Talk of the Town

Technological bells and whistles come standard on the Cadillac XLR roadster.

MY PARENTS HATE IT when I call them from a car.

They don’t like my talking on the cell phone while I’m driving. Considering what I do for a living, I’m driving most of the time. So I call them anyhow. A recent call was particularly fun.

Me: “Hi, Dad. How are you?”

My father: “Are you driving right now?”

Me: “Well, sort of. No, not really. I’m pretty much just watching the car drive itself.”

My ride is a 2006 Cadillac XLR roadster, a luxury performance two-seat convertible equipped with enough electronic innovations to take over the driving experience. Luxury cars typically offer several of these high-tech options for an added price. In the XLR they’re standard. Which means for $76,480 you get a two-seat convertible that comes just one way—fully equipped with all the bells and whistles. Included are Magnetic Ride Control (an electronically controlled suspension system), a touch-screen navigation system with voice commands, rear obstacle detection, keyless access with pushbutton start, a HUD (heads-up display) and adaptive cruise control, among others.

I’m cruising Interstate 5 from San Diego to Laguna Woods without touching the brakes or accelerator. My adaptive cruise is set at 70 miles per hour and seven car lengths. I know this because the HUD is projecting a digital readout on the windshield, just to the left of my line of vision, indicating my speed and cruise setting. Every time a car moves into the lane ahead of me, the HUD shows a vehicle has entered my “safe zone” on the projection. The XLR automatically brakes to retain the programmed seven-car distance. It accelerates to my programmed cruising speed when the lane is clear in front of me.

The navigational screen has responded to a voice-command destination, and the map is illuminated on the console, indicating I will have to exit to the right in 37 miles. The steering wheel audio controls have also responded to my voice command, and I’m listening to XM satellite radio. The ride is as smooth and silky as a luxury sedan that weighs 800 pounds more. It’s quiet, and it’s comfortable. The acceleration is powerful and quick enough to give me a rush of adrenaline. Everything high-tech is working exactly like it should.

Who knew?

Powering all this technology is a 4.6-liter Northstar V8 engine with 320 horsepower and 310 foot-pounds of torque. A five-speed automatic transmission with a manual shift gate is part of a package that sits on what is basically the Corvette platform. The plastic composite body material is the same, as is the chassis. But this is no Corvette. This is—and I’m a Corvette fan—much better. As it should be, considering the price.

The XLR is competing with the Lexus SC 430, Mercedes SL and Jaguar XK—formidable rivals. Refinement is a requirement in this category, at this price. Not only should it be a great ride with superior performance handling and luxurycar fit and finish, it should work, too. The XLR does a good job in all categories. The retractable electric hardtop stows in less than 30 seconds, and does it flawlessly.

For those who want even more high-powered performance in the same refined package, the XLR-V is the only step up. Equipped with a supercharged 4.4-liter V-8, the V car has a neck-snapping 443 horsepower with 414 foot-pounds of torque. Wheel size increases from 18 inches to 19 inches, and the transmission increases to a six-speed. The V series XLR is a thrill ride package with no options—it’s also fully equipped and one price: $100,000.

At 400 pounds less than a Mercedes SL55 AMG, the 50-horsepower difference between the Benz and the XLR-V makes it a neck-and-neck race for 0-100 miles per hour. The V Caddy is $25,000 less, and makes a bold styling statement. With only a few hundred being built this year, you’ll see a rare few of these refined beasts on the road.

What I do expect you will see more of is the normally aspirated XLR roadster, its navigation screens and HUD displays glowing softly during nighttime driving. Don’t worry if you see the driver on the cell phone. He’s probably bragging to his family how competently his luxury roadster is driving itself home.

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