Cadillac XLR

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Cadillac
Cadillac XLR (2003-2008)
Cadillac XLR (2003-2008)
XLR
Production period: 2003-2009
Class : Upper class
Body versions : Cabriolet
Engines:
Petrol engines : 4.4-4.6 liters
(240-330 kW)
Length: 4513 mm
Width: 1837 mm
Height: 1279 mm
Wheelbase : 2686 mm
Empty weight : 1656-1728 kg
Previous model Cadillac Allante

The Cadillac XLR (internal model designation: GMX215) is a roadster of the US car brand Cadillac built from the beginning of 2003 to the spring of 2009 .

With the XLR, General Motors followed the trend of the folding steel roof convertible after the structurally similar Mercedes-Benz SL-Class (R 230) had successfully launched in the United States .

Model history

The design of the production model is based on the Evoq study from 1999. According to marketing director Schryse Crawford-Williamse, it should be the top model (“halo car”) for the Cadillac brand.

The vehicle was formally presented at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in 2002 and in series production from spring 2003. The vehicle was shown in a promotional clip called "Break through" in 2002 when the Super Bowl XXXVI was broadcast .

The XLR was officially offered in Germany by certain dealers and around 100 copies were sold.

The Y platform used is an intermediate step between the Corvette C5 and Corvette C6 . In the meantime, however, consideration was given to using the Sigma platform for the vehicle , on which the Cadillac CTS (GMX320) is also based.

The starting price in Austria in 2005 was 109 950 euros and was thus by far the most expensive model in the Cadillac model range. The only extra was the metallic paintwork.

The sub-model XLR-V was formally shown for the first time at the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) in 2005.

  • Front view of Cadillac XLR-V (2005-2008)

  • Rear view of the Cadillac XLR-V (2005–2008) with four central tailpipes and an open steel hood

A facelift was carried out on the vehicle in autumn 2008 .

Production of the XLR at GM's Bowling Green facility in the US state of Kentucky ended in spring 2009.

Production numbers

In 2004 4397 pieces were built and in 2005 there were 4190 pieces.

Technology and equipment

A special feature is the standard keyless-go radio key designed by the designer Bulgari , which enables the vehicle to be started using the keyless system in conjunction with the start pushbutton and the dashboard with real wood applications made of eucalyptus wood ( ebony for the XLR-V). The XLR is also equipped with a head-up display that projects information on speed, route and navigation onto the windshield. The other standard equipment included u. a. DVD navigation and entertainment system with touchscreen display, Bose sound system with 9 speakers, distance radar , cooled cup holder, PDC (parking aid) and air-conditioned / ventilated seats. The air conditioning system is conditioned by a fan that blows air over a thermoelectric ceramic disk to reduce or increase the air temperature in the vehicle by 15 degrees within one minute, which was considered to be particularly effective.

The XLR also has the adaptive damping system Magnetic-Selective-Ride-Control as standard . The doors without door handles are also unconventional - they can be opened electronically by a pressure sensor.

Thanks to the use of various lightweight materials - including the electro-hydraulic folding roof construction made of a magnesium alloy - the weight is around 1.6 tons. The passenger cell was built as a sandwich with specially prepared balsa wood - based on the technology used by NASA to absorb the impact energy of space probes.

The roof system was developed by Cadillac together with Car Top Systems, known as Magna Car Top Systems since late 2005 .

The luggage compartment volume is 125 liters with the roof open and 329 liters with the roof closed.

drive

The XLR was equipped with the Northstar engine with the engine code LH2, a V8 engine made of light metal with a displacement of 4.6 l and four overhead camshafts with camshaft adjustment (VVT), which up until the point in time when the V8 engine was connected to the Engine identification LTA was available, (as of 2018) was the highest level of technical development of all General Motors V8 engines ever designed . At the same time, the LH2 version marked the end point of the production of the Northstar engines, as these were discontinued in June 2010 due to the expensive development and manufacture and from then on they switched to the easier-to-manufacture engines from the LS series with hanging valves .

Thanks to the transaxle construction , a weight distribution of 50:50 was achieved (similar to the Corvette C6 ), which should lead to a more sporty, neutral driving behavior.

