CTS New CTS-V: 550 HP Supercharged V8

[Deutsch]

^No matter what the domestics do, no matter how hard they try it appears as if it will never be enough for some.

 

[Matt]

not getting 100 hp per litre with a super charger isnt breaking any technological berriers.
Quit worshiping the car, we know nothing about it except what the press release told us
so please give me a break.....

 

[YoUhimhER]

i think this car will have same driving character as the c63 amg; crazy fast on straight line but not so elegent on the bends.

i mean if you compare its weight with c63 amg and e63 amg, which are 1730 kg and 1830kg, respectively, with its weight of 1950kg (automatic, just to be fair). cts-v is like a pig. all that horsepower and torque without awd on a sedan of this weight is not going to be very dynamic i think. but may be cadillac can pull of some miracles like nissan with its gtr on this one tho, who knows.

 

[Merc1]

You guys really make it sound like neither Mercedes or Cadillac can make a car handle. We're talking about a the slightest of differences in most cases between MB AMG and BMW M cars, in most cases regarding handling. This Cadillac will be more than capable in the corners. Cadillac knows this car doesn't stand a chance at really gaining any ground on the Germans unless it handles too. The new CTS is a good base for such a car already.

M

 

[Zafiro]

1950 kg for CTS-V?
you will notice the weight in the corners. Weight is a dead enemy for a cars agility. CTS-V will be an awesome Autobahn torpedo. But its not a car you want to play around with on a track but thats not the point with this car anyway so...

 

[SDNR]

I think it is fantastic to see Cadillac getting its act together ......seriously, I really thought the US car industry was slowly dying ....I certainly would not underestimate the potential for Cadillac to eventually produce something that'll frighten the hell out of Stuttgart.

 

[martinbo]

The CTS-V is a great car. It has some nice aggressive detailing from a styling perspective and it has some very scary output figures. I doubt very much that the CTS-V will be a poor handler, for its intended application it'll probably corner like the dickens.

However, the CTS-V's biggest problem is that, like many fine American cars, it lacks global relevance. It's not a worldly car - instead it remains very much a domestic market product tailored to local taste... Built by Americans for Americans.

A Mercedes Benz E63 is a global car, engineered to be superior in every market in which it competes, regardless of which side of an ocean you're on or your lattitude south of the Pyramids.

So yes, CTS-V: great in isolation but for the rest of the world, a distant curiousity vividly representative of the most insular automotive market in the world.

Cadillacs may be great in the US but down here all we ever see now and again is the BLS. And that's a horrid little turd on wheels.

 

[SDNR]

^ Cadillac will be offered to the RHD markets later this year.

 

[martinbo]

^ Ja, but it's trickle feed numbers. And, I question the profitability of these RHD models.

 

[SDNR]

However, the CTS-V's biggest problem is that, like many fine American cars, it lacks global relevance. It's not a worldly car - instead it remains very much a domestic market product tailored to local taste... Built by Americans for Americans.

This is a very valid point Martin ....I agree entirely with your post.

However, I think in some ways the true "Americaness" of Cadillac is also one of its most important and appealing attributes. Cadillacs are intrinsically American -- the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado is The American car of the American century (the 20th century) IMO.

I understand what you are saying about Mercedes being a global brand producing global cars ....but I would be sad to see Cadillac lose its American character ....a certain level of American patriotism is at the heart of the marque ...much like Britain and Rolls-Royce (we'll just ignore the facts of that situation for the sake of the point ...shall we )

 

[Sunny]

This is a very valid point Martin ....I agree entirely with your post.

However, I think in some ways the true "Americaness" of Cadillac is also one of its most important and appealing attributes. Cadillacs are intrinsically American -- the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado is The American car of the American century (the 20th century) IMO.

I understand what you are saying about Mercedes being a global brand producing global cars ....but I would be sad to see Cadillac lose its American character ....a certain level of American patriotism is at the heart of the marque ...much like Britain and Rolls-Royce (we'll just ignore the facts of that situation for the sake of the point ...shall we )

Well, the German cars still have their German characteristics and have still managed to appeal to a global audience, so have the Japanese and the Italians. I admit it is more of a marketing job, but the Americans royally fail at it.

 

[martinbo]

Rob, I have no problem whatsoever with the intrinsic American nature of American cars. Hell no. What I want however, is for the right American cars to be made available to the rest of the world in a manner that it globally pertinent.

I don't want a jazzed up Saab 9-3 in the form of a BLS. I don't want a naff SUV that can't hold its own against a RAV-4 on or off road.

I want the Corvette Z06 for American market money. I want the Mustang and the Dodge Charger R/T. I want American cars that are reprensentative of the American motoring culture in a "proud-to-be-American" context to be sold because they bring the best of American motoring and not just because they happen to have an American brand.

Until this happens, the best of America will remain largely the preserve of Americans. Just like "world series" baseball, football and basketball.

 

[SDNR]

^^Fair points Sunny ....but I don't know if Mercedes or BMW are quite viewed in Germany the way Cadillac is in the US -- Cadillac is part of American popular culture -- perhaps it shares its significance with the Mustang or Corvette. Martin is right though, the US is a very insular (inward-looking) automotive market.


^Can't argue with that Martin.

 

[Zafiro]

Rob, dont forget the status Volvo and Saab have here in Sweden

 

[SDNR]

Oh, I'm sorry Andreas .....I'm sure they do have a big Nationalistic fan base too. Volvo has always been a very well respected brand around the world.

 

[siko]

17 picture gallery of live shots from Detroit @ Autoblog.com here...

 

[siko]

NAIAS launch....

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[Ubermensch]

the car looks hot, I just have a mental issue with the car being a 4 door. What I mean is that much power should be in a coupe~

 

[warot]

This is a very valid point Martin ....I agree entirely with your post.

However, I think in some ways the true "Americaness" of Cadillac is also one of its most important and appealing attributes. Cadillacs are intrinsically American -- the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado is The American car of the American century (the 20th century) IMO.

I understand what you are saying about Mercedes being a global brand producing global cars ....but I would be sad to see Cadillac lose its American character ....a certain level of American patriotism is at the heart of the marque ...much like Britain and Rolls-Royce (we'll just ignore the facts of that situation for the sake of the point ...shall we )

That's why I think Cadillac is still one of the few companies afloat in America. They are making pretty sweet cars nowadays, however I just don't see it going anywhere outside the US. Honestly, a car like this would just not work in Asia for example. Just different cultures I guess... it's too out there, even to BMW standards.

I think this car will handle decent, but not more because it is one hell of a heavy car. However, it's hard to ignore that firepower though. I think it will slowly fade away whereas the Germans will remain in the picture... that's just imo.

 

[Merc1]

Fastest sedan ever? 2009 Cadillac CTS-V breaks 8-minute mark on Nurburgring

The 2009 Cadillac CTS-V has broken the eight-minute mark for a lap around the Nurburgring Norschleife, putting in a lap time of 7:59:32 during testing, which may be the fastest lap time ever for a sedan.

Fastest sedan ever? 2009 Cadillac CTS-V breaks 8-minute mark on Nurburgring - Auto News - Motor Trend

M