Looking to roar into the New Year? Maybe Cadillac’s thundering new 640-horsepower CTS-V has your name on it?
Getting its global debut at the upcoming Detroit auto show, the latest version of Caddy’s four-door rocketship gets its awesome slingshot power from the supercharged 6.2-liter V8 used in the mighty Chevy Corvette Z06.
And if you thought Mercedes’ E63 AMG with its 577hp 5.5-liter bi-turbo V8, or BMW’s M5 with its 575hp 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 were the kings of the high-performance sedan hill, this new Cadillac has both Germans outranked in raw power.
As you might expect, this new CTS-V is quick. No seriously quick. Click the stopwatches and it will lunge from zero to 60mph in a mere 3.7 seconds and won’t quit its forward attack until the speedo needle is kissing the 200mph mark.
Shifting gears comes courtesy of an eight-speed automatic, again sourced from the Corvette Z06, with paddle shifters and launch control.
In fact if you want to stick a set of vinyl numbers to the CTS-V’s front doors, you could turn up at your local racetrack and put in some very hot laps.
Race gear includes GM’s third-gen Magnetic Ride Control delivering 40 per cent faster damping response, Brembo high-performance brakes, super-sticky Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires, and a body structure that’s 25 per cent stiffer than a stock CTS.
And see it in the flesh and it looks simply wicked. Pretty much every body panel is unique, and molded from super-light, super-stiff carbon fiber. I love the new front end, with its air-gulping grille, mesh-filled openings.
Those huge, widened fenders are designed to accommodate unique 19-inch lightweight, forged alloys that are claimed to be 45 per cent stiffer than the last CTS-V’s wheels.
Inside, it’s performance-meets-luxury. The new front seats have 20-way power adjustment and are heated, cooled and trimmed in sexy semi-aniline leather with sueded microfiber inserts. Check the options box and you can get hip-hugging Recaro sports seats.
The last CTS-V, with a mere 556-hp V8, was simply an amazing performance car to drive, so I can only imagine how this 2016 version, with ’Vette Z06 power will drive. It’s going to be one of the performance highlights of 2015.
Sadly you’re going to have to wait a while as the red-hot Caddy won’t hit showrooms until mid-summer. As for pricing, don’t expect much change from $75,000.
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