The XLR feels like a Cadillac inside. The interior is awash in beige or black leather, eucalyptus wood and anodized aluminum which could pass for plastic.

From behind the wheel the view is swoopy. Between the fender bulge and a peaked center line on the hood, a subtle but sharp trough runs away from the driver down his line of sight. A head-up display projected onto the windshield indicates speed and the selected gear, the latter convenient when using the manual shifting mode.

The instrument panel is by Bvlgari, an Italian design company which judging by the way it spells/designs its own name (that's not a "v" it's a Roman "u"), might value style over clarity. Except for being dark, with white numbers on a black background, the gauges are clear, surrounded by unnecessary but seemingly obligatory chrome rings.

Also obligatory is the Cadillac trademark steering wheel, leather-wrapped except for burled wood between 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock. It feels bulky on the XLR; the wood is slippery and colder than the leather, and a driver's hands often land on the intersection of the two materials. Cadillac's website shows an interior picture of an XLR with an all-leather steering wheel, which might be available.

We had driven a Cadillac CTS immediately prior to our time in the XLR, and the XLR seats felt softer and less sporty than the CTS seats. The seats are heated and cooled. There's decent bolstering, but more support could be used in a car that corners this well.

Thankfully, Cadillac hasn't tried to compete in the flawed technology chase that BMW and Audi send their luxury drivers on to control simple things. Most of the functions in the XLR are controlled by simple switchgear with finger-sized buttons. The navigation system is displayed on a seven-inch LCD screen located in the center console, under neat rectangular heating and cooling vents. It will also play DVD movies when the transmission is in Park.