2004 Cadillac XLR - A Future Collectable?
Remember the Pininfarina designed, Italian built Cadillac Allanté? Why didn't it succeed? Maybe it was because it inconveniently sat only two people. But wait a minute. Two seat roadsters had already started to make a comeback during the 1987 to 1993 roadster's tenure, that couldn't be the reason. It was beautifully styled, so that can't be the reason either. The first cause of failure was the Allanté's inability to ignite passion in traditional roadster enthusiasts, mostly due to a lethargic 200-hp V8 driven through the front wheels - very unsporting. Next it plagued owners with poor build quality. Finally, its reliability was suspect, including ABS brake problems, electrical system gremlins and a manually operated cloth convertible top that experienced inherent glitches. The second, and last, generation car was much improved with a 295-hp Northstar V8 and restyled interior, but unfortunately this was too little too late.
GM will want to make sure that its next generation Cadillac roadster hits the mark more decisively. By all accounts, initial specifications show that it's on target. First of all it shares its platform and much of its underpinnings with the next generation Corvette including the legendary sports car's control-arm, transverse-leaf-spring suspension and Magnetic Ride Control shock absorbers - albeit tuned to suit the refined Cadillac image. Still, this bodes well for the XLR's handling prowess. The wheelbase will be minimally longer, about 25 mm (1.0 in). Also, front wheel travel will be lengthened by 10.2 mm (0.4 in) while the rear gets 20.3 mm (0.8 in) more.