Sorry - but i can't quite call this a report on a test drive because i didn't take the cars out (super crap-tac-ular winter weather <_< ) - but that shouldn't stop me from a little boasting (positive feedback helps!)
"Damn snow blindness!" I muttered to myself as a pulled open the first set of showroom doors and rushed inside. Looking down at my boots covered with slush and snow i stamped them clean on the metal grating. My boots have an awful tendincy to squeak on stone surfaces when wet. I did my best to avoid this and hoped that they would squeak no more as i opened the interior showroom doors. I was still staring at my boots at the time i entered. I then stopped and decided i'd try to get the "lay of the land" first before i ventured in. I slowly looked up;
a crimson pearl XLR (top up) was already staring at me head on.
My whole prespective of Cadillac just changed in those 3 seconds of visual bliss.
No more was i limited by what some tight-arse in "Car and Driver" thought about some "old man's road boat caddy" - no. This was the real thing. Absolutely stuning. I didn't know what to do. I literally froze on the spot - standing there looking at the Cadillac crest sitting on a grill - mounted on a low-slung 2 seat roadster. Everthing was perfect.
I saw the Evoq photo's - I saw pre-production photo's - i saw press photo's - i saw production model photo's - I saw official promotional photo's -
and i'm sorry to say that GM should fire all those photographers because not one of them managed to capture the presence and scope of the XLR in ANY of GM's publicly realsed photo's of the car. It's is the only car i have ever seen that looks better in person than any stylized and professionally photographed image of the car that is used to promote it. For example:
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It's a picture of an Cadillac XLR. But it doesn't capture it's presence. You have to be in it's presence to feel it. It's that beautiful.
My XLR story goes a little farther. As i circle and gawk with all the wonder of a child at Christmas - i come upon the drivers door. I gaze into shale interior (pity it wasn't ebony!) and see all the things that i had hoped the XLR would be. It was a living dream sitting before me in the showroom.
Now - the XLR is one of the car that the dealership would want to take out extra insurance on (DUH!). As such - i expected the car doors to be locked (as with teh Z06 they had last summer). I reached into the handwell and felt soft rubber. I gave a gentile tug expecting the door to remain locked.
It poped open!
To my amazement - not only did the XLR open the door for you (well - it popped it ajar just enough to continue opening it) - but i had access to the interior!!
Again - my whole opinon of Cadillac changed forever.
I got down on one knee for a closer look at. The leather stiching - the metal trim - the wood accents - the Bvlgari gagues - everything blended together like art - but in a more liquid and inviting manner. Part of me said "Go on! take a seat!!" - but i said "No. A car this beautiful cannot be allowed to be defiled by me. I don't want to have it's value shamefully decreased with my presence."
That said - an on-floor sales repersentitive make his pressence known to me.
"How did you get in there?"
"I just opened the door. It was unlocked."
"Hang on."
I knew what this was. The rep would be scurrying off to grab the key fob for the car while i just knelt there. My time was limited - so i had to act fast to savor this rare moment.
I inhaled.
That "new car" smell was just trumped. Mixed with the new shale leather created a smell so inviting - not even a full turkey dinner with chocolate cake for desert smelt so good (okay - maybe i'm embelishing that a little - but it smelt some damn good!).
The sales rep returned. My 3 minutes of visual sex with an XLR was hosed down with 8 words that felt like freezing cold water:
"Alright, stand up."
I followed suit.
"Close it."
I closed the door. The rep pressed the lock button on the fob. The sounds of all the locks cycling then locking reassured me that it was all over.
"Try the door."
I tried the door - and soft rubber pad remained still and the door remained shut. A blinking red LED on the inside door casing futher reminded me that she was gone - forever a showroom fixture until sale.
But it wasn't my fault! I blame the dealership for not locking the doors on their high cars! Lucky it was me who found it unlocked or someone else who may have been covered in slush could have made a real mess of the interior. I probably saved them a mess or two!
It was probably because i looked way out of place to be in the market for an XLR - and i don't blame them for looking at me with question. Ironicaly - the same rep who ruined my fun with an XLR tried eariler to pitch an Aveo 5-door at me (stupid demographic i'm in!!)
