Cadillac XLR-V: Flat Out

The Porsches don't want to play. Over 1000 hard-charging miles in two days across Germany, Austria, and Italy, and not one appears in the Cadillac's sights. Which is a pity, because our wedgy, quad-piped XLR-V is locked and loaded for 911s.

Whoa! Back up a minute! Did I just say we went chasing Porsches...in a Cadillac? In Germany? Um, yah. Because that's exactly what we did.

And while the 911s proved elusive, no one -- apart from a lunatic in a black BMW 645i convertible who kept the hammer down in a speed-limited construction zone-passed our XLR-V on the autobahnen. Not the silver-haired guy in the big, black Audi S8 with Wuppertal plates. Nor the guy in the E46 M3 who tried to run with us near Nuremburg. Nor even the guy in the AMG Benz who gave us a cold, hard stare after we blew by him near Mainz. They couldn't keep up.

Cadillac general manager Jim Taylor clearly has a sense of adventure, because when I idly suggested a while back it might be fun to disable the 155-mph speed limiter on an XLR-V and take it to Germany to see what it would do on highways with no speed limits, he didn't suddenly look at his watch and start mumbling something about a meeting he had to catch. Instead, he simply cracked a wry grin: "That sounds like fun. Let me see what I can do."

Lord only knows what it took to shepherd the idea through GM, because every few months I'd see Taylor at some event or other and he'd always say: "I haven't forgotten." But Cadillac's decision to hold preview drives of the all-new CTS sedan at the Nurburgring made a bunch of logistics a whole lot easier, which is how photographer Mark Bramley and I came to be pulling out of the carpark of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Mainz, Germany, bound for Italy and the famed Stelvio Pass in an Infrared metallic XLR-V.

Why the Stelvio Pass? Well, as British mountaineer George Leigh Mallory explained when asked in 1923 why he wanted to climb Mt. Everest: "Because it's there." Located where Switzerland kisses Italy and Austria, the 9045-foot Stelvio is the second-highest paved pass in the Alps. Originally built in the 1820s, and little changed since, it reaches a one-in-nine gradient at some points and features 48 hairpins on the northern side. The view of the road writhing down the ancient glacial valley is one of the most iconic in motoring.

"Our" XLR-V was stock apart from a simple change to the engine-management computer that banished the speed nanny to the electronic ether. GM also took the precaution of X-raying the wheels and tires for any cracks or faults, though if you think about it, you're not going to be in that much more trouble if a tire pops at 170 mph or so than if it does at the regulation 155. Still, it's nice to know they care.

Contrary to popular legend, Germany's autobahnen aren't pedal-to-the-metal paradises where you can run as fast as you dare, as long as you like. Germany is slightly smaller than Montana, but has a population of more than 80 million people. So many of the country's superhighways often look like rush hour in L.A., clogged with slow-moving cars and trucks.

By Angus MacKenzie
Photography by Mark Bramley

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Cadillac Escalade Platinum Edition: the luxury SUV of choice?

Calling its 2008 Cadillac Escalade Platinum Edition "the large SUV of choice among luxury customers", General Motors tries to make the huge 'ute a tougher competition for the gorgeous 2007 Mercedes-Benz GL450.


The 2008 Cadillac Escalade Platinum Edition, GM is reporting in its press release, is equipped with a powerful 6.2 liter V8 VVT engine. Mated to the Hydra-Matic 6L80 six-speed automatic, the powerplant develops 403 hp of power with 417 lb.-ft. (565 Nm) of torque. Unfortunately, the company says nothing about the vehicle's estimated fuel (in-)efficiency.


Main highlights are LED headlamps, making for a much more comfortable ride MRC suspension, 22-inch wheels and lots of luxurious touches inside the driver's cabin.

No info on prices yet.


See also: Cadillac Escalade Hybrid SUV is a go

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