I thought the same thing about that test - the numbers seemed too slow. 0-60 was about what I expected, but I thought the 1/4 mile would be closer to 13.0 or high 12s. The car is a couple hundred pounds heavier than the CTS-V, but supposedly has a 69 hp advantage. But that STS-V was SLOWER than the tests I've seen for the 400 hp CTS-V. I'm hoping subsequent tests will be quicker...

 

That retractable hardtop adds a lot of weight as does the Northstar.

 

There are a few things I don't like about the XLR-V.

one, it's a automatic only, as is the XLR. If I want a fast sporty looking car, I want a manual. This is the reason I'll never own a MB SL. If I was given one, I'd trade it in immediately.

THis brings up the second concern, the resale value. I have already seen a few CTS-Vs for sale around here for Under 40k. A bargain and a half. I have also seen a few XLRs go for under 50k. Pretty bad for a 75k car.

I think they should have taken it a little sportier. It reminds me of the Allante. Granted this is RWD but it should be just a little sportier.


Maybe if the aftermarket steps up and offers an upgrade package, maybe a manual trans, power adder (for the NA version) etc, then maybe it'd turn into a desirable car, but to me it just doesn't do it.

It seems like it is tryign to appeal to the rich old men who want sports car looks but caddy ride quality.

 

That doesn't surprise me at all. Last year I toured the Corvette plant also the home of the XLRs. The Corvette line crawled along at a snails pace, but the XLR line actually stops at the assembly stations. I think they said that it was the only GM assembly line that actually makes stops.

I would take the XLR-V over the MB mainly over the unique styling of the XLR, but for $100K they need to tune the Northstar to around 500hp.

 

geeeee, what gave it away?

i would never ever consider owning an XLR for 2 reasons.

1) i think it looks aweful. the lines are all over the place. the front end especially with it's "GM of old" panels and gaps. the new DTS and STS are a much better face for Caddy.

2) that retractable hard top makes the trunk swing the wrong way. if you notice, all of the retractable hardtops on the market have a mechanism where the trunk swings on the "outboard" hinge; in other words opposit of how you'd normally think of opening the trunk. this is for a good reason and GM would do well to redesign their operation ASAP. imagine it rained the night before, but the morning is beautiful and there's a warm breeze. perfect time to drop the top right? well not if you have an XLR... better make sure you wipe up ALL of the water on that trunk or the XLR is going to dump it on you like a bucket of Gatoraid when it swings inward. MORONIC desing decision.

 

Actually the trunk goes straight up to store the top. Also if you aren't storing the top you can open the trunk in a normal, rear opening toward front, manner.

 

We had a guy driving a regular XLR come into my dealer(BMW), I was actually pretty impressed with the material quality of the interior. That and the hardtop convertible was a step ahead of BMW's 6 series cloth top and at a lower price. The only thing I thought was kind of cheesy was the GM badge slapped on the fender. It looked like it came off one of their mid 80's seat buckles.

 

exactly. it acts like a psychotic dump truck. it dumps any/all debris/crud/fluids present on the trunk on the exposed interior. it's exactly the opposite of what you'd want and expect.

 

Are you sure about this? I mean, have you see or heard that this is the case or is it just an assumption you've made by looking at the standard operation/opening of it? I can't see any company being quite that dumb when it comes to engineering. Even GM.

 

I wonder what Genius decided to drop the displacement down on the blown Northstar? That extra .2L would give another 20hp. I've been thinking for years that the Northstar should be increased in displacement up to an even 5.0L. That would be good for ~500hp given the same hp/cid as the LC3.

And just how hard would it have been for the XLR-V to get the Z06's brake package? Sure, there are problems there, but I seriously doubt the XLR-V would be pushed to the limits as often as a Z06.

 

It was the genius that wanted it to stay in one peice. The extra block area adds strength. It is an aluminum block, remember.

 

I think the rear trunk cover does pitch forward after it raises up from the car, but I don't think any water drops would go into the interior of the car. Some might go into the top storage area, but I don't think it would go where you sit. An annoyance? Sure, but hopefully most owners would have the sense to realize it. Is it really that hard to drive the car for a 1/2 mile to blow water off before lowering the top? Plus, ANY convertible (hardtop or softtop) will be putting plenty of water into the top stowage area if you decide to put the top down while it is still all wet from a rainstorm. Not from the decklid, perhaps, but from the top itself.

As for dirt and debris on top being washed into the trunk by rainwater, again, the owner could have some sense. Plus, if you have just spent $75k+ on a roadster, you ought to have the damn thing in the garage, not sitting under a tree collecting leaves and twigs and bird crap.



Someone ought to find a video link of the top operation. I've seen the top operate in person a few times, but it was a long time ago, and I don't remember the exact motion.

Again, if it were to dump rainwater into the interior (as in where you sit), that would be lame (though again, easily avoided by simply driving the car briefly to blow the water off before pushing to top down button). But if it just would allow a little bit of water into the top stowage area (which is what I'm thinking is the case, but I'm definitely not certain), that would make it not much different than any other convertible driven after a fresh rain.

Either way, it strikes me as sort of a mountain out of a mole hill...

EDIT: Here is a video about the whole car from when it was first introduced. There is a brief section toward the end that shows the top going down, though it is sped up (not real time) for editing purposes, and isn't a direct profile shot. Looks like it would not dump a bunch of water into the interior of the car, but it is hard to tell for sure. Surely there is a quick video of just the top operation, or even a succession of still pictures showing it.

 

The interior is horrible for a 100K car. They need to redesign it.

 

Looks like the interior and occupants would stay dry. In fact, if the concern is what would happen if you wanted to LOWER the top with water on the decklid (i.e. after a fresh rain), the pictures make it clear that any water that ran forward from the decklid when it tips up would simply be caught by the rear glass. So it would definitely NOT go into the seating area/interior of the car, but you would get some water inside the trunk/top stowage area (as you would on about any hard or soft top convertible). The XLR might be a bit worse because you'd get water from the top itself, plus some from the decklid, but other than that it seems like it would be just like any other convertible.

As in any convertible, if it has just rained and you have standing water droplets/sheets on the roof/rear window, a quick drive down the road will blow it off before lowering the top.

 

I take it you havn't sat in one then or any other $100K car like a Ferrari.