Some new pics showing the interior. The gauges look different, but pretty much the same inside. It does appear there may be leather on the dash pad and the top of the door panels, that would be nice.
Good news for those who don't like the vents, it seems the negative feedback may have caused good taste to prevail :thumbs

http://www.leftlanenews.com/cadillac-xlr-future.html

Interesting that the side vents have disappeared.:thumbs It does leave a cleaner look. The front and rear end look good, but it's hard to see where there have been very many upgrades to the interior. Time will tell.

Isn't that an updated steering wheel?

Greetings Uintah,

I like what I see. I had fears Cadillac designers would over do a modern and beautifully understated designed interior. Based on these photos I look forward to replacing my 2005 with a new 2009 XLR.

JLM

Let me say, just because the side vents were not on that spy vehicle, it doesn't mean that they will not be on the production vehicles. Many times during validation, testing is done with components on and off.

www.Cadillac-XLR.com (http://www.Cadillac-XLR.com)

Thanks
Allen

Isn't that an updated steering wheel?

No, it appears to be the same as '08. The gauges are slightly different, and the wood will be new.

Bruce :)

Allen,

:iagree , people should not believe everything they see on the internet. What will be introduced to us at RIII in June will be the real thing. :yesnod

SilverX

Let me say, just because the side vents were not on that spy vehicle, it doesn't mean that they will not be on the production vehicles. Many times during validation, testing is done with components on and off.

www.Cadillac-XLR.com (http://www.Cadillac-XLR.com)

Thanks
Allen

Let me say, just because the side vents were not on that spy vehicle, it doesn't mean that they will not be on the production vehicles. Many times during validation, testing is done with components on and off.

www.Cadillac-XLR.com (http://www.Cadillac-XLR.com)

Thanks
Allen
Time will tell, I don't know if they will appear or not.
The car without the vent does not appear to have the vents left off unless it simply is glued on, which would indicate no air flow purpose. There is no indentation in the fender sheet metal and the XLR emblem is in the proper place on the fender. No XLR emblem appears on the car with the vents.

The Air Extractors are actually cut into the fenders, they are not just affixed on for visual styling. As you drive and air passes over the heated engine compartment, the heated air would exit out of the vents. That is the same type of operation on our Escalade.

www.Cadillac-xlr.com (http://www.Cadillac-xlr.com)

Thanks
Allen

Air Extractors!!!! WOW!!!

What you sales guys won't come up with to make a hole in the side of a car sound like it's sexy. Sort of like when "Used Cars" became "PreOwned"

If the vents are functional, then that's one thing, but I hope that if they do appear, they are the same color as the body. The chrome ones that I've seen on some of the other pictures just look cheap.

By the way, look at the comments on the Forum from the owners - overall I believe it is a very small percentage of owners that liked the "vents"

My 2 cents

Cadillac has a penchant for adding junk to a nice design. The 2002 Escalade rear hatch is a lot ceaner than the over- chromed current model.

bumbleent

I am happy to see that the horrific front fender vents have been removed from the 2009 XLR. I do not believe we are looking at a "red herring." I think the powers at GM took note of the universal dislike of those awful, garish blemishes, and decided to remove them.
I like the new grill, but I do not care for the heavier-looking new front bumper cover, nor the "round peg in square hole" foglights. I am indifferent to the use of the V-hood on the Platinum edition car, and I think the Platinum edition exhausts look heavy, non-automotive, and somewhat contrived.
I like the new wheels. The slightly concave shape provides some depth to the XLR's otherwise too flat side profile.
The interior is as expected with minimal changes: new wood, and the leather dash-top and door trim. The Bulgari lettering had to be removed, as the licensing contract expired. Also, not shown, the rocker switch power window controls had to be replaced, as is required by law ( rocker switches can too easily allow young children to be caught by the windows.)
Overall, a satifactory MCE. A change, perhaps not an improvement, but, at least, without the vents, not obviously worse than the previous model.

Let me say, just because the side vents were not on that spy vehicle, it doesn't mean that they will not be on the production vehicles. Many times during validation, testing is done with components on and off.

www.Cadillac-XLR.com (http://www.Cadillac-XLR.com)

Thanks
Allen

Like a few of us stated, it will be officially shown two weeks from tonight at our "Welcome Reception at Olde Stone Country Club" at Rendezvous III in Bowling Green.

Thanks
Allen

I like the new grill and believe that we can add this new grill to our XLR's.
Sure it has a XLR-V hood but people still managed to add the XLR-V's grill to their stock XLR's.

I didnt like the side vents nor the aftermarket looking exhaust, or the bigger looking front bumper.

I've read the official GM press release concerning the introduction of the 2009 XLR. It appears that the disgusting fender vents WILL be present. How unfortunate. And, how foolish of me to think that GM would actually listen to all of us and delete those tacky vents after spending "so much "money on the tooling.