Simply twenty years in the past, you may wander in to your native Cadillac vendor and drive out in one of many cooler autos to ever grace God’s inexperienced earth: The Cadillac XLR, a C6 Corvette accomplished up with a hard-edged Artwork and Science physique and a very rubbish V8 engine. It had an influence hardtop, its trunk hinges have been extra complicated than a Michael Bay Transformer, its tail lights price eight million {dollars} to interchange, and it rocked. However, in response to Normal Motors president Mark Reuss, it was a flash within the pan — by no means to return.
Reuss spoke with CNBC final week, the 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 in regards to the XLR — and about rumors concerning its return on the C8 Corvette platform. Reuss’s response to the rumor mill? Nope, no means, uh-huh, not taking place. The Cadillac XLR is lifeless, and it will keep lifeless.
RIP XLR, one of the 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 automobile rides on a GM platform, why ought to the XLR be singled out as ineligible for a similar therapy? The corporate that makes the XT5 and the Escalade is now refusing to borrow something from Chevy, Buick, and GMC?
The attraction of the XLR wasn’t that it was a Corvette beneath, however that it wasn’t a Corvette up high. It was totally 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 will’ve been very, very cool.