Now that the second generation Cadillac CTS is on the streets and garnering largely positive reviews for it's looks, performance and handling dynamics, the time has come to turn it up a notch. The 2008 Detroit Auto Show will bring us the second generation high-performance CTS-V model. Just as the original 2004 version used an engine derived from the top Corvette of the time, so too does the new model. The 2009 CTS-V leap-frogs its chief competitor - the BMW M5 - with GM's new LSA V8 derived from the LS9 in the Corvette ZR1.

The goal of the CTS-V development team was to create a car with the poise and sophistication of the best luxury sedans melded with the outstanding performance of a high sports car. To achieve that they installed the supercharged 6.2L V-8 with an output of 550 horsepower and 550 lb-ft of torque into a heavily upgraded chassis and then went about dressing up both the interior and exterior to match

Given that Cadillac planned to offer the new CTS-V in overseas markets for the first, they felt they had to up their game in order to compete with the likes of the M5 and the AMG E63. The new engine offers so much more torque at all speeds than the V-10 in the M5 that driveability should be much better regardless of whether the manual or automatic transmission is installed. For those who prefer to handle the gear selection process on their own, the same Tremec 6060 used in the ZR1 is paired up with a dual plate clutch. The dual plate clutch provides the necessary torque capacity with a lower pedal effort.

Drivers who spend more of their time stuck in traffic jams or just prefer two pedal driving will be able to select the Hydramatic 6L90 six speed automatic. For those times when you feel like playing at being a Schumacher, tap shifting is available either through the steering wheel mounted paddle shifters or with the console shift lever. The automatic also has driver selectable shift modes include a Performance Algorithm that changes the shift points and firmness based on the driving conditions measured from vehicle sensors.

Nineteen inch wheels are used at both axles with 9in wide units used in front, 9.5in in the rear. The wheels are wrapped in customized Z-Rated Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires. The best tires in the world can't doing anything to put the power down if they don't stay in contact with the road surface. Another place where the CTS-V borrows from the ZR1 (and before that the STS) is the use of Magnetic Ride Control. The dampers filled with magneto-rheological fluid are adjusted based on sensor readings that happen at 1ms intervals. Of course all of this fancy hardware needs a stiff chassis to push back against. To help accommodate this a massive aluminum cross-brace connects the front strut towers.

Any tire only offers it's maximum grip within a narrow range of slip. Not enough and you don't move. Too much and the wheels just spin helplessly. To keep the tires working at their best, the Performance Traction Management uses the same sensors normally used for stability control but the control is optimized to get the most performance out of the power-train. The control algorithms used by the PTM were developed during the CTS-V race program over the last few years. Sooner or later every car has to slow down and here Brembo again comes to the rescue. Like the ZR1, six-pot Brembo calipers do the work up front with four-piston units at the back. In this case though the 15" front and 14.7" rear composite rotors are made of steel with aluminum hubs and slotted surfaces.

Following the pattern of previous V-Series Cadillacs the CTS-V gets a mesh grille to set it apart visually, but it doesn't end there. That powerhouse engine and the cross-brace need some extra head-room which is provided by a bulging hood. On the inside 14 way adjustable Recaro seats keep the driver firmly planted in front of the steering wheel. Those seats along with the shifter and steering wheel are wrapped in a micro-fiber material that looks like suede but is easier to keep clean and isn't sensitive to moisture. As the top end CTS, the V has all the expected luxury goodies including a Bose digital audio system with a 40GB hard drive and a navigation system. The new CTS-V goes on sale this fall.

 

sounds expensive

 

i'm sorry. power is out of control these days.

that is 550hp. out of an effing cadillac. that's twice the horsepower of our car for godsakes. that's one hell of a package...wonder what they are asking for it.

 

higher starting price??

 

Geeez. I'm kinda liking this thing. Hope its priced around the high $50k range.

 

Stunning inside and out!!! I would take that over an RS4, M3 or C class AMG anyday.

 

wonder if it still has the same old horrifyingly bad wheel hop problem

 

the 2008 CTS sucked on Top Gear even though it does have all that power. they claim it handles like a european car.

 

That front bumper looks like poop compared to the regular CTS.

 

Love it - When I have to have a true four-door (read - when wife says I do for kids), this will be at the top of my list -

 

That car is BAD ***.

 

Looks Good!

 

this may be a hint as to the power plant of the top end camaro

 

Funny thing is that I'm actually in the income bracket to buy this car. I don't think I'm ready to buy a car this expensive yet, but I can through my company get a nice corporate discount on the car. Very, very tempting... potential replacement for the RX-8 when I'm done paying off.

 

that my friend is sex on wheels

 

I don't think it's a very good looking car. The lines bother me - and it's not because I find them aggressive. The front bumper looks tacky to me. The rest looks OK. Just nothing I'd drool over.


I'm going to bust your ***** a little on this - you're bragging about income but you bought a used 2005 rx-8 and haven't paid it off yet? This will easily cost more than twice what you paid for the 8.

 

I've always enjoyed the Cadillac CTS-V's. But now with that interior, hot damn! Cadillac nailed it for the interior, beautiful.

 

Anybody notice the article says it has Recaro seats?

 

Don't know about the looks on the V model, I got to look at and sit in the regular 3.6 Caddy and was very impressed with how it looked. The interior also impressed me not because it looked good but because everything felt right. You coud reach all the controls easily and the wheel, shifters, and petals were all right The V version should be a banging car. I bet it goes faster and costs less than an M3

 

Well the '07 CTS-V starts at around 54k.

The '08 STS-V is nice too. But not for 80k.

 

nice front, bug ugly rear

 

you got that from the site??

Or are u talkin about the old CTS??

 

not really a fan of the way the vehicle looks on the outside, but that interior is beautiful. I would spend all day in that car if it was mine.

Can't expect something that big and heavy to be really great performance wise, regardless of horsepower. Of course, 500+ hp is definitely something to brag about around the office.

 

the 2008 CTS

 

I drove an '08 CTS and was not too impressed with the interior. It looked nice, certainly leaps and bounds better than many other American cars, but it still felt cheap and had inconsistent gaps, and peices which looked tacked on.