During the recent launch of the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V in China, the Luxury automaker showed off the handling abilities of their 600 HP factory tuned sedan.
Motor Trend recently did a comparison between the pride of American luxury and performance, the Cadillac CTS-V and the German powerhouse, the BMW M5. Which of these two high performance machines do you think won out?
Hennessey Performance Engineering (HPE), the Texas based tuning specialist, have announced their intentions to produce a number of highly modified Cadillac CTS-V sport sedans intended for release near the end of 2009. One thing is for certain, the Hennessey CTS-V’s will have plenty of tire shredding potential.
We named the Cadillac CTS-V our car of the year for 2009, so we’re probably going to already be bias in favor of the V6 version. We are practical people at TopSpeed (sometimes), so we should be fine with trading 552 hp engine and Magnetic Ride Control for 304 hp and about $20K more cash in our pocket (starting at $39,885), right? > More
Cadillac is getting serious about the European market, and that’s evident with the premiere of the CTS Sport Wagon. While wagons have not always been the preference for North American customers, the extra space finds favor with European customers. The wagon was a natural evolution for Cadillac considering the CTS was designed to compete with sedans from Germany such as the Audi A4 and the BMW 3-Series. The more aggressive lines suggest that the CTS Sport Wagon is going after A4 Avant customers.
The base engine in North America will be the 3.6-liter 263 horsepower V-6. Optional will be a the 3.6-liter with added direct injection, which increases output to 304 horsepower. There is also a 2.9-liter turbo-diesel V-6 engine option making 250 horsepower for the European and Asian markets. The gas engine V-6 Sport Wagon’s fuel economy is expected to be similar to the peak rating of the sedan’s 26 mpg highway rating. All will be available with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission as well as all-wheel drive.
Although we’ve likely already seen an official image of the production version Cadillac CTS Coupe, it’s just nice to know General Motors is making progress with the angular coupe. The CTS coupe should be in consumer hands by the summer of 2010, possibly as a 2011 model.
The CTS will be powered by a 3.6-liter V6 engine (in the sedan it makes 263 hp and 304 hp with direct injection) mated to a six-speed automatic. It’s one helluva longshot, but if we keep our fingers crossed, maybe a CTS-V version will show up with the 556 hp 6.2-liter supercharged V8 engine from the sedan.
We named the CTS-V sedan our car of the year for 2008, so of course were going to get excited when a V-series coupe is spied out testing. We know that General Motors has dismantled its performance division, and it’s a miracle the regular CTS coupe has plans for production. So we know this CTS-V coupe won’t be in showrooms, but we still like to dream.
Before we wake up, lets just think about the 556 hp 6.2-liter supercharged V8 in that cool coupe body. Ahhhh, it’s good to dream.
The dynamic at Cadillac is changing. The DeVille line (now the DTS) was once the company’s icon, but now the luxury brand’s longest-running model is coming to an end. "Look at a CTS and I think you can start understanding where we are going," said Mark McNabb, General Motots North America Vice President for premium brands. He told the Automotive News, "Look at a CTS [sedan], CTS wagon, CTS coupe — obviously, derivatives off of a platform make a lot of sense from a financial perspective."
The idea may not just be about using one platform for many variations, but also about the company’s new image. While the STS will be getting refreshed, Cadillac is thinking smaller. The next big thing from Cadillac will be a car smaller than the CTS (possibly the Euro-only BLS replacement), and it will likely be offered in multiples models.
General Motors revealed the first production-ready image of the Cadillac CTS Coupe with the unveiling of its viability plan. We’re happy to report that the design has stayed faithful to the edgy concept. The same plan also confirmed that the 3.6-liter V6 engine will find its way into the coupe (in the sedan it makes 263 hp and 304 hp with direct injection.) Production should begin in the summer of 2010.
Also in mentioned in GM’s viability plan was the development of a dry, dual-clutch transmission and a new range of four-cylinder gas engines. GM is looking to have the Volt-based Opel Ampera and Cadillac Converj hit the streets by 2012.
The good news: The Cadillac CTS coupe will go into production
When the CTS coupe first showed up at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, U.S. journalists were filled with almost a sense of patriotic pride knowing that this was the kind of leap forward that could get Cadillac out and ahead of the BMW 3-Series. We were almost brought to tears when we heard the production car would keep similar styling to the sexy concept (okay maybe not tears; all automotive journalists sold our souls a long time ago to get the job.)
Then the bottom fell out. Rising gas prices and a weak economy dried up customer showroom traffic and forced cutbacks. This eventually included the indefinite delay of the CTS coupe. The automotive press weeped again (or at least tried.) The only other people to feel the kind of crushing disappointment were those children who went to go see the new car dad bought, only to find out it was a Pacer.
This made us all fear the worst, and possibly demise of the two-door Caddy, but happy days are hear again. General Motors announced that the Cadillac CTS coupe is on for production in the summer of 2010. This is about a year later than originally scheduled, but just like your father trading in that Pacer, it’s a case of better late than never.
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