at 3600 rpm than the base XLR. Where is the vibration rumbling your innards? Wheres that coarse edge itching at your right foot?
Tromp hard on it, though, and a valve opens in the exhaust system to yield a serious growl that tells the driver he has just climbed onto the back of a tiger. The decibel level is just a little louder at redline than the stock cars, but with a more aggressive note that says, Pay attention now. The XLR-V will run 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds, says Cadillac, and turn a quarter-mile dash into a 13.0-second romp.
The engine mounts entirely behind the front axle and thrust reaches the rear wheels via an automatic transaxle mounted at the rear. GMs new six-speed unit executes nearly imperceptible shifts on its own or responds promptly in Driver Shift Control mode to quick taps of the lever.
Central as the powertrain is to the XLR-V, it isnt the whole story. The standard Magnetic Ride Control suspension is recalibrated to deliver firmer control at speed without sacrificing ride comfort, and goes into its own new stiff performance mode when the driver selects that transmission program.
Mechanically, there are a bigger and thicker front antiroll bar and a rear bar the base XLR lacks, stiffer control-arm bushings, upgraded steering and low-friction ball joints to improve steering feel.
The XLR-V mounts its own 10-spoke, 19-inch wheels all around, with 235/45 front and 255/40 rear Pirelli performance tires (vs. the standard all-weather Michelins in lesser XLRs). Overall there is 13 percent less body roll, the engineers metric for steering response improves 12 percent (heck, we cant measure it, but we can sure feel it), and it has all been validated at the Nrburgring. The V model needs extra coolers for engine oil, transmission oil and power steering fluid, and the bodywork has appropriate extra vents.
The XLR-V cabin boasts hand-stitched leather trim on the windshield header and all around the upper half of the cockpit for a warmer, more crafted appearance, with both aluminum accents and Zingana wood trim.
Adaptive Forward Lighting turns the headlights for improved night vision. Sensors assess speed and steering angle to determine how far and how quickly the lights turn, up to 15 degrees outboard and five degrees inboard.
Trimmings include the V-lines wire-mesh front grilles, a powerdome on the hood, and four polished stainless-steel exhaust tips.
Dont you get more power in the Z06 for less money? Yes, but you also get less refinement and fewer trimmings, not to mention the Cadillacs more expensive technologies. If you measure cars purely by numbers, the Z06 wins, but there are other measuring sticks.
Okay, you say, but the XLR-V also makes less power than the SL55 AMG. Performance, though, is nearly a dead heat. Tipping the scales at 3810 pounds, the Cadillac weighs 400 pounds less than the Mercedes. At 1.1 liter less displacement but only a 50-hp deficit, the Cadillac engine is actually the more efficient one. The Mercedes costs $25,000 more.
Styling and badge cachet might tilt the decision. Cadillac plans to build hundreds, not thousands of XLR-Vs for sale worldwide. Choose from Infra Red, Platinum or Raven (black) paint, though Cadillac is as willing as any maker in this segment to accommodate a customer who wants something special and doesnt much care about what it costs to get it.
To that customer, the cars $100,000 sticker is a bold assertion that Cadillac stands among the worlds best. Thats an assertion that our first drive suggests the XLR-V can support.
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source:http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060206/FREE/60127003/1004
2006 CADILLAC XLR-V
ON SALE: Now Base price: $100,000
POWERTRAIN: 4.4-liter, 443-hp, 425-lb-ft supercharged V8; rwd, six-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT: 3810 lbs 0 to 60 mph: 4.6 seconds
FUEL MILEAGE: 15/22 mpg (mfr.)
Cadillac's ambitions to play on the global luxury stage reach new heights with the XLR-V, on sale now. Consider: a 443-hp supercharged two-seater with retractable hardtop, a showcase for its makers technological acumen, priced at a nice round $100,000.
As a flagship sports car for a luxury marque, XLR-Vs closest analog is the Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG, the performance edition of a classic statement in automotive taste, refinement and engineering. Other competitors include the Jaguar XKR convertible, the Lexus SC 430 and the BMW 6 Series cabrio. Of that crowd, only the Mercedes and Cadillac are true two-seaters.
How does Cadillac fare in this company?
Amazingly well. We drove the XLR-V on a round trip from San Diego inland, over the mountains and through parkland to the desert resort town of Borrego Springs, and it proved far more than competent. It is alternately elegant, smooth and inspiring, delighting its driver in dozens of ways and disappointing in none. Well, unless you really cant get used to its styling, a brashly American statement that emerges from the intersection of an Eldorado, the F-111 Stealth Nighthawk fighter and Luke Skywalkers X-wing. Regardless, this is one heck of an automobile, and the most fun weve had in a Cadillac.
Last year, although its market segment shrank 17 percent, the XLR gained 7 percent in sales, so its share rose from 12 percent in 2004 to 14 percent in 2005. At the same time it topped the J.D. Power APEAL survey for the segment. Now comes the V version, with a powertrain that takes a back seat to no one.