From the start of delivery in 2003 until the end of the 2006 model year, the XLR was produced with the Hydramatic 5L50-E five-speed automatic transmission ; from 2007 model year, the power was transferred via the Hydramatic 6L50 six-speed automatic transmission.

The XLR-V received a 4.4-liter V8 engine with supercharging and a maximum output of 330 kW (443 hp). Initially, in a press release dated March 23, 2005, GM assumed that the engine could deliver a maximum torque of 576 Nm; after SAE certification, a press release dated August 1, 2006 stated it to be 561 Nm. The transmission used is the six-speed automatic transmission named Hydramatic 6L80.

Facelift

Cadillac XLR-V (2008-2009)

In autumn 2008, the XLR was mainly optically revised. On the outside, the new front and rear bumpers, the modified radiator grille as well as the air inlets in the fenders and the more strongly contoured bonnet stand out. The newly designed 18-inch alloy wheels are optionally chrome-plated and adaptive headlights are designed to ensure greater safety. In the interior, more leather, Alcantara on the headliner and cruise control are used.

The standard OnStar 8.0 system has a Bluetooth interface as well as voice recognition and enables the driver to find out about the traffic situation at a service center using GPS.

Technical specifications

Engines XLR XLR-V
market United States Europe
Model year 2004-2006 2007-2009
Motor type Gasoline engine
Engine type V8
Engine charging - compressor
Displacement 4565 cc 4371 cc
Max. power 239 kW (320 hp) 240 kW (326 hp)
at 6450 rpm 		330 kW (449 hp)
at 6400 rpm
Max. Torque 420 Nm 423 Nm
at 4400 rpm 		561 Nm
at 3900 rpm
transmission 5-speed automatic transmission 6-speed automatic transmission 5-speed automatic transmission 6-speed automatic transmission
drive Rear wheel drive
Acceleration, 0-100 km / h k. A. 5.9 s 4.7 s
Top speed k. A. 250 km / h (2)
Combined fuel consumption in
accordance with the EEC directive 		k. A. 12.5 l / 100 km super 14.9 l / 100 km super
Emission standard according to
EU classification 		k. A. Euro 4
(1) regulated

