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We'd seen spy shots of Cadillac's halo roadster before, and today, GM officially announced the updates made to its luxury brand's halo vehicle. The range has been winnowed down to the Platinum and the supercharged V-Series. Look for the V-Series hood on all models and revised front and rear fascias with unique grillework for each trim level. The Platinum (above) wears the CTS egg-crate look, while the $100K V-Series presumably soldiers on with the mesh visage that is the V signature. New fender vents have been added, and a number of tweaks have been made to the cars' interiors, including Alcantara headliners, new instrumentation (say good-bye to the Bulgari-designed gauges), and a leather cut-and-sew treatment on the instrument panel. Drivers will also now get Bluetooth connectivity with the car's OnStar package. Look for the new XLRs to hit showrooms in July. Whether you see many on your local streets is another matter; XLRs are a bit of a rarity in most neighborhoods.

[Source: Cadillac]

PRESS RELEASE:
2009 XLR: More Dramatic Design and Technology for Cadillac's Roadster

Detroit, Mich. - Since its inception in 2004, Cadillac's XLR has been a fresh face in the elite club of the world's finest luxury roadsters. Today Cadillac revealed the new 2009 edition of the XLR Roadster, featuring styling and model enhancements providing more dramatic design and technology.

Only the finest editions of Cadillac's retractable hardtop roadster will be offered in 2009: The luxurious XLR Platinum and the high-performance XLR-V. The XLR Platinum is equipped with a 320-horsepower (239 kW) 4.6L Northstar V-8 engine. The XLR-V, part of Cadillac's V-Series of high-performance models, is powered with a 443-horsepower (330 kW) 4.4L Supercharged Northstar V-8 engine.

The 2009 XLR includes a new front fascia, new rear fascia and new side fender vents. The revised design is inspired by the award-winning CTS sport sedan, delivering more detail and aggressiveness to Cadillac's roadster. The front fascia includes new fog lamps and specific upper and lower grilles for the Platinum and V-Series models. Also, both '09 models feature the distinctive hood with a raised center section that was previously exclusive to the V-Series.

"XLR has been a catalyst for the dramatic design and technology driving Cadillac's ongoing renaissance," said Jim Taylor, Cadillac general manager. "The enhanced 2009 model exemplifies the continued development of Cadillac's approach to design, performance and craftsmanship."

The ultra-luxury XLR Platinum model receives additional exterior identifiers, including a revised rear fascia with more pronounced new exhaust tips and a new 18-inch wheel design (painted wheel finish is standard; chrome is optional).

Inside, the '09 XLR lineup delivers more luxury and technology. Alcantara™ - a suede-like microfiber material - is used for the headliner material, in either Ebony or Cashmere color. Also new is hand-cut and sewn leather used on the upper instrument panel. This hand-stitched and wrapped leather lends tailored elegance to the cabin, representing Cadillac's new approach to modern and elegant interior craftsmanship.

The updated cabin includes new instrument cluster trim rings and graphics, new wood grain trims (Natural Olive Ash Burl for XLR Platinum and Black Olive Ash Burl for XLR-V) and new metal trims (Quartz for XLR Platinum and Bermuda for XLR-V.)

Advanced technology has always been a trademark of XLR, and that legacy continues in 2009. This includes Cadillac's acclaimed Magnetic Ride Control system and amenities such as Keyless Access with push-button start, DVD navigation and entertainment, heated and cooled seats, head-up display and heated steering wheel. XLR's advanced technologies also include Adaptive Forward Lighting that enables the headlamps to swivel in concert with vehicle steering, and Adaptive Cruise Control.

XLR is factory-equipped with OnStar 8.0 with Bluetooth capability. The next-generation OnStar 8.0 system (OnStar subscription is not required for Bluetooth) features enhanced hands-free voice commands, Turn by Turn navigation and Emap powered by MapQuest. This includes the industry-first Destination Download feature, in which directions can be downloaded from OnStar directly to the car's navigation system - eliminating the need to stop the car to manually enter a destination.