2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe import killer

[DainBramaged]

Put Cadillac's 556-horsepower supercharged V8 into just about anything and chances are we'll like it. We loved it in the CTS-V sedan. And there's no reason to assume that we won't love it just as much in the CTS-V coupe that the company is to unveil at the Detroit auto show. Hell, bolt that thing to an Aztek-bodied CTS-V variant and there's a good chance we'll like it just fine.

Nothing tricky here; Cadillac has kept the powertrain and suspension specs essentially identical to the sedan, because, well, why wouldn't it?

Let's review what that means. The supercharged 6.2-liter LSA motor pumps 556 hp at 6,100 rpm and 551 pound-feet of torque at 3,800 rpm through either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic, then the power flows rearward to a limited-slip differential and out to 19-inch wheels wearing sticky Michelin Pilot PS2 tires. The coupe's rear track is a little wider (0.8 inch) than the sedan and the two-door carries a slightly stiffer rear antiroll bar (a 25.4mm solid bar compared to the sedan's 24mm bar). But the goal of this very slight retuning of the suspension has not been to drastically change the excellent ride-and-handling combination of the CTS-V sedan. The coupe uses the same Delphi Magnaride magnetorheological dampers.

And despite the loss of two doors, the coupe rides on the same 113.4-inch wheelbase as the four-door. The coupe, though, is 3 inches shorter in length and 2 inches shorter in height. Combine that with a faster windshield and a nearly horizontal backlight and there's bound to be some compression of the passenger cabin. Headroom takes a beating. But if that mattered much to you, you'd just get the sedan, right?

http://www.insideline.com/cadillac/cts-v/2011/2011-cadillac-cts-v-coupe-2010-detroit-auto-show.html

[david13]

1. Yeah, real nice if you have brain damage. That is nothing but a

gas guzzling monstrosity and as usual the quality will be poor at best.
But what a total waste. A V8? What for? The roads are not a race track. So what's the purpose of the 'hoss power'? A road rage orgy?
All I can say about it is blah.
I suspect few people will be stupid enough to buy it.
dc

[DainBramaged]

2. (sigh) one of the nanny mentality who thinks only they are progressive

You forget, just like those who believe in the religion of the gun on DU, there are a LOT of us who believe in the religion of the car, and if just to dream of, simply to get away from the mundane lives you would wish on the rest of us.

So sad, so sad. May your life be vanilla and purer than ours.....


PS, go to a car show out in California and ask the owners, or better yet insult them to their faces about the cars they own. I will bet they won;t be as kind as I am being. But the internet is a wonderful place for folks like yourself to mind OUR business.

[Orsino]

60. At least you're admitting it.

And it would be nice to see a (semi-) domestic car score a win vs. imports.

But my heart won't let me cheer for a V8. I consider them dinosaurs, and don't see the beauty of power for its own sake.

edit: no, that's not quite true. I can't claim to be immune to automotive allure, not completely. It's jut that my more progressive concerns have taken precedence in the last decade.

[EOTE]

21. Cadillac has been owning Lexus as of late in terms of quality.

So I guess by your logic, Lexus has even worse quality, right? You should know that the CTS has been quite the boon for Cadillac. It kicked off Cadillac's conversion back to rear wheel drive and it has converted quite a few BMW 3 series drivers to a domestic. I suspect you don't know very much about cars.

[jmowreader]

3. I have the same problem with this CTS I had with the current one

Namely, the heavily-creased front of the car looks like they took it off a truck. I LIKE flowing lines, which this doesn't have--at least not from the grille to the A-pillar. If it was a bit rounder, it would be fine but the way it is, it's just butt ugly.

[DainBramaged]

6. You want flowing lines get a MB or a BMW, Cadillac doesn't do flowing

never have........

[jmowreader]

18. They used to...

Okay, that's a 1939 and doesn't count. But consider this 2002 Deville:



It's not flowing in the way a BMW is, but it's still far less severe than CTS which seems to have been designed by a committee that had the Escalade's designer on it.

[TommyO]

44. I'm a big fan of Cadillac's Art and Science

I'm very glad they didn't go the way of all of the bubble cars when they introduced the first CTS.

