Simply twenty years in the past, you would wander in to your native Cadillac supplier and drive out in one of many cooler autos to ever grace God’s inexperienced earth: The Cadillac XLRa C6 Corvette achieved up with a hard-edged Artwork and Science physique and a really rubbish V8 engine. It had an influence hardtop, its trunk hinges have been extra complicated than a Michael Bay Transformer, its tail lights value eight million {dollars} to interchange, and it rocked. However, in accordance with Normal Motors president Mark Reuss, it was a flash within the pan — by no means to return.
Reuss spoke with CNBC final weekthe place he laid out a few of GM’s plans for Cadillac. Within the interview, nestled amongst all of the dialogue of EVs and ultra-exclusive luxurious vehicles, was a quick bit concerning the XLR — and about rumors relating to its return on the C8 Corvette platform. Reuss’s response to the rumor mill? Nope, no means, uh-huh, not occurring. The Cadillac XLR is useless, and it will keep useless.
RIP XLR, the very best automotive ever named after an audio cable
Reuss’s reasoning for not bringing again the XLR is easy: It is not unique sufficient. He claimed that the unique automotive was “developed as a secondary automotive to the Corvette” — regardless of the XLR technically launching first of the 2 vehicles. But, when each current Cadillac car rides on a GM platform, why ought to the XLR be singled out as ineligible for a similar remedy? The corporate that makes the XT5 and the Escalade is now refusing to borrow something from Chevy, Buick, and GMC?
The enchantment of the XLR wasn’t that it was a Corvette beneath, however that it wasn’t a Corvette up prime. It was completely different, it was smooth and trendy with a degree of complexity matched solely by German sports activities vehicles — and a degree of reliability nearer to the Italians. The XLR was cooler than its Corvette roots, it elevated the platform. It is good that Cadillac desires to set a excessive bar, to eschew the parts-bin development that has let down prior vehicles, nevertheless it’s only a disgrace that such aspirations come at the price of a mid-engined XLR. It could’ve been very, very cool.
