Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder! The XLR has been good-looking in any of the combinations I have seen posted here, and I enjoy seeing other owners' XLRs.
Although I have always preferred to allow Cadillac's designers to have the final say on styling of my vehicles, a factor that has always made Cadillacs a more desirable choice for me over many imports is the individual expression that has traditionally been afforded by them, compared to other marques. Had I wanted a "cookie-cutter" BMW, Mercedes or Lexus, I would have chosen one many times before. In the late sixties, there was an advertisement for Cadillac that stated that with twenty-one exterior colors, fourteen different interior combinations and eight available vinyl roof selections, chances are you may never see another Cadillac just like yours, or something to that effect. I don't see any harm in gold plating what small amount of chrome trim there is on the XLR if an owner desires, as long as it is done with high quality. Even Bill Mitchell used to customize his daily drivers, and after all, bold styling is what draws most XLR owners to the car. I also have seen many Mercedes, BMW's, Lexus and Jaguars with after-market gold trim. (Personally, I have never liked gold trim on any car, except maybe a few vintage cars, where it was original OEM equipment.) To each, his own. That's my 0.02!
Although I have always preferred to allow Cadillac's designers to have the final say on styling of my vehicles, a factor that has always made Cadillacs a more desirable choice for me over many imports is the individual expression that has traditionally been afforded by them, compared to other marques. Had I wanted a "cookie-cutter" BMW, Mercedes or Lexus, I would have chosen one many times before. In the late sixties, there was an advertisement for Cadillac that stated that with twenty-one exterior colors, fourteen different interior combinations and eight available vinyl roof selections, chances are you may never see another Cadillac just like yours, or something to that effect. I don't see any harm in gold plating what small amount of chrome trim there is on the XLR if an owner desires, as long as it is done with high quality. Even Bill Mitchell used to customize his daily drivers, and after all, bold styling is what draws most XLR owners to the car. I also have seen many Mercedes, BMW's, Lexus and Jaguars with after-market gold trim. (Personally, I have never liked gold trim on any car, except maybe a few vintage cars, where it was original OEM equipment.) To each, his own. That's my 0.02!
