*V-Vision- Like we said before, Cadillac jumped on the mid-size bandwagon back in 1999 with the Catera, which was really a German Opel with an eggcrate grill. It was nice, but no Benz. The 2002 CTS, Version 1.0, was better in many ways, its stealth fighter faceted look thanks to Cadillac's "Art and Science" approach to design, and rear-wheel-drive aided by a well-tuned suspension. But I always thought it looked a bit under-tired, although the first-generation CTS-V certainly looked better. Version 2.0 looked way better, a more chiseled face with angular stacked headlights, bi-xenon for the low beams. Now comes the CTS-V, with twice the regular CTS’s grilles, upper and lower done in chrome plastic mesh. There’s a real lower air dam with side winglets that look ground-scraping but aren’t, with inset fog lights with real brake inlets. The raised hood shows there something big under there, while the fender vents look almost dainty as they initiate the beltline edge that runs aft. Flattened flares frame aggressive low-profile P255/40ZR19-inch Michelin Pilot Sport rubber with great 10-spoke alloy wheels that display huge discs and buff silver Brembo calipers behind, connected by a lower flared body sill. The semi-fastback rear window drops onto a high trunk that ends with a deep spoiler-shaped third brake light, flanked by LED blade taillights in a nod to the past. A nod to the performance part is under the lower fascia – twin chrome pipes that look big enough to make some noise. The whole shape is wedgy, an angularly blunt arrow of power that had lots of admirers at cruise-ins, even when parked among some exotic stuff including its soul brother, a Corvette ZR1.
*CTS-V comfort – Again, Cadillac has upped the ante for the place where the driver and three select friends will live with a wrap-around dashboard with hand-stitched leather-like vinyl, plus midnight sapele wood trim that accent dash and doors, and glossy piano black accents in the V-ed dash center. A 2009 CTS-V owner said the wood is too dark, and likes his carbon fiber-look trim better. The central power slide-up satellite navigation screen displays maps, weather, traffic and the excellent Bose 5.0 10-speaker surround sound AM-FM-CD-XM Satellite audio system that can download CDs, MP3s and sound files into the 40-gigabyte hard drive for playback. The “record” button means you can stop a radio broadcast for up to 60 minutes, then listen later. An iPod USB charger/audio input cable in the center console under the armrest lets you plug and play one from the steering wheel controls, playlists on the touch screen. Or just stick with 36 presets for radio.
Front seat passengers get optional Recaro leather and microfiber suede-clad 14-way adjustable performance buckets with power bolster upper and lower bolster and height-adjustable lumbar, plus two memory presets for the driver. They were firm and supportive, but might be too firm for some, although heat and ventilation scored points. The power tilt/telescope steering wheel has audio, voice control and cruise controls on its glossy black spokes, with a grippy fat padded suede rim, and more suede on the seat inserts and shift, like a classic Italian supercar. Obsidian black is also applied to the center console and door trim. Like the base CTS, there’s white LED ambient lighting under the wood trim’s rim that looks nice at night. Leave the satellite navigation screen retracted, and its top 2 inches displaying radio station name, song title, artist, touch-screen preset buttons and outside temperature. The deep set gauges get class white numbers and red needles, with a nifty red LED tracing that follows the 200-mph speedmometer and 8,000-rpm tach like a comet trail as they rise, the latter flashing as you get to the 6,000-rpm redline. There’s a supercharger boost gauge, while the trip computer displays lateral G-load and big digital speedo as well as the usual stuff. A classy chrome-rimmed analog clock is flanked by simple volume and tuning, while the audio, navigation and other function buttons surround a menu select knob and button below, the climate controls under that and the dual-zone temperature and seat heat/cool switches and displays flanking that for individual use. The glove box is big, the door map pockets rubberized and the pedals aluminized. Back seat head and leg room is good for two adults, the door opening still smaller than I would like, and the rear seats only get a ski pass-through behind the center arm rest. The 13.6-cubic-foot trunk is wide and flat with a cargo net. There’s no rear-view camera, just yellow and red lights reflected in the rear-view mirror and a beep as stuff gets closer.