[triguy46]

4. Be sure and let us know when it kills the first import.

I'm feeling pretty safe.

[DainBramaged]

5. I guess you don't look at MB or BMW comparisons much..........

Is that one of those little 255hp Boxters? Sure looks like it to me.....it sure ain't a Panamera......some folks down the road have a nice blue one, real pretty. They are afraid of it......silly Porsche owners.....

[triguy46]

7. Yep, pretty is as pretty does.

Do you own one of those or just lusting?

[EOTE]

23. The CTS-V would slaughter any stock Boxster ever made.

Just recently, the CTS-V performed a sub 8 minute time on the Nurburgring, and this is a 4 door sedan that has at least 1000 lbs on the Boxster. The fastest time a Boxster S ever posted on the 'ring is 8:23. You are far less safe then you imagine.

[triguy46]

24. Not the point I was trying to make.

The point, as I see it, is Cadillac makes a car that is killer on paper, but which most of the market is going to ignore. The comment was it was an import killer. Other than on paper, the only place to test this is on the track, which, Porsche, BMW, Mercedes all have extensive experience and proven technology. One lap of the ring does not racing heritage make. If we're just magazines, then of course its a killer. It will be killer driving on the freeways, and at stoplights. But it will not save the brand. I would suggest that as an import killer, given the choice, most would still choose an import.

[EOTE]

27. Just what exactly does "One lap of the ring" make?

It's only the most accepted standard of a vehicle's performance available. The CTS-V is definitely an import killer. Show me ONE import that will be able to touch it for anywhere near the price. Hell, even the Panamera Twin Turbo is only able to match its performance on the track (yet not in a straight line) and it does it AT TWICE THE PRICE. Compare it to cars that actually are in the same price range and it slaughters them. There's no BMW that stands a chance, certainly no Porsche. And Mercedes?!?!? Are you kidding me? When was the last time Mercedes made anything approaching a serious track car? The closest thing they have now is the $500,000 SLR McLaren and the thing has a freaking auto. And why you'd bring up freeways and stop lights is well beyond me. Are you familiar with the Nurburgring at all? The Caddy kills the imports on the twisties, in a straight line, in ANY objective performance measure you can use.

[triguy46]

28. Shit you guys win. I'm selling the Porsche and buying an ElDorado coupe.

[EOTE]

31. Really smart answer there.

Yeah, this 550hp, RWD performance machine is sooo much like the El Dorado they stopped selling 10 years ago that was on a luxury only FWD platform with half the power. And you should know that all ElDos are coupes, so "coupe" in this case is superfluous. Brilliant thinking there.

[triguy46]

33. Thanks for the correction, "Cadillac, the Official Car of the Lounge!"

[EOTE]

34. More like "Cadillac, the official thorn in the side of insecure Porsche and BMW owners everywhere!"

[triguy46]

39. Yes, I'm way insecure, thanks for pointing that out. Will get thorn proof tires.

I'm in #12.

[EOTE]

64. I never called you insecure, you must have inferred that somehow.

Then again, you did feel the need to post pictures of your car and make lots of uninformed comments denigrating something you know little about, so there is that.

[DainBramaged]

49. One day when a V pulls up next to them and thumbs their nose

they'll get it. Silly Porsche owners, all that money, all that snobbery.....

[flvegan]

8. Regardless of other responses, I LOVE this car!

I posted about this the other day. Honestly, with that ZR1 powerplant you're spending upwards of $140k on the BEST from BMW (M6) or $230k from Benz (AMG) to really take this car to task in comparison.

But then, what else to expect. The ZR1 will destroy anything costing less than what...$500k? $1 million?

This IS GM at it's best.

[DainBramaged]

9. If I win the lottery, I'll buy one out by you so you can drive it....

:hi:


I have driven every iteration since 2004 (400 HP) up to 2009, and the 09/10 is scary, but oh so intimidating.

[flvegan]

10. I'd honestly need a full weekend

of track time. I haven't driven anything with that much power in a very long time (my Grand National had close to 500 or so, and that was all straight-line drag power).

Okay, maybe I'm just bucking for more time with that fantastic car!

[MrScorpio]

22. What about me?

Where's the love?

