Cadillac XLR-V – Thom Blackett’s Opinion:
No, 443-horsepower luxury convertibles aren’t entirely necessary, but hot damn they’re fun. Unlike the STS-V sedan, the 2006 Cadillac XLR-V wraps itself around paved curves like a second skin, the steering offering extreme responsiveness and plenty of road feel, and equipped with a firm suspension setup that seems wholly unfamiliar with the concepts of body roll and understeer. Indeed, the only way to get the XLR-V to slide loose is to turn off the traction control, and even then the wayward tail is afforded a hair’s width of extra latitude – appreciated for runs alongside mountain cliffs, but not so much when trying to roast the Pirelli Eufori 19s in a controlled drift.

Exemplary handler though it may have been, our XLR-V test car was not free of faults. The brakes proved effective and reliable after plenty of aggressive driving, but they felt soft compared to the STS-V and required a bit more pedal travel. And, like the STS-V, we had an overheating problem while running this supercharged Caddy through the mountains east of San Diego. Were it my $100,000 that just bought this performance luxury convertible, I’d be boiling over right along with my radiator. Also shared with the STS-V was the XLR-V’s automatic transmission with a sport mode and delayed shift points, and overwhelming supercharger whine. The XLR-V’s exhaust has been tuned to open wide for a throaty sound when driven hard, though it’s hard to enjoy without enough road for high speeds and elevated rpms. That’s with the top down – close things up tight and you can add interior rattles and faint wind noise into the mix.

Though perfection is out of the Cadillac XLR-V’s reach, there are a few more positive points worthy of mention. Drivers are treated to a heads-up display like that used in the Chevrolet Corvette, providing information on speed, gear (if in manual mode), and radio settings without having to take your eyes off of the road. Cowl shake is almost entirely obliterated thanks to the stiff body structure and retractable hard top, and visibility is surprisingly good thanks to narrow C-pillars and small but useful side mirrors.

Cadillac XLR-V – Brian Chee’s Opinion:
I once said that the Cadillac XLR is the ultimate gold-chain car. And, so, the V-Series version is the same – it’s just got a bigger medallion – or maybe that’s a smaller medallion. I also wondered about the point of it all when this vehicle was debuted at the 2005 New York Auto Show. Frankly, I still do. For around $25,000 more than the regular Cadillac XLR, you get one initial, one second – and all the same lousy fit-and-finish. That’s it – about one second separates the XLR and the XLR-V in 0-60 times, according to published reports. Sure, one second can be a big deal, but the importance fades when you’re going from under six seconds to under five seconds. Heck, if you’re over-compensating that much, move back in with Mommy. She’ll understand why you had to shell out so much cash for what amounts to a supercharged car with big brakes and big wheels – one that’s based on perhaps the best sporting deal around yet somehow takes the donor Corvette’s amazing balance of power, sport and value and turns it into a sucker punch.

And it even overheats.
We thought it was just us, but with a little digging we found a Technical Service Bulletin regarding this problem, courtesy of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – so buyers beware.

In case you still care about the driving experience, it’s fun, real fun – for $75,000 – thanks to that God Almighty power, those big wheels and some nice brakes. Straight ahead and on corners, the XLR-V delivers a sporting ride with such a deep well of power, that, well, you can’t help dipping in time and again. You’ll also look good driving around in the XLR-V, and the oh-so-soft leather interior is like wearing a silk shirt. There’s a fair amount of room inside, the top works well up or down, and is quite amusing to watch what with all the arms and levers flying hither and dither.

Like that silk shirt, at the right time – meaning when it’s not overheating – the XLR-V can be fun to put through the paces, all those horsepower under all that gorgeous sheet metal. Really, it’s a beautiful symbol of conspicuous consumption during our consumption-challenged times – just try to keep your friends from looking too closely at the wide gaps and ill-fitting body parts, such as the hood (yikes), light clusters and fascias.

Overall, the Cadillac XLR-V is fast, fun to look at and fun to drive, proving that there’s something good to said about old man bling – though the less the better. Want our advice? Buy the Corvette, look smart, save some dollars and buy your Mom some flowers.

Cadillac XLR-V – Christian Wardlaw’s Opinion:
Oh, Cadillac, you had me until the trip up Palomar Mountain near San Diego. There I learned that the XLR-V’s transmission doesn’t respond fast enough to upshifts, letting the engine redline. There I discovered that the baffled exhaust system – which first blows and then blats – grates on the driver’s nerves. There I realized that the Pirelli Eufori run-flat tires can’t absorb bumps and get greasy at speed. There I found out that the braking system doesn’t possess that meaty, unflappable, easily finessed feel of competing German machinery. More than any of these things, however, it was there that I confirmed that the Cadillac XLR has a tendency to overheat.

This is the second Cadillac XLR we’ve had that has overheated during hard driving in the mountains when temperatures are between 90 and 100 degrees. On the afternoon we tackled Palomar Mountain Road, according to the XLR-V’s display, the temperature was in the low 90s. I had finally given up on getting the XLR-V’s machinery to collaborate enough to produce an epiphany remotely close to what one experiences in a BMW when I glanced down at the gauge cluster and saw the frantic warning scrolling about imminent overheating across the message center. Off to the side of the highway, hood raised, steam rising, fluid leaking, I decided that anyone who spent $100,000 on a high-performance roadster allegedly designed to take on the best from Europe would be infuriated rather than mildly peeved. I was mildly peeved, but then I hadn’t just spent the hundred grand, it wasn’t my car, and I had a colleague driving a comfortable, air-conditioned CTS-V in which I could wait for help. By the way, the STS-V was nowhere in sight when this happened. It, too, had begun to melt down, and was idling on the shoulder further down the mountain, waiting for the temperature gauge to return to normal.

It’s too bad, really, because the Cadillac XLR-V is a stunning automobile. People of every age and gender took notice of our Infrared test sample, no matter where I drove it. As a cruiser, the XLR-V excels, with a compliant yet communicative ride quality, comfortable seats, and the convenience of a weatherproofed interior thanks to the retractable hardtop. There were fit-and-finish issues with our XLR-V, and some of the materials didn’t match the expectation of a six-figure sticker price, but the Bulgari-designed gauges are gorgeous, and the striking car looks like nothing else on the road whether the top is up or down.

For the select few who value style completely and substance not at all, the Cadillac XLR-V is worth a long, close look.