If spending some $76,000 (before an available federal tax credit of up to $7,500) for Cadillac's ELR range-extender coupe hasn't made a big of a dent in your pocket and are looking for a more unique experience of the open top kind, the roof-reapers at Newport Convertible Engineering (NCE) have an announcement that may interest you.

NCE said that it plans to produce a limited number of Cadillac ELR convertibles, with U.S. clients shipping their existing cars to the brand's main headquarters in California for the conversion, and international customers, to either California, or one of the firm's "international facilities for convertible conversion in Spain, Barcelona or UAE, Dubai".

The single Photoshop render and the aforementioned info on where to send your ELR is all we get for now from NCE.

And oh, if any of you, like me, were wondering just how many ELRs Cadillac has sold, I took a quick look at GM's sales data and it delivered 6 in December of 2013, 41 in January of 2014, and a <sarcasm> record-breaking </sarcasm> 58 cars in February 2014, which brings the total to 105 cars. Anyone hear the crickets?

Cadillac’s previous effort at trying to create a commercial for their range-extending ELR resulted in an unfortunate mix of stereotypes and not enough facts about the car. Now, their second go at it is much better and more in-tune with what the car is about – it tries to explain what the ELR’s main attraction points are, instead of who should buy it.

The main protagonists of the video, which is posted after the virtual jump, are GM employees that contributed to the project, so it’s really much more insightful to hear what they have to say and how they see their baby than some poolside actor.

The ELR is a new (kind of) car and the promo campaigns should reflect that. It’s still very far off having mass appeal, but then again, so is the Chevy Volt on which it’s based and GM has still manages to sell as many as 2,000 o a good month, in the US.

The Cadillac ELR extended-range electric car has received its first recall. The software for the car’s electronic stability control (ESC) system may inhibit certain ESC diagnostics, which in turn may cause the system to fail in alerting the driver when the ESC is either partially or fully disabled.

According to Cadillac, this means the vehicles fail to conform with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability ControlSystems." Clearly if a driver was uninformed that his or her car’s ESC system was disabled, they are more likely to lose control of their vehicle and end up causing an accident.

The recall only affects 2014 Cadillac ELRs manufactured from September 26, 2013 through February 14, 2014, and then only those examples that aren't fitted with adaptive cruise control. A total 656 ELRs are said to be included in the recall.

Cadillac is in the process of notifying owners of the recalled cars. The remedy requires dealers to recalibrate the Electronic Brake Control Module (EBCM), a service they will offer free of charge. For further information you can contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at 1-888-327-4236 (reference recall campaign number 14V144000) or Cadillac at 1-866-982-2339.

Performance oriented hybrids have been released by some of the most exotic car makers in the world this year, and it looks like General Motors is now considering upping the ante of its extended-range hybrid.

This set of spy photos show a Cadillac ELR testing, wearing some out-of-the-ordinary performance parts. The most noticeable upgrades improve the stopping power of the car, hinting that more forward thrust will be available from the powertrain.

In the photos, you can see four-piston front calipers and single-piston rear calipers, like those found on the Buick Regal GS. The rotors are also borrowed from the Regal GS, which are one-inch wider than the stock units found on the ELR. Finally, the car is sporting some camouflage over the grille which is likely hiding some new styling cues.

This may be a full on Cadillac ELR-V, but the more likely scenario is that this prototype is previewing an ELR V Sport model. The ‘V Sport’ badge denotes a higher level of performance, but not quite the insane level that comes with a fully fledged ‘V’ car.

Style over substance. That's probably not how Cadillac wants you to view its high-tech ELR, but it's not an unfair description.

As gorgeous as it may be, and it is gorgeous, the ELR is essentially a Chevrolet Volt with a 100 percent markup. As tested, our ELR rang the register at a steep $79,685. For that kind of money you could buy a BMW M235i Coupe and a Nissan Leaf. With money left over.

So what do you get for that hefty price premium? For starters, arguably the most beautiful body work that has ever adorned a Cadillac. Shapely in all the right places, the ELR looks like a million bucks, or at least the $80,000 Cadillac is charging for one.

We tested the ELR in and around New York City and were surprised by the attention it garnered. And if the ELR can stand out in the Big Apple, it can stand out anywhere.

The ELR's interior is much the same story. Covered in acres of leather, faux suede and real wood accents, the ELR should pass muster with even the most discerning country clubber.

But from there, the ELR starts to lose ground on every other luxury car that costs 80-grand.

The ELR's electric drivetrain is smooth and offers max torque from a standstill, but there just isn't very much grunt available. The ELR can drag itself around town just fine, but feels underpowered when things ramp up to highway speeds.

We managed to see figures in line with the ELR's 37 mile electric range, but wished for more juice after we hit that barrier. When the batteries go flat, the ELR's 1.4L range-extender engine kicks on with a sudden jolt that is unbecoming of a high-dollar luxury car. Moreover, the 1.4L can be pretty buzzy, especially at lower speeds.

Gas mileage was also on the disappointing side, with our predicted range dropping from 260 to 220 miles within a matter of just a few miles.

The ELR's powertrain is admittedly cutting edge, but can't explain away all of the car's MSRP. After all, Chevy can sell you a Volt for $34,18 with nearly the same setup.

The ELR uses the same kind of HiPer strut suspension used on Opel's high-performance OPC cars, so torque steer isn't an issue. Twenty-inch wheels look good but don't help with the ELR's ride, which is stiff and tends to crash over bumps.

The upside of that taut suspension is little body roll through the corners, although the ELR doesn't provide enough steering feel to confidently hustle it down a winding road. Brakes, which have a rubber-band like feel, are also not an ELR strong point.

Cargo space is merely adequate for a day of shopping, with the ELR offering 9 cubic feet of space, or roughly the kind of trunk space a convertible has with its top down. Back seat room is also limited, but that's not exclusive to just this coupe.

Leftlane's bottom line
The ELR may have more style than substance, but don't underestimate the power of a pretty face.

It's not unusual for people to fall in love with a car on looks alone, and the ELR's sexy sheet metal can certainly evoke that kind of lust. Throw in an electric drivetrain that doesn't limit how far you can go and the ELR even makes some rational sense.

But price is a major sticking point and one that would make us balk in a Cadillac showroom. If Cadillac could lop $20,000 off the ELR's price, we'd probably be willing to overlook some of its shortcomings. Until that time comes, we'll just enjoy our two-for-one M235i/Leaf combo.

2014 Cadillac ELR base price, $75,000. As tested, $79,685.
Full-speed Range Adaptive Cruise Control with Collision Preparation and Intelligent Brake Assist, $1,995; Luxury Package, $1,695; Destination, $995.

The Cadillac ELR posh range-extender was never going to be a popular car. That’s not because it’s bad per se, because reviews have suggested that it really isn’t, but because of its prohibitive price which buyers seem to unanimously agree is just too much for what’s being offered.

Now, a few months since it’s been made available for purchase, things aren’t any rosier for the ELR. We hear from TransportEvolved that dealers are now offering massive discounts, which added on top of the state and government incentives, make the final price much more palatable for buyers.

These dealer discounts range from $3,000 - $5,000 all the way up to $12,000 - $13,600 in Texas and Maryland respectively.

Basically, if you look around and do a bit of haggling, you can get your very own brand new ELR for around $54,500. That’s a big drop from the originally announced retail price of $75,995...

Will these massive price drops be enough to spur sales on? Probably not, because everybody looking for such a vehicle will still just go and buy a Tesla.