"Damn snow blindness!" I muttered to myself as a pulled open the first set of showroom doors and rushed inside. Looking down at my boots covered with slush and snow i stamped them clean on the metal grating. My boots have an awful tendincy to squeak on stone surfaces when wet. I did my best to avoid this and hoped that they would squeak no more as i opened the interior showroom doors. I was still staring at my boots at the time i entered. I then stopped and decided i'd try to get the "lay of the land" first before i ventured in. I slowly looked up;
a crimson pearl XLR (top up) was already staring at me head on.
My whole prespective of Cadillac just changed in those 3 seconds of visual bliss.
No more was i limited by what some tight-arse in "Car and Driver" thought about some "old man's road boat caddy" - no. This was the real thing. Absolutely stuning. I didn't know what to do. I literally froze on the spot - standing there looking at the Cadillac crest sitting on a grill - mounted on a low-slung 2 seat roadster. Everthing was perfect.
I saw the Evoq photo's - I saw pre-production photo's - i saw press photo's - i saw production model photo's - I saw official promotional photo's -
and i'm sorry to say that GM should fire all those photographers because not one of them managed to capture the presence and scope of the XLR in ANY of GM's publicly realsed photo's of the car. It's is the only car i have ever seen that looks better in person than any stylized and professionally photographed image of the car that is used to promote it. For example:
It's a picture of an Cadillac XLR. But it doesn't capture it's presence. You have to be in it's presence to feel it. It's that beautiful.
My XLR story goes a little farther. As i circle and gawk with all the wonder of a child at Christmas - i come upon the drivers door. I gaze into shale interior (pity it wasn't ebony!) and see all the things that i had hoped the XLR would be. It was a living dream sitting before me in the showroom.
Now - the XLR is one of the car that the dealership would want to take out extra insurance on (DUH!). As such - i expected the car doors to be locked (as with teh Z06 they had last summer). I reached into the handwell and felt soft rubber. I gave a gentile tug expecting the door to remain locked.
It poped open!
To my amazement - not only did the XLR open the door for you (well - it popped it ajar just enough to continue opening it) - but i had access to the interior!!
Again - my whole opinon of Cadillac changed forever.
I got down on one knee for a closer look at. The leather stiching - the metal trim - the wood accents - the Bvlgari gagues - everything blended together like art - but in a more liquid and inviting manner. Part of me said "Go on! take a seat!!" - but i said "No. A car this beautiful cannot be allowed to be defiled by me. I don't want to have it's value shamefully decreased with my presence."
That said - an on-floor sales repersentitive make his pressence known to me.
"How did you get in there?"
"I just opened the door. It was unlocked."
"Hang on."
I knew what this was. The rep would be scurrying off to grab the key fob for the car while i just knelt there. My time was limited - so i had to act fast to savor this rare moment.
I inhaled.
That "new car" smell was just trumped. Mixed with the new shale leather created a smell so inviting - not even a full turkey dinner with chocolate cake for desert smelt so good (okay - maybe i'm embelishing that a little - but it smelt some damn good!).
The sales rep returned. My 3 minutes of visual sex with an XLR was hosed down with 8 words that felt like freezing cold water:
"Alright, stand up."
I followed suit.
"Close it."
I closed the door. The rep pressed the lock button on the fob. The sounds of all the locks cycling then locking reassured me that it was all over.
"Try the door."
I tried the door - and soft rubber pad remained still and the door remained shut. A blinking red LED on the inside door casing futher reminded me that she was gone - forever a showroom fixture until sale.
But it wasn't my fault! I blame the dealership for not locking the doors on their high cars! Lucky it was me who found it unlocked or someone else who may have been covered in slush could have made a real mess of the interior. I probably saved them a mess or two!
It was probably because i looked way out of place to be in the market for an XLR - and i don't blame them for looking at me with question. Ironicaly - the same rep who ruined my fun with an XLR tried eariler to pitch an Aveo 5-door at me (stupid demographic i'm in!!)