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Donald Friedman: Re: Petition DP14-001, Supplement # 2 . Xprts, LLC, Santa Barbara, CA August 15, 2014, p. 1 (English, autosafety.org [PDF; 175 kB ; accessed on May 5, 2020]).
  2. ^ A b Anthony Young: The Cadillac Northstar V-8: A History . McFarland, 2017, ISBN 978-0-7864-7118-8 , Chapter 4: The Supercharged Northstar V-8, STS-V, XLR-V, pp. 103-108 (English, preview in Google Book Search [accessed May 5, 2020]).
  3. ↑ Jim Mateja: XLR a ritzy roadster - and no Corvette - Chicago Tribune. In: chicagotribune.com. September 7, 2003, Retrieved May 5, 2020 (American English).
  4. ↑ CanadianDriver: 2002 Detroit auto show - Cadillac XLR: New Roadster uses Corvette chassis, Cadillac Northstar engine. In: autos.ca. January 7, 2002, accessed August 17, 2018 .
  5. ↑ 2004 Cadillac XLR - Set To Become An Icon For Cadillac's New Era. In: autointell.com. March 17, 2003, accessed August 17, 2018 .
  6. ↑ Julie Cantwell / Laura Clark Geist: Cadillac launches 'Break through'. In: autonews.com. January 28, 2002, accessed May 5, 2020 . gdwriter: Cadillac Breakthrough Commercial on YouTube , January 7, 2007, accessed May 5, 2020 (video).
  7. ↑ Cadillac XLR. In: autozine.org. June 25, 2003, accessed on August 17, 2018 (English, website since 1997): “… Cadillac XLR uses a chassis derived from the Corvette - halfway between the current C5 and the next generation C6 which is currently under development. ... "
  8. ^ Frank Oleski, Hartmut Lehbrink: Hundred years of sports cars . Gericke Holding, 2004, ISBN 978-3-938118-00-9 , p. 460 ( preview in Google Book Search [accessed May 5, 2020]).
  9. ↑ Jack Keebler: 2004 Cadillac XLR. In: motortrend.com. December 6, 2002, accessed May 5, 2020 .
  10. ↑ Johannes Böhm: Cadillac XLR. (No longer available online.) In: autoaktuell.at. May 21, 2005, archived from the original on March 4, 2016 ; accessed on May 5, 2020 .
  11. ↑ Cadillac XLR-V. In: caranddriver.com. Retrieved April 1, 2005, May 5, 2020 (American English).
  12. ↑ a b Carsten Rose: Cadillac XLR: Sporty accents for 2009. (No longer available online.) In: auto-motor-und-sport.de. June 11, 2008, archived from the original on August 17, 2018 ; accessed on August 17, 2018 .
  13. ↑ Colin Mathews: Roadster Redux: GM Kills Cadillac XLR. In: thecarconnection.com. January 27, 2009, archived from the original on August 17, 2018 ; accessed on August 17, 2018 (English).
  14. ↑ The Cadillac XLR. In: auto.howstuffworks.com. HowStuffWorks, p. 7 , accessed on May 5, 2020 (English, year definition imprecise, both model year and calendar year).
  15. ↑ The Bose® sound system for the Cadillac XLR. (PDF; 466 kB) (No longer available online.) In: bose.de. Archived from the original on April 11, 2011 ; accessed on May 5, 2020 .
  16. ↑ Cadillac XLR - Review. In: autosieger.de. April 28, 2003. Retrieved August 17, 2018 .
  17. ↑ The Cadillac XLR. In: auto.howstuffworks.com. HowStuffWorks, p. 6 , accessed May 5, 2020 .
  18. ↑ 2006 CADILLAC XLR. (PDF; 3.1 MB) (No longer available online.) In: american-automobile.com. GM, 2005, archived from the original on December 12, 2014 ; Retrieved May 5, 2020 (English, catalog ID: 121-06-B-034E).
  19. ↑ Auto Speed - Anatomy of an engine - the New Northstar V8. In: autospeed.com. October 22, 2002, accessed August 17, 2018 .
  20. ↑ Cadillac 4.2L V8 Twin Turbo LTA Engine Info, Specs, Wiki - GM Authority. In: gmauthority.com. Retrieved August 17, 2018 .
  21. ↑ March 17, 2003: 2004 Cadillac XLR Specifications. In: xlr-net.com. March 17, 2003, accessed May 5, 2020 .
  22. ↑ Caesar Alvarez: 2007 Cadillac XLR. In: topspeed.com. November 14, 2006, accessed May 5, 2020 .
  23. ↑ March 23, 2005: 2006 Cadillac XLR-V: Ultra-Luxury, Under-5 Performance. In: xlr-net.com. March 23, 2005, accessed May 5, 2020 .
  24. ↑ August 1, 2006: V Series: Cadillac Performance and Luxury Taken to the Fullest Extent. In: xlr-net.com. August 1, 2006, accessed May 5, 2020 .
  25. ↑ Brett Anderson: Car of the Year: No. 13: Cadillac XLR-V. In: robbreport.com. Robb Report Media, February 1, 2007, accessed May 5, 2020 .
  26. ↑ Maximilian Müller: Cadillac: 2009 version of the luxury Roadster XLR is rolling. In: de.motor1.com. June 9, 2008, accessed on May 5, 2020 (original URL: http://auto-news.de/auto/news/meldung_Cadillac-2009er-Version-des-Luxus-Roadster-XLR-rollt-an_id_21808 ).

Web links

Commons : Cadillac XLR  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files
Timeline of Cadillac models from 1980 to present
Type 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
0 1 2 3 4th 5 6th 7th 8th 9 0 1 2 3 4th 5 6th 7th 8th 9 0 1 2 3 4th 5 6th 7th 8th 9 0 1 2 3 4th 5 6th 7th 8th 9 0
Middle class Cimarron BLS ATS CT4
upper middle class Catera CTS CTS CTS CT5
Seville Seville Seville Seville STS XTS
Upper class DeVille DeVille DeVille DeVille DTS
Fleetwood Fleetwood Fleetwood CT6
Brougham
Personal Luxury Eldorado Eldorado Eldorado
Crossover SUV Lyriq
XT4
SRX SRX XT5
XT6
SUV Escalade Escalade Escalade Escalade
Roadster Allante XLR