Based on the Chevrolet Corvette C6, the Cadillac XLR was a controversial car: you either loved it or hated it.
Why?

Presenting the XLR as a sports car, Cadillac seemed to have over-promised. The XLR was not fast enough to compete with other sports cars alternatives on the market.

For those looking for a unique sexy styling, the 2-door roadster was a promising choice. And after all, it was still a Cadillac.

Power came from two different V8 engines: a 4.6-liter naturally aspirated units that developed 320 hp and a more powerful 4.4-liter supercharged powerplant with 443 hp.

Extremely well equipped for the time, the XLR came with heated and cooled seats, remote keyless access, a navigation system, 18-inch alloy wheels, a 7-inch screen and a DVD player as standard. Not many cars on the market offered these features as standard, not even years later.

One of the reasons why the XLR was considered too slow was the aluminum retractable hardtop that added a lot of weight, the XLR being heavier than the Corvette it was based on.

While Cadillac expected to sell between 5,000 and 7,000 units per year, they only managed to sell around half of the estimated vehicles, even with the refreshed 2009 model.