The powerplant of the CTS-V is extremely docile. Obviously, the available output and torque are exemplary, but you should see how easy it is to control accelerations, even in the city. The burly V8 is disconcertingly responsive and pleasant to work with despite its split road-track personality. It's always ready to deliver excess speed, so watch out for police radars or you could be hit with some pretty hefty fines.
The CTS-V comes with a wonderfully-calibrated 6-speed manual gearbox that will delight purists and performance buffs. This transmission positively makes the driving experience more rewarding, although it should be noted that a 6-speed autobox with paddle shifters is optionally available.
You can drive the car with your fingertips and still perform sharp maneuvers. Despite being fairly heavy, the CTS-V is really nimble on twisty roads. It crawls like a snake in S-shaped turns, which makes for great transitions. Keeping things in order are a set of powerful brakes that deliver quick, linear stops -- as with any self-respecting performance car.
I was quite happy to learn that my tester was equipped with the automaker's fast-reacting Magnetic Ride Control system. MRC monitors the road surface 1,000 times per second and adjusts suspension stiffness accordingly. When put to the test, the car showed great poise on all types of roads and in all driving conditions. Besides, comfort was never compromised.
A series of electronics aids, led by StabiliTrak, prevents the driver from getting too enthusiastic behind the wheel and keeps the car on the right track.
Competition
It sure takes a lot of guts and arrogance to target a market segment long dominated by German performance specialists, including the BMW M3 ($69,900) and Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG ($63,500), not to mention the Lexus IS-F ($64,450). However, at $68,500, the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V finds itself in a pretty enviable position.
Final word
There's nothing ordinary about this machine. It's sharp and sexy yet very classy. If somebody had told me years ago that Cadillac could some day rival Porsche, I would have laughed my heart out. The Germans were also laughing... until they looked in their rearview mirror and saw the new CTS-V getting dangerously close.
photo:Philippe Champoux, Chris Pritchard
The CTS-V comes with a wonderfully-calibrated 6-speed manual gearbox that will delight purists and performance buffs. This transmission positively makes the driving experience more rewarding, although it should be noted that a 6-speed autobox with paddle shifters is optionally available.
You can drive the car with your fingertips and still perform sharp maneuvers. Despite being fairly heavy, the CTS-V is really nimble on twisty roads. It crawls like a snake in S-shaped turns, which makes for great transitions. Keeping things in order are a set of powerful brakes that deliver quick, linear stops -- as with any self-respecting performance car.
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| The CTS-V crawls like a snake in S-shaped turns, which makes for great transitions. |
I was quite happy to learn that my tester was equipped with the automaker's fast-reacting Magnetic Ride Control system. MRC monitors the road surface 1,000 times per second and adjusts suspension stiffness accordingly. When put to the test, the car showed great poise on all types of roads and in all driving conditions. Besides, comfort was never compromised.
A series of electronics aids, led by StabiliTrak, prevents the driver from getting too enthusiastic behind the wheel and keeps the car on the right track.
Competition
It sure takes a lot of guts and arrogance to target a market segment long dominated by German performance specialists, including the BMW M3 ($69,900) and Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG ($63,500), not to mention the Lexus IS-F ($64,450). However, at $68,500, the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V finds itself in a pretty enviable position.
Final word
There's nothing ordinary about this machine. It's sharp and sexy yet very classy. If somebody had told me years ago that Cadillac could some day rival Porsche, I would have laughed my heart out. The Germans were also laughing... until they looked in their rearview mirror and saw the new CTS-V getting dangerously close.
photo:Philippe Champoux, Chris Pritchard
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