Autoblog reported today that Cadillac will build the last of its range-topper XLRs this Spring. The XLR is built atop a Corvette chassis, but is powered by a Cadillac Northstar V-8 suspension. The Caddy also features its own interior, exterior, and suspension. Unlike the Vette, it has a retractable hardtop.  I can’t say I am shocked to see the XLR go-it is a low-volume, high-priced car. It was Cadillac’s flagship car; the high performance XLR-V boasted impressive numbers, but the car never never seem to capture the heart of premium car buyers.

You could fault GM’s own Corvette for keeping sales away from the XLR. They shared the same chassis, but the Corvette has the superior engine. The XLR looks very much “now”, but the current Vette will still look great in twenty years. Yes, the XLR has a more luxurious interior, but consider the price difference of a base 2009 Corvette versus a base 2009 XLR, in US dollars: $48,565 versus $86,215.

That is a lot of coin to pay for a slightly nicer place to sit. And while marketing managers will tell you the XLR and Corvette do not compete for the same buyer, I tend to disagree. Both cars may have had slightly different purposes, but the comparisons are inevitable.

Sold since 2004, the XLR represents Cadillac’s suspension second (failed) attempt to compete against the mighty Mercedes-Benz SL. On the one hand, I credit Cadillac for having the ambition to compete. But compared to the SL, the effort always falls short.

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