[DainBramaged]

26. You can borrow it when five is done......

:hi:

[jakefrep]

11. I'll take one. Black, please.

[RebelOne]

12. I'll take it. I'll take any Cadillac.

I love Cadillacs. The only one I could ever afford was a Cadillac Cimarron. I used to call it my baby Cadillac in hopes that someday it would grow into a full-fledged one.

[hobbit709]

13. What the world needs, another gas guzzler.

[michreject]

14. It gets better gas milage than my truck

I only get 10 mpg.

I'm not selling my truck though. 09 Chevy 4X4 2/3 ton. LT3 package. Black.

[EOTE]

32. Gets about the same fuel economy as my VW GTI.

Power and fuel economy typically don't have an inverse relationship. Weight and fuel economy typically do.

[dysfunctional press]

15. uggly-ass grille.

how much too high is the price?

[EOTE]

29. They start at 62K.

Considering it takes on the absolute best German sedans that cost 3X or more than the Caddy, it seems like a frigging bargain to me.

[DainBramaged]

42. This is a thread for those of us who lust after burnouts, triple nickle speeds

and waxing the fenders off on Sunday morning.......some here will never understand, but since their lives are so vanilla, maybe we can drive by and honk?

[flvegan]

52. Don't forget that exhaust note!

Windows down, tunnel blasting or upshifting to the sweet spot in the revs (right around 3k for my ride) going under an overpass. Just to hear her sweet song. The feel of the torque, pushing you back into the seat. The chirp of the tires catching second, third gear.

I can tell a GM 350 from a Ford 302-ish from 100 paces. And don't get me started on big blocks.

[DainBramaged]

54. Yup...................

[EOTE]

58. I just don't get the hostility.

I understand that not everyone is into car culture, that's cool. I just don't understand where the anger comes from. Everyone has different hobbies and interests. I don't feel the need to rag on opera just because I'm not into it.

[dysfunctional press]

59. i like cars just fine-but i think that it's ugly as shit.

:shrug:

mostly because of the grille.
the european models it's supposed to be competing with are much more attractive.

[EOTE]

62. The Euro models it competes against are 2 to 3x the price.

And I'm curious to see which you find are much more attractive. I find the M6 and six series in general looks like it was designed by a 6 year old with a Hot Wheels obsession. The 5 series and M5 are a little better, but they certainly don't convey any sporting attention. The Panamera looks OK from the front, but as soon as you look at it from a side or 3/4ths rear view, that portly rear end looks incredibly out of place.

[snooper2]

16. my buddy just got one for 30K with 20,000 miles..

It's just the AWD version, not the V though...

But it kicks ass! He was went to Oklahoma a couple weeks back right after they bought it and got stuck in that huge snow storm. He was going down the highway about 40mph or so and a truck tried to pass and was sideways and all over the road. His only option was to hit the grass median to get away from the idiot, car did it with ease :) ...and not a scratch...

[guitar man]

17. That's some serious torque

This is the first car that I've seen in a while that would make me think of trading in my beloved Lincoln Mark VIII. That is, if I had the money...:(

[EOTE]

25. Tell me about it.

I thought the first generation with its 400hp LS6 was insane and I lusted after them. Then when they moved to the LS2, I thought that would be it for quite a while. I remember when I first read about this current generation of CTS-V. I was originally expecting them to use the current Z06's LS7, it seemed like a perfect match for me. A big ass normally aspirated V8 shoved into Caddy's new performance model. Then I heard that GM executives said that the LS7 simply wouldn't pass muster and that a sedan that heavy (still lighter than comparable Mercedes E Class and BMW 5 Series sedans) would need to have a forced induction V8 in order to get the low end and mid range torque they were looking for. When I saw they were using the ZR1's LS9, I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. Having that much torque in a sedan ought to be a sin. A delicious, fantastical sin. As for the Mark VIII, they're pretty sweet too, but I'd want one with a stick, which AFAIK, doesn't exist.

[guitar man]

37. Nope, no stick

I think lincoln had a stick option in the ls but not the mark viii. The auto it has in it is a tight shifting, tire squawker though, I love it. I wouldn't think it would be that hard to put a stick in one though, it's essentially the same engine that the mustang cobras from the same era had. That 32v 4.6 is a hell of an engine . Mine has 220k miles on it and it still runs like new. It's too bad my wife snagged it for her to drive when I got my Harley.

