GM Says You Can Just Forget About a New Cadillac XLR
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The 2004 Cadillac XLR brought the marque back to the convertible segment after a long absence. The roadster was based on the sixth-gen Chevy Corvette to keep costs in check, and the link between the two sports cars has fueled speculation that a new, C8-based XLR could happen. Don't get your hopes up: General Motors president Mark Reuss just doused cold water on the rumors detailing a second-gen XLR.
On paper, replicating the XLR recipe with modern ingredients would be relatively simple. The platform is already there: Cadillac could borrow the eighth-generation Corvette's mid-engined underpinnings from Chevrolet. Using the Corvette's platform would likely also require using one of its engines. We're guessing that not all of the parts would carry over, however. Cadillac's take would presumably place a bigger focus on luxury than on performance, so it would probably feature a softer suspension system, among other changes.
The idea of a new XLR isn't far-fetched, but General Motors says it's not happening—no ifs, ands, or buts.
'It was developed as a secondary car to the Corvette, on purpose. We would never do that,' Reuss explained to CNBC in a lengthy interview spotted by Carscoops . He added that the hypothetical second-gen XLR would end up sharing too many parts with the Corvette to fall in line with Cadillac's new strategy, which aims to achieve a higher degree of exclusivity than in the past to make the brand more desirable. General Motors
This same strategy spawned the Celestiq, an EV that costs about $340,000 and doesn't have a twin (or even a distant cousin) in, say, the Chevy range. The gasoline-powered Escalade is an exception to this rule, as it's very clearly related to the Tahoe and the Suburban, but the truck-based underpinnings make it incredibly profitable. And, sometimes, the temptation of a nice, fat profit margin is difficult to resist.
While a new XLR is out of the product pipeline, Reuss told CNBC that there's space for 'additional specialty, Cadillac-specific vehicles' like the Celestiq under the General Motors roof. He stopped short of revealing what segment the brand will target next, and when we might see such cars.
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