*CTS-Vroom – The only disappointment here is that the supercharged 6.2-liter ZR-1 V-8 is hidden under sculpted cladding, while the Vette’s version is there for the world to see.
The CTS-V 1.0 had a 5.7-liter Z06 motor with 400-hp, a decent, not great 6-speed manual and 60-mph in 4.8 seconds with some rear axle tramp, a real party-pooper as was the Vette’s first-to-fourth gas-saving skip shift. The 2.0 version gets 556-hp, the most powerful production Cadillac ever with a whopping 551 lb.-ft. of torque. There’s an intercooled supercharger, aluminum-alloy cylinder heads and lower-lift, low-overlap camshaft. We didn’t have the Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual with a dual-disc clutch; we had the Hydra-Matic 6L90 six-speed automatic with paddle-shift. With driver-selectable suspension/transmission and traction modes set on “Sport” and “Competition” respectively, we roared to 60-mph in a quick, controlled 4.5 seconds in second gear with a meaty roar overlaid by the supercharger and controlled wheelspin, tapping redline in first and second. That’s very quick for a sedan, especially one so young (700 miles), while we averaged about 16-mpg on premium.
With magneto-rheological technology in the shocks and sensors that “read” road conditions and adapt within micro-seconds, the suspension firmed up when you push hard and got a mellower edge during regular driving. You can also set them for (firm-but-supple) touring or (firm-edged) sport suspension, tightly controlled with buffered rebound on bumps. In regular driving, the CTS-V was firm, comfortable and stable in turns. Push hard, especially in “Sport,” and it seems to flatten itself to the road, the rubber gripping cleanly with a neutral feel, tail playable in “Competition” Stabilitrak mode, when we could power around. We pulled a great 1.6 Gs in lateral load in our skidpad – nice – with minimal understeer. The CTS-V was also very sure-footed in the rain, Stabilitrak controlling rear wheelspin. The power steering was direct, with a good feel, the tail hanging in on turns. The Brembo brakes at all four corners, with six-piston calipers in the front and four-piston calipers in the rear, just stop the car. Overall, a very competent, comfortable family sports sedan that felt very compact, with some tire slap on the highway, but no other creak other than a loose piece of wood trim that moved next to the driver’s inside door handle when pushed as we opened it.
*CTS-V cost – The 2010 mid-level CTS we just tested was $52,390 loaded. Our CTS-V starts at $60,720 with all above standard except the $3,400 Recaro seats and alloy pedals, $600 wood trim, $300 suede steering wheel and shifter, and (cough-cough) a $2,600 gas guzzler tax. All together, $68,445. A 500-hp V-10 BMW M5 drives better, hits 60-mph in 4.1 seconds, and has a higher level of finish inside, for about $90,000. A supercharged 510-hp Jaguar XFR we tested a few months ago was $80,000, and did 60 in 4.5 seconds too, with a stunning interior but a tad less sports sedan than the others.
*Bottom line – I love the looks, the sound, the feel, the alive drive and the engine. I don’t like the gas mileage, and some of the plastic inside doesn’t match with the price, albeit one far less than any competitor. The V has arrived!
2011 Cadillac CTS-V
Vehicle type - 5-passenger mid-size domestic luxury sports sedan
Base price - $60,720 ($68,445 as tested)
Engine type – supercharged cast aluminum OHC, 16-valve V-8
Displacement – 6.2-liter
Horsepower (net) – 556 @ 6,100-rpm
Torque (lb-ft) – 551 @ 3,800 rpm
Transmission – 6-speed automatic w/sport shift paddles
Wheelbase – 113.4 inches
Overall length – 191.6 inches
Overall width – 72.5 inches
Height – 58 inches
Front headroom – 38.8 inches
Front legroom – 42.4 inches
Rear headroom – 37.2 inches
Rear legroom – 35.9 inches
Cargo capacity – 13.6 cu. ft.
Curb weight – 4,300-lbs.
Fuel capacity -18 gallons
Mileage rating – 12-mpg city/ 18-mpg highway
Last word – A really great rear-wheel-drive American sports car (w/4 doors)
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