Cadillac->ke18 was quite the busy bee this year, especially with developing its brand-new lineup of high-performance, V-badged sedans and coupes. A new CTS-V was long overdue, while the compact ATS was anxiously waiting for some extra power to be injected in both its sedan and coupe versions. The wait is nearly over, ladies and gentlemen, as the ATS-V Sedan showed up on the Nurburgring track for suspension testing and chassis tuning.

The ATS-V Sedan joined both the ATS-V Coupe and the CTS-V Sedan on the "Green Hell", as Cadillac stormed the iconic track looking to calibrate its most important weapons against the German big boys from BMW->ke178, Mercedes-Benz->ke187 and Audi->ke14. The Nurburgring Nordschleife is the perfect environment to do just that, especially with the powerful and popular BMW M3->ke2366 used as a benchmark. This isn't the first time the ATS-V Sedan has shown its face in public, but this time we're looking at a prototype that has ditched its heavy camouflage.

Unraveling some of the mysteries around the 2016 Cadillac ATS-V Sedan is now possible thanks to our trustworthy spy photographers.

Click past the jump to read more about the 2016 Cadillac ATS-V Sedan.

Spy Shots

Just like the ATS-V Coupe, the Sedan has receives a brand new front grille and bumper. The design is essentially borrowed from the bigger CTS-V and it's entirely different when compared to the standard model. As we've previously mentioned, Cadillac is set to better differentiate its high-performance models from their regular siblings, an initiative we duly welcome. And not because the standard ATS is too mild, but only because the ATS-V looks way more aggressive with those vertical bars posing as a front grille, and a new splitter and larger intakes added to the lower apron.

Alterations are less obvious around back, but the ATS-V's rear end is way more sexier now, thanks to its revised diffuser and the twin-exhaust pipes peeking from underneath the bumper. The sleeker, faster look is also aided by a lowered suspension and a new set of lightweight, multi-spoke wheels. Yes, the ATS-V is lighter than its milder brother, and that's only one of the many tricks Cadillac has up its sleeve when it comes to this performance sedan. Expect better handling, improved dynamics and a whole lot of oomph waiting to hit the pavement at the push of a pedal.

Speaking of which, the ATS-V Sedan gets its juice from a twin-turbo, 3.6-liter V-6 that should generate more than 430 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of twist. With so much torque at its disposal, the Caddy will outgun its German competitors, although the Audi RS5 and the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe will remain superior as far as horsepower goes. Nonetheless, the ATS-V will be very fast from 0 to 60 mph, maybe even fast enough to complete the sprint in less than four seconds. We will find out more about that soon enough, so make sure you stay tuned to TopSpeed.

Why It Matters

Granted, the 2016 Cadillac ATS-V Sedan looks and sounds promising. The output is right where it should be and the design is aggressive enough to make it appealing to a large crowd. The fact that Cadillac is already testing it at the 'Ring is yet another sign the BMW M3 is about to receive a strong competitor. In the end, it all narrows down to Caddy's ability to match the M3's dynamics and luxury with the ATS-V, and the American company has all the credentials to do that.

Rendering