Predator Performance has taken the already potent CTS-V and turned it into a real fire-breather. This project is a work in progress with suspension and interior modifications in the works. Look for articles in several automotive publications in the next few months.
Built by Predator Performance, a DuBois, PA-based motorsports shop, the CTS-V returned to its home after SEMA and there wasn’t much chance in mid-November to coax the beast out into the open under the threat of snow. But now, with the height of summer upon us and the Caddy ready for a little action, this blacked out sedan is ready to lay waste to the competition. For AMG and M-car owners alike, CTS-V is definitely a four-letter word.
Chad Vogele, Bart Grande, Jeff Towns, and the other folks at Predator, built this car to be different. While the Grand Am-style widebody and big HRE wheels certainly give this “formidable sedan” a unique edge on the competition, under the hood things get even better. “In light of the fact that a number of other shops had already massaged the standard
powertrain on this platform substantially, we pondered what could be done with our Caddy to set it apart from the pack,” says Towns, the sales and marketing manager at Predator. “The conversation turned to GM’s success with their 427 C5R all aluminum race block.
This aluminum block has a tremendous “track record” (no pun intended), has the same outer dimensions as the LS-6 it replaced and we felt it would be the perfect foundation to build the rest of our drive train around.”The Predator team knew that eventually
supercharger upgrades would be in the plan, so one of the first things they did was lower the compression on the engine.
While this monster CTS-V is an unusual project for Predator Performance, they aren’t exactly strangers to building high performance cars.
“With a championship race team to support we maintain a very well equipped engine department,” says Towns. This includes both an engine dyno and a chassis
dyno, not to mention a full machine shop and a paint booth, all located inside their 36,000 sq-ft facility. Once the rear wheels of this twin supercharged Caddy were placed on the rollers and the loud pedal pushed the result was astounding; 806hp was created at a modest 6400 rpm with a tire shredding 756 ft-lbs of torque. Towns claims that they could have gone for more horsepower, but that isn’t what they wanted for the Caddy. “This engine will easily support well over 1,000hp but we decided to focus on a goal of building a fairly refined luxury sedan that would offer brutal performance on pump gas. In fact, we actually turned the boost down from what it used to be making.”
Specifications
- 427 CID 7.0 LITER C5R RACE BLOCK
- 806 HORSEPOWER @ 6400 RPM
- 756 LB / FT TORQUE @ 5100 RPM
- AFR CNC HEADS W/ FAST INTAKE MANIFOLD
- JE PISTONS W/ LUNATI RODS
- COMP CAM HYDRAULIC ROLLER
- TWIN P-1SC PROCHARGERS
- CUSTOM FABRICATED INTERCOOLER
- CUSTOM FABRICATED TWO PASS RADIATOR
- DIFFERENTIAL AND TRANSMISSION GEARS TREATED BY ROCKLAND STANDARD GEAR CO.
- CUSTOM DIFFERENTIAL, TRANSMISSION, AND SUPPLEMENTAL ENGINE COOLERS
- GRAND AM FENDER FLARES, REAR SPOILER, AND HEAT EXTRACTOR HOOD FROM SPECTER WORKS
- HRE 19 X 10.5 WHEELS
- 285/35ZR19 AND 305/30ZR19 MICHELIN TIRES
- BREMBO GOLD SERIES 8 PISTON CALIPERS W/ 15 INCH ROTORS UP FRONT AND 4 PISTON 14.5 INCH ROTORS IN REAR