The XLR shares architecture with the Chevrolet Corvette (GM refers to it as its performance car platform). The differentiation between performance variants (Z06 and XLR-V), though, is even more starkly defined than the distinction between base models.
In place of the Vettes 6.0-liter normally aspirated pushrod V8, the Cadillac mounts the 4.4-liter supercharged dohc Northstar SC, a sophisticated and refined engine it shares with the STS-V. Note the SC displaces 200 cc less than the Northstar VVT on which it is basedthe bore is a little smaller to keep the block strong enough for the 12 pounds of supercharger boost while maintaining the quiet character demanded in the luxury segment.
Neatly packaged into the vee of the engine block is a Roots-type blower with the biggest impeller in the business housed beneath the intake manifold. Indeed, the underside of the manifold is the top side of the supercharger housing, and the assembly incorporates its own intercoolers. More than half the components in a Northstar SCCadillacs first forced-induction enginediffer from the regular Northstar, starting with the sand-cast (rather than die-cast) block with cooling passages featuring 50 percent better flow rates.
This Northstar SC is a thorough reengineering of the powerplant with an eye not just on maximizing output (though 100 hp/liter is nothing to sneeze at), but also on matching or exceeding the noise, vibration and harshness standards set by the worlds best. Each of these engines is assembled by a single craftsman at a dedicated performance engine factory in Michigan before being shipped to Bowling Green, Kentucky, for installation in the cars.
The focus on refinement pays off with a high-performance edition that is notably quieter and smoother than the base car. At idle or in steady cruising, the engine is so silky you would conclude this is no performance car. Its actually quieter at 3600 rpm than the base XLR. Where is the vibration rumbling your innards? Wheres that coarse edge itching at your right foot?
Tromp hard on it, though, and a valve opens in the exhaust system to yield a serious growl that tells the driver he has just climbed onto the back of a tiger. The decibel level is just a little louder at redline than the stock cars, but with a more aggressive note that says, Pay attention now. The XLR-V will run 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds, says Cadillac, and turn a quarter-mile dash into a 13.0-second romp.
The engine mounts entirely behind the front axle and thrust reaches the rear wheels via an automatic transaxle mounted at the rear. GMs new six-speed unit executes nearly imperceptible shifts on its own or responds promptly in Driver Shift Control mode to quick taps of the lever.
Central as the powertrain is to the XLR-V, it isnt the whole story. The standard Magnetic Ride Control suspension is recalibrated to deliver firmer control at speed without sacrificing ride comfort, and goes into its own new stiff performance mode when the driver selects that transmission program.
Mechanically, there are a bigger and thicker front antiroll bar and a rear bar the base XLR lacks, stiffer control-arm bushings, upgraded steering and low-friction ball joints to improve steering feel.
The XLR-V mounts its own 10-spoke, 19-inch wheels all around, with 235/45 front and 255/40 rear Pirelli performance tires (vs. the standard all-weather Michelins in lesser XLRs). Overall there is 13 percent less body roll, the engineers metric for steering response improves 12 percent (heck, we cant measure it, but we can sure feel it), and it has all been validated at the Nrburgring. The V model needs extra coolers for engine oil, transmission oil and power steering fluid, and the bodywork has appropriate extra vents.
The XLR-V cabin boasts hand-stitched leather trim on the windshield header and all around the upper half of the cockpit for a warmer, more crafted appearance, with both aluminum accents and Zingana wood trim.
Adaptive Forward Lighting turns the headlights for improved night vision. Sensors assess speed and steering angle to determine how far and how quickly the lights turn, up to 15 degrees outboard and five degrees inboard.
Trimmings include the V-lines wire-mesh front grilles, a powerdome on the hood, and four polished stainless-steel exhaust tips.
Dont you get more power in the Z06 for less money? Yes, but you also get less refinement and fewer trimmings, not to mention the Cadillacs more expensive technologies. If you measure cars purely by numbers, the Z06 wins, but there are other measuring sticks.
Okay, you say, but the XLR-V also makes less power than the SL55 AMG. Performance, though, is nearly a dead heat. Tipping the scales at 3810 pounds, the Cadillac weighs 400 pounds less than the Mercedes. At 1.1 liter less displacement but only a 50-hp deficit, the Cadillac engine is actually the more efficient one. The Mercedes costs $25,000 more.
Styling and badge cachet might tilt the decision. Cadillac plans to build hundreds, not thousands of XLR-Vs for sale worldwide. Choose from Infra Red, Platinum or Raven (black) paint, though Cadillac is as willing as any maker in this segment to accommodate a customer who wants something special and doesnt much care about what it costs to get it.
To that customer, the cars $100,000 sticker is a bold assertion that Cadillac stands among the worlds best. Thats an assertion that our first drive suggests the XLR-V can support.
<!---------------------------- Related Stories ---------------------------->
source:http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060206/FREE/60127003/1004
