If you’re the type of lunatic that looks at the 640-horsepower 2016 Cadillac CTS-V and thinks it might be a bit underpowered, then keep reading because even faster V-Series Caddies->ke18 could be on the way to rival Mercedes-AMG’s->ke8 Black Series derivatives. Think even brawnier versions of the ATS-V and CTS-V, with more power, wider fenders and tires and more-aggressive carbon-fiber aero bits, including lower front splitters, bigger diffusers and fixed rear wings.

Speaking at the 2016 ATS-V launch in Texas, chief Cadillac engineer Dave Leone suggested to Car and Driver that sportier V-Series models are in the works: “We might have something down the road that is a little bit more aggressive.” Another source told C&D that the first of these models could arrive as soon as 2017. It’s only part of the aggressive expansion Cadillac has planed for its V division in the coming years.

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Why it matters

“There will be eight new entries in five new segments over the next few years, and we can see a V-series in one or two of those,” Cadillac global marketing director Jim Vurpillat told C&D. And that’s not including the Vsport range, which exists between the full-on V-Series cars and the non-sport models, and could expand to include the CT6->ke4935 and even a sportier version of the ever-popular Escalade.->ke245

As for the super-V-Series cars, it’s not hard to envision hardcore variants of the ATS-V and CTS-V arriving as send-offs when their current platforms become due for replacement, but that’s a few years away. Expect tweaked versions of the current engines. The ATS-V’s 3.6-liter twin-turbo V-6 likely has plenty of untapped potential, while the CTS-V’s LT4 V-8 from the 2015 Corvette Z06 could probably put down another 300 horsepower (not that it necessarily will) without breaking a sweat.

Speaking about the current ATS-V, Leone said all-wheel drive and dual-clutch gearboxes were considered, but deemed too heavy and expensive without offering any tangible benefits. All-wheel drive in particular would have added about 200 pounds over the front axle and blunted steering feel. Expect faster Caddies to stick with rear-wheel drive and a choice of six-speed manual and eight-speed automatic transmissions.

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