The 2016 Cadillac CTS-V made a big splash on its home turf when it was unveiled in January at the North American International Auto Show,->ke222 but with aspirations of taking on Europe’s finest and most-powerful sedans, a debut at the Geneva Motor Show->ke228 may be even more important. But before they unveiled it under the bright Geneva lights, Cadillac’s European team took its new performance sedan on a little sight-seeing tour through Germany.

At each stop, the CTS-V is sitting pretty in front of its rivals’ homes, including the headquarters of BMW’s M division in Munich (next to an M3), the Audi quattro headquarters in Neckarsulm (with an R8 Spyder sitting in the window) and the Mercedes-AMG headquarters in Affalterbach (which has an image of the new AMG GT plastered on the side of it). In a friendly display of rivalry, Cadillac Europe posted all of the images to its Twitter feed.

While this little social media stunt was good fun, the true test comes later this year when the CTS-V hits European roads, going head-to-head against the Audi RS6, BMW M5 and Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG.

Continue reading to learn more about the 2016 Cadillac CTS-V.

Why it matters

If Cadillac hopes for the CTS-V to become a true global performance sedan, it will have to first prove its mettle in Germany. The Geneva introduction was Europe’s first official look at the new CTS-V, but it certainly won’t be the last.

2016 Cadillac CTS-V

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When the 2016 Cadillac CTS-V goes on sale this summer, it will be packing a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 with 640 horsepower and 630 pound-feet of torque at its disposal. Backing up this powerful engine are performance-tuned brakes and the Magnetic Ride Control adaptive damping suspension. Extensive use of carbon fiber (including the distinctive vented hood) helps bring the curb weight down to 4,145 pounds, allowing the CTS-V to hit 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds, on the way to a top speed of 200. This is not your grandfather's Cadillac.