I still sneak out and take off in it at least once a week though, love to feel that power :evilgrin:

[blueamy66]

47. No stick?

Then it's not a sports car.

Who wants an automatic with that kinda power?

[EOTE]

55. He's referring to the Lincoln Mark VIII.

Which sadly never included a manual. The CTS-V, however, receives a 6 speed with a proper clutch. There's also a 6 speed auto available, but no thanks. Caddy is not playing around with its latest V.

[EOTE]

57. The Mark VIII does have a pretty damn good auto.

One of my friends bought one from his dad. I noticed a distinct lack of slack I typically associate with torque converters. He was also able to put well over 200K on it. As for the LS, yes it did have a stick option. I had a 2001 and I LOVED that car. I got a ridiculously good deal on it, $16K even with 34K miles on it in 2005. It was the best car I've ever owned by far and I curse the day I decided to sell it. My friend in Wisconsin owns it now and it's still in pristine condition with over 130K on it. I'm seriously considering looking for another 6 speed LS as my next ride, but they're hard to find with low miles.

[MrScorpio]

19. WANT!

WANT, WANT, WANT!

[es350_ibm]

20. Hmmmm

[EOTE]

30. It should be noted that the engine is NOT Cadillac's.

The LSA is simply Chevy's LS9 (found in the ZR1 Vette) which has been slightly detuned to make it behave a bit more civilly.

[JNelson6563]

35. Sweet!

The Corvette component makes it all the more sexy. ;-)

Julie

[EOTE]

61. Chevy and Cadillac have a cool relationship.

While this and previous generations of the CTS-V have been a Cadillac chassis with the Corvette's engine, the Cadillac XLR takes the opposite approach. The XLR is basically the Corvette's chassis with Cadillac sheet metal and Cadillac's Northstar V8. For the XLR-V, they needed a more potent powerplant, and couldn't use the Vette's engine because that would have made it basically a Corvette clone, so instead they bolted a supercharger onto the Northstar. I'll take the CTS-V sedan for the week and an XLR-V for the weekends, myself :)

[JVS]

36. Nice but America needs cheap and small cars.

[TommyO]

46. If you want a cheap, small car, Hyundai has a few that you may be interested in

This thread is about a specific, kick-ass car from Cadillac.

[GOPisEvil]

51. No, it needs cars people will buy.

And people will buy this thing.

Some people want small and economical. Some people want sporty. Some people want trucks.

[flvegan]

53. Well said.

[spinbaby]

38. That's an ugly car

Not one I would choose.

[triguy46]

40. Take it from me, in this thread you'd better LOVE this car.

[DainBramaged]

41. good, start a jellylbean lovers thread then

:grr:

[Pithlet]

66. It's the grill.

The rest of the car is very nice looking. It's a shame they have to put that seriously hideous grill on there and ruin it.

[Schema Thing]

43. Nice bod, ugly grill

[DainBramaged]

45. Not finalized just yet..........

I had a chance to (ahem) 'fry' an '09 Sedan V with the auto. When you are sitting behind the wheel, and all you see behind you are clouds of tire smoke, while you are grinning, you forget about the exterior appearance.....

[yawnmaster]

48. I like it...even the grill is starting to grow on me.

and speaking of grill, I'd sure like to grill up some bacon.

Oh, and the hp is nice.

[Ptah]

50. mmmmmmm horse power !!11!1111!!

[JanMichael]

56. nt. not worth the effort. nt. nt. nt.

[MrCoffee]

63. That is a seriously sweet ride

I love what Cadillac is doing with the CTS line.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

65. 556 hp? Who needs 556 hp?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZQZiDv2Rx0&feature=related

[EOTE]

67. Who needs pasta covered with truffle oil or $400 an ounce caviar?

Or expensive single malt scotches? Nobody needs these things, but there are some people for whom this car is worth every penny of its asking price and more. The truth is, powerful, good handling cars are loads of fun to drive. If you can afford something like that and it floats your boat, it doesn't seem like that much of an extravagance.

[Owl]

68. I'd love to have one. And the look is growing on me everytime I see the picture again.

Awesome cool car.