Jonatan
06-25-2009, 05:58 AM
Back when the first-generation CTS was still in manufacture, the folks at Cadillac had a bright idea: Shoehorn a Corvette engine into the CTS, smack on an array of go-fast goodies and give the conventional kings of the super-sedan hill -- BMW's M5, Mercedes-Benz's an assortment of AMG sedans and Audi's S6 -- something to worry about. Cadillac called it the CTS-V, and its performance information was devoid of a doubt impressive, as was its relative affordability. In other ways, however, it wasn't quite ready for prime time, from its low-buck interior to its pronounced rear-axle hop during stepping up runs.
This year, it's a complete new ballgame. The Cadillac CTS-V, based on the vastly better second-generation CTS display place, ditches the axle hop, gets a first-rate interior and -- perhaps most importantly -- achieves record-breaking four-door speed. The 556-horsepower, supercharged 6.2-liter V8 (which is essentially a slightly detuned version of the identical motor found in the Corvette ZR-1) helps the new V put down a quantity of preposterous straight-line times: zero to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds and the quarter-mile in 12.4 seconds at nearly 115 mph. Moreover, the CTS-V is equally impressive when the going gets twisty. In a recent judgment test, we found out for ourselves what Cadillac had been important us all along -- the V is faster than both the M5 and the C63 AMG around a racetrack, despite a base price that's nearly less than the BMW.
2888
Stupendous presentation aside, there are a few demerits worth mentioning. First of all, it's hard to tell from the driver seat that there's a V8 under the hood. Supercharger whine is omnipresent, and the predictable V8 rumble is AWOL. Second, the automatic transmission can feel crude at times, gratitude to a slow-witted manual mode and rough upshifts in both Sport Drive and manual modes. Furthermore, the typical seats aren't much different from those in the regular CTS, which are disappointing in a dedicated sporting machine -- although the optional Recaro sport seats are further than reproach.
The super-sedan segment is an embarrassment of riches these days, with abundant German entrants boasting complicated designs, sports-carlike handling and sonorous V8 or V10 engines. But the Cadillac CTS-V has elbowed its way to the head of this perplexing class with it’s beyond compare all-around performance, stylish sheet metal and reasonable pricing. We're particularly fond of the smaller M3 and C63 AMG sedans, which compete directly with the Cadillac on worth, yet the dimensions of the CTS-V, put it more alongside bigger, much supplementary exclusive rivals. Super-sedan shoppers owe it to themselves to take a durable look at this hard-core Caddy.
This year, it's a complete new ballgame. The Cadillac CTS-V, based on the vastly better second-generation CTS display place, ditches the axle hop, gets a first-rate interior and -- perhaps most importantly -- achieves record-breaking four-door speed. The 556-horsepower, supercharged 6.2-liter V8 (which is essentially a slightly detuned version of the identical motor found in the Corvette ZR-1) helps the new V put down a quantity of preposterous straight-line times: zero to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds and the quarter-mile in 12.4 seconds at nearly 115 mph. Moreover, the CTS-V is equally impressive when the going gets twisty. In a recent judgment test, we found out for ourselves what Cadillac had been important us all along -- the V is faster than both the M5 and the C63 AMG around a racetrack, despite a base price that's nearly less than the BMW.
2888
Stupendous presentation aside, there are a few demerits worth mentioning. First of all, it's hard to tell from the driver seat that there's a V8 under the hood. Supercharger whine is omnipresent, and the predictable V8 rumble is AWOL. Second, the automatic transmission can feel crude at times, gratitude to a slow-witted manual mode and rough upshifts in both Sport Drive and manual modes. Furthermore, the typical seats aren't much different from those in the regular CTS, which are disappointing in a dedicated sporting machine -- although the optional Recaro sport seats are further than reproach.
The super-sedan segment is an embarrassment of riches these days, with abundant German entrants boasting complicated designs, sports-carlike handling and sonorous V8 or V10 engines. But the Cadillac CTS-V has elbowed its way to the head of this perplexing class with it’s beyond compare all-around performance, stylish sheet metal and reasonable pricing. We're particularly fond of the smaller M3 and C63 AMG sedans, which compete directly with the Cadillac on worth, yet the dimensions of the CTS-V, put it more alongside bigger, much supplementary exclusive rivals. Super-sedan shoppers owe it to themselves to take a durable look at this hard-core Caddy.