Cadillac CTS-V (December 2008)

Launched: Cadillac CTS-V

Wheels Magazine
November, 2008

There's no need to wonder whether the Yanks can build a performance sedan to challenge the best from Europe - say, a BMW M5. The faces of German testers during our American test of the Cadillac CTS-V said it all; the answer is "yes".

It's hard to say for certain whether the new 415kW/747Nm 6.2-litre bent-eight V-model is actually better than BMW's remarkable V10-powered M5, but there's no doubt its handling, performance and driver appeal are well and truly in the same ballpark. But in terms of power outputs, the Yank easily outstrips the German, boasting a hefty 42kW/227Nm advantage.

Engineers at GM's high-performance division spared no effort to build a great car, fitting it with a slightly de-tuned and decontented version of the supercharged V8 of the Corvette ZR-1. The 6162cc blown and intercooled small-block V8 (dubbed LSA) is the most powerful engine Cadillac has produced in its 106-year history. But with Europe’s super sedans the prime target, refinement was just as important as continent-crushing outputs. Balanced, lightweight internals, a sound-deadening engine cover and a new four-lobe Eaton supercharger (here’s some pub trivia: Australia’s TRD Aurion was the first production car to use a version of Eaton’s new blower) all contribute to a surprisingly quiet and refined cruiser.

The rest of the Caddy's running gear has also been suitably upgraded, with adaptive magnetic dampers (exactly the same technology used by HSV here in Oz) and giant Brembo brakes.

A pair of six-speed transmissions are offered; either the Tremec TR6060 manual or 6L90 automatic.

With such mountainous reserves of power on tap, you’ll be relieved to hear that Caddy has fitted world-class chassis electronics to the CTS-V.

Just to prove a point on European soil, GM engineer and Le Mans ace John Heinricy recently blitzed the Nürburgring in a manual CTS-V with a sub-eight-minute lap (7:59.32, to be exact), which, according to GM, makes this Caddy the world's fastest production sedan around the Green Hell. Take that, Munich.

The car weighs a little under 2000kg, but with the full 747Nm available at 3800rpm, performance is just as breathtaking as you'd expect. The 0-100km/h sprint takes around 4.0sec, it'll tear through 160km/h in less than 10, and reach 305km/h if you can find a long enough straight. And all this with an enjoyable, civilised V8 woofle from the large twin pipes and super-silky, if still titanic, power delivery - especially if you choose the six-speed paddleshift automatic, rather than the six-speed manual.

We used a high-speed handling track to determine that steering accuracy, grip and balance are all there in European proportions.

You can use the CTS-V's firmly weighted controls to drive the car near its limits easily and neatly without depending on the chassis electronics for protection. On ordinary public roads it rides with impressive levels of comfort, too - always sporty but quiet and well damped.

So there's no doubt this is an impressive car. Which just makes it all the more deeply depressing that GM has no plans to build the CTS-V in right-hand drive.

More research
Cadillac CTS-V blitzes Nurburgring -- here

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