Caddy Oh!

CADILLAC REVEALS ITS HIP SIDE WITH THE XLR ROADSTER

At age 100, Cadillac, the venerable showboat of the General Motors fleet—for which until recently the word "boat" may have been a little too apt—is turning out a showstopper. The XLR Roadster, to be precise. Head designer Tom Peters called the XLR "a bow and arrow being drawn back, creating tension and direction," but a better description might be "smokin'." The two-seat, retractable-hardtop convertible, with wood trim and slick Bulgari dials inside, just begs the description "not your grandfather's Cadillac." The world will get a glimpse this August, when the car is shown at the annual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, but production doesn't start until 2003. Which should leave just enough time to save up the estimated $70,000 starting price.

ANNE FULENWIDER