Cadillac XLR & XLR-V

The XLR is a luxury roadster sold by the Cadillac division of General Motors and is assembled in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It is based on the same Y-body platform as the Chevrole Corvette. The XLR uses the Cadillac Northstar engine rather than the GM LS2 engine found in the Corvette. The XLR also has its own unique styling, interior, and suspension, and has a power-retractable aluminum hardtop. The engine is Cadillac's 4.6 L Northstar tuned for 320 hp, mated as of the 2007 model year to a 6-speed automatic transmission.
Cadillac introduced the XLR at the 2003 Detroit Motor Show, and it entered production in the 2004 model year. Prior to production the XLR appeared as the Evoq in auto shows. It has a base price of $76,650 USD. Sales have been below expectations. Rather than reaching 6,000 per year, Cadillac had sold just 4,745 in 18 months as of March 2005. According to Cadillac, 3,730 were sold in the United States in all of 2005.
Designed for both performance and luxury, the XLR comes with heated and cooled leather seats, wood interior trim, 18 inch alloy wheels, and side airbags. Navigation, audio, and DVD are all displayed via a 7-inch dashboard screen, and Remote Keyless Access is included. All of these features are standard.
The XLR is the second roadster offered by Cadillac in recent years. The first was the Cadillac Allanté, produced from 1987 to 1993.
The XLR was nominated for the North American Car of the Year award for 2004.
Competitors include the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class, Lexus SC, BMW 6 Series, Jaguar XK and Maserati Spyder.

Cadillac gave the public its first glimpse of the supercharged XLR-V in its Super Bowl commercial, which aired February 6, 2005. Super Bowl MVP, Deion Branch was also awarded an XLR.
The XLR-V uses the same supercharged Northstar V8 as the STS-V, though output is down somewhat. For the XLR-V, the engine is certified by the SAE to produce 443 hp (330 kW) and 414 ft·lbf (561 N·m). The supercharger and four intercoolers are built into the intake manifold. A six-speed automatic transmission, larger brakes from the Z51 Corvette, and 19-inch wheels will also be used.
The XLR-V can accelerate to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds according to Car and Driver's tests. The

magazine also timed it at 11.3 seconds to 100 mph and recorded a 13.0 second quarter mile at 110 mph (177 km/h). Its top speed is limited to 155 mph (249 km/h)
The XLR-V was introduced in the United States in early 2006.