First launching at the 2003 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the XLR two-passenger roadster boldly took Cadillac in a new direction of motoring style. Based upon the 1999 Cadillac Evoq concept car, the XLR blended a Corvette platform, a Northstar motor, and modern technology into a convertible package that was both sexy on the outside and luxurious on the inside.
The Pick of the Day is a 2006 Cadillac XLR roadster listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Click the link to view the listing)
The listing begins, “I purchased this vehicle in March of 2024 from the original owner who maintained the car immaculately. Since March, I have purchased new Michelin Pilot 4S tires, tinted the windows, professionally ceramic-coated the exterior, and had the engine tuned up.”
One of the print ads for the XLR said, “Stealth fighter-inspired, but sadly visible to police radar.” Indeed, the styling was athletic, sleek, and angular. The car came standard with a power-retractable hardtop and boasted some forward-thinking innovations for its time – among them were an available touchscreen navigation system, voice commands, HID headlights, and adaptive cruise control.
The XLR leveraged the same General Motors Y-body platform as the Chevrolet Corvette, and while some people thought of the car as a badge-engineered variant of the Corvette, it in fact debuted a year prior to the C6. On top of that, the Corvette and XLR powertrains were not shared. Today’s featured XLR has a Northstar 4.6-liter V8 mated to a six-speed automatic transmission; the combination was rated at 320 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. For those seeking a few extra ponies under the hood (and with a few extra dollars to spend), an XLR-“V” was available with supercharged power.
The seller adds, “Despite showing 43,000 original miles, this XLR will make an incredible addition to anyone’s car collection in the years to come. They are becoming timeless classics as the only other car built alongside Corvettes in GM’s Bowling Green facility.”
It is mesmerizing to watch the intricate hardtop mechanism of the XLR in action. Check out this 30-second television commercial entitled “Let It Shine.” It makes me want to have a top-down drive on the open road. If the ad speaks to you like it does to me, maybe you should contact the seller and pick up a new summer toy?
The asking price is $32,000.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, jet-set over to Pick of the Day.
